Reference To Non-Binary Character's Gender Identity Is Edited Out Of Transformers Cartoon On BBC iPlayer
Viewers have been voicing their upset after discovering that an episode of the children’s show Transformers Earthspark has had an explicit reference to a non-binary character’s gender identity removed from its broadcast on the BBC.
Last year, the cartoon show aired an episode in the US in which a robot named Nightshade requested that people started using gender-neutral pronouns to refer to them in future.
Elsewhere in the same episode, a human character named Sam told Nightshade: “I know I’m safe when I’m with my friends or other non-binary people.”
“Non-binary?” the robot responded, after which Sam explained that the term refers to “people who aren’t female or male”.
“I always knew my pronouns felt right… but what a wonderful word for a wonderful experience,” Nightshade then concluded.
However, in the version of the episode streaming on BBC iPlayer, the episode hastily cuts to another scene immediately after Sam says: “I know I’m safe when I’m with my friends.”
Discussion about this edited version of the episode began on X (formerly Twitter) last week, with many sharing their disappointment at the change.
Just saw this on Tumblr and double-checked - the @cbbc release of EarthSpark does indeed cut a scene early, halfway through a fucking sentence, in order to excise the dialogue where Nightshade learns the word "non-binary"! Genuinely fuming about this, what a load of bollocks.
— Callum (@Jalaguy) June 28, 2024
The preceding discussion of pronouns is kept, presumably because they couldn't drop that without removing the entire scene, but then when Sam says "I know I'm safe when I'm with my friends, or other non-binary people," they abruptly cut to the next scene after the word "friends"!
— Callum (@Jalaguy) June 28, 2024
Soooo deeply insidious to censor a scene in a children's cartoon about a queer character learning that there are other people like them and that there's a word they can use to describe who they are.
— Callum (@Jalaguy) June 28, 2024
It's actually absurd what a hack job of an edit it is too - fully looks like the stream has buffered and skipped!https://t.co/dSOXhmnjVs
— Callum (@Jalaguy) June 28, 2024
This has winded me. An edit on the Children's BBC @cbbc showing of Transformers Earthspark to remove the phrase 'non-binary'.
— Nick Roche (@NickRoche) June 28, 2024
The work that CBBC and Cbeebies do to show a better and more inclusive world can't be understated, and THAT'S why this stands out a mile. Just unkind. https://t.co/0BxuDbOG04
The children's programming on the @bbc has always stood apart, even when it's clear that the news dept feel they have to follow an agenda/play to the Tories. You always felt with the BBC that different spaces within the corporation could stand apart from others. Then this.
— Nick Roche (@NickRoche) June 28, 2024
@cbbc shame on you. https://t.co/Q3UvOGKGw4
— Nikolai Prime (@NickWFisher) June 28, 2024
BuT wE cAn'T bE bIaSeD! We NeEd To Be NeUtRaL aNd NoT sUpPoRt AnY sIdE!
— Patrick (@PatricktheB) June 28, 2024
This scene was great, it really sucks to see it cut like this.
— Mistborn Geo-Fry (@MistbornF) June 28, 2024
There are people in the replies saying this is disappointing but not surprising from the BBC, but anyone who's familiar at all with the kind of diverse and supportive programming @cbbc produce will be able to tell you it's actually both disappointing and surprising https://t.co/xJ4hGpsBYl
— Al Kennedy (@housetoastonish) June 28, 2024
What do you mean the bbc cut the scene in earthspark where Nightshade learns what non-binary is right before they actually hear the word “non-binary” for bbc iplayer?
— Symbiotic Robot (@Symbiotic_Robot) June 28, 2024
That’s a joke right? They wouldn’t be so bold as to actually do that right?? Right????
Do you have no shame @BBC@cbbc?? Are you lot so genuinely terrified of anyone in the trans umbrella that you have to censor their own identity from the show they’re from???? Disgusting, vile and foul behaviour
— Symbiotic Robot (@Symbiotic_Robot) June 28, 2024
cmon @BBCiPlayer PUT IT BACCCCKKKK https://t.co/bjaGQBJwJd
— Connor / MAX IS BACK (@allfiguredoutx) June 29, 2024
the BBC cut the scene where Nightshade learns what being nonbinary is.
— FernVA ????|| cringefail dogboy (@FernVA_) June 29, 2024
the conversation about pronouns.
“what a wonderful name for a wonderful experience.”
children in the UK won’t see that and learn something about the world around them.
this genuinely makes me so sad. https://t.co/VHICzRkYuI
absolutely disgusting! @cbbc should be teaching kids to stand up to bullies and hatemongers, not capitulating to them themselves.
— ⚝ vorsprung durch zauberkraft ⚝ (@inobscurity) June 28, 2024
People will always go “we’re past the bad times”, then shit like this happens, hatred in mainstream media has never left its just they don’t let it be noticed. https://t.co/VE1DiXmIu6
— (bob) ????,???????? (@blackstudio14) June 28, 2024
HuffPost UK has contacted the BBC and Hasbro (which owns eOne, the production company behind Transformers Earthspark) for comment.
It’s worth noting that the same episode is streaming in its unedited form on Netflix UK.
The edit available on BBC iPlayer – which was apparently first added in September 2023 – does see Sam introduce themself using “she/they” pronouns to Nightshade, but not discussing their gender identity any further than that.
Watch a snippet of the unedited scene in question in the video below: