BBC producers have changed a trailer for a series about tax and benefit fraudsters following complaints that it could be seen as antisemitic.
The original trailer for Britain on the Fiddle featured the song “If I Were a Rich Man”, from Fiddler on the Roof, the 1960s film about Jews in a Russian shtetl.
Some viewers felt that the choice of music pandered to negative stereotypes about Jews and money.
Licence fee payer Robin Alexander said: “I just thought this cheap and very old-fashioned.
“We are used to BBC anti-Israel bias, but has anyone else noted this case of old-school antisemitism?”
A BBC spokesperson confirmed that eight complaints had been received and that they had been taken into account as part of a "creative review" of the trailer.
The spokesperson said: “The choice of music for the trail was purely based on a play on words and there was absolutely no intention to cause any offence. Following a creative review, the trail was re-edited.”
The soundtrack now features “For The Love of Money” by the R&B group, The O’Jays.
