2DTV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 2DTV | |
|---|---|
 David and Victoria Beckham as they appear on 2DTV. |
|
| Genre | Comedy/Animation |
| Creator(s) | Giles Pilbrow (Producer) and Georgia Pritchett (Head Writer) |
| Starring | Many impersonated celebrities |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Running time | 10 to 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | 14 October 2001 – 23 December 2004 |
2DTV is a satirical animated television show broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom.
2DTV employs the same satirical style as Spitting Image, but using animation rather than puppets. Director Giles Pilbrow was a veteran of Spitting Image, as were some of the voice artists.
The first two series, broadcast in 2001, featured episodes lasting only 10 minutes. Due to popular demand subsequent editions were extended to half an hour. The original cast members were Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Mark Perry and Dave Lamb. Alistair McGowan also appeared in the pilot episode. But for series 4, it appeared that all but Lamb had left the show, leaving Lewis MacLeod, Kate O'Sullivan and Enn Reitel to take over. Presumably, Culshaw left to spend more time appearing in his own show, Dead Ringers. 2DTV produced the controversial video for the 2002 George Michael single "Shoot the Dog".
The pilot episode also featured a resident newsreader character, but he doesn't appear in the series. After a fifth series in late 2004, the show disappeared from ITV for unknown reasons.
[edit] Selected list of spoofed celebrities
Celebrities lampooned by the show include:
Politicians:
Labour
Tony Blair
Gordon Brown
John Prescott
David Blunkett
Robin Cook
Jack Straw.
Stephen Byers
Peter Mandelson
Conservatives
John Major
Michael Portillo
William Hague
Iain Duncan Smith
Michael Howard
Ann Widdecombe
Liberal Democrats:
Charles Kennedy
George W. Bush (always depicted together with his fictional sidekick the General; the latter creates puppet "Professor Liebstrom" out of his sock, so that Bush (who is childlike and idiotic) can understand him.)
British Royal Family:
The Queen
Prince Philip
Prince Charles
Camilla Parker Bowles
Princess Anne
Fergie
and Princes William and Harry.
Other celebrities:
Ant and Dec
Elton John
Geri Halliwell
George Michael
David Beckham
Victoria Beckham
Trevor McDonald
Anne Robinson
Michael Jackson
Uri Geller
Johnny Vegas
Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen
Carol "Smiley" Smillie
David Dimbleby
Jordan
Peter Andre
Will Young
Gareth Gates
Jennifer Lopez
Chris Eubank
Madonna
Guy Ritchie
Tom Cruise
David Frost
Graham Norton
Davina McCall
Michael Parkinson
Andrew Marr
Pope John Paul II
Frank Skinner
Johnny Vaughan
Richard Madeley
Judy Finnigan
Saddam Hussein
Osama bin Laden
Tim Henman
Andre Agassi
Steffi Graf
Joan Collins
Des Lynam
Bill Gates
Kylie Minogue
Liam Gallagher
Robbie Williams
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Justin Hawkins
Hugh Grant
Steve Irwin
David Coulthard
Michael Schumacher
Ozzy Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Jack Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne
Simon Cowell
Louis Walsh
Gordon Ramsay
Kim Woodburn
Aggie MacKenzie
Michael Palin
Phil Spencer
Kirstie Allsopp
Wayne Rooney
Trinny Woodall
Susannah Constantine
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Michael Owen
Rio Ferdinand
Paul Scholes
David Seaman
Judi Dench
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Neil Armstrong
EastEnders' cast
Coronation Street's cast
[edit] The banned advert
In early 2003, a commercial for the Video and DVD compilation The Best of 2DTV was banned by Ofcom. The commercial depicted George W. Bush taking the video 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 programme-makers then produced a commercial satirizing Osama Bin Laden, but this was also banned on the seemingly absurd grounds that Bin Laden would have to give permission for his image to be used. This decision was later overturned on the grounds that the commercial was legitimate satire, and the commercial was shown unedited. The programme-makers claimed that the controversy had generated more interest in the show than the adverts could ever have done alone.
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.
