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The Man With No Title is the official name for the final episode of Series 2, and aired on the 24th March 1985. It is the second episode after the Royal-themed episode of Series 1 to completely abandon the sketch-show format and focus on steady interweaving plots. The background for this episode is a hotel, and the main plot focuses on Michael Heseltine trying to expose Margaret Thatcher as a Russian spy.
Spitting Image (1986) - Series 2, Episode 11 - Full Episode
Plot[]
Michael Hestletine undercover
Clint Eastwood saves the day
All the different puppets from the show are all staying at a hotel called Horrible Inn. Mick Jagger's room is heavily vandalised, Prince Charles is kicked out of his room after an argument with his wife and Woody Allen is given a door key with a card the size of a surfboard. Michael Heseltine enters the hotel under disguise as a stereotypical Dutch citizen named "Michael Heselbine", claiming to be a representative of the Dutch Cheese Convention, which is in actuality an undercover cabinet meeting.
Head of police Kenneth Newman spends most of the episode trying to track down a criminal with the assistance of his bumbling companion PC Dimbleby. After attacking Prince Charles, believing him to be the villain, the two realise that the spy is actually the hotel bartender Lord Lucan. The bar itself is also a scene for commotion when Dustin Hoffman notices that every last social and racial stereotype is there having a drink; therefore they must all be in a disaster movie. After much panicking and a botched attempt by the Pope to read the Last Rites, Hoffman deduces that the "disaster" is Thatcherite Britain, and the only way they can save England is by panicking some more.
At the secret Cabinet Meeting, Michael Heseltine explains to the rest of the Cabinet that Thatcher is a Russian agent, which explains why the country is in such a bad state. Up on the roof, the Cabinet confront Thatcher, who is indeed a Russian spy under the name of Irana Petrova. Before she can mercilessly kill her ministers, Clint Eastwood leaps from his hiding spot and shoots Petrova, revealing her to be a robot. The *real* Thatcher - "who made promises and got on perfectly well with black people" - was locked in a cupboard the whole time. The episode then ends with a fantasy rendition of Britain where unemployment has been solved, crime is cut down and nobody likes Spitting Image anymore "because it always reminded us of bad things".
Credits[]
The credits appear at the start of the episode in the style of movie credits.
- A Peter Fluck & Roger Law presention of A John Lloyd production of A John Stroud film
- DONALD SINDEN is THE MAN WITH NO TITLE
- Starring the Dollygrips of Anthony Asbury, Samurai Bradshaw, Alistair Fullarton, Terry Lee, Nigel Plaskitt, Francis Wright
- Starring the Voices of Chris Barrie, Harry Enfield, John Glover, Steve Nallon, Jan Ravens, Enn Reitel
- Screenplay by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor
- From the Original Jokes by Geoffrey Atkinson, John Docherty, Ian Hislop, Moray Hunter, Paul Lewis, Nick Newman, Laurie Rowley, Tony Sarchet, Andrea Solomons
- Puppet Makers Steve Bendelack, Moe Casey, Andrew Robey, Scott Brooker, Mandy Dymond
- Mould Makers Steve Haines, Peter Kidd, Jasper Lyon, Andrew Geddes
- Caricaturists/Modellers Tim Watts, David Stoten
- Foams Spike
- Wigs Charles
- Mechanics Harry Bryce
- Wardrobe Caroline Pitcher, Jackie Hallat
- Company Manager Anne Newcombe
- Workshop Manager John Bayliss
- Production Accountant Malcolm Walker
- Programme Co-ordinator Claire Sandford
- Programme Assistant Linda Glover
- General Assistants David Bond, Toby Sherborne, Julian Short
- Production Secretaries Tracey Smirthwaite, Alison Heaton, Alice Cooper
- Based on an Original Lunch with Martin Lambie-Nairn
- Mr Asbury's Posing-Pouch by Tiny-Sac de Lourdes
- Senior Cameraman Terry Gout
- Sound John Picken
- Dubbing Bill Todd, Jim Tetlow
- Vision Graham Dobbs
- Vision Mixer Linda Rampal
- Videotape Editor Al Pigden
- Film Research Janet Rayner
- General Research Alma Taft
- GRAPHICS: WILLY KERR
- Mr Kerr's Assistants Hazel Alemany, Steve Safe, Chris Wroe
- Production Buyer Dave Williams
- Stage Manager Anne Ibbotson
- Assistant Floor Manager Paul Leather
- Senior Floor Manager Keith Lascelles
- Production Assistant Lesley Jones
- Costume Designer Sue Gibson
- Lighting Director Brian Harris
- Designer Ken Ryan
- Filmed in BORING OLD NORMALVISION
- © Central Indepedent Television plc MCMLXXXV
- A Central Independent Television Production with Spitting Image Productions LTD.