BBC edits classic radio jokes to get rid of racist or politically incorrect ones. One listener calls the modifications ‘woke cuts.
Many shows broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra, such as Dad’s Army and Steptoe and Son and I’m Sorry. I’ll Read That Again again, have repeated episodes.
An anonymous Radio 4 Extra listener, who documented the alterations made to the archives, described the changes as ‘woke cuts’, according to The Times.
Several years ago, certain radio programs were subject to edits to get rid of content considered to be racist, misogynistic, or politically insensitive.
John Cleese’s sketch series I’m Sorry I’ll Read That again, starring John Cleese and was reportedly affected. An edited version of a 1970 episode was made to edit out a joke Cleese had said about Top of the Pops’s scantily dressed ladies.
Several shows, including Dad’s Army and Steptoe and Son on BBC Radio 4 Extra are thought to have been edited to eliminate jokes. Image: Scene taken from Dad’s Army TV Series
References to disgraced stars Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris were cut, with a 1970 sketch featuring a spoof of Harris’s songs also being deleted.
Ronnie Barker’s 1973 sketch show Lines From My Grandfather’s Forehead had the n word removed. A line that contained racial stereotyping, however, was also removed from a 1974 episode of Dad’s Army.
Meanwhile, a repeat of a 1971 radio episode of Steptoe and Son is believed to have been edited to cut the line: ‘You’re carrying on like some poofy Victorian poet.’
A listener complained about BBC cuts last year. She argued the archive material should not be censored. Audiences should make up their minds as to what they find offensive.
According to a BBC spokesperson, The Times was told by a BBC spokesperson that “Listeners love countless old comedies from 4 Extra. On occasion, we also edit episodes so they can be broadcast today. This includes removing racist language from decades past and stereotypical content from decades back, as most of our viewers would expect.”
MailOnline reached out to the BBC for comments.
In other places, it was disclosed that the BBC We have removed old sketches of Chewin’ The Fat in order to not offend modern viewers.
For repeat screenings, the hit Scottish comedy series was re-edited to eliminate any content deemed controversial.
Over many years, edits to radio stations, like Steptoe and Son (TV Show pictured), were done to remove any content that was misogynistic, racist or otherwise politically insensitive.
It was also revealed that the BBC had removed sketch from an old episode of Chewin’ The Fat. These sketches were created by writers and performers Greg Hemphill, Karen Dunbar and Ford Kiernan.
Ford Kiernan’s Chewin’ The Fat was the beginning of Greg Hemphill’s careers, who later went on with Still Game.
Karen Dunbar (55) discovered that her show had become a censored production while she was filming a new documentary about modern comedy.
BBC’s Wake Warnings
BBC attaches a warning about ‘offensive speech’ to iPlayer episodes from Porridge, the classic sitcom in prison.
BBC attaches a warning about ‘offensive speech’ to iPlayer episodes from Porridge, the classic sitcom in prison.
Ronnie Barker portrays Norman Stanley Fletcher who is the main character in the programme. Fletcher and Lennie Godber are both characters.
Blackadder and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air have been warned by the network because of offensive jokes.
Blackadder was first broadcast in 1983. The BBC felt it necessary to warn viewers about the use of slurs in the second episode.
Also, the Reunion episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is filmed last season and contains a warning at its beginning.
It states: “Contains discriminatory language that some viewers might find offensive.”
A warning was issued to the Royle family for using discriminatory language, including a “nancy boy” slur.
This episode, the third in the series, aired first on. Ricky Tomlinson plays Jim, who watches Changing Rooms. During this time, he refers to Laurence Llewelyn Bowen as a ‘nancy girl’.
She saw how cuts were made from the program before it was aired again last year.
She spoke on Cultural Coven’s podcast and said that she was part of the documentary.
They asked me to draw sketches of the week they went down Chewin’ The Fat and I replied that it might be continued at the weekend.
“The BBC will review each repeat and take out any parts that are unacceptable today.
“The outcome of that was Chewin’ the Fat went out on Saturday, but with bits removed from it that would’ve been in its original 20-years before.
The documentary #CancelKarenDunbar will reveal some of the unacceptable material. It is scheduled to air in September.
The radio program Chewin’ The Fat began as a radio broadcast and was later broadcast on four television series between 1999-2002.
This episode featured Dunbar’s rundy Auld Betty as well as the chain-smoking, voice-box-using family and a famous scene with a female ice-cream truck worker raising her skirt towards two small boys.
Since its launch in 2019, the show has been repeated regularly on BBC Scotland.
Kiernan (66) said that he doesn’t believe Chewin’ The Fat will be made today as the content would be too offensive.
He explained that ‘a lot of stuff on Chewin’ The Fat stuff, you couldn’t get by with now.
“The likes Karen pulling up her skirt, I don’t believe you can do it.
We did receive letters, and someone wrote back saying “As funny and comical as that sketch is to the nation, would it work if there were two wee ladies at the van and that it was a male?”
Greg and Me said “No, it wouldn’t make as much sense”.
“Don’t draw any more sketches similar to that,” was the message.
“Another dirty thing is Auld Betty. She couldn’t be on TV now.
The BBC pulled episodes of Little Britain from its streaming service in 2020 because it was concerned about offending.
According to a spokesperson for BBC, “The BBC reviews older content regularly in order to make sure it is relevant and meets audience needs.” When we repeat archive content, including comedy, this is part of our process.
To prevent viewers from being upset by the characters’ use of German and French accents on classic Allo ’Allo episodes, censors put up an offensiveness alert last year.
From 1982 to 1992, the BBC Comedy created a variety of catchphrases that have remained popular over time.
‘Good Moaning’, uttered completely straight by French policeman Officer Crabtree, is still widely offered as a greeting nearly 30 years after Cafe René closed its doors for the last time.
A warning was also issued by the BBC to viewers of Porridge’s classic sitcom on iPlayer.
Ronnie Barker portrays Norman Stanley Fletcher who is the main character in the programme. Fletcher and Lennie Godber are both characters.
After one 1970s episode, fans of the comedy were outraged to see a warning. It advised viewers that it reflected the broadcast standards and language of its day, as well as adding: “Some viewers might find this content offensive.”
MailOnline was informed by a BBC spokesperson that the BBC is changing its approach to language and attitudes over time. Our strategy, like all streaming services, is not to offend viewers if a show contains something inappropriate, offensive or out of date.