This topical animated sketch show satirised the political and celebrity figures of the early 2000s.
The programme consisted of short, rapid-fire animated sketches targeting prominent figures in politics, sport, and popular culture. Regular subjects for ridicule included Prime Minister Tony Blair and his cabinet, US President George W. Bush, footballer David Beckham, England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, and various members of the Royal Family. The caricatures were brought to life by a team of impressionists, principally Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, and Mark Perry, whose work was central to the show’s identity.
Arriving a half-decade after the demise of Spitting Image, 2DTV was positioned as its spiritual successor for the digital age. It swapped the grotesque puppetry of its forerunner for slick, fast-paced cel animation, a style that allowed for a relentless gag rate more indebted to American cartoons than to the British satirical tradition. The shift in technique reflected a shift in the times; the show’s targets were the slick media personalities of New Labour and the burgeoning celebrity culture of the early 21st century. While its topicality was sharp, the programme struggled to escape the shadow of its celebrated predecessor, with some criticism directed at a perceived lack of the sheer viciousness that had made Spitting Image such a cultural force.
Broadcast: ITV, 5 Series, 14 October 2001 – 23 December 2004
Creator: Giles Pilbrow
Writers: Giles Pilbrow, Tony Roche, Mark Burton
Producer: Giles Pilbrow
Main Voices: Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Mark Perry
