The actor weighs in on the removal of outdated views depicted on TV shows
In recent weeks, a number of episodes from some of our favourite TV shows have been removed from streaming services for fear that they contain outdated, racist and sexist views which people may find offensive.
Netflix recently removed the 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' episode entitled 'Dee Reynolds: Shaping America's Youth' from its service due to it featuring two of the characters wearing blackface. In a similar nature, Matt Lucas' and David Walliams' 'Little Britain' was completely pulled from Netflix and the BBC iPlayer from its scathing depiction of many minority groups. Speaking on the subject, 'Luther' actor Idris Elba wants warnings placed at the beginning of these sort of shows, rather than the full removal of them.
Giving his own opinion on this matter in a recent interview with Radio Times, Elba said: "I’m very much a believer in freedom of speech. But the thing about freedom of speech is that it’s not suitable for everybody. That’s why we have a rating system: We tell you that this particular content is rated U, PG, 15, 18, X…I don’t know anything about X, by the way.
"To mock the truth, you have to know the truth. But to censor racist themes within a show, to pull it – wait a second, I think viewers should know that people made shows like this."
Elba went on to say that it's important for people to see how far we have come as a society. He continued: "Out of respect for the time and the movement, commissioners and archive-holders pulling things they think are exceptionally tone-deaf at this time – fair enough and good for you.
"But I think, moving forward, people should know that freedom of speech is accepted, but the audience should know what they’re getting into."
'Come Fly With Me', another Lucas and Walliams creation, was also pulled from services in recent weeks, as well as four episodes of Tina Fey's '30 Rock', and a scene from an episode of 'Peep Show'.