Tooning Out the News

The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.

Workaholic Mike Flaherty is the Deputy Mayor of New York City, serving as Mayor Randall Winston's key strategist and much-needed handler. Mike runs the city with the help of his oddball staff: an anxious and insecure press secretary; a sexist, boorish chief of staff; an impeccably groomed gay activist running minority affairs; a sharp and efficient, man-crazy accountant; and an idealistic young speechwriter. Like Mike, they are all professionally capable but personally challenged.

Israeli satire show investigating the historical, social and political heritage of the jewish people and the state of Israel, from biblical days to this day, killing sacred cows and questioning Jewish myths and Israeli ethos.

Spitting Image is an award winning British satirical puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. The series was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Independent Television over 18 series which aired on the ITV from 1984 to 1996. The series was nominated and won numerous awards during its run including 10 BAFTA Awards, including one for editing in 1989, and even won two Emmy Awards in 1985 and 1986 in the Popular Arts Category. The series featured puppet caricatures of celebrities famous during the 1980s and 1990s, including British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and fellow Tory politicians, American president Ronald Reagan, and the British Royal Family. The Series was the first to caricature the Queen mother.

Kakaji Kahin is an Indian political satire that aired on Doordarshan in 1988. It was one of Basu Chatterjee's acclaimed works for Indian television, based on a book called Netaji Kahin by well-known author Manohar Shyam Joshi

Herr Talman takes an irreverent comedy take on politics with twisted puppet versions of our party leaders. In sketches and songs, the program engages in political theater, the failings of party leaders and current gossip.

The incredible story of Gro Harlem Brundtland, who in the late 70s works as a young doctor, fighting for self-determined abortion, when she almost by accident, stumbles into politics. As the government implodes around her, Gro learns to play her own games of power, climbing the ranks until she is the last woman standing in the ruins of Labour’s celebrated social democracy, ending up as Norway’s first female Prime Minister in 1981.

Animated news series featuring animated characters lampooning topical news of the day and interviewing real-world guests.

Hilarious, totally-irreverent, near-slanderous political quiz show, based mainly on news stories from the last week or so, that leaves no party, personality or action unscathed in pursuit of laughs.

El Privilegio de Mandar was a successful Mexican political parody broadcast by Televisa on Canal de las Estrellas. It started as a sketch on another Televisa show, called La Parodia, that parodies political, social and cultural events happening in Mexico. High ratings kept the show running. It was first broadcast on October 25, 2004, during La Parodia. Soon, the high success of the program encouraged the producers to separate it from the other show, so on January 3, 2005, it became an independent show. Televisa broadcast what is considered the last episode of the series on July 9, 2006, just after the federal elections in Mexico. However, some of the actors who performed leading roles stated that in a few years, when political events have advanced, they will make a return to see how things are.

Samantha Bee breaks up late-night's all-male sausage fest with her nuanced view of political and cultural issues, her sharp interview skills, her repartee with world leaders and, of course, her 10-pound lady balls.

The story of one year within the walls of the palace of a modern European regime as it begins to unravel.

Striscia la notizia is an Italian television program on the Mediaset-controlled Canale 5. Its name in Italian translates as "the news slithers", a probable parody of the slighting Italian journalist, submitted to politicians and overwhelmed with shame. The polysemic term Striscia, in English strip, can recall both a line of cocaine and the comic strip. But Striscia is also the slithing snake: this show worm in the hidden holes to unmask the television cheats. Founded in 1988, it is meant to be a parody of the daily news, which airs right before the program, but Striscia also satirizes government corruption and exposes scams with the help of local reporters who are also comedians. The program is directed and produced by Antonio Ricci and is hosted by two major comedians. Usually Ezio Greggio is assisted by another comedian for the winter season, after which there is a change of guard.

Flop Show is an Indian television sitcom that first aired on Doordarshan in 1989. The show was written and directed by satirical humourist Jaspal Bhatti, who also played himself as the main character. His wife Savita Bhatti produced the show and also acted in all the episodes as his wife. The sitcom was a satire on the socio-cultural problems faced by the common man in India at the time. Although only 10 episodes of the show were ever produced, the show has had a long and powerful legacy.

An Israeli satire show featuring satirical references to current affairs of the past week through parodies of the people involved, as well as the thoughts of recurring characters. One of the most watched and influential shows on Israeli TV.

Maurice tries getting through another day of work in a coffee shop on Mars.

Sunday with Lubach is a satirical television program of the VPRO network that is presented by Arjen Lubach.

Welcome to the world of Newzoids, a topical puppet animation sketch show poking fun at pop stars, politicians, sports faces and TV favourites, and depicting our most talked about famous faces in a way they have never been seen before. Imagine a world where David Cameron and Nick Clegg battle it out on Jeremy Kyle, where Ed Miliband joins Ant and Dec on I’m A Catastrophe…Get Me Out Of Here, and where Professor Brian Cox finds an extraordinary new planet in the solar system – Kim Kardashian’s backside.

Set inside the offices of the "Nation Building Authority", a newly created government organisation responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects, Utopia explores that moment when bureaucracy and grand dreams collide. It's a tribute to those political leaders who have somehow managed to take a long-term vision and use it for short-term gain.

Bunker, le cirque