spitting image producer seeks return.

kronas · 17-05-2004, 14:37

john lloyd is hoping to convince ITV to bring back the politician spoof programme 'spitting image' to tv screens in a new series.

the show could be back in 2005, ITV confirmed talks have been taking place.

source: BBC news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertain...io/3720773.stm

anyone still remember the show, it was amusing at times

Defiant · 17-05-2004, 14:40

I though they only just sold off the old puppets this year. Oh well they'll need allot of new ones anyway. How are they going to make puppets of the puppets er goverment though

Mr_love_monkey · 17-05-2004, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronas

anyone still remember the show, it was amusing at times

No offence - but were you even old enough to watch it???

To be honest I think we've been missing a political satire programme for quite a while - I think given the current political climate, it's just crying out for a return of something like spitting image.

Do we actually have any political satires these days?
Mark Thomas, I guess - but his series tend to be few and far between, though very good. Rory Bremner - same thing, and he's moved too much to prime time, so it's not adult enough...

Russ · 17-05-2004, 14:46

2D-TV seems to be replacing it quite well at the moment....

kronas · 17-05-2004, 14:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

No offence - but were you even old enough to watch it???

ofcourse i was, i understood almost all of the jokes, even the satirical moments, if i remember correctly it was on late sunday nights wasent it ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

To be honest I think we've been missing a political satire programme for quite a while - I think given the current political climate, it's just crying out for a return of something like spitting image.

agreed!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

so it's not adult enough...

it depends on whether they could retain the style that they had back then and not try and modernise it too much.

could it be recreated ?

**Chris** · 17-05-2004, 14:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

No offence - but were you even old enough to watch it???

To be honest I think we've been missing a political satire programme for quite a while - I think given the current political climate, it's just crying out for a return of something like spitting image.

Do we actually have any political satires these days?
Mark Thomas, I guess - but his series tend to be few and far between, though very good. Rory Bremner - same thing, and he's moved too much to prime time, so it's not adult enough...

Bremner, Bird and Fortune is quite good, except when Bremner goes off on one of his own political rants. So long as it's satire, it's great, but sometimes I think he thinks he's a Lib Dem MP making a speech. Spitting Image went the same way in its later years, as far as I remember (and it was a long time ago!) Early on, it was very good at satire and side-achingly funny. Towards the end it was a bit wet round the edges so far as the witty scrptwriting was concerned, and had developed a sideline in these Bremner-esque poitical rants that were intended to make a point without even trying to be funny. In the context of a programme featuring latex caricatures of famous people, it just didn't work.

Of course, Spitting Image took a wider view of the week's news than does BB&F, which is largely about politics. I always thought their royal family sketches were among the best. And their songs were also memorable, from the completely bizarre (Chicken Song, anyone?

) to the rather blunt, like the anti-apartheid anthem, (No I've Never Met) A Nice South African.

Mr_love_monkey · 17-05-2004, 14:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronas

ofcourse i was, i understood almost all of the jokes, even the satirical moments, if i remember correctly it was on late sunday nights wasent it ?

Fair enough, was just asking

Yeah, it used to be on 10 or 1030 on a Sunday night.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronas

could it be recreated ?

Hmm tough one that.
One of the great things about spitting image was that that had a good mix of political satire, and a good mix of pure non-sense - which stopped it getting too heavy.
.. though would keeping the old style still work? - would people appreciate it the same way they did then - like I say we're lacking a political satire programme, so does that mean that there isn't a call for it anymore? do more and more people just want brain dead tv?

Just as an offside - didn't Chris Barrie start of doing voices on Spitting Image?

**Chris** · 17-05-2004, 14:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

Just as an offside - didn't Chris Barrie start of doing voices on Spitting Image?

Yes he did, I believe Rory Bremner did as well.

Russ · 17-05-2004, 15:00

And Steve Coogan.

Mr_love_monkey · 17-05-2004, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by towny

And their songs were also memorable, from the completely bizarre (Chicken Song, anyone?

) to the rather blunt, like the anti-apartheid anthem, (No I've Never Met) A Nice South African.

They were both released on the same single - with the Chicken song being the A side.

I bought that single, and probably still have it floating about somewhere in my mums loft.

punky · 17-05-2004, 15:13

I agree that 2DTV is doing well to replace Spitting Image, but i'd still LOVE to see it come back. Thereis easily enough room in our cack TV schedules for both. Who could forget John Major being in grey. And who could forget The Chicken Song?

All together now... "Hold.... a.... chicken in the air, stick a deckchair up your nose...".

the lyrics still make me laugh

**Chris** · 17-05-2004, 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

They were both released on the same single - with the Chicken song being the A side.

I bought that single, and probably still have it floating about somewhere in my mums loft.

The single sleeve actually called it a 'double A side', although if they were hoping any DJ would play A Nice South African on air, they probably hoped in vain - I never heard it get any airtime.

Possibly due to such lines as

No! I've never met a nice South African
And that's not bluddy surprising, mon;
'cos they're a bunch of arrogand bas****s
who hate black people.

Subtle, it aint.

I had a copy of it too

Shaun · 17-05-2004, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by towny

I always thought their royal family sketches were among the best.

They were some of my favorite ones too, why they gave the Queen Mother a brummy accent I don't know.

I know I'll be watching it if it comes back, it'll make Sunday nights less of an anti-climax

**Chris** · 17-05-2004, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by dellwear

They were some of my favorite ones too, why they gave the Queen Mother a brummy accent I don't know.

I know I'll be watching it if it comes back, it'll make Sunday nights less of an anti-climax

The 'voice' of the queen mother was actually somebody doing an impression of Beryl Reid doing an impression of somebody with a strong Brummie accent. (Reid was famous for it, apparently). I think the joke was meant to be that no-one actually knew what the queen mother sounded like as she very rarely said anything in public, and she kind-of looked like Beryl Reid anyway. Info here.

Beryl Reid died in 1996 ... pictured here teaming up with The Doctor against the Cybermen in Earthshock (1982).

And now I shall crawl back under my rock of geekiness.

**Paul** · 17-05-2004, 16:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ D

2D-TV seems to be replacing it quite well at the moment....

I was going to mention that - I like 2D-TV - it's very amusing.