British Airways is backtracking on its controversial decision to pull “Hapless” from its in-flight entertainment service due to the Israel-Hamas war.
The airline apologized on Tuesday over its ill-fated plans to remove the British sitcom from its December lineup after a recent content review.
“We understand that the decision to review the content has caused upset and hurt to the Jewish community, and we’re sorry — that was never our intention,” a British Airways spokesperson said. “We’re proud to offer a wide range of entertainment options for our customers to enjoy and constantly review these, taking into consideration current events.”
The series is scheduled to reappear on aircrafts in January, the airline added.
The “Curb Your Enthusiasm”-like show premiered in 2020 and centers on the misadventures of an investigative journalist working for a small Jewish publication in the U.K.
“Hapless” creator Gary Sinyor revealed he was told British Airways would pause a deal to run the series because it didn’t want to appear to be “taking sides” following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in early October.
“Everyone is treading on eggshells,” he told Deadline. “As a Jewish filmmaker, I have to understand that and — not wishing to sound too Christian — I have to forgive. But I still need to challenge where mistakes are made and delaying a British comedy because of the Middle East was a mistake.”
While the airline initially decided to essentially censor the series, streaming platforms haven’t. Peacock announced in November it had acquired the U.S. rights to the first two seasons of “Hapless,” which previously streamed on Netflix and Amazon Prime.