Fox takes puppet satire to series

Let’s Be Real first aired on Fox as an election special

US broadcast network Fox has commissioned a satirical puppet show featuring icons from the worlds of entertainment and politics based on long-running French format Les Guignols.

Let’s Be Real first aired on the network as a one-off election-themed special last year but will return with four new episodes this month, with puppets representing the likes of Dr Anthony Fauci, Ted Cruz and Kim Kardashian.

Executive-produced and written by Robert Smigel (Triumph The Insult Comic Dog), the series is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment and Propagate Content.

Can’t Stop Media distributes the format, which originated on French pay TV operator Canal+, and will also shop the US episodes globally.

Les Guignols has been on air in France for more than 30 years. In 2016 the show became the subject of a row and a spate of resignations at Canal+ when Vincent Bollore, chairman of Canal+ parent Vivendi, tried to axe it, in part because he was said to hate the puppet portraying him.