Debora Patta puppet to join ZA News

Cape Town – Debora Patta is to become a puppet.

The cutthroat host of 3rd Degree on e.tv will be emulated by a new puppet on ZA News, the satirical news show which returns for another season on TopTV this month.

The new season, which airs on Sunday 12 August on Top One (TopTV 150) at 21:00, will bring with it a bevy of new characters, including journalists Debora Patta and Tim Modise.

Patta's puppet is referred to by the show's producers as "she of the clipped vowels, orange tan and mean flick of the fringe".

Modise (as a puppet) is set to join Patta on the show in the form of "agent provocateur" journalists who can ask all the loaded questions to featured politicians.

The new season of ZA News sees the return of voice artists Nik Rabinowitz, Aggrey Lonake, Nikki Jackman and Adam Behr.

Marianne Thamm has been appointed as the head writer and will work with Ben Trovato and veteran writer Andrew Donaldson on scripts.

"TopTV is thrilled to be bringing viewers this innovative satire which adds acerbic wit from hilarious well-known local caricatures to our line-up," said Pauline Cunningham, the senior vice president for content at TopTV.

The launch of the fifth season of ZA News on Top One will coincide with the launch of the new ZA News Network at www.zanews.co.za.