TV - Creature Comforts

One of the best shows I have ever seen is called Creature Comforts. Created by Nick Park, this may be one of the only nonfiction cartoons (unless you count the biopic Persepolis, or something). This show is simply interviews of British folk as they talk about specific topics. These voices have been animated as animals for hilarious effect.

The show only ran for two seasons on BBC starting in 2003. CBS also aired an American version of the show which only ran for three episodes. I found the original British version on Comedy Central about two years ago at three in the morning. I couldn't sleep and I found an amazing show. How lucky am I?

I'm not sure what it is about this show that is so great. It is essentially everyday people, no one famous or leading amazing lives, just talking about a given subject. What makes it so special for me is Nick Park's amazing style of clay animation. The creatures really come alive and seem real. You have probably seen Park's work before in Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit, or the incredible Flushed Away.

One of the amazing things about the show is how the personality or background of the speaker will match the animal that is chosen. For instance, the seeing-eye dog is actually a blind woman. There is a hamster in a tiny cage (my favorite) who just feels trapped by his life. The depressed older man is an old blood hound. The runner is a greyhound. Every animal was chosen for these people for a reason, they were no chosen at random.

I will admit that everytime I watch the show I have to put on the subtitles because something will slip by me with those accents and I won't quite understand what was said, but it is always worth it. The American version was easier to understand, but with only three episodes, there wasn't enough time to really begin to care about the characters.

I am going to include one YouTube video for this, but be warned, this is an entire episode (they are only about 10 minutes long), so it is kinda long. Watch it if you have time.



Every episode is available to purchase at Amazon.com, including the full seven episodes of the American version. Check them out along with the rest of Nick Park's stuff!



Tune in tomorrow to find out if I was able to finish my book in time for the post!