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BBC removes Mitchell and Webb blackface sketches

The broadcaster said some material no longer works today after re-releasing all four series to mark the show’s 20th anniversary.

  • The BBC removed 11 sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look, the BAFTA-winning comedy series starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb that originally aired between 2006 and 2010, citing material that "no longer works today."
  • To mark the 20th anniversary, the BBC re-released all four series on iPlayer, stating that in consultation with the programme makers, they included only material that "still work today."
  • Removed content included a racist war re-enactment, a burqa-wearing contestant on a makeover show, and a "tribe" living in a garden centre, according to the broadcaster's confirmation.
  • Comedian Dom Joly defended Mitchell and Webb to The Times, arguing, "Their intent was not to be racist," while acknowledging concerns about legacy comedy content.
  • The show maintains an 8-star rating on IMDb from more than 10,000 reviews, and one fan wrote that discovering it while watching Extras was "a lucky break.
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26 Articles

South Wales ArgusSouth Wales Argus
+16 Reposted by 16 other sources
Center

BBC removes 11 sketches from hit show on iPlayer as content 'no longer works today'

Eleven sketches have been cut from That Mitchell and Webb Look after the BBC decided some of the material "no longer works today."

·Newport, United Kingdom
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The IndependentThe Independent
+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
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BBC cuts sketches from comedy show over material that ‘no longer works today’

Episodes of ‘That Mitchell and Webb Look’ that featured blackface and Jimmy Savile jokes have been edited on iPlayer

·London, United Kingdom
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The Times broke the news in London, United Kingdom on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
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