Spitting image removed six minutes of material from opening show in 1984 to avoid offending Prince Philip after TV bosses realised he was due to open their new state-of-the-art studios days later
Spitting Image lampooned its subjects mercilessly, especially members of the Royal Family – but it has emerged that several minutes were cut from the first episode to avoid offending Prince Philip.
In a panic, having realised the Duke of Edinburgh was to open their new state-of-the-art studios days later, Central TV bosses said all royal references had to go.
As a result, six minutes of material was cut from the opening show on Sunday, February 26, 1984.
The last-minute censorship is revealed in today’s episode of The Reunion on BBC Radio 4, in which key figures involved in getting the satirical TV puppet show off the ground are brought together.
John Lloyd, a producer on the launch, recalled how Central TV executive Charles Denton announced the 11th-hour decision to cut scenes.
Spitting Image lampooned its subjects mercilessly, especially members of the Royal Family – but it has emerged that several minutes were cut from the first episode to avoid offending Prince Philip (Spitting Image puppet pictured)
![In a panic, having realised the Duke of Edinburgh (pictured in puppet from with Queen Elizaabeth II) was to open their new state-of-the-art studios days later, Central TV bosses said all royal references had to go](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/09/03/02/75002365-0-In_a_panic_having_realised_the_Duke_of_Edinburgh_pictured_in_pup-m-13_1693704406068.jpg)
In a panic, having realised the Duke of Edinburgh (pictured in puppet from with Queen Elizaabeth II) was to open their new state-of-the-art studios days later, Central TV bosses said all royal references had to go
He said: ‘Charles said, “Come to my office, here’s a bottle of whisky. All the royal stuff has to come out”. I don’t think he told us why.
‘Charles said, “If you decide that’s the end of Spitting Image and you’re going to pull the show before even the first episode I’ll go with you – and if you decide you want to fight another day, I will go with that, too”.’
He added that the show’s demise ‘could easily have happened’, but explained: ‘I think we voted to carry on by three to two.’
The team learned the reason for the censorship after the episode was broadcast – and promptly put all the material that had been cut into the second show a week later.
Former Tory Minister Edwina Currie told The Reunion that Margaret Thatcher loved how macho her puppet was, adding: ‘She looked at the way you dressed that puppet in the mannish style, and thought, “I’m having a bit of that”.’
l The Reunion is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 today at 11.15am and is available via BBC Sounds.