BBC is ‘taking political correctness too far’ by removing comedy classics like Little Britain from iPlayer over fears of offending modern viewers, culture minister John Whittingdale says

• John Whittingdale said he was against comedies that were ‘still widely enjoyed’ 
• UKTV, which is BBC owned, temporarily removed one episode of Fawlty Towers 
• Popular shows under increasing scrutiny due to Black Lives Matter movement

John Whittingdale said that while some programmes from the 60s are ‘wholly unacceptable’, ditching comedy classics that were ‘still widely enjoyed’ was the wrong decision (file photo) 

The BBC is ‘taking political correctness too far’ by removing shows like Little Britain and Fawlty Towers from iPlayer over fears of offending modern viewers, media minister John Whittingdale said today. 

John Whittingdale said that while some programmes from the 60s are ‘wholly unacceptable’, ditching comedy classics that were ‘still widely enjoyed’ was the wrong decision. 

The TV industry has come under increased scrutiny in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests that sprung up after the killing of George Floyd in the US, with other popular shows like The Simpsons, League of Gentlemen and Facejacker also under threat. 

Mr Whittingdale’s comments came after Tory Tom Hunt (Ipswich) accused the BBC of making a ‘censorious decision’ in removing episodes of the comedy Little Britain from its servers.

Starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, Little Britain has long been criticised for its portrayal of black and Asian characters by the white comedians, as well as gay characters and those with disabilities.

A BBC spokesman said it had made the decision to remove the show as ‘times have changed’ since the comedy first aired in 2003.

During an urgent question in the Commons on the BBC, Mr Hunt told MPs: ‘Last month, senior executives at the BBC took it upon themselves to remove episodes of Little Britain and other comedies from its iPlayer platform because of concerns that some characters might now be considered to be offensive.

‘Does (Mr Whittingdale) understand the anger of fans of these programmes when executives at their state broadcaster, whose salaries they pay, have made this censorious decision and have essentially made a value judgment about them for continuing to enjoy those programmes?’

UKTV, which is BBC owned, temporarily removed the famous ‘don’t mention the war’ episode of Fawlty Towers last month over ‘racial slurs’ and ‘outdated language’

Mr Whittingdale replied: ‘Well this is a matter for the BBC, obviously, but I have to say I shared (Mr Hunt’s) surprise that they decided that Little Britain was so unacceptable.

‘It is the case that if we look back, certain programmes which were extremely popular, for instance, in the 60s, would now be regarded as wholly unacceptable, and that is something which obviously not just the BBC but all of us need to remain sensitive to.

‘But I do think there is a risk that certain programming which is still widely enjoyed – and it was even suggested to me at one stage that Fawlty Towers might be removed as it gave offence to people – this is taking political correctness too far.’

UKTV, which is BBC owned, temporarily removed one episode of Fawlty Towers last month over ‘racial slurs’ and ‘outdated language’. 

Last week, British actor Idris Elba weighed in on the debate, saying that he does not agree with censoring old sitcoms because of modern sensibilities about race.

‘I’m very much a believer in freedom of speech,’ the 47-year-old told Radio Times. ‘Instead, there should be a ratings system warning viewers that a film or show has outdated, insulting viewpoints,’ he said.

Last week, British actor Idris Elba weighed in on the debate, saying that he does not agree with censoring sitcoms like Little Britain (pictured) because of modern sensibilities about race

While not referring to a specific programme, Elba said: ‘To mock the truth, you have to know the truth. But to censor racist themes within a show, to pull it… I think viewers should know that people made shows like this.

‘But I think, moving forward, people should know that freedom of speech is accepted, but the audience should know what they’re getting into.’

‘I don’t believe in censorship,’ Elba added. ‘I believe that we should be allowed to say what we want to say. Because, after all, we’re story-makers.’

In an apparent reaction to the Black Lives Matter protests, Netflix pulled Little Britain from streaming services last month, along with Come Fly With Me.

Then the BBC and BritBox both confirmed they had also decided to remove Little Britain saying ‘times have changed’ since the show first aired.

Similarly, Bo’ Selecta, which impersonated black stars such as Craig David, Trisha Goddard and Michael Jackson has been removed from All 4 after creator Leigh Francis recently issued a tearful apology. It is, however, still available on Prime Video.

It suggested an uncertain future for other popular comedy series which feature similar techniques, though many are still available to watch on streaming sites.

The decision by Netflix to remove Lucas and Walliams’ two series sparked anger from subscribers to the service, who were annoyed when they discovered the two shows had been dropped.

The move is likely to lead to calls for more outdated shows that may be seen as racist to be removed.  

Other popular comedies in the firing line in wake of BLM protests 

League of Gentlemen

Papa Lazarou features in League of Gentlemen, which is still available to watch on Neflix and iPlayer

Steve Pemberton and Mark Gattis’ BBC comedy features a character called Papa Lazarou – a blacked-up ringmaster who calls everybody Dave. He collects spouses by forcing his way into women’s homes posing as a humble peg-seller, then talks gibberish at them until they hand over their wedding rings, at which point he says: ‘You’re my wife now!’ League of Gentlemen is still available to watch on BBC iPlayer but has been removed from Netflix. 

Bo’ Selecta

Leigh Francis said he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the way he impersonated stars such as Trisha Goddard

Comedian Leigh Francis tearfully apologised for impersonating black stars such as Craig David, Trisha Goddard and Michael Jackson on his programme. Talk show host Trisha said it ’emboldoned a lot of casual racism’ while popstar David insists it ruined his life. Bo’ Selecta is no longer on All 4 but remains on Prime Video.

The Simpsons 

Apu has come under fire for perpetuating racial stereotypes 

Hank Azaria announced earlier this year he will no longer voice Indian immigrant and Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu on The Simpsons after 30 years. The South Asian character has come under fire for perpetuating racial stereotypes. The Simpsons is broadcast regularly on Channel 4 and can be streamed on Disney+.

Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry and Paul 

Nelson Mandela was parodied in Harry and Paul’s sketch show

Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse faced criticism in their sketch series for their depiction of Nelson Mandela appearing on adverts selling various narcotics and promoting shoplifting.

Rising Damp 

The character of Rupert Rigsby has also been criticised, but creator Eric Chappell defended him by saying he ‘was not a racist or a bigot, but he was prejudiced and suspicious of strangers’. There were also jokes about Leonard Rossiter’s character having a black medical student as a tenant. Rising Damp is still available to watch via Prime and ITV Hub. 

Facejacker

The prank call show often featured accents

Channel 4’s show about prank calling often featured accents from ethnic minorities. Star Kayvan Novak previously said: ‘There’s a weird thing going on at the moment where the more extreme politics and people’s opinions get, the more it seems that comedy on TV is all about playing safe and not offending anyone, when it needs to hold up a mirror and go ‘this is what’s going on now’.’

Only Fools and Horses

Even perhaps Britain’s most beloved sitcom of all time has had to edit old episodes to remove politically incorrect dialogue, such as an episode where Del told a child to ‘pop down to the P**i shop’ – a line no longer broadcast in repeats.

The Two Ronnies

Another one of the nation’s all-time favourites. Many have felt uncomfortable about a sketch titled ‘The Sheikh in the Grocery Store’, which features Ronnie Corbett wearing dark makeup and an Arabic keffiyeh, mispronouncing the names of items on his shopping list. The Archway School in Gloucestershire had to apologise for showing the clip to parents after complaints were made. 

Fantasy Football League

David Baddiel as Jason Lee

Ex-Nottingham Forest star Jason Lee, who was often a target of ridicule on the 90s show, said David Baddiel’s depiction of him was ‘a form of bullying’.

The Mighty Boosh

Noel Fielding as ‘The Spirit of Jazz’

 Noel Fielding portrays ‘The Spirit of Jazz’ – a black, dreadlocked character in the BBC series, sparking much discussion over racism. Fielding has also been in hot water after a picture emerged of him painted black while dressed as tennis star Bjorn Borg.

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