| ZANEWS | |
|---|---|
 Behind the scenes of a Tata & Tutu shoot with puppets of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu | |
| Also known as | Puppet Nation ZA |
| Genre | Political satire |
| Created by | Jonathan Shapiro and Thierry Cassuto |
| Written by | Karen Jeynes, Gilli Apter, Nkuli Sibeko Thierry Cassuto |
| Directed by | Alex Fynn |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Jonathan Shapiro and Thierry Cassuto |
| Production company | Both Worlds |
| Original release | |
| Network | Star1 on StarSat |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
ZANEWS (also known as Puppet Nation ZA) was a South African satirical puppet show first produced in 2008 by Both Worlds, a Cape Town based production company. The show was a daily and weekly satirical news programme in the form of a mock puppet television newscast and was available on both the web and on TV. ZANEWS featured key local and international political figures and celebrities. For nine seasons, ZANEWS had been using its puppet cast as mouthpieces for satirical commentary on South Africa's public space.[1]
Inspired by the cult British television series Spitting Image along with the French equivalent, Les Guignols,[2] ZANEWS has been aired on the web and TV since 2009 on a range of media platforms, the most prolific of these being the show's online presence.[3] The show's motto of 'Make Laugh. Not War’ has perpetuated the show's portrayal of South African and international politicians and celebrities in its news format. The show is the only South African satirical puppet show, but is somewhat similar to the Kenyan produced The XYZ Show.[4]
In 2014, an American TV pilot was produced by the team under the leadership of Thierry Cassuto, featuring the puppets of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and many other US politicians and celebrities [5]
In September 2016 it was announced that Puppet Nation ZA was a nominee for Best TV Comedy in the 44th International Emmy Awards.
- ^ Davis, Rebecca (5 August 2012). "ZA News: Return of the puppets". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ^ Davis, Rebecca. "ZA News: Return of the puppets | Daily Maverick". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^ Waal, Mandy De. "ZA News and the irony of local satire facing extinction | Daily Maverick". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^ "'No one is safe, but everyone is welcome': ZANews now on TV - Memeburn". Memeburn. 2011-09-02. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vachB0Fl5Cc