"Spitting Image" (1984) TV series 1984-1996

Directors:

Steve Bendelack
Richard Bradley

Writers:

Geoff Atkinson (writer)
David Baddiel (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | unknown

Release Date:

26 February 1984 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A satire show using puppets that are charicatures of major public figures.

Plot Keywords:

Puppet | Satire | Royal Family | Politics

Awards:

1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Chris Barrie	...	Ronald Reagan / ... (5 episodes, 1984)
Steve Nallon	...	Margaret Thatcher / ... (5 episodes, 1984)
Chris Emmett	...	Various (5 episodes, 1984)
Jon Glover	...	Various (5 episodes, 1984)
Phil Cool	...	Various (2 episodes, 1984)
Philip Pope	...	Bob Dylan (2 episodes, 1984)
Debra Stephenson		(2 episodes, 1989)

Also Known As:

Spitting Back (UK) (reissue title)

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:15

Company:

Central Television

Trivia:

One of the generic puppets used as an extra in many scenes was a Lord Lucan look-alike. He would often appear as a waiter, barman or just in the background of many sketches in foreign settings. The real Lord Lucan Vanished without trace in 1974 on suspicion of murdering the family nanny and there had been numerous unsubstantiated sightings of him published in the press for years afterwards.

Quotes:

Waitress: [Thatcher is dining out with her Cabinet] Would you like to order, Sir?
Margaret Thatcher: Steak, please.
Waitress: How would you like it?
Margaret Thatcher: Raw
Waitress: And what about the vegetables?
Margaret Thatcher: Oh? They'll have the same as me...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Comedy Connections: Spitting Image (#3.2)" (2005)

This isn't your parents' puppet show

So how did a Yank who has never visited England get addicted to this show? One evening in the 1986, my parents were howling at something with puppets called "The Ronnie and Nancy Show", which was being broadcast on an American network (I forget which) and was never shown again. Although I didn't get all of the jokes (I was eight at the time), I remember laughing at President Reagan putting Slick 50 motor oil in his hair, and falling out of his bedroom window at the show's conclusion. The routine has always stuck with me, but I could never figure out where it came from! Then a few months ago, desperate to see if anyone else had heard about it, I did a keyword search and found out about a British television show called "Spitting Image". Of course; the British have ALWAYS been superior to Americans when it comes to satire on TV, and this show is no different. I purchased some videos of it on Ebay, had them converted to NTSC format, and laughed my head off. Although I could only get about half of the jokes that dealt with British politicians (I guess I need to brush up on history!), this is still one of the best comedy sketch shows I have ever seen, and the puppet format makes it that much better! If you love seeing politicians and celebrities getting attacked with as sharp a sword as possible, then check this show out! A warning though: Some of the routines contain material that is not appropriate for children, as BBC standards are different than American Networks.