The first series (aired in 1982) introduced us to the format that would allow for most celebrities (in every loose sense of the word) to be parodied.

But instead of taking offence, most would take it as an ego boost to have been immortalised in latex and cannoned on to the screens in front of the viewing public.

Paving the way for satire rife shows such as Have I Got News For You & 2D TV, and in much later years (albeit with more film references) Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken.

The writers easily begin lampooning iconic characters such as the idiotic Ronald Reagan & his sycophants, the manly Margaret Thatcher and her alcoholic wife Dennis, the sex-obsessed Mary Whitehouse, Prince Charles and The Queen. It goes to such horrific extremes sometimes, that involves dismembering or gutting the puppets to comic effect, that you’ll be surprised there was even an audience left watching.

You’ll cringe at the naff blue screen effects, nastily guttural graphics and irritatingly eighties theme, yet they all add to the charm that will warm and at the same time drive you round the wall with its total lack of subtlety when it comes to sex, society and the humane treatment of now-former presidents.

The continuing serial ‘the president’s brain is missing’, Harold Angryperson’s ‘Truth’ newsreel and the never-ending escapades of an elderly Hitler living next door to the ever-conservative Maggie are the unmissable elements of this series that will keep you in stitches.

For some it will play like a potent power-trip down memory lane, but to others it will be yet another window to view eighties political commentary on numerous topics including video nasties, party regimes and leadership, anti-war musicians, and not forgetting all of the easily targeted members of the royal family.

In many ways the show destroyed boundaries that most live-action shows couldn’t touch for fear of individual performers being singled out for being unpatriotic to their country, this is only waylaid by the fact that nothing was too taboo to bring to the screen and destroy in the only way that Granada would let them.

Included amongst its cast was numerous impressionists including Chris Barrie (Red Dwarf, Brittas Empire), Phil Cool, Adrian Edmundson (The Young Ones, Bottom), Jon Cryer and John Sessions, placed alongside writers such as Ben Elton, Richard Curtis (Blackadder), Rob Grant and Doug Naylor who all had a chance to hone their weird comedic timing and sharpen their wit before moving on and up into television and beyond, with many of them carving out their careers thanks to the show.

With political correctness as it is right now, it’s surprising that Spitting Image has ever been released, and it leaps from one gag to the next but it seems to be almost unaware of its commentary, but being wildly applicable by showing that everyone shouldn’t take life so seriously, even if it’s the rubber teaching the flesh a thing or two.

Eighties musical culture takes one in the heart, as Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross are parodied to death but the accuracy is almost scary at times and without them, it wouldn’t be such a depiction of an era of depravity that I’m glad to say England started.

But not to tar it with just this parody, the creators were not above taking cheap shots, stereotypes are rife throughout the show but not everyone will appreciate its dark tone as no one was seen as off-limits to ridicule.