BBC cuts 11 Mitchell and Webb sketches from iPlayer

The BBC has removed 11 sketches from the comedy series 'That Mitchell and Webb Look' from its iPlayer streaming platform. A BBC spokesman stated the decision was made in consultation with the programme makers to only include material that 'still works today'.

The Bafta-winning sketch show, written by and starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, originally aired for four series between 2006 and 2010. It recently returned to iPlayer to mark its 20th anniversary, prompting the review of its content. The removed sketches included scenes where the comedians appeared in blackface as war re-enactors, a sketch about a makeover show contestant wearing a burka, and a segment about a 'tribe' living in a garden centre.

Content removal details

A BBC spokesman provided the reasoning for the edits. '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,' the statement said. BBC News has asked Mitchell and Webb for comment on the removal of their material.

The show, which grew from a Radio 4 programme called 'That Mitchell and Webb Sound', won the Bafta for best comedy programme in 2007. Its most famous sketch, featuring the duo dressed as Nazis questioning if they are 'the baddies', remains available on iPlayer.

Comedians and producers react

The decision has drawn criticism from some within the comedy industry. Fellow comedian Dom Joly questioned the BBC's 'censorship' of its own archive. He told reporters that while he understood removing genuinely racist material, it was clear Mitchell and Webb's intent was satirical, not racist.

Producer Jimmy Mulville, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions, expressed sympathy for the BBC's position. 'The BBC are in an impossible position,' he told the newspaper. He cautioned, however, that producers must 'be careful that this is not the thin end of a wedge where we cut things out'.

A pattern of archival edits

This is not the first time the BBC has edited comedy archives. The hit show 'Little Britain', created by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, was removed from iPlayer, Netflix, and BritBox in 2020 following objections to characters portraying people from different ethnic backgrounds. That show has since returned to iPlayer, but also with some sketches removed. At the time of that removal, both the BBC and Britbox noted how 'times have changed' since the show first aired.

The moves reflect a broader reassessment of comedy archives in recent years, with some artists reconsidering their own work in the wake of societal shifts like the Black Lives Matter movement.