Spitting Image is eyeing a return to TV

Donald Trump, Meghan Markle and Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg are among the new batch of celebrities satirised in the pilot episode

Published: Monday, 30 September 2019 at 1:54 pm

Spitting Image, the television puppet show famous for satirising famous figures including the Queen and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, is eyeing a return to the screen two decades after it last aired in 1996.

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A pilot for the new series has been filmed, according to series co-creator Roger Law, with new puppets created to portray Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, among others.

On resurrecting the show, Law said that the current political situation "warrants the effort". "It's pretty chaotic out there," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's better than shouting at the television set."

On creating a puppet-version of US president Trump, he said: "I’ve heard other satirists say that he’s un-satirisable because he’s a satire in himself. Well, with puppets you can go much, much further, because actors won’t do that for you. And by Christ, we are going to give it a go," he added in an interview with The Guardian.

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The Emmy and BAFTA-wining series aired on ITV from 1984 to 1996, at its peak bringing in around 15 million viewers. The pilot for the returning series hasn't yet been picked up by a broadcaster.

Authors

Flora CarrDrama Writer, RadioTimes.com

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