Creators of the latest iteration of Spitting Image, which stars an unflattering puppet of Prince Harry, have admitted they are “baffled” at the lawsuit being lodged by the producers of Paddington Bear.
In the satirical new series, a mock Duke of Sussex and a cocaine addled interpretation of the beloved bear host a podcast together.
The puppet co-hosts star in The Rest Is B******s, a play on Goalhanger’s popular ‘Rest Of’ oeuvre.
Spitting Image’s Paddington, affectionately referred to as “Pads” by the mock Harry, features crazed bloodshot eyes, sharp teeth, a cocaine habit and speaks in a cod South American accent – a nod to the actual character’s Peruvian origins.
He regularly reports a penchant for “100 per cent Peruvian, biodynamic, organic, catastrophic cocaine” and that: “I am from Peru, motherf***ker. I am Paddington Bear from Peru.”
StudioCanal, which produces the Paddington films, has filed a High Court complaint against British production company Avalon, which makes the show.
Legal documents have raised copyright concerns, according to Deadline, which first reported the story.
The new series is spearheaded by Al Murray and Matt Forde, who both expressed their surprise at the legal action being taken against them.
The creators of Spitting Image have reacted to news the producers of the Paddington films are pursuing legal action against them
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SPITTING IMAGE
“We’re baffled by that, to be honest,” Mr Murray admitted, defending their lampooning of the traditionally sweet-natured bear and Prince Harry as the “oldest thing in comedy”.
He continued: “We’re not saying we’ve done anything particularly original. (Paddington) is normally presented as this very ‘goody-two-shoes’ character and we’ve flipped him over.
“It’s a very Spitting Image thing to do – to take someone and say ‘Hey, maybe they’re the opposite,’” he told Radio Times.
The comedian declared that: “Taking the p**s is a great British value, as is having a sense of humour about ourselves.”
In the new series, the beloved kind natured bear is rendered as foul mouthed and cocaine addled
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SPITTING IMAGE
“Obviously has been a drift towards people who want to shut other people’s jokes up – and it’s weird, it seems like an attack on comedy really,” he added.
Mr Forde also explained the reason for choosing Prince Harry and Paddington Bear for the fictional leads.
“If you’re looking for (podcast) hosts, you need two national treasures. There were the first names on the team sheet,” he explained.
The creators claimed the attention given to Spitting Image by the legal action has resulted is boosting the success of the new show.
The irreverent show also recently took aim at the Prince of Wales’s reunion with King Charles
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SPITTING IMAGE
“I mean, they’ve fallen into a bear trap of their own making,” Mr Forde quipped.
“We’re getting tons more views as a result of the lawsuits publicity, so more people are watching this depiction of Paddington that they don’t want anyone to see,” he added.
The show has gone as far as to now mock the claim being made against them, publishing a new sketch where the two puppets discuss the action while “Paddington” snorts from a mountain of white powder.
Prince Harry has borne the brunt of the programme’s biting satire previously, with a recent sketch mocking the real-life Duke of Sussex’s reunion with King Charles.