Spitting Image will return to television as “public service satire”, its co-creator has confirmed.
New episodes of the acerbic puppet comedy will take on Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Mark Zuckerberg, 23 years after it last aired.
A pilot for a new incarnation of the show, which will also feature the Duchess of Sussex wearing a glittery t-shirt with the word “Princess” emblazoned on it, has already been filmed, Roger Law confirmed to the Guardian newspaper.
He said: “It’s pretty chaotic out there. As far as I’m concerned, it’s better than shouting at the television set, isn’t it? So I thought, let’s give it a go.”
However, Law said he will not be focusing on the lower ranks of British politics this time round, adding: “Dominic Raab? You’ve got to be kidding. If you’re going to go after the bastards, you may as well go after the biggest bastards there are, hence America.
“It’s an awful lot of trouble to go to, and you want it to be effective.”
Law, who first announced the show would make a comeback on BBC Two’s Front Row on Friday night, conceded mocking the US president with a puppet whose tweets are composed by his anus provided a challenge, but said: “With puppets you can go much, much further, because actors won’t do that for you.
“And by Christ, we are going to give it a go.”
Impressionist Luke Kempner has confirmed he is lending his voice to the show, writing on Twitter: “This is my latest project I’ve been working on!! So exciting and a true honour!! Watch this space!”
Caricaturist Adrian Teal also said he has been working on the programme, tweeting: “Well, it’s official! It’s been my privilege over the last few weeks to work on several of the #caricature puppet designs (including Trump) for the mission to bring the TV satire juggernaut Spitting Image back to the screen.”
The original version of Spitting Image spanned 18 series, from 1984 to 1996, with former prime minister Baroness Thatcher making a prominent target.