BBC removes 11 Mitchell and Webb sketches from iPlayer anniversary release

The BBC has made That Mitchell and Webb Look available on iPlayer to mark the comedy series’ 20th anniversary, but 11 sketches have been removed from the version now available to stream. The BBC said the omitted material included sketches involving blackface and other stereotypes and that the sketches “no longer work today”.

The decision, taken in consultation with the programme makers, has prompted criticism from people who describe the removals as censorship. BBC News, The Times and Radio Times have reported on the anniversary release and the debate around how the series has been presented.

Issue	What is known
Anniversary release	The BBC made That Mitchell and Webb Look available on iPlayer for its 20th anniversary
Material removed	11 sketches
Reason given	The BBC said the sketches “no longer work today”
Content cited	Blackface and other stereotypes were among the material removed
Consultation	The decision was taken in consultation with the programme makers
Material still available	Popular sketches including “Are we the baddies?” remain on iPlayer

Why the BBC removed 11 Mitchell and Webb sketches

The BBC’s position is that some parts of the programme do not translate well to the way it is presenting the series now. Its explanation was that the affected sketches “no longer work today”, with material involving blackface and other stereotypes among the items left out of the anniversary iPlayer version.

The decision was not described as one made by the broadcaster alone. According to the reporting, the BBC consulted the programme makers before the 11 sketches were removed.

That distinction is central to the broadcaster’s archive-curation argument. The BBC has chosen to make the series available again while deciding that not every part of the original run should be included in the version being offered on iPlayer.

The result is therefore not the disappearance of That Mitchell and Webb Look from the BBC’s streaming service. The programme is being actively highlighted for its 20th anniversary, but in a form that omits a limited number of sketches the broadcaster and programme makers decided should not be part of the current release.

Why critics are calling the removals censorship

The opposing argument focuses on what happens when material from an existing programme is removed from the version audiences can now watch. Critics have described the decision as censorship, objecting to the BBC changing the available form of a comedy series that originally included the 11 sketches.

That criticism rests on a different way of looking at an archive. Rather than treating a streaming release as something that can be curated for a present-day audience, critics see the removal of material as an alteration of the work people originally watched.

On that view, the question is not whether viewers or broadcasters approve of every joke or stereotype now. The concern is whether material should remain available as part of the programme’s original form, even when the broadcaster believes certain sketches have aged badly.

The word “censorship” therefore reflects the critics’ interpretation of what the BBC has done. The BBC, by contrast, has presented the decision as one about material that “no longer work[s] today”, made alongside the programme makers as part of bringing the series back to iPlayer.

What remains available on That Mitchell and Webb Look

The anniversary version still includes well-known material from the programme. “Are we the baddies?” remains available, meaning the BBC has not taken a broad approach of removing the series’ most recognisable sketches simply because they come from an older comedy programme.

The change instead concerns 11 specific sketches. The reporting identifies blackface and other stereotypes among the reasons certain material was removed, but no further details about the titles or content of those sketches have been given here.

That matters because the debate can easily become broader than the confirmed facts. What is known is that the BBC restored the programme to iPlayer for its 20th anniversary, removed 11 sketches, consulted the programme makers and said the omitted material “no longer work[s] today”.

It is also known that familiar sketches remain available. The iPlayer release is therefore both a return of the series and an edited presentation of it.

BBC archive comedy and the question of curation

The disagreement around That Mitchell and Webb Look illustrates two competing principles that can arise when older comedy is made available again. One is the idea that a broadcaster can decide how it presents material on its own current platform, including leaving out content it no longer considers suitable for that release.

The other is the argument that removing material changes the historical record of a programme and limits the audience’s ability to encounter it as it originally existed.

In this case, the BBC’s action falls clearly on the side of curation. It has not simply placed every sketch from the series back online unchanged. Instead, it has made a judgement about which material should be part of the anniversary version now available through iPlayer.

Critics object because they see that judgement as crossing into censorship. The BBC’s answer is effectively that making archive comedy available in the present does not require every element of the original programme to be republished in exactly the same form.

Neither position depends on pretending the removed material was never part of the show. The disagreement is over what responsibility a broadcaster has when deciding how older comedy should be made available today.

How the 20th anniversary release changes the debate

The timing gives the argument additional focus. The BBC brought That Mitchell and Webb Look back to iPlayer specifically to mark 20 years since the series, making the programme newly prominent for viewers who remember it and those encountering it through the streaming service.

At the same time, the anniversary version is not identical to the full original material because of the 11 removals. That makes the decision part of the story of the programme’s return rather than a separate dispute about content that is otherwise unavailable.

BBC News, The Times and Radio Times have all reported on the tension between those two facts: a well-known comedy is being given renewed visibility, while some of its original sketches are not being included.

The continued availability of “Are we the baddies?” also shows that much of the programme remains part of the BBC’s anniversary presentation. The dispute is focused on the principle and effect of removing the 11 sketches, rather than on the series disappearing from view.

What happens next for the Mitchell and Webb iPlayer release

For now, the BBC’s anniversary version of That Mitchell and Webb Look remains an edited one, with 11 sketches removed and popular material including “Are we the baddies?” still available.

The central disagreement is unlikely to be resolved by the release itself. The BBC’s stated position is that the omitted sketches “no longer work today”, while critics argue that excluding them amounts to censorship. The decision, made in consultation with the programme makers, leaves viewers with a 20th anniversary release that preserves much of the series while deliberately leaving some material out.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the BBC remove sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look?

The BBC removed 11 sketches from the 20th anniversary iPlayer release, including material involving blackface and other stereotypes. It said the sketches “no longer work today”. The decision was taken in consultation with the programme makers.

How many Mitchell and Webb sketches were removed from iPlayer?

Eleven sketches were removed from the version of <em>That Mitchell and Webb Look</em> made available on BBC iPlayer for the programme’s 20th anniversary. The BBC said the removed material included blackface and other stereotypes.

Is “Are we the baddies?” still available on BBC iPlayer?

Yes. The popular “Are we the baddies?” sketch remains available as part of the anniversary release of <em>That Mitchell and Webb Look</em>. The BBC removed 11 other sketches but has kept much of the series available on iPlayer.

Why are people calling the BBC’s decision censorship?

Critics have described the removal of 11 sketches as censorship because material from the original programme is absent from the version now available on iPlayer. The BBC says the sketches “no longer work today” and made the decision in consultation with the programme makers.