'Little Britain' removed from BBC, Netflix due to blackface use

June 9 (UPI) -- Sketch comedy series Little Britain has been removed from BBC's iPlayer service, Netflix and BritBox due to to its use of blackface.

"There's a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer which we regularly review. Times have changed since Little Britain first aired, so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer," a spokesman for the BBC told Variety on Tuesday.

Little Britain aired on BBC for three seasons starting in 2003. The show stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams who also penned the series.

Netflix removed Little Britain on Friday and 2010 airport mockumentary Come Fly With Me, also from Lucas and Walliams.

Lucas and Walliams, both white, would portray characters from different ethnic backgrounds on Little Britain using makeup. Walliams, in full blackface, portrayed a black woman named Desiree DeVere.

Walliams, in Come Fly With Me, portrayed a black cafe worker named Precious Little.