[720p/50p] ITV Central | Spitting Image S17 E6 and continuity | 18th December 1994

Video Overview & Insights

© ITVplc/CENTRAL INDEPENDENT TELEVISION 1994

An early Christmas treat for you all! Below the contents list, you'll find a summary where I at least *try* to give a summary of that week's events (and also need help filling in), so it may be best to read this first before watching this episode. Then there's a list of people the puppets are lampooning in order of appearance in case you're needing help with any of them.

End of London's Burning (LWT)

Central trailer: 99-1 and A Mind To Murder

Central animated slide: Spitting Image

Adverts

Central trailer: Des O'Connor Tonight

Central trailer: Hollywood Kids

Central animated slide: Central Sports Special and jump into Spitting Image (Central)

Adverts:

Yellow Pages

Banks's beer (with Noddy Holder)

Boots Kashmir perfume

Taboo

- I don't know what the sketch of Major sacking two rats refers to. I can't find any reference to MPs being sacked in December 1994.

- Tories (represented by Graham Postles) lose Dudley West by-election with a massive 28% swing to Labour (represented by Ian Pearson)

- Don't get the Vicar of Dibley sketch about poor ratings, it was in the top 20 (at 18th place) that week.

- Don't get what the Tom and Jerry-like sketch where the mouse goes to jail was referring to. I can't find anything referring to cartoon violence in that week's newspapers.

- Trafalgar House bid £1.5billion to take control of Northern Electric when it is privatised.

- No idea what links Richard and Judy to Butterkist

- Book "Diana: Her New Life" by Andrew Morton is released

- Can't find anything to do with Richard and Judy speeding as Michael Buerk and David Baddiel joke about

- No idea what Michael Portillo was referring to when he said "7 days to go". Nothing in the newspapers around that time.

- British Gas cut holidays and pay for retail staff.

- Diana snubs royal Christmas dinner.

- England Cricket do appallingly against Australia

Starring puppets of (in order of appearance):

John Greyjor (Prime Minister)

Tony Bliar (Labour Party leader)

Jeremy Paxman

Peter Snow

Dawn French (in character as Geraldine from Vicar of Dibley)

Joanna Lumley

Mr. Motivator

Michael Howard (Home Secretary)

Douglas Hurd (aka "Doug Turd") (Foreign Secretary)

Ken Clarke (Chancellor)

Virginia Bottomley (Heath Secretary)

Michael Portillo (Employment Secretary)

Michael Heseltine (Trade and Industry Secretary)

John Prescott (Deputy Labour Party leader)

Margaret Beckett (Shadow Health Secretary)

Gordon Brownstuff (Shadow Chancellor)

Robin Cook (Shadow Foreign Secretary)

Richard Wilson in character as Victor Meldrew (on a TV screen)

Penguins with Scouse accents

Princes Jug-Ears, Racist, William, Harry and Edward

Liz Windsor

Old Bat

Sean Connery

Douglas Hurd as Big Bird from Sesame Street

John Greyjor as Kermit the Frog from The Muppet Show

Image of errr... "writer" Barbara Cartland

3 crazy Take That-obsessed teenage girls

Generic buck-toothed puppet acting as Graham Postles MP

Judy Finnegan

Richard Madeley

Cherie Bliar

Prince Racist as Homer Simpson

Prince Jug-Ears as Bart Simpson

A Corgi as Santa's Little Helper

Liz Windsor as Marge Simpson

Princess Anne as Lisa Simpson

Michael Buerk

David Baddiel

Gerry Adams

Patrick Mayhew (Northern Ireland Secretary)

Ian Paisley

Bernie Ecclestone (I think!)

Chris Eubank

Voice impression of Murray Walker

Nigel Mansell

Mickey Duff (I think!)

Bjork

David Frost

Mary and Joseph (supposedly)

Richard Branson

Norma Major

Betty Boothroyd

Malcolm Rifkind (Defence Secretary) (in the background)

Edward Heath (Prime Minister 1970-74) (in the background... briefly!)

Neil Kinnock (former Labour leader 1983-1992)

Ben Elton

...phew!