Spitting Image To return To ITV

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Spitting Image producer John Lloyd is in talks with ITV in a bid to bring the satirical series back to the channel.
Mr Lloyd was an original producer of the show, which lampooned politicians and celebrities using latex puppets.

ITV confirmed having "early stage talks" with Mr Lloyd over the show, which originally ran from 1984 to 1996.

The show attracted audiences of up to 15 million in its heyday, sending up the leading politicians and celebrities of the 1980s and 1990s.

'Affection'

Mr Lloyd told The Guardian that the show could return by autumn 2005, and that comics including Rory Bremner, Harry Enfield and John Sessions were interested in voicing characters again.

"Everybody seems to have residual affection for Spitting Image," Mr Lloyd said.

"It could be scrappy and uneven, but it's rather like a newspaper. You don't expect it to be brilliant every time, but there's something delicious in every edition."

Michael Portillo examines a Spitting Image puppet of him in 2000
Writers including Love, Actually's Richard Curtis and Private Eye editor Ian Hislop contributed to the programme, with its many targets including Lord Tebbit - shown as a leather-clad biker - and the late Queen Mother, seen as a loud cockney.

In 1985, the late Guinness Book of Records founder Norris McWhirter unsuccessfully tried to sue the Independent Broadcasting Authority, which controlled ITV at the time, after Spitting Image put a picture of his face onto a nude female body.

The show inspired a French version, Les Guignols, and a post-Glasnost Russian version, Kookli.

It also spawned a novelty hit, The Chicken Song, which became a number one single in May 1986.

With its original puppets having been destroyed or sold, Mr Lloyd said a seven-figure investment would be necessary to revive the show.

But he believed the current political climate was ripe with targets for Spitting Image.

"The way things are happening at the moment is much more interesting and dangerous," he told the Media Guardian website. "You've got Michael Howard running the Tories. And Geoff Hoon - oh, what a joy."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3720773.stm

Should this dead chicken be revived?

― Roy Hattersley's Puppet, Monday, 17 May 2004 21:59 (twenty-two years ago)

was it REALLY on until 1996???

and whatever happened to DC Follies?

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 17 May 2004 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

whoa. I wonder if this means that D.C. Follies will be back, too. Fred Willard seems plenty busy in Christopher Guest movies, but you never know. Sid & Marty Kroft could always use the work, i guess.

HAHAHAHA xpost

― Kingfish Disraeli (Kingfish), Monday, 17 May 2004 22:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Whats everyones fave Spitting Image moments?
Mine has to be the pastiche of the Renault advert. Where Grace Jones head rises up and opens its mouth and the renault drives out at 100 MPH looking classy.
Then for UK Cars a big giant arse rises up and farts out a british car.

Then of course theres the infamous Bernard Manning has farted newsflash just after the closing credits had rolled.
It pubished a number for people to call to see if there was any casualties and a hundred people thought he had died and called the number, including his brother who was half asleep and woke up at the mention of his name and thought he had died.

― Roy Hattersley's Puppet, Monday, 17 May 2004 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Spitting Image? Doctor Who? Parky? Brucey Forsyth? Is Britain going backwards in time?

So much for originality.

― Always Winter Never Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Monday, 17 May 2004 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

BBC just decided to replace Parky with the returning MATCH OF THE DAY.
I wasnt aware Bruce Forsyth was back on TV.

― Roy Hattersley's Puppet, Tuesday, 18 May 2004 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Some dancing show. It probably hasn't started yet.

― Always Winter Never Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3513996.stm

― Always Winter Never Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Spitting Image returning is fine as long as it doesn't involve Genesis this time.

― martin m. (mushrush), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't even look at Tony Blair without thinking of Spitting Image. He looks like a living replica of one of those puppets.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Spitting Image went downhill after Thatcher and Kinnock werent PM and Opposition Leader anymore.
Anyone think The New Statesmen should return?
Alan is soooo New Labour material!

― Roy Hattersley's Puppet, Tuesday, 18 May 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

After Believe Nothing? Nah.

― Always Winter Never Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Now is the time to say that Arsene Wenger is a double of the John Major puppet. Is it any coincidence that SI stopped the VERY SAME YEAR HE STARTED AT HIGHBURY!

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 07:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I reckon the time is right for a return - Spitting Image went downhill partly because there were no politicians around who were as hated as Thatcher and Reagan. Until now. Bush, Blair and Howard are ideal Spitting Image fodder in this day and age, if they're still in a job by the time the series comes back.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 08:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's a bad idea as 2DTV (recent ones actually pretty funny) has fulfilled much of SI's old mandate, and SI would just be even more cynical and laboured now I fear.

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 08:40 (twenty-two years ago)

still i would cheer the return of PC 'PC Dimbleby' Dimbleby

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 08:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Whats your favourite sketches from the show?

― Roy Hattersley's Puppet, Tuesday, 18 May 2004 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"Vote Tory, and we'll give you some money"

"I'd have to be a complete idiot to lose this election! Oh." (last line, a day or two before Neil Kinnock failed for the last time to beat Thatcher)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Rifkind "My dog's got no nose"
Hattersley "How doof it smlell?"
Rifkind "It doesn't...I sliced it off"
(Kinnick and Rifkind shudder and run off in a panic)
Rifkind (creepy voice) "It's the way I tell them"

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

that should be 'Kinnock and Hattersley run off'

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Rifkind = Kaufman

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

eurgh SI went complete poo not because of lack of political gossip just merely due to the jokes being crap and none of the impressionists actually sounded anything like the people.

but journos portrayed as pigs, maggie thatcher as an Alien, brilliant.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

my favourite sketch from Spitting Image was the one where Cecil Parkinson returns to the Cabinet after his affair with his secretary Sara Keays and the birth of their sprog & the rest of the Tory ministers are teasing him.

"I hear you're now Energy Secretary!"

"So you'll be blocking dangerous emissions!"

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Rifkind = Kaufman

gah!

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 18 May 2004 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

Of course, we already have a Spitting Image: step forward Avid Merrion.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 08:57 (twenty-two years ago)

no, step back, right back into the horizon so we can't see you ever again (i thought the first series of Bo Selecta was ok but the adverts for the new one are shockingly unfunny and in any case he's surely not attempting satire in the same way SI were attempting it)

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I was thinking about his Posh & Becks on the way in this morning.

"David, what about your transfer?"
"Silly, it's not a transfer! It's a tattoo, it reads 'My name is.... David!"

I am taking it as read that the new Spitting Image won't be about politics. The world has moved on :)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:18 (twenty-two years ago)

clearly you haven't seen the rory bremner show recently andrew...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't know there was one!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I hope rory bremner would be involved in any new spitting image. It was where he started out after all.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

seriously the gulf between how funny Merrion (and Channel 4) thinks he is and how funny he actually is is remarkable

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never understood it. The concept is potentially quite funny but it appears to be written by a barrel of monkeys.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Rory Bremner is one of the least funny men in the world.

― Ricardo (RickyT), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:34 (twenty-two years ago)

he is a good satirist tho

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:46 (twenty-two years ago)

too good, that's the problem - nobody finds his stuff as clever as he does himself, it's too clever to actually be funny

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Can satire be good if it isn't funny?

― Ricardo (RickyT), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:47 (twenty-two years ago)

i wasn't saying he was funny*, but he does do the politics still.

*OK, i do laugh a bit...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm clearly the kind of smug self satisfied bastard that finds Bremner very funny indeed.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude, you find Steve Bell funny.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

So... Headcases... any good? I watched a little of it which was probably as funny as Spitting Image ever was. But MOTD2 was calling.

― Thomas, Tuesday, 22 April 2008 10:34 (eighteen years ago)

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