Little Britain removed from streaming platforms

Programmes makers in the UK especially (those working for the BBC) are less driven by commercial interest, so don’t necessarily feel the need to pump out a series every year until it becomes unpopular. And with sketch shows there isn’t really a running storyline so I don’t think there is a same desperation to see future episodes.


There isn’t much blacking up in Little Britain, no scenes that would be greatly missed if they were edited out or would ruin an overall storyline. The thing is it’s not just the blacking up that could be problematic. If they edit out those bits they’ve still got characters that could be considered making fun of transgender people and the disabled and perhaps that’s going to be much harder for them to justify these days.

It’s also worth pointing out when they did ‘black up’ it wasn’t really making fun of the fact they were black, like the Black and White minstrels was. They just happened to be playing characters that were black and there is a difference which is probably how they got away with it then.

It's a sign when you have to preface a post with "no disrespect intended", that it's going to be disrespectful.

It genuinely wasn't disrespectful but I can understand why you would say that.

No, because it wouldn’t start an international discussion about race issues as it wouldn’t be a race issue. Your hypothetical scenario is just irrelevant.

The short answer is that it is a form virtue signalling. The BBC (or anyone else for that matter) did not have an issue with Little Britain when it allowed a brand new sketch to be broadcast less that two months ago on the big night in on BBC One. Indeed Britbox made a point of stating at launch last year that offensive material would not be available on the platform. So why was Little Britain there to start with?

The decisions by these corporations are nothing more than hot air, there is no logic behind them, other to protect themselves and align with their perception of the public mood. Trouble is, most of the time they get it wrong. It is typical of the weak minded thinking that inhabit most of our leadership today. Everything is based on the here and now, the future or the past are play things, and of course the idiots will have great fun with their new toys. You can bet they will whip stuff like this up and these decisions play into their hands.

I’m not entirely sure the term ‘Oriental people’ isn’t considered disrespectful. But I understand that was not your intention.

It wasn't my intention at all I was just making what I thought was a well considered point. I used what I thought was the correct word to describe people from that part of the world. I might be wrong.

The best thing to do is to make my final comment on this before tempers flare or the mods are called in:

I believe that all races should be treated fairly and with respect
Racist behaviour by anyone to anyone is abhorrent.

It wasn’t a well considered point, you weren’t comparing a like for like situation.

But there was no reason for characters like Desiree or Precious to be black other than Lucas/Walliams just wanting to black up.

This feels like another case of the BBC cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.
Seems a very extreme measure to remove the show completely when other far less dramatic options would've been available (like if the shows were deemed offensive maybe removing particularly offenseive scenes or putting a warning slide before the show plays). It's basically whitewashing it from existence so bar the odd Youtube clip you'd never know it existed.

And it now means unsurprisingly there's going to be all manner of "debate" (i.e. name-calling,abuse and bile) online and no doubt on GMB about censorship/how far comedy can go/should comedy X be cancelled. All chats which were tedious back when Come Fly With Me first aired.

At least the news channels, breakfast shows, talk radio stations in the next few days should be fun. Should be arguments and shoutfests galore.

Hope everyone is ready too with their 'internet buzzword' bingo cards for the next few days as no doubt terms like 'gammon','snowflake', 'remoaner', 'far right', 'political correctness' will all get an airing in the upcoming days.

Wonder if this means they won't repeat the radio series anymore either… they recently repeated the first on Radio 4 Extra and I downloaded them all to keep.

I also watched the entire TV series with my free trial of Britbox a couple of months ago, including 'Little Britain Night' (from 2005 on BBC Three) with Rob Brydon telling you to press the red button for interactive commentary. If you look at the Wiki list of episodes, there are loads of unused sketches/deleted scenes for each series on the DVDs, so they could probably create new edits to replace the offending content if they wished, with 'new' sketches.

Thats a good point. Returning to the central issue.



This quote reminds me of the (to my knowledge) the only time "Love Thy Neighbour" was shown on UK GOLD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abVsU7vVvP8

(7.42 to 7.52)