The BBC is piloting a Comedy chat show format hosted BY cgi Vladimir Putin. A British broadcaster is testing a semi-scripted talk show featuring a stylized bear-wrestling global strongman.

Tonight with Vladimir Putin will begin on BBC Two as two episodes of 12 minutes. Episodes will feature Tony Blair’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell, Your face or mine? host June Sarpong and C-list Joe Swash.

It will use live VFX, created using performance capture technology developed by creative Studio Framestore, to allow a 3D digital cartoon of Putin Walking in and sitting at a table, interviewing real human guests in front of a Studio audience, all in real time.

Putin jokingly thanks Campbell for his part in creating such a mess, while he forces Sarpong to play a game of ” diversity Challenge.” In Episode 2, Vlad asks his first guest the same question he asked at the production meeting – “who is Joe Swash?”- Before trying to get his head around feminism with guilty Feminist podcaster Deborah Francis-white.

Tonight with Vladimir Putin is created by Jasper Gibson, co-founder of onion-esque Comedy site Poke, and Joel Veitch, who works Rathergood.com and Framestore Simon Whalley. The show is produced by Phil McIntyre television and Framestore for BBC Two. Vladimir Putin is written and performed by Nutt Tapley. Commissioning BBC editor Rachel Ashdown and Executive producer Phil McIntyre television Lucy Ansbro. Lindsay Jex is the producer of the series.

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