New Coogan show gets go ahead

[king mob]

Noticed this article in todays Guardian.

I'm as  much of a supporter of animal rights but the objections they have against this show are daft to say the least, glad its going ahead regardless.

[Neil]

Presumably this is the Banyham thing...any chance of cutting and pasting?  The link is asking for registration.

[Purple Tentacle]

Presumably this is the Banyham thing...any chance of cutting and pasting?  The link is asking for registration.

Yeah, you have to register to read MediaGuardian stuff now, not sure why.

You don't have to pay anything though, and they're reputable enough. Why not register with them?

[jutl]

Presumably this is the Banyham thing...any chance of cutting and pasting?  The link is asking for registration.

BBC2 breaks out with vivisection comedy

John Plunkett
Wednesday March 17, 2004

BBC2 bosses are going ahead with a controversial comedy about a group of animals who escape from a vivisection lab despite protests from animal rights protestors.

Animated comedy I am Not an Animal will feature the voices of Steve Coogan, Simon Pegg, Julia Davis and Father Ted co-creator Arthur Mathews.

The series, made by Coogan's production company Baby Cow, tells the story of the "only six talking animals in the world, whose cosseted existence in a vivisection unit is turned upside down when they are liberated by animal rights activists".

Animal rights campaigners accused the show of making light of "hideous and appalling suffering" when details of the series first appeared last year.

Unveiling her spring and summer schedule today, the BBC2 controller, Jane Root, said her aim was to "constantly surprise, engage and provoke the BBC2 audience... and the range of programming we have on offer will deliver just that."

A new season of programmes will seek to "challenge society's preconceptions about disability, old age and the rehabilitation of offenders", with a series of dramas and documentaries.

They include drama Every Time You Look at Me, a modern love story starring two disabled actors in the leading roles, and Make Me Honest, about a mentoring scheme for ex-criminals.

Preconceptions are also challenged in Trading Ages, a follow-up to Trading Races, in which prosthetics are used to give two individuals a unique insight into life as an elderly person in 21st century Britain.

Part of a season of programmes about attitudes towards growing old, it will also include a special edition of makeover series Would Like to Meet, in which Esther Rantzen goes on a "very personal journey to find companionship" four years after the death of her husband.

New drama will include Derek Jacobi and Phil Daniels in an adaptation of Jake Arnott's crime novel The Long Firm, while Peter Ackroyd will tell the story of England's capital city in London, based on his book, London - the Biography.

In an unusual innovation, the Ackroyd adaptation will also allow viewers to call into a phone line, via their mobile, and be guided on a personal journey around historic areas of the capital.

New arts programming includes a new flagship strand The Culture Show, dedicated to UK arts and culture, while Arena will look at the life and career of Luciano Pavarotti. There will also be performances of Don Giovanni and the London Royal Opera House's Faust.

In comedy, Rob Brydon's comedy creation Keith Barrett - of Marion and Geoff fame - lands his own relationship discussion series, the Keith Barrett Show, while Bill Oddie will host the "biggest ever event for British wildlife" in Britain Goes Wild with Bill Oddie.

I always enjoy creating fake registrations.

[butnut]

...while Peter Ackroyd will tell the story of England's capital city in London, based on his book, London - the Biography.

In an unusual innovation, the Ackroyd adaptation will also allow viewers to call into a phone line, via their mobile, and be guided on a personal journey around historic areas of the capital.

Sorry to bash this off topic straight away - but I'm quite excited about this. It's a brilliant book. I'm not so sure about these guided tours though.

As for comedy - I've been waiting for about a year to find out about this. I'm looking forward to it a lot.

[Purple Tentacle]

I saw Rob Brydon do his marriage counselling thing live, he was 100,000 times funnier than Jimmy Carr who was on before.

[Pinball]

Those animals can talk? Wow. First thing that happens to "experimental dogs" apparently is that they have their vocal cords cut.

This does trivialise vivisection doesn't it? Don't want to pre-judge it tho..

[Neil]

Thanks jutl!  Much appreciated.  Makes the future of BBC2 sound pretty bloody depressing, I was just thinking last night how BBC3 are in danger of getting as bad as E4 for churning out shite, "challenging" "comedy."  I'm thinking of things like Nighty Night and Monkey Dust.

[Morrisfan82]

Thanks jutl!  Much appreciated.  Makes the future of BBC2 sound pretty bloody depressing, I was just thinking last night how BBC3 are in danger of getting as bad as E4 for churning out shite, "challenging" "comedy."  I'm thinking of things like Nighty Night and Monkey Dust.

I know what you're getting at Neil, but look at it this way:

Nighty-Night (haven't seen it, so no comment)
Monkey Dust (thought it was self-concious bullshit, despite visual effort)

versus

The Pilot Show (hahahaha your an idiot!1 we maed u sooo uncomfrtble!1)
A Wife For Wills (...I'm not even gonna go into this)

...it's a different league of crap altogether really isn't it?

With regards to the BBC2 line-up, The Culture Show sounds like it could be promising if they avoid the standard TV-arts-programme pitfalls and don't Fuck It Up.

But what is Esther Rantzen trying to achieve? Sorry if this sounds cynical, but doesn't that come across as some sort of sickening televised weep-with-me circus? If it's "very personal" then don't make a damn TV programme about it...

[Neil]

Yeah sorry, you're totally right, I fucked up that post.  I was trying to say that BBC3 seem to be carving out a niche for "challenging comedy", which puts them in danger of becoming as bad as E4, who just seem to  flood their channel with comedy based around some sort of reality element.  The fact that they want to carve out these niches seems to be a big problem:  If a new comedy doesn't have more drama or "challengeing references" like cancer than actual jokes, then it's no good for BBC3.  And if a new comedy doesn't have Marc Wooton in it, then it's no good for E4.

The real pain in the arse is that there is some good stuff on the digital channels, I've been downloading Rich Halls Fishing Show which is a lovely little slice of BBC4 fabness.  Has this ever appeared on terrestrial at all?!  Despite loving Rich Hall these days because of the Otis Lee Crenshaw stuff, I admit to being totally wrong-footed by the title to this show, and so gave the downloads a miss for a good while.  Dammit though, they're great shows, and should be on BBC2 on Friday nights.

[Almost Yearly]

... about a group of animals who escape from a vivisection lab despite protests from animal rights protestors.

Heh, that is contoversial.


(I want to see Rich Hall's Fishing Show too, lowly terrestrial creature that I am. Who can I turn to? Who can I get in touch with?)

[Neil]

Can you get on Soulseek?  If I can get a replacement for the broken Olympics episode from randymong I could always try torrenting them, can you torrent?!  It deserves a thread of it's own, really, it's a cracking little show which is inexplicably treated like shit.

[Almost Yearly]

I wouldn't know a torrent if it gushed in my face. I'm guessing the company firewall might not like that sort of gubbins, hm?

[king mob]

I wouldn't know a torrent if it gushed in my face. I'm guessing the company firewall might not like that sort of gubbins, hm?

My firewall hates torrents but theres ways and means to take advantage of work broadband ;)

[bill hicks]

...while Peter Ackroyd will tell the story of England's capital city in London, based on his book, London - the Biography.

In an unusual innovation, the Ackroyd adaptation will also allow viewers to call into a phone line, via their mobile, and be guided on a personal journey around historic areas of the capital.

Sorry to bash this off topic straight away - but I'm quite excited about this. It's a brilliant book. I'm not so sure about these guided tours though.

As for comedy - I've been waiting for about a year to find out about this. I'm looking forward to it a lot.

Amen. Great book, and an adaptation of The Long Firm too! Looks a good season actually (although didn't they have a spackers season on BBC2 recently? They must be about to cancel See Hear or something).

Oh and I still maintain Monkey Dust was pretty good.

[Sorry]

Isn't this the thing which had a pilot about two and a half years ago?  "Combat Sheep" or something?

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Doesn't 'I Am Not An Animal' just sound like the kind of uneventful thing you get in your average bunch of Comedy Labs?

[The Plaque Goblin]

Making light of animal rights campaigners causes "hideous and appalling suffering"

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

Doesn't 'I Am Not An Animal' just sound like the kind of uneventful thing you get in your average bunch of Comedy Labs?

Well, it's just a premise at the moment, but I hope there will be some Baynham loveliness there. Didn't think Bob and Margaret was great, mind, didn't he write some of that?

[bishopslovescifi]

Damnit every time i want to post something here i have to sign up again cos ive forgotten not only my password but also my user name!

Anyway I worked on some of I am not an Animal last year.  It's great! :D  Very Baynham :)  I've read the scripts for the first 4 episodes and worked on the first 3.  I sat laughing my head off in the office whilst reading the scripts :)

[bishopslovescifi]

there is a picture and info here: (not sure if this has been linked before):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/03_march/17/bbc2_spring2004_ent.shtml

[king mob]

there is a picture and info here: (not sure if this has been linked before):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/03_march/17/bbc2_spring2004_ent.shtml

Why does that remind me of rathergood.com?

[Neil]

Just got this email which may have some new info, I'll post it up anyway, thanks to Paul Pearson for this:

Might be of interest to you, might not. New show coming soon on the BBC.


I Am Not An Animal

A group of animals - a horse, cat, sparrow, monkey, rat and a dog - have all been given the power of speech and rational thought. They live in a luxurious 'club class' wing of a secret vivisection laboratory. Pampered and clothed unlike any lab animals in history, fed vintage wine and exquisite food, they are blissfully unaware of the real world outside. Until one cruel night when they are brutally liberated into their so-called natural surroundings by a gang of animal rights activists...

Duration  6 x 30'
Starring (voices) Steve Coogan (I'm Alan Partridge, Dr Terrible's House of Horrible), Julia Davis (Human Remains), Amelia Bullmore (Big Train), Kevin Eldon (Big Train), Arthur Mathews (The Fast Show), Simon Pegg (Spaced)
Director/Writer Peter Baynham (Jam, I'm Alan Partridge, the Day Today); Animation Director Tim Searle (2DTV)
Producer Richard Bennett
Executive Producers Steve Coogan, Henry Normal
A Baby Cow Animation production for BBC

I've watched a trailer for this and it's styled in the cut n paste/B3TA fashion.

And I've just looked at that bbc link above and it seems he's right, the animation looks like it's done in a Joel Veitch manner.  In other words it looks fucking rubbish.  I was really looking forward to this show, but am definitely put off by the deliberately bad animation style.  Has the show been made in such a manner as to make it "trendy" for da kids?  Christ...

[Darrell]

As everyone knows, Arthur Mathews is most famous for The Fast Show.

And the second most famous Coogan project is Dr Terrible.

Who writes these things?

[Neil]

The Day Today one is very odd, with Doon being the only one who gets a show mentioned in brackets like that.  Anyway, I really do think that animation style is terrible, I was hoping for a decent prime-time cartoon aimed at adults, not something that looks identical to those bloody Switch adverts.

[Darrell]

Yeah, I'll find this very hard to watch looking like that.

Either do it in proper cel animation (or a close digital facsimile) or claymation - anything else is just taking the piss.

[bishopslovescifi]

It is certainly NOT badly animated. It might use the same idea of photo montages to create the characters and sets but its animation is very high quality. This isn't a slapped together in flash selection of singing cats. It's a full on sitcom, very nicely animated which much higher production values than the singing kitten stuff.

but then i did work on it. so i might be biased.

[bishopslovescifi]

ive seen episodes one and two, rather than just stills or a trailer. and it looks very nice indeed. not to mention being very funny as well.

[Darrell]

It can only look Flash-y, and the way it's been done is an overstylised uneasy-on-the-eyes style no matter how much time's been spent on it. It's an utterly charmless technique.

[bishopslovescifi]

It can only look Flash-y? Despite not being made in flash at all.