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Original poster

to think Little Britain wouldn't be allowed today

257 replies

Tobythecat · 17/09/2019 20:02

Just came across some old Little Britain clips on Youtube. I'm really shocked! The amount of racism, disablist and sexist stuff. It was only back in 2007 I think that the filming ended so it wasn't that long ago at all! There is no way this would be allowed on tv now, surely?!

OP posts:
Iwantacookie · 17/09/2019 22:14

Never liked little Britain.
British empire, bottom, the young ones, allo allo. All comedy classics.

LolaSmiles · 17/09/2019 22:18

Some of the sketches were funny, others weren't my cup of tea at all and I didn't like them.

It's dated, but then so has a lot of comedy.

I love Keeping Up Appearances though I would imagine it wouldn't have the same reception if launched today, but the bits with Hyacinth's Daddy chasing women show its age.

UnderperformingSeal · 17/09/2019 22:23

Coupling, anyone? Thought it was underrated at the time but haven't watched it in ages to see how well/badly it's aged.

Current favourite is Friday Night Dinner. Word round the campfire is, a new series is in the pipeline Smile

Bezalelle · 17/09/2019 22:33

"Shit on it!" Grin

derxa · 17/09/2019 22:40

I love Keeping Up Appearances So do I and many mentioned already.
MN won't tell what's funny

derxa · 17/09/2019 22:40

*me

SchadenfreudePersonified · 17/09/2019 22:41

Coupling was excellent!

Friday Night Dinner - Grin "Crimble Crumble" "Nice bit of squirrel"

CLASSIC!

(Can people tell that I never go out? Grin)

powershowerforanhour · 17/09/2019 22:55

I liked some of the sketches- Carol the unhelpful receptionist and Fatfighters and also "Margaret! Margaret!.... ... ... "Yes?" shop for the weirdness. Vicky Pollard was quite good but Catherine Tate's Lauren was a better written and performed sketch character.

LiveInAHidingPlace · 17/09/2019 22:58

I don't get why people are comparing Little Britain and The Office/Extras. Completely different types of comedy, any time a character was racist or sexist in the Office, they were shown up to be thought of as a twat by other charactees.

monkeytennis97 · 17/09/2019 23:06

Agree @LiveInAHidingPlace

PennyNotSoWise · 17/09/2019 23:07

I love Some Mothers Do 'Ave Em. I have fond memories of watching re runs of it with my dad when I was a kid, but I remember reading that that wouldn't go down well today because Frank Spencer has an obvious mental disability and it's wrong to laugh at him.

I never looked at it that way before, I always saw him as just an innocent, hapless chappy who everything just happens to go tits up for, bless him.

malificent7 · 17/09/2019 23:21

It's supposed to be satire surely. It is poking fun at those who hold right wing views...hence the title " little Britain"= small mindedness.
It is funny.

AgeLikeWine · 17/09/2019 23:35

Brass Eye was the funniest thing I ever saw on TV, but it is inconceivable that it could be made today. Edgy, risk taking, boundary-pushing comedy is extinct. Even very slightly controversial comedy is dead. Killed by the professionally offended brigade. RIP.

HelenaDove · 17/09/2019 23:44

Shelley and Drop The Dead Donkey had the same writers. In an episode of Shelley he has a confrontation in a newspaper editors office after being stitched up by some journalists and you can see the beginnings of the idea for DTDD

Fuma · 17/09/2019 23:45

Brass Eye Paedogeddan would make for very uncomfortable viewing now we know more about what people in the media etc were actually up to.

HelenaDove · 17/09/2019 23:46

Whatever happenned to very funny comedies which also make you think.

IdblowJonSnow · 17/09/2019 23:48

It wasn't racist, it was taking the piss out of racist attitudes!
I loved it, mostly it was just so silly.

PeriComoToes · 17/09/2019 23:58

Compuuta says no

LellyMcKelly · 17/09/2019 23:59

Father Ted is 25 years old now and very little about it has dated. My kids now watch it with me every every Sunday night as a way to round off the weekend and find it hilarious. Not sure about Little Britain though. I found a lot of it funny at the time, but not sure I would now.

GibbonLover · 18/09/2019 00:08

I loved Brass Eye, still watch the DVD occasionally. But no, there's no way it could be done today. Does anyone remember TV Offal? I'm pretty sure you couldn't get away with the Gay Daleks these days either!

Thesearmsofmine · 18/09/2019 00:16

I never liked Little Britain, I just don’t find it funny at all and I find David really creepy.

Brittas Empire was great, I’d love that to be rerun. Friday Night Dinner is just hilarious.

MrsMoastyToasty · 18/09/2019 00:17

I loved The Young Ones when it first aired in the 80's. .. but I don't think that it would work today.

ShippingNews · 18/09/2019 00:20

I'm afraid that I still like Little Britain and don't think it's sexist /misogynist/ disablist / whatever. I always thought that satire was there to remind us that those things exist in our society, and to ridicule them .

And I still say "Computer says no" and "Yeah but....No but....." .

Mumsymumphy · 18/09/2019 00:29

In the early 2000s I used to get my pupils' attention by saying "Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, not around the eyes, not around the eyes...." They all knew what I meant. If I ever did a countdown (ie. to tidy up) when I counted "3, 2, 1....." the children would reply "....and you're back in the room!"

I'm going to hell aren't I?!

zxcvhjkl · 18/09/2019 00:48

At the time I enjoyed Little Britain. I saw an episode recently and I just didn't lol. Don't know if my humour has changed though as I've got older or if we have moved on as a society.
Likewise I saw Come Fly With Me the other day and I honestly couldn't believe some of the characters were ever allowed. The blackface and unhelpful stereotypes (Praise the Lord!) were not full on racist but were certainly lacking in taste. It's the white man privilege at play, as I can't see a female or non white person would ever be "allowed" to take the piss the way Walliams and Lucas were in that show.

I used to love Allo Allo as a youngster but only recently discovered that upstairs in the cafe was actually a brothel and the waitresses and Edith were "entertaining" the Germans. I can't look at it the same way again now!