An episode of Fawlty Towers sparked controversy.
(Image: BBC)
Several British TV shows have been removed from streaming platforms after sparking controversy over their portrayal of characters and outdated themes.
Streamers like , NOW TV, Britbox and the have taken a stand against shows like Little Britain, Come Fly With Me, Fawlty Towers and Bo Selecta.
Even Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway has had episodes pulled over the presenters’ use of blackface.
Furore surrounding the programmes has prompted apologies from well-known faces. , and Leigh Francis said he “didn’t realise how offensive” his work was.
Here are the programmes that have been removed from streaming services due to controversy.
Little Britain
Little Britain, starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, has been removed from Netflix, NOW TV, Britbox and BBC iPlayer over its controversial portrayal of black and Asian characters as well as gay characters and those with disabilities. A BBC spokesperson said it decided to remove the show as “times have changed” since it first aired in 2003.
(Image: BBC)
Come Fly With Me
Come Fly With Me, also created by David and Matt and featuring blackface, was removed from Netflix, BBC iPlayer, BritBox, and NOW TV. The pair have apologised for any offence caused by their programs, with Matt tweeting in 2020: “David and I have both spoken publicly in recent years of our regret that we played characters of other races. Once again we want to make it clear that it was wrong and we are very sorry.”
(Image: BBC)
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers had one of its episodes, The Germans (1975), temporarily removed from UKTV over “racial slurs” and “outdated language”. The episode shows the character Major Gowen (Ballard Berkeley) repeatedly using the N-word in reference to members of the West Indies cricket team.
(Image: PA)
The Mighty Boosh
Netflix removed all three series of Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt’s BBC series, The Mighty Boosh. The comedy was pulled after Fielding wore dreadlocks and black face paint to portray the ghost of a famous jazz musician in a number of episodes.
(Image: BBC)