The best ever sketch imo was when Thatcher and her cabinet are in the restaurant and Thatcher says how she would like her steak done and then the waitress said and what about the vegetables and she said "oh they will have what I'm having"
LOL.
Spitting Image Page 2
I thought the 'I've never met a nice South African' song was a bit racist.
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ December 16 2010, 10:04 PM GMTI used to watch it and enjoy it.
But the puppets and voices were far better than the scripts IMO.
Although it had its moments.
Ah yes, an oft repeated critique at the time. Along with 'this series isn't as good as the last one was.' I prefer to put it this way, that the puppets and the voices (Coogan, Enfield, Bremner, Barrie to name just 4) were so incredible that what the puppets said was almost overshadowed by the visual feast. However, the writers got very good at creating some of those visuals eg Kenneth Baker as a slug (Stuart Silver).
I used to Love Harry Enfield's Leon Brittain.
It didn't really sound like him, but it made me laugh every time.
Not all the topical material was as good as people fondly remember it but the fantastic puppets, rarely had to be signposted and permeate the consciousness even now. Especially as a lot of the targets have turned into them as they have got older (checkout Keith Richards whose doing the rounds at the moment).
To show how good they are it is worth catching a piss poor US knock off called DC Follies, which failed on every level.
The puppets were blobs of foam with wigs on and would have to come up to a man in a bar who would introduce the pitiful mannequins;
'Hey ex-President Nixon how you doin?'
'Hey British Prime minister Margaret Thatcher how are you?'
Similar in fact to those totally shit British tabloid cartoonists who draw politicians carrying briefcases with their initials on them.
Here's one I wish we'd written
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReIAna459sg&feature=related
(sorry Aaron)
and here's one we did write:
It's on ITV tonight a US election special I believe. I've been meaning to watch this since it relaunched but I still don't know what a BritBox is, other than I probably want one. I've tried to see every clip and trailer available though and it looks great. Favourite from the clips is Cummings, they've done a sort of Ming the Merciless thing with him ha ha.
Has anyone been watching this? I hear that the puppets are good but the script is a bit abysmal. Have they moved it to the actual ITV station as not enough people are watching BritBox?
Quote: Chappers @ 1st November 2020, 7:52 PMHas anyone been watching this? I hear that the puppets are good but the script is a bit abysmal. Have they moved it to the actual ITV station as not enough people are watching BritBox?
I think the reason was, it was a one off Trump special re election etc. etc. bollocks, and yes, what you heard. I don't think there are the real characters about now like there were when the original series was on, so it's not as funny. F**ked if I'm going to pay £6 for BritBox - they've got to do better than that if they want my dosh. Anyway, I expect it'll go the way of Film 4 and be free one day when they realise they can't con any more people to pay.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 1st November 2020, 11:57 PMI think the reason was, it was a one off Trump special re election etc. etc. bollocks, and yes, what you heard. I don't think there are the real characters about now like there were when the original series was on.
Really? No real characters now? Johnson?...Trump ...?
Quote: Chappers @ 1st November 2020, 7:52 PMHas anyone been watching this? I hear that the puppets are good but the script is a bit abysmal.?
Hasn't that always been Spitting Image though?
But whether it's just rose tinted glasses I'm thinking it used to be funnier
It's always been variable. Sometimes weak but with moments of brilliance.
Quote: Chris Hallam @ 2nd November 2020, 7:29 PMReally? No real characters now? Johnson?...Trump ...?
Yes imo, outside of those two they are weak compared to the original series when they had characters from all walks of life, not just politicians. This new series seems to be just that.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 2nd November 2020, 11:13 PMYes imo, outside of those two they are weak compared to the original series when they had characters from all walks of life, not just politicians. This new series seems to be just that.
Point taken.
Really if this new version proves successful, the show should "create" characters in itself. It is often said that fairly junior ministers like Edwina Currie had their profile immeasurably boosted by their portrayal on the original Spitting Image. Currie was never even in the cabinet but was soon a household name, largely as a result.
Looking back, there were definitely a few great real life characters (Thatcher, Reagan, perhaps Heseltine etc), then as now. But people like Douglas Hurd, Nigel Lawson and Kenneth Baker were essentially all dull, everyday politicians in real life. It was Spitting Image's triumph, that thanks to their puppets, they all soon became hilarious instantly recognisable caricatures.
I'm not sure the new version's quite up to doing the same thing though.
Quote: Chris Hallam @ 3rd November 2020, 6:08 AMPoint taken.
I'm not sure the new version's quite up to doing the same thing though.
Yes, and there you go. For example, I used to love the Olivier/Gielgud luvvie puppets etc. "Oh Johnnie, Johnnie, your Hamlet was simply divine, my dear boy"