Z News Takes the Fight for Airplay to Facebook
02/04/09
Z News, a satirical TV show featuring puppets of SA politiciansmouthing off cheeky scripts written by prominent cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro), satirist Ben Trovato, and other comedic talents, is still languishing without airtime.
The weekend press reported that the SABC is avoiding the R1 million television show it commissioned from Shapiro, apparently on the grounds that SA viewers are not ready for it. Last year the national broadcaster said it had not canned the show - but six months on, there is still no sign of it on the airwaves.
A pilot video of Z News, along the lines of the controversial British show Spitting Image and featuring figures such as Jacob Zuma, Helen "Godzille" Zille, and Thabo Mbeki, was made by the SABC last year.
Now thousands of Facebook members are taking up the fight on behalf of Shapiro and co. Members say the time is right for such a show. The Z News group on Facebook has a whopping 6,000 plus fans. One of the most popular Z News clips online, is an Idols skit in which Mbeki does a rendition of I Will Survive, dressed in drag.
Shapiro has always been a fan of satirical shows and was approached 10 years ago by international producer Thierry Cassuto, whose idea it was. See www.znews.tv for more.
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