BBC places comedy starring convicted intercourse offender again on iPlayer

Comedy sequence The Thick of It, which options convicted intercourse offender Chris Langham, has been put again on the BBC’s iPlayer digital catch-up service – prompting sufferer help teams to voice their concern.

The transfer comes at a time when the company is firmly within the highlight after the suspension of Huw Edwards, recognized earlier this week by his personal spouse because the presenter accused of paying an unnamed 17-year-old tens of 1000’s of kilos for express pictures.

The resolution was referenced by Armando Iannucci, the present’s author and creator, on social media final Sunday when he tweeted: “Oh, by the way, every episode of The Thick Of It now back up on BBC iPlayer.”

In The Thick Of It, which ran between 2005 and 2014 on BBC Four and BBC, was set in Whitehall and satirised UK politics.

All 4 sequence of the programme have been put again on iPlayer on June 20, having been eliminated in April 20, 2021.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) advised anybody who may really feel “triggered” by the re-runs to name its free help line.

Another insider who works with victims of abuse added: “We know there’s an impact from watching certain things that can retraumatise people.”

In 2007, Langham, now aged 74, was convicted of 15 counts of downloading and possessing stage 5 little one sexual abuse pictures and movies.

He was beforehand arrested by Kent Police in reference to Operation Ore, which was an investigation into credit-card prospects paying to entry indecent and abusive pictures of youngsters.

The actor – whose portrayal of cupboard minister Hugh Abbot within the present received the 2006 Bafta Best Comedy Performance award – was jailed for 10 months, lowered to 6 months on attraction.

He was additionally required to signal the intercourse offenders’ register and was banned from working with youngsters below the age of 10.

Langham claimed he had accessed the pictures as a part of researching for the position of a Peeping Tom character and has since appeared in a number of low-key productions.

The Thick of It, which was shot in a fly-on-the-wall documentary model, was extensively acclaimed for its depiction of the life within the Westminster bubble.

Machiavellian central character Malcolm Tucker, performed by Peter Capaldi, received specific plaudits.

The position is believed to have been impressed partly on Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair’s director of communications.

Capaldi returned to the position within the 2009 spin-off movie In the Loop, which didn’t function Langham.

A BBC spokesman mentioned: “We have a wide range of programmes available for viewers to watch on iPlayer.”