Did anyone catch this? I laughed so hard I choked. I’d caught bits and pieces of the British series, but it was fun seeing Americans taking part.
All in all, it seemed like a good summer replacement, but it’s hard to imagine the show stretching out to a full season.
I was just about to start a thread on this. Oh man, I laughed until I thought I’d pass out.
For those unfamiliar: The show’s produceers go around the country taping interviews with regular people about things like doctor visits, the attraction between the sexes, keeping secrets, and so on. Then they take the audio recording and do claymation of animals speaking the lines; it’s hard to describe, but it’s wonderful and often very revealing. The animators are from Aardman Studios, the folks who did “Wallace & Gromit.”
There was an original “Creature Comforts” short film back about 15 years ago; this is a clip from it, to give you a sense of what the show’s like.
Watch it while you can, folks; I have the feeling this will be one of those wonderful TV shows that only lasts a season or so. I assume the weird, experimental nature of it is probably why they’re starting it at the beginning of summer and, as near as I can tell, with little or no publicity.
I thought it was hilarious, too. I love Aardman. My favorite was the fish who suspected the scuba figurine in her bowl of giving her a cold - then it coughs, creating a bubble. 
It’s so subtle, so creative and so charming… I give it three episodes, max. 
I liked it too. The snake in a cast was funny, and the frog eating the cricket when it didn’t like his joke was good also.
Am unsure how long it can last.
Brian
I liked it. It’s a great novelty, but I don’t see it lasting for more than a summer.
The wine connoisseur dogs are a work of genius.
Also, the bit with the gibbon picking out another one’s fleas is outstanding. Maybe doing it frame-by-frame helps, but I doubt there’s anyone in the world with a better grasp of comic timing than Nick Park and co.
Ace.
What station is it on?
I meant to set Tivo to record it, but forgot until there were only five minutes left. Does anyone know if it is available for download? Neither the iTunes store nor CBS.com appears to have it, as far as I can tell.
I liked it a lot – and just recommended it to a couple of coworkers who are fellow “This American Life” fans.
I esp. liked the one with the two parakeets, and the wife has umpty-ump different doctors – then they come back to them later, and the wife parakeet is talking about being constipated, and the husband parakeet takes a poop.
ETA: CBS, 8PM Eastern on Monday
I had a hard time understanding it. There was a harsh quality to the sound on that youtube clip that made it sound a little muffled to me.
Laughed just about enough to die. Choked. Had to pause the TiVo to get water.
The little beast sitting in the bedpan killed me. Everything else was screamingly funny as well.
Absolutley brilliant, cacklingly funny stuff, but the American public will treat it like a speed bump on the way to finding the next episode of whatever fake reality show they watch.
We’ll be lucky if it lasts three episodes.
A fish complains about dry skin. A fish!
Given how slow the claymation process is, I’m astounded that they can generate a weekly series.
It was awesome.
There’s quite a few episodes available on DVD, for those who have region-free players. And yes, genius matchup of the animal/personality to the speaker/subject matter.
Anyone seen the two old bats, with the voices of the two old English ladies? Priceless.
I have a homemade DVD from when they broadcast two seasons on BBC America. It is a favorite in the singular household. Brilliant stuff!
I thought it was funny that she rattled off this list of health complaints, including constipation, and then later in the show tried to get her husband interested in a romantic interlude. I mean, really. Those health issues aren’t sexy, dear.
Not bad – I love Aardman, and made it a point to watch. Nothing ground breaking funny, but consistently amusing. (Though the butt sniffing dogs were incredibly unfunny after the first three seconds.)
I don’t think it was clay animation, though. Aardman is using computers: Flushed Away was computer generated, and even bits of Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit were done that way. But they kept the character of other Aardman productions.
I particularly loved the “face plant” song and the lady parakeet giving her mate the crazy stare to let him know she’s in the mood.
The male and female cats reminded me of my parents.
Darn! I missed it. :smack:
We’re in the Central Time Zone and I’m just not used to anything good being on at 7:00 already. Note to self - Don’t forget it next week!
(The good comments just make me feel worse.)