The satire show has not finished its first series in 24 years and its two most memorable characters – Donald Trump and Dominic Cummings – are already out of work.
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But so too are the puppets, which face being put in storage for a year when the comedy completes its 10-episode run on Saturday.
It would seem to be a strange way to treat a hit show, especially given Spitting Image used to run for two seasons a year in its heyday. Because it has been a hit, even if it divided reviewers. The Daily Telegraph sneered that “scarcely a punchline-with-a-pulse [is] to be discerned”. i praised the “grotesque” puppets but lamented that a “rubbery bite” had replaced the original show's notorious cutting humor. The Guardian welcomed the return, saying the show "has lost none of its savagery".
Whatever critics thought, Spitting Image has thrived outside traditional television. Its sketch format suits social media, where it has racked up 61 million views.
A clip of Mr Trump holding a rally in the company of a spiky blue Coronavirus puppet that high fives his supporters has been seen five million times. Crucially, the comedy has generated record levels of new subscribers for BritBox, the streaming service with rights to the first two new series and the back catalogue.
That's why some people might be unaware that Spitting Image has returned. Because only one episode has been shown on conventional TV – and that “US Election Special” gave ITV1 a total audience of 4.2 million, the channel's best Saturday night 10pm rating for four years.
Britain's biggest commercial broadcaster could sorely do with such a comedy success in its main schedule when its revenues have dropped £350m on last year and locked-down viewers are crying out for laughs.
Spitting Image was revived to make life difficult for a new generation of targets, casting Priti Patel as a dominatrix and Greta Thunberg as a morose weather forecaster. But the show has created a dilemma for ITV, which leads the consortium of broadcasters that runs BritBox.