Remaining 23 episodes of Star TV’s game show “Kaun Banega Crorepati II” have been shelved and the programme has been called off as of now, with its anchor Amitabh Bachchan informing the channel that he would take a longer time than expected to resume the shoots.

Since the channel has run out of episodes from its banks, and with no signs of Bachchan returning to the sets, Star TV has finally called it a day for ‘KBC-Dwitiya’, officials said on Wednesday.

“No fresh episode of KBC II will be shot… Bachchan, who is in the process of recovering from his illness, has informed us that he will take longer to recover than earlier expected,” Star India COO Sameer Nair said.

The final blue print with regard to this decision is being worked out and will be declared in the next 3-4 days.

The option of roping in Bachchan’s son Abhishek Bachchan was also thought upon but could not be worked out, due to non-availability of dates with Abhishek, a Star TV official said.

Bachchan, who was operated upon for diverticulitis on November 30, 2005, was unable to complete the shoot for the remaining 23 episodes of KBC II.

The channel had reduced the number of episodes from three to two per week and even curtailed it to one from the month of January.

Star TV for the past two months was confident of completing the remaining part of the show and expressed its desire to wait till Bachchan was ready to resume his work.