Support NeoGAF

[Bullet Club]

British Comedies ‘Little Britain’ and ‘Come Fly With Me’ Removed From Netflix Over Blackface

Both were only available to UK subscribers

Netflix has removed a pair of older British comedies “Little Britain” and “Come Fly With Me” over their use of blackface, the streaming service confirmed.

Both series, from Matt Lucas and David Walliams, were only available to Netflix’s U.K. subscribers.

“Little Britain,” a sketch comedy series, aired from 2003-07 on the BBC, while the mockumentary “Come Fly With Me” debuted in 2010. Both series saw Lucas and Walliams play characters from different ethnic backgrounds. The decision to pull the two comes after two weeks of protests against police brutality and racism sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

Lucas had previously expressed regret over the show in a 2017 interview.

“I wouldn’t play black characters. Basically, I wouldn’t make that show now,” Lucas told “The Big Issue” magazine. “It would upset people. We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I’d do now. Society has moved on a lot since then, and my own views have evolved. There was no bad intent there – the only thing you could accuse us of was greed. We just wanted to show off about what a diverse bunch of people we could play. Now I think it’s lazy for white people to get a laugh just by playing black characters.”

Source: The Wrap

Spoiler: Brief false nudity that may be NSFW

 

[Slings and Arrows]

Honestly, I'm surprised little Britain lasted this long. I think it was immune to criticism because of the writers/stars being gay.

Lee Francis, aka keith lemon from celebrity juice has apologised for doing Mel b and Craig David Black face...

 

[FreedomOfSpeech]

The problem with the concept of purity is that purity can never be reached.

So expect a gradual eating away of all of western culture that makes random strangers feel offended.

Statues, tv shows, customs, phrases. All will be under attack and apparently nobody in the west feels the need to defend any of it.

 

[Zenaku]

Next week, "Netflix removed from British TVs over Little Britain".

 

[Virex]

The problem with the concept of purity is that purity can never be reached.

So expect a gradual eating away of all of western culture that makes random strangers feel offended.

Statues, tv shows, customs, phrases. All will be under attack and apparently nobody in the west feels the need to defend any of it.

It's called newspeak comrade. Now fall in line before I report you to the thought police

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I wonder what will happen to these multibillion dollar content deliverers when they voluntarily remove content that potential customers might want to consume? Need a bigbrain to solve this one for me. Maybe Yosemite Sam's revolvers really did cause systemic oppression. Tell me the path, Church of Disney.

 

[J-Roderton]

Who’s up next?

 

[TrainedRage]

MY PEARLS NEED CLUTCHING!!!!!

 

[jdforge]

Funny that the trans community were not included in this decision by Netflix. Trans lives not matter anymore? Is Black the new Trans?

By that reckoning it must still be ok for men to dress up as very unconvincing women and go about telling everyone “I’m a lady!”....which is also a famous sketch from Little Britain for those who don’t know.

 

[Jayjayhd34]

The worlds gone bonkers. Start taking everything that some may find offence away and we will left with nothing left to watch....

 

[oagboghi2]

British Comedies ‘Little Britain’ and ‘Come Fly With Me’ Removed From Netflix Over Blackface

Both were only available to UK subscribers

Netflix has removed a pair of older British comedies “Little Britain” and “Come Fly With Me” over their use of blackface, the streaming service confirmed.

Both series, from Matt Lucas and David Walliams, were only available to Netflix’s U.K. subscribers.

“Little Britain,” a sketch comedy series, aired from 2003-07 on the BBC, while the mockumentary “Come Fly With Me” debuted in 2010. Both series saw Lucas and Walliams play characters from different ethnic backgrounds. The decision to pull the two comes after two weeks of protests against police brutality and racism sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

Lucas had previously expressed regret over the show in a 2017 interview.

“I wouldn’t play black characters. Basically, I wouldn’t make that show now,” Lucas told “The Big Issue” magazine. “It would upset people. We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I’d do now. Society has moved on a lot since then, and my own views have evolved. There was no bad intent there – the only thing you could accuse us of was greed. We just wanted to show off about what a diverse bunch of people we could play. Now I think it’s lazy for white people to get a laugh just by playing black characters.”

Source: The Wrap

It's like 2 beached whales in a mma ground n pound

 

[FreedomOfSpeech]

Who’s up next?

Well I'm watching Transformers movie and it has a samurai autobot. Won't be long now.

 

[NeoGiffer]

Who’s up next?

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Honestly, I'm surprised little Britain lasted this long. I think it was immune to criticism because of the writers/stars being gay.

Lee Francis, aka keith lemon from celebrity juice has apologised for doing Mel b and Craig David Black face...

That is so strange as he actually did a special with Mel B herself (As her doppleganger) and the character he portrays doesn't even act like her!

Craig David didn't like how he mocked him but they are cool now.

It's not really blackface if they are trying to represent a Black character, I wouldn't want a White Craig David or Mel B.

I bet you that "White Chicks" will not get banned despite it being two black men pretending to be White Girls.

 

[Slings and Arrows]

That is so strange as he actually did a special with Mel B herself (As her doppleganger) and the character he portrays doesn't even act like her!

Craig David didn't like how he mocked him but they are cool now.

It's not really blackface if they are trying to represent a Black character, I wouldn't want a White Craig David or Mel B.

I bet you that "White Chicks" will not get banned despite it being two black men pretending to be White Girls.

Even more wierd is he grew up in my home town, which is very multi cultural. If he was a racist he wouldn't have made it out alive

I'm a bit disappointed with him pussing out. I suppose he caught the suvvern mind virus in London

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Even more wierd is he grew up in my home town, which is very multi cultural. If he was a racist he wouldn't have made it out alive

I'm a bit disappointed with him pussing out. I suppose he caught the suvvern mind virus in London

It's so ridiculous to be honest because how is a White Comedian going to portray a Black Character? Lee isn't even offensive when he plays these characters.

Will he also apologise to all the Gingers because his Mick Hucknall portrayal made a hilarious comparison that Gingers get Racially Abused?

OH no...DON'T TAKE MY MILITANT BLACK GUY FROM BALLS OF STEEL PLEASE! (although he makes it funny to be offended).

 

[Breakage]

White face is a thing:

 

[Slings and Arrows]

It's so ridiculous to be honest because how is a White Comedian going to portray a Black Character? Lee isn't even offensive when he plays these characters.

Will he also apologise to all the Gingers because his Mick Hucknall portrayal made a hilarious comparison that Gingers get Racially Abused?

OH no...DON'T TAKE MY MILITANT BLACK GUY FROM BALLS OF STEEL PLEASE! (although he makes it funny to be offended).

Black/lgbt/liberal people : we want equality and to be treated the same as everyone else!

Also Black/lgbt/liberal people: but don't you dare take the piss out of us like everyone else!

 

[Jayjayhd34]

That is so strange as he actually did a special with Mel B herself (As her doppleganger) and the character he portrays doesn't even act like her!

Craig David didn't like how he mocked him but they are cool now.

It's not really blackface if they are trying to represent a Black character, I wouldn't want a White Craig David or Mel B.

I bet you that "White Chicks" will not get banned despite it being two black men pretending to be White Girls.

Mel b has been a regular on celebrity juice. He's probably only apologising because agent told him too, and he's not apologising to her he's apolgising for just doing it, as probaly as precaution if someone starts attacking him for his work.

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Black/lgbt/liberal people : we want equality and to be treated the same as everyone else!

Also Black/lgbt/liberal people: but don't you dare take the piss out of us like everyone else!

Spot on honestly, and this video is 13 years ahead of its time too. If only we used it as a reference to what the World will become.

 

[haxan7]

Those are great shows. It’s Netflix’s loss.

why don’t they remove anything related to the Democratic Party too after their recent cultural appropriation incident.

 

[Coolwhhip]

I don't even know what to say anymore. The world is getting more stupid by the day.

 

[Javthusiast]

Pathetic decision.

 

[buizel]

HOW & WHEN?

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

I'm very surprised that Eddie Murphy's two stand ups are still up. I love them both but PC they are not. The pathetic apology likely gave them the green light in this case.

 

[The Hamburglar]

Embarrassing tbh. Isn’t white people playing black people in black face, it’s comedic sketches that nobody gave a shit about when they aired.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

As an American I was surprised blackface was still so prevalent in British culture. Mighty Boosh next to be cancelled?

 

[YCoCg]

They should have been removed for being lazy trash! Nearly four seasons of content made out of 8 or so jokes repeated until every skit became a catchphrase.

 

[Frito_Pendejo]

Meanwhile our blackface governor is taking down statues so they don’t offend black people lol

 

[ipukespiders]

Finally, we can get rid of Trudeau.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

They should have been removed for being lazy trash! Nearly four seasons of content made out of 8 or so jokes repeated until every skit became a catchphrase.

I tried watching an episode once, back when it originally aired. I never found a second of it funny. In that respect, nothing of value has been lost.

 

[Rean no Kiseki]

It's called newspeak comrade. Now fall in line before I report you to the thought police

 

[AfricanKing]

Shows where unfunny to even begin with .. but I guess this is the world correcting it’s self. David Williams even said if he made the show today it would be vastly different.

 

[FreedomOfSpeech]

LOL @ whiteface vid.

See, AS A WHITE MAN, I am not offended one bit. Nothing wrong with a few good stereotypes if you ask me.

Get you whiteface on, my black brothers!

 

[mcjmetroid]

Ah so that's why I couldn't watch come fly with me. I never seen it before and someone recommended it to me.

 

[mcjmetroid]

As an American I was surprised blackface was still so prevalent in British culture. Mighty Boosh next to be cancelled?

It's really not at all. It's starting to become a really bad thing in Ireland as well and we barely have any black people still.

It's literally teenagers throwing fits because they've been locked up watching American tv all their lives and that's how were Supposed to feel and what not.

 

[jdforge]

Shows where unfunny to even begin with .. but I guess this is the world correcting it’s self. David Williams even said if he made the show today it would be vastly different.

Little Britain was and is still funny for what it is and of it’s time. This decision is just grandstanding by Netflix. And if you believe it’s some sort of correction - why did Netflix not also mention discrimination against fat people, gays, trans and immigrants as other reasons to cancel the show?

All of the above were regularly poked fun at in Little Britain.

 

[Karma Jawa]

I’ve nothing to say on the reasoning, but both shows are absolutely shit. Good riddance.

Now if they could get rid of Mrs Brown’s Boys that would be great.

 

[YCoCg]

This decision is just grandstanding by Netflix. And if you believe it’s some sort of correction - why did Netflix not also mention discrimination against fat people, gays, trans and immigrants as other reasons to cancel the show?

It was a decision by the BBC, not Netflix. The BBC have pulled these shows on all streaming services.

 

[nush]

Lee Francis, aka keith lemon from celebrity juice has apologised for doing Mel b and Craig David Black face...

But not for Bo Selecta Micheal Jackson? Good man, He he chamone

Spoiler

Muthafucker

 

[Frito_Pendejo]

Apparently Cops got cancelled by paramount as well lmao

 

[NeoGiffer]

But not for Bo Selecta Micheal Jackson? Good man, He he chamone

Spoiler

Muthafucker

 

[The Cockatrice]

The world

America isn't the world but sure.

 

[nush]

Home of the queen mother is his best ever line.

 

[jufonuk]

They better not touch league of gentlemen

 

[jufonuk]

As an American I was surprised blackface was still so prevalent in British culture. Mighty Boosh next to be cancelled?

Nooooooo

 

[Bullet Club]

They better not touch league of gentlemen

 

[jufonuk]

Ohhhh you’re my wife now Dave.

 

[YCoCg]

They better not touch league of gentlemen

Don't worry, that and The Mighty Boosch wern't saying those characters were black people, more so darkness incarnated or weirdness. ...those shows are also good and not trash like Little Britain.

 

[AV]

They better not touch league of gentlemen

They might get away with Papa Lazarou thanks to him not having red lips. He's more of a circus performer.

Hope everyone enjoys the slow death of comedy as everyone becomes too afraid to do anything even remotely boundary pushing any more. Can't wait for the next few years of all comedy being completely neutered with everyone repeating the same tired 4-5 jokes about white people. It's gonna be Trump all over again.