2DTV

2DTV
2DTV title card
Created by	Giles Pilbrow Georgia Pritchett
Directed by	Tim Searle[1]
Starring	Jon Culshaw Jan Ravens Mark Perry Lewis MacLeod Kate O'Sullivan Enn Reitel Dave Lamb Alistair McGowan (Pilot)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Production
Producer(s)	Giles Pilbrow
Running time	10–30 mins.
Release
Original network	ITV
Original release	14 October 2001 (2001-10-14) – 23 December 2004 (2004-12-23)

2DTV is a British satirical animated television show that was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom from October 2001 to December 2004. Lasting a total of five series and thirty three episodes, 2DTV became the successor of the popular television series from the 1980s, Spitting Image, and the predecessor of ITV satirical animation from 2008, Headcases.

Background

2DTV employed the same satirical style as Spitting Image, but used animation rather than puppets. The animation was produced using computer graphics, frequently with animators working up to the day of broadcast. Series producer Giles Pilbrow was a veteran of Spitting Image, as were some of the voice artists on the show.

The series was directed by Tim Searle. 2DTV was first broadcast in March 2001, however, an unbroadcast pilot episode was recorded nearly six months beforehand. The pilot episode featured a resident newsreader, played by Alistair McGowan, however, his character was not carried over when an full seven part first series was commissioned by ITV. Each episode in the first series lasted ten minutes.

In April 2002, a second seven episode series began broadcasting, once again, with each episode lasting ten minutes. In July 2002, the series spawned its own official single, "Shoot the Dog", which was performed by George Michael. The music video for "Shoot the Dog" features an animated Michael, plus several other characters from 2DTV, performing the song.

In November 2002, an commercial for the home media compilation, The Best of 2DTV, was banned by the BACC. The commercial depicted George W. Bush taking a VHS out of its case, and putting it in a toaster. Ofcom stated that advertisements for products cannot appear to be endorsed by someone without their permission – in this case George W. Bush.

The original advert was reworked into a sketch in which Bush writes a letter complaining about his portrayal in the media as a moron, then "posts" the letter in a toaster. The programme creators then proposed a commercial satirising Osama Bin Laden, and were informed that this would also be banned on the grounds that Bin Laden would have to give permission for his image to be used. Another commercial satirised David Beckham by compiling his list for Christmas and asking his wife, "how do you spell DVD?".^[2]

The banning was later overturned on the grounds that the commercial was legitimate satire, and the commercial was shown unedited. The programme creators claimed that the controversy had generated more interest in the show than the adverts could ever have done alone.^[3] For the third series, each episode was extended to twenty minutes, including advertisements.

After the third series, many of the original cast members, including Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Mark Perry, decided to depart the series following an announcement that the fourth series would be extended to thirty minutes per episode. As such, new cast members Lewis MacLeod, Kate O'Sullivan and Enn Reitel were drafted in to take over. They appeared alongside the only remaining original cast member, Dave Lamb. All four returned for a fifth series in 2004, however, due to falling ratings, its broadcast occurred in the graveyard slot, and as such, the show was axed in December 2004.

Cast

Series 1–3

• Jon Culshaw – Tony Blair, Jack Straw, William Hague, John Major, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Prince Charles, Angus Deayton, Ian Hislop, Paul Merton, Gareth Gates, Chris Eubank, Rolf Harris, Trevor McDonald, George Michael, David Beckham, Michael Jackson, Johnny Vegas, Steve Irwin, Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, Uri Geller, Bill Gates, Liam Gallagher, Anthony McPartlin, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Roy Keane, Michael Owen, Alex Ferguson, Ozzy Osbourne, Guy Ritchie, Iain Duncan Smith, Richard Madeley, Phillip Schofield, Tim Henman
• Jan Ravens – Cherie Blair, Ann Widdecombe, Queen Elizabeth, Camilla Parker Bowles, Princess Anne, Fergie, Geri Halliwell, Victoria Beckham, Anne Robinson, Jordan, Carol "Smiley" Smillie, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Davina McCall, Kylie Minogue, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Jade Goody, Kim Woodburn, Aggie MacKenzie, Nigella Lawson, Queen Mother, Judy Finnigan
• Mark Perry – Gordon Brown, Robin Cook, Saddam Hussein, Spider-Man, Michael Howard, Michael Parkinson, Graham Norton

Series 4–5

• Enn Reitel – Tony Blair, Jack Straw, John Prescott, Michael Jackson, Johnny Vegas, Anthony McPartlin, Jeremy Clarkson, Michael Howard, Will Young, Tom Cruise, Tim Henman, Justin Hawkins, Jack Osbourne, Simon Cowell, Gordon Ramsay, Phil Spencer, David Dimbleby, Peter Andre, Frank Skinner, Des Lynam, Robbie Williams, Gareth Gates, Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, Uri Geller, David Blunkett, Charles Kennedy, Dick Cheney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Prince Philip, Prince Edward, Princes William and Harry, Osama Bin Laden, Pope John Paul II, Wayne Rooney
• Kate O'Sullivan – Cherie Blair, Gordon Brown, Queen Elizabeth, Camilla Parker Bowles, Princess Anne, Geri Halliwell, Victoria Beckham, Anne Robinson, Jordan, Carol "Smiley" Smillie, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Davina McCall, Kylie Minogue, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Kim Woodburn, Aggie MacKenzie, Nigella Lawson, Kirstie Allsopp, Trinny Woodall, Susannah Constantine, Judy Finnigan, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Judi Dench, Coleen McLoughlin
• Lewis MacLeod – Chris Eubank, Rolf Harris, George Michael, David Beckham, George W. Bush, Prince Charles, Trevor McDonald, Steve Irwin, Uri Geller, Bill Gates, Liam Gallagher, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Roy Keane, Michael Owen, Alex Ferguson, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Vaughan, Richard Madeley, Louis Walsh, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, David Seaman, Neil Armstrong, Guy Ritchie, Robin Cook, Saddam Hussein, Declan Donnelly, Ronaldo, Phil Neville

All series

• Dave Lamb – John Prescott, David Blunkett, Stephen Byers, Michael Portillo, Charles Kennedy, Dick Cheney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Prince Philip, Prince Edward, Princes William and Harry, Osama Bin Laden, Pope John Paul II, Elton John, Graham Norton, Andrew Marr, Michael Palin, Declan Donnelly, Martin Keown, Ronaldo, Phil Neville, Tom Cruise.

Episodes

See also

• Spitting Image
• Headcases

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: 2DTV

• Official 2DTV website the website is currently unrelated to 2DTV
• 2DTV on YouTube
• 2DTV at the Internet Movie Database