Nigel Farage, Russell Brand and Beyoncé are among the celebrities to have been immortalised in puppet form for ITV’s new satirical show, ‘Newzoids’.
‘Newzoids’ will pick up where ‘Spitting Image’ left off when it went off the airwaves almost 20 years ago, sending up some of the most famous faces from pop culture and politics with a blend of puppetry and animation.
The new six-part series will feature impressionists Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson lending their voices to celebrities and politicians we’re all familiar with, in surreal new scenarios, right in time for this year’s general election.
Some of the line-up of 'Newzoids'
The show will be produced by Citrus Television, who also produce the British Comedy Award-winning sketch series, ‘Horrible Histories’.
Citrus was co-founded by Giles Pilbrow, who was a producer on ‘Spitting Image’ for five years, who tells The Telegraph: “There is always an appetite for a show like this, but you need the right vehicle. ‘Newzoids’ is a clever mix of puppetry and animation. It has a real charm and is a mix of old and new.
“And it’s the right political environment at the moment. There are really interesting characters around: Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Ed Miliband, the Tories.”
Director of Entertainment and Comedy for ITV, Elaine Bedell, echoes his enthusiasm, saying: “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.”
Other characters who will be sent up when ‘Newzoids’ hits the airwaves include Barack Obama, Simon Cowell and One Direction’s Harry Styles.
