I like The New Statesman although it's surprising it went to ITV rather than say Channel 4 or BBC Two. I believe Marks and Gran were working on a revival/sequel series.
Yorkshire Television wanted a sitcom with "bite" and Marks and Gran approached them with it. Yorkshire were prepared to take the risk, as it aired after Thatcher's third general election victory, at the peak of her power, and they needed to p**** that bubble of power with Alan B'stard, and Yorkshire Television gave them the chance.
ITV network were also ready to take it, as it filled a gap left by Spitting Image on their 10pm Sunday night slot, a perfect addition for them, and they were very happy to take it. Can you sense a different era at ITV back in 1987? Before the 1990 broadcasting act and the 1991 franchise award, which literally minced ITV into an Irish stew.
According to wikipedia there were three spinoffs of sorts:
A B'Stard Exposed (BBC1 - 30 December 1994) – Alan B'Stard MP has returned to domestic Parliament following a Welsh by-election conspicuous by the absence of any opponents. They were found after polling day at the bottom of a coal mine. B'Stard is grilled by veteran broadcaster Brian Walden and reveals his vision for 21st century Britain – including a proposal to construct a Berlin Wall-inspired, thirty-feet high, electrified border control system named, 'B'Stard's Fence'. During the interview, Alan is also tricked into revealing his plans to create his own political party and later pays for Walden's silence. It effectively ignores the last episode.
Stage show
Episode 2006: The Blair B'Stard Project – Alan B'Stard has created New Labour after making billions on Black Wednesday, installing a failed singer as prime minister and secretly running the country from his bunker at number 9 Downing Street. The show sees Alan attempting to settle a divorce from his wife while playing Al-Qaeda and the Americans off each other in the hunt for weapons of mass destruction (which are being carefully hidden by Alan). Aided by his PPS Frank, the last socialist in the Labour Party and Flora, an ex-Young Conservative turned Blairite lackey, Alan arranges the fake kidnapping of Tony Blair and the ruining of Gordon Brown in order to place himself in ultimate power. The show ends with Alan being named Lord Protector with the declaration, "And Alan takes EVERYTHING".
ALAN B'STARD'S EXTREMELY SECRET WEAPON – The stage show returns, heavily re-written in late 2006, touring into 2007. Alan is plotting to become one of a shadowy elite of politicians who control the world's oil supplies.
No2AV
In 2011, the character of Alan B'Stard, again portrayed by Rik Mayall, was used in the campaign against introducing the AV system to UK Parliamentary elections, in an official television broadcast by NOtoAV. B'Stard appears as a party leader in the near future who, at a pre-general election conference, makes ridiculous promises to the public including the abolition of all taxes and free electricity. When his aides query how they will afford such policies, B'Stard gleefully explains that he won't have to, as when he gets elected, he can go into coalition and blame all the government's failings on his partners. He adds that under AV, even if people don't vote for him he'll probably be elected anyway. The advert ends with B'Stard entering Number 10 as prime minister, accompanied by another party leader.[3]
The 1994 interview special on the BBC was interesting, because it just showed how much ITV changed after the 1991 franchise round, when ITV wouldn't touch The New Statesman, and left it to the BBC to produce this brilliant one off interview based, no audience special for their post Christmas schedule in 1994.
Also the 1994 interview special was poorly produced though, as when you watch it, you can clearly see Rik reading his lines off cue cards next to Brian Walden. It must have been rushed into production so fast, that Rik didn't have time to learn the script.