So what’s the latest contribution to carry the Olympic torch for satire, following such greats as Punch, Private Eye and Spitting Image? Headcases, a CGI version of Spit that promises much. According to Henry Naylor, creator and director of Headcases, “It’s very, very funny and has real bite. There’s nothing like it on television anywhere in the world which is a real tribute to the skill of the team.” You know they’re struggling when they have to tell you the name of the person they’re lampooning, as in ‘look who’s at the door…it’s…’, and employ other subtle writing tricks as borrowed directly from Shakespeare. So far the biting satire we’re promised appears to be some off target swipes at Heather McCartney, Robert Mugabe (like he gives a shit what anyone thinks!), Sarkozy andthe thicker-than-they’re-high Beckam’s. I don’t see much bite here, or even a good gumming. But it’s actually more about who’s not in there as those they’ve attempted to poke fun at. Given the current climate I’d have expected to see Max Mosely, but he’s not been extracted from his cellar for a pasting. Which makes me wonder if the new climate where celebs litigate if they don’t like your attitude has seen off the likes of Spitting Image forever. Over the twelve years it graced our screens Spitting Image could miss the mark, but when it struck the target it did so with such acerbic wit that it could make you gasp. Headcases isn’t funny, satirical or even clever. It’s like a pale imitation risen from the grave of ritish satire to remind us that we could do this once by demonstrating the sad place we’ve come to now. The only Headcases I’ve seen here are those at ITV Entertainment (surely an oxymoron?) that green-lit this garbage.
