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Spitting Image creator speaks out after series is pulled from US TV broadcast

Trump’s ‘Spitting Image’ puppet (Reuters)
Trump’s ‘Spitting Image’ puppet (Reuters)

Roger Law, co-creator of the satirical puppet series Spitting Image, has addressed the show’s recent withdrawal from broadcast in the US.

The series, which originally ran from 1984 to 1996, was recently revived by UK streaming service BritBox, with the new episodes scheduled to air weekly on US network NBC.

Earlier this month, reports suggested NBC had decided against airing the controversial new series, due to a supposed skittishness around some of its content.

Speaking to Radio Times, Law said: “If it was going to be on regular NBC television I’m not in the least bit surprised that it was dropped. In America there’s a superficial politeness to this country of people who’ve all got guns. You’ve someone like Trump running the country yet [Americans] call him ‘sir’. That wouldn’t happen here.

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“People here are rude to one another and there’s a taste for cruel humour. People went out and voted for Boris, we make him look like a shambles and yet they’re still very happy to laugh at it.”

Puppets representing Donald Trump and Boris Johnson are depicted eating fried chicken in a saunaBritBox
Puppets representing Donald Trump and Boris Johnson are depicted eating fried chicken in a saunaBritBox

Among the potentially offensive scenes in the new series of Spitting Image is a skit which depicts Donald Trump fighting with Russian president Vladimir Putin while in a sauna and completely naked.

Two new episodes of the series inspired by the US presidential election will be arriving on BritBox in the UK on Saturday 31 October. It will also be the first episode to air on ITV since the show returned.

“Donald Trump is an absolute gift to a satirical show but on the other hand I would like to see him go, I really would,” said Law.

“If Biden wins I think we might have to remake him. The current puppet hasn’t got a blink; he’s got no eyes. The mouth is good but he wears a mask with, ‘Shut up, man!’ written on it.”