Following the publication of allegations of sexual misconduct towards British actor David Walliams, the BBC has eliminated a number of episodes, comedy sketches, and movies that includes him, together with his look within the Physician Who episode “The God Complicated.” Unsurprisingly, the transfer has left followers on-line seething.
“The God Complicated” is a part of Matt Smith’s period on the British sci-fi present. Within the episode, the Eleventh Physician, alongside along with his companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill), is trapped with a bunch of strangers in a Twenties resort the place every room incorporates somebody’s biggest worry. The episode options Walliams as a cowardly, mole-like alien referred to as Gibbis, who later betrays the group of survivors.
Different applications that includes Walliams as both an actor or creator have additionally been eliminated. These embrace diversifications of his kids’s books, comparable to Gangsta Granny, and an episode of the family tree collection, Who Do You Suppose You Are?
Why has “The God Complicated” been eliminated?
A BBC spokesperson addressed the elimination of Walliams’ filmography, saying:
“These are critical allegations. As such, the BBC is trying fastidiously in any respect materials that includes and written by David Walliams on our platforms. We’re within the technique of eradicating some programmes, together with Little Britain, while this assessment is underway.”
Fan response to the elimination of “The God Complicated” has largely been unfavourable on social media like Reddit.
“For fucks sake. You possibly can’t simply obsessively take away and re-edit each goddamn episode of tv simply because they occur to have some problematic folks in them,” one redditor shared.
Different commenters famous that the BBC hadn’t eliminated content material that includes different Physician Who episodes that includes individuals who have confronted allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment, comparable to Noel Clarke and John Barrowman, who performed Mickey Smith and Jack Harkness, respectively, within the 2005 reboot. Earlier in October, Clarke pleaded not responsible to sexual offense costs.
This isn’t the primary time the BBC has eliminated content material for assessment following critical allegations. In 2024, the BBC eliminated “Worry Her,” an episode that includes David Tennant because the Tenth Physician and set throughout the Olympic Video games, after BBC information anchor Huw Edwards was convicted of possessing indecent pictures of youngsters. Edwards appeared within the episode as himself. The BBC responded by re-dubbing his voice.
It’s unclear how the BBC will deal with Walliams’ involvement in “The God Complicated,” nevertheless it appears unlikely the episode will stay unavailable ceaselessly. For now, considered one of Physician Who’s greatest episodes is underneath lock and key, and will keep that means for some time.