BBC Cuts 11 Mitchell and Webb Sketches from iPlayer Over Blackface and Burka Scenes
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of That Mitchell and Webb Look, the BBC has taken down 11 sketches from its iPlayer offering of the acclaimed comedy featuring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, which was broadcast from 2006 to 2010. Among the removed content are scenes involving blackface and a sketch featuring a contestant in a burka. A representative from the BBC mentioned that they had included sketches that remain relevant today. Comedian Dom Joly condemned the BBC's actions as "censorship," arguing that the creators' intentions were not racist. Jimmy Mulville recognized the challenging situation faced by the BBC. This decision aligns with a broader trend of editing comedic works as societal views evolve, similar to the removal of sketches from Little Britain in 2020.
Key facts
- The BBC removed 11 sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look on iPlayer.
- The show originally ran for four seasons between 2006 and 2010.
- It recently returned to iPlayer to mark its 20th anniversary.
- Removed sketches included war re-enactors in blackface, a makeover show contestant in a burka, and a "tribe" in a garden centre.
- A BBC spokesman said the sketches no longer "work today".
- The show won the Bafta for best comedy programme in 2007.
- Dom Joly criticized the BBC's "censorship" of itself.
- Jimmy Mulville said the BBC are in an "impossible position" but warned against a "thin end of a wedge".
- Little Britain was removed from iPlayer, Netflix and BritBox in 2020 and later returned with some sketches removed.
Entities
Artists
- David Mitchell
- Robert Webb
- Dom Joly
- Jimmy Mulville
- Matt Lucas
- David Walliams
Institutions
- BBC
- iPlayer
- Channel 4
- Radio 4
- Netflix
- BritBox
- Hat Trick Productions
- The Times
- Bafta
- Trigger Happy TV
- Peep Show
- That Mitchell and Webb Look
- That Mitchell and Webb Sound
- Little Britain
- Have I Got News For You
Locations
- United Kingdom