conv.

All stories
CultureQuiet 42h · day 3

BBC cuts 11 old Mitchell and Webb sketches from iPlayer anniversary run

The corporation says only sketches that "still work today" made the cut as That Mitchell and Webb Look returns for its 20th anniversary.

newest coverage 1d agosummary written 2d ago10 pieces564 likes & upvotes785 comments NewswiresHacker NewsMastodonXGoogle News

What to know

  • BBC removed 11 sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look as it returned to iPlayer for its 20th anniversary, including one reportedly showing blackface war re-enactors.
  • The BBC says the cuts were made "in consultation with the programme makers" to keep only sketches that "still work today".
  • Comedian Dom Joly publicly criticised the move as self-censorship, while Hat Trick Productions co-founder Jimmy Mulville voiced a more cautious, mixed reaction.
  • The show's best-known sketch, the Nazi "are we the baddies?" bit, remains on iPlayer, and the move echoes the 2020 removal of some Little Britain sketches.

David Mitchell Co-star and co-writer of the showRobert Webb Co-star and co-writer of the showBBC Broadcaster and rights holderDom Joly Comedian, Trigger Happy TVJimmy Mulville Co-founder, Hat Trick Productions

BBC cuts 11 old Mitchell and Webb sketches from iPlayer anniversary run
bbc.co.uk

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 6 pieces in one hour at Sep 21, 6 AM; 10 pieces over 3 days (8 articles · 2 posts) Sep 21, 6 AM — 6 pieces · 5 articles · 1 post — Newswires 4, Google News 1, X 1Sep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 2Sep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Sep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quiet 1–2
Sep 22yesterdaynow · 3:50 AM ET
  1. 2

    BBC News' tweet on the removal draws large public reaction

    The BBC News account posted the story on X, where it drew hundreds of comments, indicating significant public engagement with the decision.

    “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.”
    — BBC spokesman, BBC statement · source
  2. 1

    Jimmy Mulville warns against a "thin end of a wedge"

    Hat Trick Productions co-founder Jimmy Mulville said he understood the BBC's predicament but cautioned producers to be wary of a slide toward broader cutting of archive content.

    “to be careful ... that this is not the thin end of a wedge where we cut things out…”
    — Jimmy Mulville
  3. background

    Dom Joly calls the removal BBC "censorship" of itself — Comedian Dom Joly, speaking to The Times, argued the sketches' satirical intent was clearly not racist and questioned why the BBC felt the need to cut them.

  4. background

    BBC defends the cuts as keeping only sketches that still work — A BBC spokesman said the decision was made in consultation with Mitchell and Webb's team, distinguishing between sketches that hold up and those that don't.

  5. background

    BBC restores show for anniversary but cuts 11 sketches — That Mitchell and Webb Look returned to iPlayer to mark its 20th anniversary, but the BBC removed 11 sketches from the original run, including material reported to feature blackface, a burka-wearing makeover contestant, and a "tribe" living in a garden centre.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets BBC removes 11 offensive Mitchell and Webb sketches that no longer ‘work today’

    first by Metro.co.uk, 2d ago · also BBC

    1 more headline

and 1 smaller piece