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‘Little Britain’ Pulled From BBC iPlayer And Netflix Due To Blackface Controversy

‘Little Britain’ Pulled From BBC iPlayer And Netflix Due To Blackface Controversy

In a statement, the BBC said 'times have changed'.

Joanna Freedman

Joanna Freedman

Little Britain has officially been pulled from streaming platforms after fresh criticisms of its use of blackface.

The sketch show, fronted by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, is no longer available to watch on BBC iPlayer, Netflix or BritBox following Black Lives Matter protests across the globe.

The pair's other comedy, Come Fly With Me - which also uses blackface - has been taken down, too.

The show has been the subject of criticism for many years after the two white comedians dressed as characters from a whole variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Little Britain portrayed a lot of offensive stereotypes (
BBC)

In a statement, the BBC said that "times have changed," as it explained why the show was no longer offered to view online.

"There's a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review," said the broadcaster.

"Times have changed since Little Britain first aired so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer."

Netflix has not spoken out on the reasons for the show's removal.

Come Fly With Me has also been removed (
BBC)

The reaction to the show's removal has been mixed online, with some defending the Lucas and Walliams, and stating their mission was always to critique racism.

"Note that Little Britain and Come Fly With Me also mocked racists and used comedy to call out racism in Britain," one person wrote.

While another agreed: "Little Britain was called Little Britain because it drew attention to, erm, small-minded attitudes in Britain. What do Walliams and Lucas have to apologize for; being funny? I'll be keeping my box set".

However, others thought the removal couldn't have come soon enough, adding that they had always been offended by the racial stereotypes.


One wrote: "I felt at the time that Little Britain was a deeply unpleasant show that made an active choice to play on derogatory stereotypes for a cheap laugh. Glad to see that being recognised now".

As another women said: "Little Britain wasn't funny to me it was racist. The black woman was hideous, overweight, the Thai lady was all those with added stupidity. What was funny about that? Don't you see how they played on negative stereotypes?"

"Sad to see Little Britain and Come Fly With Me leave Netflix but glad they did," a third chimed in.

"It's a relic of the past that has aged terribly and removing it is a step in the right direction. We don't want future generations to see it and treat that as the social norm."

Meanwhile, a fourth explained: "I think the difficulty with Little Britain - that people don't seem to grasp - is the blackface in it wasn't satirical, or challenging the idea of blackface. It was just black-faced mockery, done for laughs.

"No underlying message except 'fat black women = funny'."

Matt Lucas as 'Precious' in Come Fly With Me (
BBC)

Little Britain first hit screens in 2003, and ran for four seasons, ending in 2008.

The show was so popular with some at the time that it even had a stage spin-off, a handful of specials and - more recently - a virtual skit for BBC's The Big Night back in April.

Come Fly With Me ran from 2010 to 2011 on the BBC.

In the past, both Matt Lucas and David Walliams have expressed regret over the way they got their laughs.

"If I could go back and do Little Britain again, I wouldn't make those jokes about transvestites. I wouldn't play black characters," Lucas said in 2017.

"Basically, I wouldn't make that show now. It would upset people. We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I'd do now."

David Walliams also conceded he would "definitely do it differently" in today's society.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: Black Lives Matter, BBC, TV News