Iconic satire show Spitting Image unveils its big return with RuPaul set to join puppets of Trump, Johnson and Prince Andrew
RuPaul and Donald Trump are among the celebrities to be parodied in Spitting Image. (VH1/ITV)
Spitting Image has given fans a first look at its big return later this year, with RuPaul set to be one of a raft of new puppets.
The iconic British satire, which sent up the biggest names of the day using puppets throughout the ’80s and ’90s, is making a timely return this autumn on streaming service BritBox UK.
Alongside Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the new series will also satire world leaders such as Dominic Cummings, Beyoncé, Adele and RuPaul.
“With the world getting smaller and more turbulent, the time couldn’t be more appropriate for an iconic British satirical take on global events,” producers said as the reboot was announced in March.
As production gets underway, the show’s creatives unveiled the first three puppets on Wednesday (August 5): those of Johnson, Cummings and Prince Andrew.
Spitting Image has released images of their first two puppets, ahead of the revival of the show on BritBox. pic.twitter.com/TAJncgknig
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) August 5, 2020
Sadly, Spitting Image’s RuPaul remains tightly under wraps, along with its Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Elon Musk and James Corden, all of whom are confirmed for the new run.
The prime minister’s puppet features a shock of white-blond hair, while his advisor’s wears his signature hoody-gilet combo decorated with a flamboyant silver ruff.
The new series of Spitting Image is being overseen by co-creator Roger Law, who has promised it will be “more outrageous, audacious and salacious than the previous incarnation”.
“We will take back control from the likes of BoJo, Trump, Harry & Meghan, Elon Musk, and Kim Kardashian,” he said in a statement.
“We will be dazzled and amazed by Jurgen Klopp & Beyoncé, we will have regular weather updates from our roving reporter Greta Thunberg.”
Some scripts and puppets will be devised just before the episodes air to ensure the show follows the biggest headlines of the day, as was the case during its original run.
Spitting Image ran for 18 series on ITV between 1984 and 1996, drawing 15 million viewers at its peak.
As with many shows of its time some of the skits veered into homophobia, such as a pastiche of Tom Robinson’s “Glad To Be Gay” performed by puppets of Jason Donovan and Phillip Schofield. Another memorable sketch painted Prince Andrew as a sexual deviant.
