(A) Small Problem A Small Problem is a British sitcom originally broadcast on BBC2 in 1987. Intended as a satire on prejudice, and starring Christopher Ryan who had previously played Mike in The Young Ones, the show was set in a Britain with a form of apartheid based on people's height. Anyone below 5 ft tall was forced to live in tower-block ghettos south of the River Thames. However, many viewers appeared not to understand the satirical aspect of the show, and the BBC was flooded with complaints.