UK Sitcom Little Britain Removed From Streaming Due To Blackface
Little Britain is removed from all UK streaming services amid backlash creators David Walliams and Matt Lucas received for the use of blackface.
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UK streaming services, such as BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and BritBox, have taken down Matt Lucas and David Walliams’ sketch comedy Little Britain due to the use of blackface. Initially a radio series, the BBC-backed comedy show first aired in 2003 with its last episode in late 2015. Lucas and Walliams wrote and performed exaggerated caricatures and parodies primarily about British people. The show grew to be very popular in 2005 after its move to BBC One, leading to international live tours and the HBO-produced American spin-off Little Britain USA.
The show has been long criticized for its stereotypical, offensive portrayal of people of color and its overuse of crude humor. For example, their “I’m a lady” sketches in which the duo wear women’s clothing, including the portrayal of “portly Thai bride” Ting Tong, have been under fire for insensitivity and disrespect. Perhaps their most condemned mimicry is the character Desiree DeVere, a black woman played by Walliams in blackface. Creators Walliams and Lucas have stated they are aware of their offensive character portrayals and would not repeat their past mistakes.
As the Daily Mail first reported, BBC, among other UK streaming hosts, has removed Little Britain because of Walliams and Lucas’ use of blackface. A spokesperson from BBC shared, “Times have changed since Little Britain first aired so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.” BritBox, who has also taken down the show, echoed this sentiment with the following statement: “Come Fly With Me has not been available on the service for six months.” A spokesperson from Netflix confirmed with The Guardian that they had also removed both Come Fly With Me and Little Britain. In the midst of worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, there has been a restored focus on issues involving representation and race in which many companies have made adjustments such as removing racist content or highlighting movies created by black filmmakers.
Lucas, who is cast to be the new host of Great British Bake Off, conveyed his regret in 2017 during an interview with the Big Issue, “If I could go back and do Little Britain again, I wouldn’t make those jokes about transvestites. I wouldn’t play black characters. Basically, I wouldn’t make that show now. It would upset people. We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I’d do now.” Walliams echoed his co-star’s statements, saying that he would certainly do things differently and understands that the times call for better representation. The choice to take down Little Britain came after comedian Leigh Francis publicly apologized for his depiction of black characters on his show Bo Selecta.
Even though there have been rumors of Little Britain making a return in 2020, it does not seem very likely the comeback will happen considering where the market is expected to turn in response to the widespread call for inclusion. It is encouraging, however, that Walliam and Lucas, among other celebrities, have apologized for their past choices and demonstrated a commitment to learn and grow. Amidst the global Black Lives Matter movement, real change seems to be occurring across the board with allies challenging the Hollywood status quo calling for inclusion riders and streaming services taking more responsibility for their content.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/little-britain-blackface-streaming-netflix-bbc-removed-why/