The BBC has edited That Mitchell and Webb Look for iPlayer, cutting several sketches after deciding some of the show’s material "no longer works today".
Starring comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb, the sketch comedy series originally ran for four series from 2006 to 2010 and won a Bafta in 2007.
A spokesperson for the BBC stated that the programme was re-edited following discussions with its creators.
"That Mitchell and Webb Look has been made available on BBC iPlayer," they said in a statement.
"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."
According to The Times, the removed scenes included depictions of war re-enactors in blackface, a joke referencing Jimmy Savile, and a sketch featuring a makeover show contestant wearing a burka.
In one omitted sketch, Mitchell and Webb portray historical re-enactors searching for an alternative to repeatedly staging battles between Roundheads and Cavaliers.
They attempt to recreate a clash in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but halt their efforts upon deciding it is "very, very racist".
Comedian Dom Joly told The Times: "I totally get it if the BBC is putting out something really racist, which is laughing at and encouraging other people to feel that it’s OK to do that.
He said that the decision to cut the scenes was “classic BBC overkill” and a form of “hysterical censorship”.
"But it’s so clear that Mitchell and Webb are not doing that. Their intent was not to be racist."
Joly suggested that broadcasters could include trigger warnings to older shows but did add that viewers might consider it “patronising”.
Most notably, Little Britain was removed from several streaming platforms in 2020, including BBC iPlayer, over concerns about its use of blackface and racist humour.
At the time, a BBC spokesperson said: “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 sketch show, starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, returned to iPlayer with the blackface sketches removed.
A BBC spokesperson said: “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.”
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