The BBC removes content from the children’s programme “Horrible Histories,” including material that depicts slavery and child labour. The Independent reports that the broadcaster removes at least seven sketches featuring Victorian child workers and chimney sweeps. Metro reports that an entire episode containing slavery and child workers is removed, with multiple scenes edited.
Both outlets describe changes to existing material rather than commissioning new episodes, but they differ in how broadly they characterize the action. The Independent focuses on the removal of specific sketches tied to Victorian child labour, while Metro emphasizes the removal of a whole episode and the editing of several scenes within it. The reports indicate the BBC is altering the show’s portrayal of historical practices involving exploitation of children and enslaved people, but they do not provide a detailed explanation for the editorial decisions.
Overall, the coverage agrees that “Horrible Histories” is being revised to remove or modify segments that depict slavery and child labour, with the main point of difference being whether the scope is described as sketch-level removal or episode-level removal.
