splitting or parsing control characters

[zivoni]

list(itertools.chain(*([s] if re.match('[\x01-\x20]', s)
                      [''.join(g) for _, g in itertools.groupby(s)] 
                      for i, s in enumerate(splits))))

Its probably little nitpicking, but I think that this adjustment can use some adjusting - like adding forgotten else, switching "ternary" arguments or negating condition, adding if s and perhaps removing now obsolete enumerate.