McNally and Campbell have broken out at a time when podcasting, short-form video, Taskmaster and social media have replaced Live at the Apollo as the ticket to stand-up stardom. This week, the BBC announced that it is scrapping Live at the Apollo after 22 years. Live at the Apollo was an essential rite of passage for a stand-up in the UK. It replaced Live at the Apollo as the primary entry point for new talent and became – and remains – comedy’s best booking. Live at the Apollo is a victim of our attention spans, as well as the evolution of the market it used to dominate.