Facelift (TV series)
Facelift is a 1/2 hour multi-visual, topical comedy show produced for TV One, by the Gibson Group.
Drawing on The Gibson Group's extensive experience with a wide range of comedy productions, including Public Eye, Skitz, Telly Laughs, Newsflash and The Semisis, Facelift is a bizarre mix of traditional sketch comedy and the talking, rubber puppets used in Public Eye, a local political comedy based on Britain's Spitting Image. But unlike either of these shows, Facelift uses live actors instead of puppets.
Pulling off the transition from puppet caricatures to human caricatures has been a complex and ambitious task. A small group of actors were cast for voice and performance skills, moulds were then taken of their heads and prosthetic masks created 23 characters (so far) from Don Brash to Paul Holmes. Each week a new topical character will be introduced.
Facelift takes parody on various New Zealand politicians and celebrites, namely Helen Clark, Don Brash and Kate Hawkesby.