Best Ever Spitting Image

Louise Gold featured as herself a Spitting Image Puppeteer, and performing ‘The Queen’ from Spitting Image, Broadcast on ITV1 at 10:00pm on Sunday 25 June 2006 (and repeated about six months later)

 

Cast

 Presenters

Narrator – Simon Chadwick

Ant & Dec Voices – Jon Culshaw & Phil Cornwell

Ant & Dec Puppeteers – Simon Buckley & Mark Jefferies

 

Contributors

David Baddiel

Jon Culshaw (Spitting Image Voice Artiste from 1994 – 1996)

Edwina Currie (Health Minister from 1986 – 1988)

Paul Daniels

Bill Dare (Spitting Image Producer from 1990-1994)

Steve Davis

Harry Enfield (Spitting Image Voice Artiste from 1984 – 1989)

Chris Eubank

Peter Fluck (Co-Creator of Spitting Image)

Bob Geldof KBE

Jon Glover (Voice of Prince Philip)

Louise Gold (Spitting Image Puppeteer from 1984 – 1996), (Voice of The Queen)

Rob Grant (Writer on Spitting Image from 1984 – 1986), (Co-Creator of The Chicken Song)

Lord Hattersley (Deputy Leader Of The Labour Party from 1983 – 1992)

Lord Hesaltine (Former Cabinet Minister)

Ian Hislop (Spitting Image Writer from 1984-1989)

Sir Bernard Ingram (Conservative Party Press Secretary from 1979 – 1991)

Lord Kinnock (Labour Party Leader from 1983 – 1992)

Roger Law (Spitting Image Co-Creator)

John Lloyd (Spitting Image Producer 1984-1987)

Desmond Lynam

Sir Trevor MacDonald

Jessica Martin (Spitting Image Voice Artiste from 1985 – 1988)

Alistair McGowan (Spitting Image Voice Artiste from 1991 – 1996), (Voice of Chris Eubank)

Steve Nallon (Voice of Roy Hattersley), (Voice of Margaret Thatcher), (Voice of The Queen Mother), (Spitting Image Voice Artiste 1984-1995)

Doug Naylor (Co-Creator of The Chicken Song)

Nick Newman (Spitting Image Writer from 1984-1989)

Barry Norman

John O’Farrell (Spitting Image Writer from 1989-1993)

Lord Owen (SDP Leader from 1983 – 1987)

Nigel Plaskitt (Spitting Image Puppeteer from 1984 – 1996)

Kate Robbins (Spitting Image Voice Artiste from 1984 – 1996)

Lord Steel (Liberal Party Leader from 1976 – 1988)

Lord Tebbitt (Conservative Party Chairman from 1985 – 1992)

 

Production Team

 Writer – Steve Punt

Graphics – Gareth Price

Archive & Stills Courtesy of: - BBC Television, Granada, Granada International, ITN Archive, ITV Sports Archive, John Frost Newspapers, and, Scope Features

Ant & Dec Puppets Created by – Jonathan Saville

Design – Giovanni Guarino

Links Director – Richard Bradley

Links Cameraman – Mike Lee

Location Camera – Jeremy Bishop

Location Sound – Richard Eades

Online Editor  - Philip Bedwell

Dubbing Mixer – Lynn Hegarty

Production Accountant – Kay Worsley

Production Co-ordinator – Samantha Parkin

Production Manager – Jane Parkes

Production Executive – Samantha Stamp

Archive Researcher – Linda Woodhouse

Assistant Producer – Lara Searle

Editor – Nick Thorp

Executive Producer – Peter A Gordon

Produced & Directed by – Stuart Ramsey

Produced by – Yorkshire Television Ltd, 2006

 

For a review of the documentary please click here.

David Baddiel, Simon Buckley, Phil Cornwell, Bill Dare, Harry Enfield, Peter Fluck, Jon Glover, Louise Gold, Rob Grant, Ian Hislop, Mark Jefferies, Roger Law, John Lloyd, Jessica Martin, Alistair McGowen, Steve Nallon, Doug Naylor, Nick Newman, John O’Farrell, Nigel Plaskitt, and, Kate Robbins all worked on Spitting Image, as did Steve Punt, and, Richard Bradley.

Peter Fluck, Louise Gold, Roger Law, and, John Lloyd worked on the Spitting Image Pilots.

Roger Law contributed to the Spitting Image Auction, which Louise Gold and Steve Nallon helped with.

Peter Fluck, Louise Gold, John Lloyd, and, Steve Nallon took part in Spitting Image BFI Event.

Ian Hislop, Louise Gold, Steve Nallon, Nick Newman, and, Kate Robbins appeared in Spitting Image Must See TV.

Phil Cornwell, Louise Gold, and, Roger Law appeared in the documentary The Wonderful World Of Puppets, which Gareth Price also did the graphics on.

Nigel Plaskitt, along with fellow Spitting Image puppeteer Louise Gold, has also puppeteered on: The Secret Life Of Toys, The Spooks Of Bottle Bay, Alice In Wonderland, Mopatop’s Shop, and, That Puppet Game Show; and they worked together on Space Sprogs. They also both appeared at Muppets And Puppets (Kaleidoscope Event)  Nigel has also directed Louise Gold in her cabaret act LOUISE GOLD...By Appointment, which includes a special tribute to Spitting Image, and on at least one occasion, Nigel Plaskitt puppeteered in it too.

The Bill, Up The Garden Path, ABBA – The Reunion, Spitting Image Must See TV, ABBA – The Mamma Mia! Story, ITV’s 50 Greatest Shows, and, Coronation Street were all first shown on ITV1.

Simon Buckley, and, Nigel Plaskitt puppeteered on Labyrinth.

Simon Buckley, Louise Gold, and, Nigel Plaskitt puppeteered on The Tale Of The Bunny Picnic, and, The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Simon Buckley, Louise Gold, Mark Jefferies, and, Nigel Plaskitt puppeteered on Muppet Treasure Island.

Before becoming a puppeteer Mark Jefferies had been an actor, and appeared in Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Touring Production) along with another future puppeteering colleague, Louise Gold.

Louise Gold, Mark Jefferies, and, Nigel Plaskitt worked on Five Minutes More.

Harry Enfield, Jon Glover, Louise Gold, Jessica Martin, Steve Nallon, and, Kate Robbins’s recording credits include Spit In Your Ear, which Rob Grant, Ian Hislop, John Lloyd, Doug Naylor, and, Nick Newman were also involved with.

Bob Geldof appeared in Comic Relief 1986, and on the associated album Utterly Utterly Live Comic Relief, which Rob Grant, Ian Hislop, Doug Naylor, and, Nick Newman were also involved with. And of course Louise Gold performed as a Spitting Image puppeteer on it.

Jon Glover appeared in By Jupiter, and, Panama Hattie.

Ian Hislop, and, Nick Newman were among the authors of Da Do Run Ron.

John Lloyd also produced BlackAdder, at the same time as the Spitting Image Pilots, which is why the latter’s Puppet Captain happens to appear in the former.

Sir Trevor MacDonld appeared in the Side By Side By Sondheim 30th Anniversary Gala.

Jessica Martin may have appeared in Kids At Heart.

Jessica Martin was a contestant on Let’s Do The Show Right Here, which a certain Spitting Image Puppet Captain was a Team Captain on.

Jessica Martin appeared in Something For The Boys, One Touch of Venus (2000 Production), A Lost Musicals Occasion, Regents Park 70th Anniversary Gala, Dress Circle Grand Re-Opening, A Love Letter To Dan, and, A Celebration Of The Life And Work of Dick Vosburgh. Her radio credits include Ned Sherrin’s Revue Of Revue.

Steve Punt wrote material for Roland Rat The Series.

This documentary’s author Steve Punt appeared in the documentary I Love The Muppets, as did Spitting Image puppeteer Louise Gold.

Peter Fluck spoke about Spitting Image on the documentary ITV’s 50 Greatest Shows, which Sir Trevor MacDonald also appeared on. Louise Gold certainly voiced and probably performed The Queen puppet, and it is possible that Steve Nallon voiced Margaret Thatcher (though it is not clear if the latter segment was recorded for the programme). Crew members Jeremy Bishop, Richard Eades, Samantha Parkin, and, Samantha Stamp also worked on this programme, which was also produced by Yorkshire Television Ltd.

 

Links about Best Ever Spitting Image

IMDB Entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0823696/

 

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