Frost: Coalition politicians too boring for satire
By politics.co.uk staff
The introduction of coalition government has put satire in “intensive care”, Sir David Frost has said.
The veteran political TV presenter made the comments in the Radio Times as he publicised his forthcoming BBC 4 documentary ‘Frost on Satire’.
“What about the future of political satire here in the UK under our new coalition government?” he asks.
“From where I sit I have to admit it’s difficult to see.
“I suspect it will come from satire on the workings of government rather than the deeds of individuals, but who knows? Perhaps our new George W [Bush] or Sarah P[alin] are just around the corner,” Sir David went on.
“In the meantime, it’s all too easy to forget that British satire was once, like our NHS, the envy of the world…. Doesn’t each and every one of us have a duty to help raise satire from intensive care and nurse it back to rude – very rude – health?”
Sir David highlights Spitting Image in the middle of Margaret Thatcher’s administration as the highlight of modern British political satire.
“One of the most prominent puppets – and arguably the star of the show – was the Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher, portrayed as a cigar-chomping tyrant,” he wrote.
“Her resignation in 1990 left the Spitting Image team bereft, precipitating a slump in the show’s fortunes.
“So did satire survive the show’s demise? Not here perhaps.”
Impersonator Rory Bremner has previously complained about Nick Clegg, saying he is “difficult to master”.
