John Cleese said the BBC was engaging in social engineering after the broadcaster removed up to 11 sketches, including blackface material, from the comedy series That Mitchell and Webb Look. The BBC confirmed the cuts were made ahead of restoring the show to iPlayer for its 20th anniversary.
Why it matters
Cleese fans see his criticism of the BBC’s content decisions as a key stance on creative freedom and censorship.
Key facts
- John Cleese accused the BBC of “social engineering” over the sketch removals.
- The BBC removed as many as 11 sketches, including blackface material, from That Mitchell and Webb Look.
- The cuts were made before the series was restored to iPlayer for its 20th anniversary.
- The BBC confirmed the removal of the sketches.
Evidence
Credible reporting, but no official confirmation yet.
How this update was made
- Written by AI. The headline, summary, “why it matters” and key facts were written by an AI model from the 1 report under Evidence, and from nothing else.
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