Inside Matt Lucas and David Walliams’ plans for new Little Britain including major change
MATT Lucas has revealed he is working on the follow-up to Little Britain with David Walliams - but with no controversial characters.
The comedian, who created the controversial BBC series back in 2003, said the pair teamed up last week to begin work on a new series which features a range of new characters.
Matt, 48, and David, 51, previously came under fire for Little Britain and it was removed from BBC iPlayer in June 2020 because of its inclusion of blackface.
It was later also removed from Netflix, along with the pair’s spin off Come Fly With Me.
Matt said: “Me and David Walliams have started writing together again.
“We just thought it was time so we quit our jobs and decided to do that. We just started last week.
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“We got together and we started brainstorming.”
Matt was referring to his job on The Great British Bake Off, which he left last month, and David’s role on Britain’s Got Talent – which he stepped away from last November.
Appearing on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, Matt added: “We’ve got an idea for a new show and we need a few more brainstorming sessions but we know what we want the show to be.
“It will be a show with us playing lots of characters. But we have to write the treatment for it and we have to go and pitch it and see if anyone wants to make it.
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“But if someone wants to make it, we’ll be thrilled to do it.”
Matt previously revealed the pair were working on an updated version of Little Britain but were cutting out the controversy.
Characters who were for the chop included racist weight loss coach Marjorie Dawes, xenophobic homophobe Maggie Blackamoor and Thai bride Ting Tong.
David wore blackface and a fat suit to play the show’s Desiree DeVere.
Speaking in April 2020, Matt said: “We need to sit down and work out who we are bringing back and who we aren’t.
“I think the reason the show was successful is because it reflected how we all were back when we made it, if we hadn’t have got that right it wouldn’t have been so popular.
“I think to make it successful today you’d have to reflect how we all are now.
“I think you definitely have a better chance of success if you are in sync with how people are at that time.”
Matt also said he had held talks with David over whether the series could translate for a theatre audience.
He added: “It could be a stage show or series.
“David and I chat most days and we’re looking at all the ways to bring it back.”
Little Britain started as a sketch on BBC Radio 4 in 2000.
It later aired on BBC Radio Three in 2003 before it moved to BBC One two years later for a final series.
The paired toured the show and filmed a number of one-off specials for charity – including for the Big Night In back in April 2020.
Non-pc characters being ditched
