The producers behind the hit Paddington films and the estate of his creator, Michael Bond, are suing the company behind Spitting Image after it depicted the beloved bear as a foul-mouthed podcast host
The creators of the popular Paddington films and Michael Bond’s estate, who created the character, are taking legal action against the company behind Spitting Image for portraying the beloved bear as a foul-mouthed podcast host.
As initially reported by Deadline, the claimants, represented by law firm Edwin Coe, have lodged a High Court complaint against Avalon, citing copyright and design right issues.
The details of the claim remain undisclosed, but it follows the release of the Spitting Image YouTube show, The Rest is Bullsh*t!, which features the fictional bear. Avalon, StudioCanal and Michael Bond’s estate declined to comment when approached by the BBC, and Edwin Coe has also been asked for their input.
For those familiar with the Peruvian bear, who first graced our lives in Bond’s 1958 book, A Bear Called Paddington, the sketch offers a starkly different portrayal of the children’s character. In the Spitting Image parody, Paddington hosts a podcast with Prince Harry, where the bear is seen swearing, advertising guns and robot sex dolls, and confessing to cocaine use.
His accent has morphed into a stereotypically strong South American one, as he reveals he doesn’t really sound like Ben Whishaw, the British actor who voiced his character in the well-loved Paddington films. The pair are shown interviewing Tesla owner Elon Musk, and the footage also includes sketches featuring US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The sketch showed the bear with red eyes and presented him as a drug user. with the puppet of the bear saying: “I am from Peru, motherf*****. I am Paddington Bear from Peru.”
The show is a satirical take on the podcast series The Rest Is…, produced by Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger Productions. In a recent episode, Paddington further references his drug habit.
The Spitting Image TV show, known for its caricatures of celebrities, politicians and royals, was a massive success for ITV during its original run in the 1980s and 1990s. The Bafta and Emmy award-winning television series originally aired for 18 series between 1984 and 1996, before making a comeback on Britbox from 2020 to 2022. It even inspired a musical. In July this year, a YouTube series featuring shorter episodes of between 10 and 15 minutes was announced.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Paddington movies’ producer StudioCanal is taking legal action against British production company Avalon, who are behind the sketch. StudioCanal has lodged a High Court complaint, with Deadline revealing that the producers have also raised copyright concerns.
Not only was Paddington Bear featured in the sketch, but a puppet of Prince Harry also made an appearance, uttering: “‘I’m here to tell my truth and make a s*** ton of money out of podcasting as I don’t have any discernible talent.”
Despite Paddington not being a Royal like Prince Harry, the sketch could still ruffle some feathers among Royal enthusiasts, particularly given the bear’s connection to Queen Elizabeth II. This is due to Paddington Bear’s appearance in a video marking the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
In the clip, Her Majesty is seen enjoying afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace with the CGI bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw. The video was viewed globally, with miniature Paddington Bear toys left at the Palace gates following the Queen’s passing in September 2022.
Earlier this year two men were arrested after a newly installed Paddington Bear statue was cut in half and stolen from its perch on a bench. The statue of the beloved fictional bear, which had only been unveiled last October, was damaged and part of it stolen in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to Thames Valley Police. Paddington’s remains left an outline on the bench in Newbury, Berkshire, where the children’s character had once sat.
The arrested men, both 22 and from Basingstoke, are currently in custody facing charges of theft and criminal damage. The stolen piece of the statue has also been retrieved by the officers.
Investigating officer inspector Alan Hawkett said: “The Paddington Bear statue is a beloved part of Newbury so we have been doing everything we can to locate it and the offenders. I am delighted we have made two arrests and recovered the statue, which we will keep safe and support its restoration to its rightful place in Northbrook Street.”
Source: Mirror
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