Hands up, who remembers Spitting Image? If you do, you might find ITV’s new comedy show Newzoids sort of familiar.
Celebs and royalty are getting puppet makeovers for the show, with targets including Ant and Dec, Russell Brand, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The show takes the pee out of current events, bringing the popular concept of Spitting Image right up to date. The uncanny voices behind Newzoids are impressionists Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson.
With the General Election so close, obviously politicians come in for plenty of playful bashing. The team isn’t short of female figures to lampoon, either – think Kim Kardashian, Kirstie Allsopp, Mary Berry, Beyonce and even the Queen.
It’ll be interesting to see whether the male or female celebs come out worse off. It’s been claimed that ‘nobody is safe’ on Newzoids, and we’re hoping that everyone gets poked fun at more or less equally. It looks like a lot of work’s gone into each caricature, so we expect to see them used for maximum comedic effect.
Using puppets also means it’s easier to poke fun at appearances and dress sense – the Duchess of Cambridge puppet has been made in her famous bright blue Issa dress. If the jokes based on looks are skewed more towards women than men, these Funny Women in particular won’t be amused.
Newzoids is being shown on ITV1, and starts today at 9.00pm!
