The Series
In 2003 a series of Creature Comforts films directed by Richard Goleszowski was made for British television network ITV by Aardman Animations. The series has since aired as repeats on Comedy Central, usually late at night. Starting in 2005 it has also aired in Australia on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in The Netherlands on Veronica, on pay-TV channel US.TV, and on Internet peer-to-peer TV Joost Aardman Animations Channel.
A 30 minute special in which the regular characters attempt to perform and interpret the Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was first aired on 25 December 2005. The special was broadcast in Canada on the CBC on 26 December 2005.
Humour pervades all aspects of the series, for example:
- A highly philosophical speech given by an amoeba.
- An alligator praising her neighbourhood, the sewer.
- Animals being scared of their own habitat (aquaphobic sharks and walruses, birds afraid of heights, etc.)
- Background details such as:
- Insects swarming into a gap in the paving stones when a slug mimics a bird call.
- Grey aliens blinking in unison.
- A lab mouse being interviewed while another mouse with a human ear on his back walks by.
The series gently mocks the constructed performance sometimes given by members of the general public when being interviewed for television vox-pops and documentaries. This includes the attempts to present a cogent but simple conclusive answer to a general question - a sound bite - and the attempts to present a cheery spin on a complex issue while the subject attempts to hide their personal issues and problems with the issue.
The series was recently repeated on Gold.
Read more about this topic: Creature Comforts
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