TV and Caricature

The first book-length exploration of caricature on television and the first analysis of caricature using the theories and methodologies of television studies.

TV and Caricature explores how the traditional art form of caricature is adapted for the medium of television. The book introduces the ‘televisual caricature’— a mediated, humorous impersonation of a public figure that exaggerates their persona, often with satirical intent. TV and Caricature examines the aesthetic, industrial and cultural dimensions of televisual caricature. It explores a range of programming in which it appears, including animation, sketch comedy, magazine programming and reality TV. It analyses televisual caricature’s style and form, industrial contexts and cultural politics. It presents case studies, including televisual caricatures of Margaret Thatcher and Donald Trump, and the popular puppet sketch series Spitting Image. It confronts televisual caricature’s troubling manifestations, including blackface performance in Fantasy Football League and Bo Selecta, reflecting on how these instances have been revisited in the context of the contemporary ‘culture wars’. Combining theoretical analysis, practitioner interview, archival research and critical reading, this book illuminates caricature’s surprising place in television history.