BBC shows episode of Family Guy involving Robin Williams and failed suicide attempt just minutes before his death is announced



'Viewer Mail #2' shown on BBC Three from 11.25pm to 11.45pm on Monday

Actor's death in California announced by Reuters minutes later at 11.56pm



Sketch sees Peter Griffin able to turn everyone into Williams through touch

But he is overwhelmed by clones overtaking town and tries to kill himself

BBC spokesman says broadcast of episode was an 'uncanny coincidence'

C4 is under fire for 'get a rope and hang me' Good Morning Vietnam clip



The BBC broadcast an episode of Family Guy about Robin Williams and a failed suicide attempt just minutes before it was revealed that the actor had been found hanged.

An extraordinary coincidence saw the ‘Viewer Mail #2’ episode shown on BBC Three between 11.25pm and 11.45pm on Monday - with the death announced by Reuters news agency at 11.56pm.

A sketch in the episode called 'Fatman and Robin' sees Peter Griffin, the father in the US comedy, gain the power to turn everyone in his fictional city of Quahog into Williams by touching them.

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Robin Williams: An extraordinary coincidence saw the 'Viewer Mail #2' episode of Family Guy shown on BBC Three between 11.25pm and 11.45pm on Monday - with the death announced by Reuters at 11.56pm Long career: Williams was found hanged in California at 11.45am local time (7.45pm BST) on Monday

Peter, whose favourite comedian is Williams, accuses God of hating the actor and wishes that everyone was him. Peter is then struck by lightning and receives the King Midas-like powers.

But he is eventually overwhelmed by clones of Williams overtaking the town and tries to kill himself. Peter then decides to cut off his hands so that he can get rid of his special powers.

A BBC spokesman said yesterday that the broadcast of the episode was an ‘uncanny coincidence’, but confirmed that a scheduled repeat of it for Friday will now not be shown.

He said: ‘The episode ended just as the news broke about his death. This was a repeat that we have shown a couple of times before, so who could have planned that?

‘It was scheduled more than two weeks ago so it is just an uncanny coincidence. Some of our people who work here noticed that the death of Robin Williams was announced just as this episode ended.’

The spokesman added: ‘It was due to be repeated on Friday but we will not be showing it now.’

Listing: A BBC spokesman said yesterday that the broadcast of the episode was an 'uncanny coincidence', but confirmed that a scheduled repeat of it for Friday will now not be shown

Sadness: Seth MacFarlane, 40, who voices Peter, said on Twitter yesterday: 'The world just got a lot less funny. Robin Williams is a tragic loss.' His post was retweeted more than 10,000 times

Seth MacFarlane, 40, who voices Peter, said on Twitter yesterday: ‘The world just got a lot less funny. Robin Williams is a tragic loss.’ His post was retweeted more than 10,000 times.

C4'S TRIBUTE CLIP SHOWS ACTOR TALKING ABOUT BEING HANGED Channel 4 News has apologised after airing a clip of Williams in Good Morning Vietnam saying: ‘Get a rope and hang me’.

The programme broadcast a report about his death last night which included a clip from the 1987 film that saw him play an unorthodox DJ on US Armed Services Radio in Vietnam.

The use of his quote in the clip was criticised by viewers on Twitter. Voiceover artist Trish Bertram said: ‘Slightly unfortunate choice of Robin William's Good Morning Vietnam clip by Channel 4 News for their closing tribute’.

The tribute was altered when rebroadcasted on Channel 4+1 later, reported The Guardian.

A spokesman said: ‘We'd like to apologise for including what was an inappropriate line from Good Morning Vietnam in our play-out from tonight's programme. There was no offence intended in what was meant to be a heartfelt tribute to Robin Williams.’

Viewers reacted in shock to the coincidence. Joe Longy tweeted: ‘So weird that the Family Guy episode about Robin Williams was on last night just before it was announced he was dead.’

And Francesca Parman said: 'Did anyone else watch the Robin Williams family guy last night? How coincidentally strange.'

Viewer Mail #2 is from season ten of the popular comedy, which looks at the life of an American family and is regularly shown on BBC Three.

Williams, 63, was last seen alive by his wife Susan Schneider on Sunday night before she went to bed. He was found hanged in California at 11.45am local time (7.45pm BST) on Monday.

The actor shot to fame in the late 1970s as an alien in the US TV comedy series Mork & Mindy.

But it was his role as an irreverent DJ with the US Armed Services Radio station in Good Morning, Vietnam in 1987 which won him huge acclaim.

His roles ranged from serious and dramatic in films such as Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting, to comedy in Mrs Doubtfire.

He was nominated for an Oscar three times before winning an Academy Award for his performance as a psychologist in Good Will Hunting in 1997.