As Black Lives Matter protests sweep across the planet in the wake of George Floyd’s death, a number of celebrities have been called out for previous work that has been seen to inhibit the movement. Now, Little Britain and Come Fly With Me has been removed from streaming services, due to the controversial use of blackface within the series.
The BBC announced the removal of both Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, stating that their choice is a “sign of the times.”
All UK streaming services have removed Little Britain and Come Fly With Me due to the controversial use of blackface within both programs.
While Little Britain aired 17 years ago, their sudden decision to remove the program has been sparked by current affairs. A spokesperson for the BBC stated:
“There’s a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review. Times have changed since Little Britain first aired so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.”
In 2017, star of both shows shared his feelings of regret surrounding some of the controversies he depicted. He also stated that he would never do a show like that now, knowing it would upset a lot of people. He also said:
“We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I’d do now. Society has moved on a lot since then and my own views have evolved. There was no bad intent there – the only thing you could accuse us of was greed. We just wanted to show off about what a diverse bunch of people we could play. If I could go back and do Little Britain again, I wouldn’t make those jokes about transvestites. I wouldn’t play black characters.”
The news has been taken in both positive and negative ways. While some believe it is a step in the right direction for society and the Black Lives Matter movement, others are fans that are disappointed about the shows’ removal.
