Mongrels - Probably the Best Animal Puppet TV Show Ever

[Rafe]

Those of you who frequent the Jack Forum might have seen my post there, but I know plenty of DMFA fans who will love this too, (especially with Amber's love of puppets).

I've recently started watching a British puppet-based show called Mongrels It started on BBC3 June 22, and ran eight episodes, ending a couple of weeks ago (I hope more are coming).  You might be reminded of The Muppet Show or Greg the Bunny, but we're talking something seriously different (and better) here.

There are five main characters, Destiny, a self-centered diva of an Afghan hound; Marion, a dimwitted but emotionally driven cat; Nelson, a soft-spoken, well mannered fox who also happens to be a an incorrigible thief and liar (and also has no luck with women); Nelson's brother Vince, who is also an incorrigible thief and liar, but who is also an ill mannered, extremely profane (even for this show) sociopath - who has better luck with women; and Kali, a Jamaican-accented pigeon, who's hobby seems to be plotting murders and world conquest.

They all live London's East End (specifically behind a pub in the Isle of Dogs), and even though the show is thick with British pop-culture references, I there's so much universally funny stuff going on here that no one should care. Do be warned that besides the aforementioned profanity, Mongrels also has serious adult situations, and scatological humor, and blood, oh, and cannibalism... and incest... well, you get the idea.

Enough description - have some clips:

A Promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMJItpYrPMQ&feature=related

Nelson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTHJszgVfGk

Vince in a coma [Just look up Life on Mars]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Frww_vO90

The Pigeox! : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxFqTQAOJG4

Here - just watch the first episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpLuz45lLQI

Browse around YouTube or wherever, and you'll see so many seriously funny clips and lines it's hard to believe there's only been eight episodes so far.  Looks like more will be coming the first of the year.

[VAE]

Only as a mention, i have watched all of this today and i find it incredibly amazing.
If i aren't tired like hell tomorrow and got spare 10 minutes i'll make fanbars of the main cast.

my favorite got to be 3rd episode.... though all of them are hillarious, especially the second half of the series

[Reese Tora]

I got to watch a few episodes of that last month, it was really funny.

[rabid_fox]

I can't help but wonder just how many jokes a non-British audience just wouldn't get, though.

[VAE]

I can't help but wonder just how many jokes a non-British audience just wouldn't get, though.

Let's say that i am utterly non-british, having lived in england in college for about a year, during which time i watched TV once in a pub and read Daily Mail about 10 times when bored in the department, otherwise either studying ,playing DnD or hanging around CWM.... and i was laughing like crazy

[Rafe]

...my favorite got to be 3rd episode.... though all of them are hillarious, especially the second half of the series

Episode 3, besides the whole Springwatch nature show theme ("Oh! Foxes shagging on six!"  "Here comes the BAFTA!") brought up something else interesting - well, to me anyway:

Whenever you have anthropomorphic animals and humans together in a comic or show, there's always the question of whether the humans can understand the animals or not. Sometimes they talk like any other character, like Bugs Bunny. Sometimes you only hear (or read) their thoughts, like Snoopy or Garfield.

Mongrels apparently did things a more unusual third way. Interesting clip from the beginning of episode 3 - We see Nelson walking into the cameras of the nature show Springwatch, He starts a conversation with to the presenter Chris Packham, but when we see the scene from the audiences point of view, Nelson now has a whiny, yappy fox voice.
Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3haG7w_1A

Poor skanky, grubby Nelson.



Episode 7 is probably my favorite. First, we see severely injured Vince threatening Nelson that if he dies and Nelson doesn't take care of his property he'll come back as a spirit and rape him to death, "...jus' loik in that film, Ghost".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQpUYf4LWgM

Vince ends up in a coma. Destiny, who's had a run of disappointing dates, finally finds the perfect match (and great listener), comatose Vince. She gets a little carried away with unconscious Vince on one date - dressing him up like Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and doing some other not-at-all consensual things with his body.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw5AaqOeLJE&feature=related

I love his reaction when he wakes from the coma:
"Where am oi? Why are you on top o' me? Also, why the f**k am oi dressed loik Colin Firth?"