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America runs scared of Spitting Image

US broadcasters will no longer be screening the satire for fear of offending the powerful

They have a Donald Trump puppet, a Joe Biden puppet, even a Michelle Obama puppet. What the Spitting Image team don’t have, at least for now, is an American broadcaster brave enough to show them.

The revival of Britain’s most celebrated satirical series is not being screened in the US after the television network NBC backed out at the last moment for fear of offending powerful people, The Times understands.

When Roger Law, the show’s co-creator, confirmed plans to revive the comedy last year, he made clear that America, rather than Britain, would be the show’s primary target. “If you’re going to go after the bastards, you may as well go after the biggest bastards there are,” he said.

The satirical television series’ latest puppets include Joe Biden, Mark Zuckerberg, Greta Thunberg as well as Donald Trump
The satirical television series’ latest puppets include Joe Biden, Mark Zuckerberg, Greta Thunberg as well as Donald Trump

Producers held talks with several networks