Courtroom Battle Breaks Out as Satirical Show Production Company Faces Lawsuit Over Beloved Character Portrayal
Among millions who cherish Paddington Bear, Michael Bond's marmalade-loving character epitomizes the quintessence of English politeness and understatement – making this recent portrayal as a substance-using, foul-mouthed podcast host especially controversial.
Nevertheless, the satirical overhaul of Paddington by the team behind Spitting Image has turned out to be excessive for the production company and estate that control the intellectual property.
Legal Proceedings Launched Against Studio
The film producers, responsible for the successful Paddington movies, are joining forces with Bond's estate to take legal action against UK-based production company Avalon, which created Paddington's radical reimagining.
A high court complaint, initially covered by industry media, cites intellectual property and creative ownership concerns. The court filing doesn't detail the particulars of the allegations, but it follows Paddington's inclusion in the most recent Spitting Image YouTube show, titled The Rest Is Bulls*!t.
This production includes sketches about Elon Musk, former presidents and Keir Starmer. It also parodies ubiquitous podcasts where hosts talk about reaching goals.
Controversial Portrayal Particulars
The show is presented by a typical Spitting Image-style puppet of Prince Harry and a unkempt Paddington. In the premiere, Paddington starts by declaring he doesn't actually talk like Ben Whishaw, the award-winning actor who portrays the character in recent movie adaptations.
He then switches to a stereotypical South American accent before exclaiming: "I am from Peru, motherfuckers – I am Paddington Bear from Peru! You probably remember me from the films Paddington, Paddington 2 and Paddington in Peru. I also had a starring role in the Netflix series Narcos, as Pablo Escobear. It is a joke. Laugh, muchachos."
At the conclusion of the segment, a chaotic Paddington is seen inhaling a white powder before seemingly passing out.
Historical Context of Comedy Program
The legal proceedings come three months after Avalon launched The Rest Is Bulls*!t, a poke at the successful stable of podcasts produced by multiple media companies.
The show's launch on YouTube in July signaled a fresh phase for Spitting Image, which has a rich history of upsetting its targets – typically politicians, rather than beloved children's characters.
- Initial run was among the popular programmes in the 1980s
- Cancelled only in 1996 after viewing figures waned
- Rebooted in 2020 for streaming service BritBox
- Lasted two series before being discontinued once more
Digital Transformation
Its new incarnation on YouTube has been tailored for the service. Episodes are between 10 and 15 minutes, created to attract viewers who scroll through recommended content.
In the premiere episode, watched more than 500,000 times, Paddington and Harry interview Musk, and Paddington encourages the rightwing billionaire to go to Mars. "You are too much genius for one planet," he says. "As I say about my cocaine, it is only right to share."
He subsequently says the secret to his personal glow is "100% Peruvian, biodynamic, organic, catastrophic cocaine."
The duo also present an commercial for guns. Paddington says: "Go to Bogotá and ask for Matthias. Tell him Paddington sent you."
The bear begins another segment by observing: "And that's why I said 'no' to Harry Potter. Paddington Bear gets out his wand for no one."
Official Responses
The film company declined to comment. A representative for Michael Bond's estate said they could not comment as the issue was the subject of legal proceedings.
Avalon has been reached out to for response.
