"Creature Comforts" New Animated Show - CBS Monday

Rafe · June 03, 2007, 11:58:40 PM

[Posted this on the Jack Forum, and thought everyone here should see it too]

Most of you have probably seen Nick Park's "Wallace and Gromit" cartoons and/or Chicken Run, but the first thing he became known for was the Academy Award winning animated short "Creature Comforts". If you've never seen the original "Creature Comforts", it's basic plot was to take recorded conversations about what people around the U.K. thought of their surroundings, and then used their very natural conversations as voices for various animals in a zoo. It was incredibly funny.

Those of you in the U.K. have had a TV version there (I hear it was also well done and hilarious). In any case, if the CBS version is anything like it, it will definitely be worth watching. It premieres Monday, June 4, 8PM Eastern and Pacific (or check local listings).

Some links:

http://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=5002

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/creature_comforts/

Netrogo · June 04, 2007, 12:01:31 AM

Claymation is always win in my books. I'll have to download some eps when they're available.

Damaris · June 04, 2007, 12:33:49 AM

Thanks, Rafe. We wanted to see this, and just switched our DVR companies, so we had lost the recording schedule.

RJ · June 04, 2007, 01:15:42 AM

It was on tv last year here. Funny stuff. And cute

llearch n'n'daCorna · June 04, 2007, 04:38:05 AM

Creature Comforts rawks.

If you're looking, also look up something called "Shaun The Sheep", done by the same folks, starring Shaun, from the Wallace and Gromit episode.

Only it's his own series. I've seen one episode, and there are just about no words in it at all. And all three of us were still in hysterics :-) 10 minute episodes, though.

Alondro · June 04, 2007, 09:32:39 AM

I remember it.
Claymation is quite funny.
Now it's a series?

Haiku to you too.

rabid_fox · June 04, 2007, 01:13:43 PM

Anyone remember the claymation retelling of Tom Thumb where they had real life actors in as well? As I recall, Tom Thumb was an abortion that had survived. Which kind of set the theme for the whole thing. Imagine if whimsy could send you to hell. Yeah.

Netrogo · June 04, 2007, 06:14:11 PM

My favourite old claymation show was 'Bump in the Night'

To this day I still taunt people with the 'I was right and you were wrong...' song from that. Complete with the dance and everything

Paul · June 04, 2007, 06:19:50 PM

Quote from: rabid_fox on June 04, 2007, 01:13:43 PMAnyone remember the claymation retelling of Tom Thumb where they had real life actors in as well? As I recall, Tom Thumb was an abortion that had survived. Which kind of set the theme for the whole thing. Imagine if whimsy could send you to hell. Yeah.

Ah, "The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb" by the Bolex Brothers. I remember it as interesting, different, and slightly nauseating. Like Jan Svankmajer on bad acid.

... that's praise, btw.

rabid_fox · June 04, 2007, 07:54:46 PM

Oh, thank god. I didn't dream it.

Ryudo Lee · June 04, 2007, 08:09:23 PM

Creature Comforts just came on over here. Thanks for the heads up on this one. This is hilarious!

xHaZxMaTx · June 04, 2007, 08:21:46 PM

Set to record on DVR.

Gareeku · June 05, 2007, 12:46:53 PM

Ah yes, Creature Comforts, a most enjoyable show indeed. I hope that someday more episodes are made.

Zedd · June 06, 2007, 04:37:48 AM

Yay fer claymations!

Turnsky · June 06, 2007, 09:47:28 AM

that's also From the folks at Aardman Animation, particularly from Nick Park himself.. the folks behind Wallice and Gromit.

thegayhare · June 06, 2007, 09:57:16 AM

I love Ardmann

Zedd · June 06, 2007, 12:36:07 PM

Whats next they will be needing more peoples...I want my voice heards!

Rafe · June 11, 2007, 07:26:38 PM

Well, it looks great so far. Don't forget ...

IT'S ON AGAIN TONIGHT!

Damaris · June 11, 2007, 10:06:56 PM

We were extremely disappointed. We didn't find it amusing at all- more tedious. I'm glad you like it though, Rafe!

Ryudo Lee · June 12, 2007, 09:51:31 AM

Caught it last night. We all thoroughly enjoyed it at my house.

Rafe · June 12, 2007, 05:29:34 PM

Quote from: Damaris on June 11, 2007, 10:06:56 PM
We were extremely disappointed. We didn't find it amusing at all- more tedious. I'm glad you like it though, Rafe!

I'm not assuming it's impossible not to like this show, but the first thing that your comments made me think of is "do you understand the concept of the show?"

If you just started watching and saw the the claymation characters talking to each other, you'd have no idea why this would be funny. What makes it funny is that the people talking had NO IDEA that their voices were going to be taken and given to animated animals in weird situations. For instance, in last night's discussions about art, we heard a man talking about how much he likes making prints. Nothing special about that, until you take his comments about print making and give them to a beagle with muddy paws on a white carpet. The way people's words can be taken in completely different ways, especially when given to those animals, is where the humor comes from. It's like starting with a random, meaningless image and Photoshoping in some changes that make it hilarious.

thegayhare · June 12, 2007, 07:13:49 PM

I liked how the two mainers were lobsters

part of the humor is the reactions of the other charactors. Like in the sex discussion they had the baboons grooming each other and the one picking bugs off off the others back was talking about what turned him on.
"I realy like the butt"
And then the baboon he eyes widened in suprise.

Damaris · June 12, 2007, 07:41:00 PM

I do realize the concept of the show... We just didn't think it was funny, that's all. However, I'm glad people do like it, because I want the creators to do well. I likes me some Wallace and Grommit.

Darkmoon · June 12, 2007, 07:42:15 PM

Wait... the voices were supplied by people, just regular people, and then animated? Man, I wish they'd had something about that in the show... like... say... at the start of the episodes tell you blatantly that was what the show was about...

Oh wait...

They did.

Rafe · June 18, 2007, 06:57:00 PM

Once again, another Monday reminder - Creatue Comforts is on CBS at 8 PM Eastern and Pacific, 7PM Central. It may not be up to Damaris' high standards, but so far, it's been very much up tp the quality I expect from Nick Park and Aardman.

Maybe tonight we'll see how this buffalo got that camera...

Destina Faroda · June 18, 2007, 07:45:22 PM

Yeah, the first week I saw it, I thought it was actually boring and mundane (A fish complaining about dry skin, yay). However, I saw it last week again, and it started to grow on me little. The actual animals they use to speak the people's voices are in most cases, irrelevant to the subject matter, and the fact that regular people rather than voice actors are used really impairs the humor, but sometimes there's something in the background or to the side that really catches my attention.

"Creature Comforts" New Animated Show - CBS Monday

Paul