BBC cuts Mitchell and Webb comedy sketches from iPlayer that 'no longer work'

Hit comedy sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Look returned to BBC iPlayer recently to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series, but it has since been discovered that a number of sketches have been edited out.

The news was first reported by The Times, with 11 sketches having reportedly been cut. The series, which starred David Mitchell and Robert Webb, ran for four seasons between 2006 and 2010.

Some of the sketches in question feature war re-enactors in blackface, an indigenous tribe of living in a garden centre, a joke about Jimmy Saville and David Mitchell wearing a burka.

The show often featured sequences of the actors playing themselves, discussing previous sketches. One of these, following the sketch of Mitchell in a burqa, saw Webb questioning the sketch, asking: "Aren’t we just taking the p**s out of people’s sincerely held beliefs?"

Mitchell responded: "I think you can worry too much about this kind of thing. I mean, what’s offensive to one person is just good, clean fun to another."

Mitchell then removed the burqa and was seen to be wearing blackface underneath.

A BBC spokesperson said in a statement: "That Mitchell and Webb Look has been made available on BBC iPlayer. 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."

That Mitchell and Webb Look isn't the first series to have been edited for streaming platforms in recent years.

In 2020, Little Britain was removed from multiple platforms including BBC iPlayer, with a BBC spokesperson saying at the time: "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 2022, the series was returned to the platform with sketches featuring blackface removed.

A BBC spokesperson said at the time: "Little Britain has been made available to fans on BBC iPlayer following edits made to the series by Matt and David that better reflect the changes in the cultural landscape over the last twenty years since the show was first made."

Meanwhile, Mitchell and Webb's sitcom, Peep Show, was edited on Netflix in 2020, to remove a scene in which Webb's character Jez, reluctantly wears blackface, as his girlfriend Nancy, played by Rachel Blanchard, provokes him to push boundaries and break 'taboos'.

That Mitchell and Webb Look is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.

Add That Mitchell and Webb Look to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.