For the millions who adore Paddington Bear, Michael Bond’s marmalade-loving character is the epitome of English politeness and understatement – so a new depiction as a drug-taking, potty-mouthed podcast host was always going to prove challenging.
But the satirical overhaul of Paddington by the team behind Spitting Image has proved too much for the film studio and estate that own the character’s rights.
StudioCanal, the producers of the successful Paddington movies, are joining up with Bond’s estate to sue the British production company Avalon, which is behind Paddington’s radical reimagining.
A high court complaint, first reported by Deadline, cites copyright and design right concerns. The court filing does not set out the specifics of the claim, but it comes after Paddington’s appearance in the latest Spitting Image YouTube show, The Rest Is Bulls*!t.
The show contains sketches about Elon Musk, Donald Trump and Keir Starmer. It also satirises ubiquitous podcasts in which hosts talk about achieving success.
It is hosted by a typical Spitting Image-style puppet of Prince Harry and a dishevelled-looking Paddington. In the first episode, Paddington begins by proclaiming he does not really talk like Ben Whishaw, the Bafta-winning actor who voices the character in his recent movie outings.
He then switches to a generic South American accent before shouting: “I am from Peru, motherfuckers – I am Paddington Bear from Peru! You most likely 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 end of the episode, a chaotic Paddington is seen snorting a white powder before apparently passing out.
The court action comes three months after Avalon launched The Rest Is Bulls*!t, a poke at the successful stable of podcasts produced by Gary Lineker’s company, Goalhanger.
The show’s launch on YouTube in July marked a new chapter for Spitting Image, which has a rich history of upsetting its targets – usually politicians, rather than treasured children’s characters.
The original series was one of the most-watched programmes in the 1980s and was cancelled only in 1996 after viewing figures waned. It was rebooted in 2020 for the streaming service BritBox, lasting two series before it was cancelled again.
Its new incarnation on YouTube has been adapted for the platform. Shows are between 10 and 15 minutes, designed to appeal to viewers who scroll through recommended content.
In the first show, viewed more than half a million times, Paddington and Harry interview Musk, and Paddington urges 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 later says the secret to his personal glow is “100% Peruvian, biodynamic, organic, catastrophic cocaine”.
The pair also announce an advert 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.”
StudioCanal and Avalon declined to comment. A spokesperson for Michael Bond’s estate said they could not comment as the issue was the subject of legal proceedings.
