ITV plans puppet satire

ITV is evoking the spirit of Spitting Image with a new satirical puppet show.

Newzoids will feature impressionists including Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson and promises a ‘biting look at the world of politics and celebrity’.

That means David Cameron and Nick Clegg battling it out on the Jeremy Kyle show, Ed Miliband on I’m a Celebrity… and Professor Brian Cox discovering a new planet ‘in Kim Kardashian’s backside’.

Other celebrities to be lampooned will include Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Simon Cowell, Russell Brand, Andy Murray, Ant and Dec, Harry Styles, Beyonce and Vladimir Putin.

It will be made by independent production house Citrus Television, whose owner Giles Pilbrow produced four episodes of Spitting Image. That show ran for 18 series from 1984 to 1996, attracting 15million viewers at its peak.

ITV’s director of entertainment Elaine Bedell said: ‘ITV has a rich history of playing popular satirical comedy in peak time on its main channel, and it seemed a good time to revive it this year. We are pleased to be adding to our growing comedy portfolio with this funny and biting look at the world of politics and celebrity.’

The news follows criticism from the likes of Rory Bremner that there has not been enough satire on TV outside of Have I Got News For You.

Newzoids is expected to air this spring – although election broadcasting rules could lead to difficulties if it goes out before May 7.

Pilbrow set up Citrus TV with Caroline Norris and Dominic Brigstocke in 2009 while they were devising and producing Horrible Histories for CBBC.

Published: 11 Feb 2015