BBC Accused of 'Overkill' for Removing Mitchell and Webb Sketches Over Racism Concerns
The British broadcaster has been criticized for cutting 11 sketches from the popular comedy series "That Mitchell and Webb Look" from its iPlayer streaming service.
The BBC is facing accusations of "classic overkill" after removing 11 sketches from "That Mitchell and Webb Look," a popular comedy series starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, from its iPlayer streaming service due to concerns about racial insensitivity.
The decision comes as the show, which originally aired from 2006 to 2010, was added to iPlayer to mark its 20th anniversary. The removed sketches reportedly include a blacked-up war re-enactment, a segment featuring a "tribe" living in a garden center, and a sketch with a burqa-wearing contestant on a makeover show.
Comedian Dom Joly, known for "Trigger Happy TV," criticized the BBC's actions, calling the censorship "hysterical." He argued that Mitchell and Webb's intent was never to be racist, and that satirizing racism is different from promoting it. "I totally get it if the BBC is putting out something really racist, which is laughing at and encouraging other people to feel that it's okay to do that," Joly told The Times. "But it's so clear that Mitchell and Webb are not doing that. Their intent was not to be racist."
One of the removed sketches features Mitchell and Webb as English Civil War re-enactors who, seeking amusement, black up to portray soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The sketch includes a moment where one character questions if the act is racist, with the other concluding it is, moments before a threat of violence.
"That Mitchell and Webb Look" received critical acclaim and won BAFTA awards during its run. This is not the first time the BBC has removed older comedy content from its platforms over concerns about potentially offensive material. Previously, shows like "Little Britain" and "Come Fly With Me," also starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, were removed due to the use of blackface, brownface, and racial stereotyping, with the BBC stating at the time that "times have changed."
A BBC spokesperson confirmed the removal of sketches, stating, "That Mitchell and Webb Look has been made available on BBC iPlayer. This is a 20-year-old sketch show; in consultation with the programme makers, we have included the ones that still work today and not the ones that don't."