BBC 3 Comedy and Mongrels

BBC 3 and new comedy Mongrels


BBC 3 certainly has its up and downs. It’s a channel which tests out new shows mainly for young adults (yes I've finally come to terms that I'm a young adult and doing my best to be empowered by it rather than falling apart at the thought of turing 21 in January) From it we've has the wonderful Gavin and Stacey, Being Human, Torchwood and Russell Howard's Good News. During the pilot season we are treated to a range of new shows that are being tester out, so far we've had one episode of the new paranormal sc-fi Pulse, Dappers and we've been given a new series called Mongrels as well as a few others. However BBC 3 also makes such trash as The World's Strictest Parents, Don't tell the bride and Snog, Marry Avoid. But none the less this blog entry is going to look at the positive rather than the negative.

I am a fan of puppets. Sooty, Ed the Duck, Avenue Q, The Muppets, fraggle rock, The labyrinth and pretty much anything made by the Jim Henson company. I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton of shows but let’s move on. I've been looking forward to the new comedy show Mongrels ever since seeing the trailer and clips that were put on youtube. I don't know what it is about puppets that I love, maybe it’s because their puppets they can say anything and get away with it. I've been told I have a Muppet dance where I bob left to right dragging my head in the direction.

BBC THREE's first urban, multi-species, adult puppet comedy. Five urban animals hang out in the backyard of an innercity pub. Created by Adam Miller, written by Jon Brown and Daniel Peak (thank you BBC3 website)

I had a general feeling that I would like the show, and while I thought it would be funny I didn't think it would be laughing out loud funny. I was wrong. This show had me crying with laughter. From the trailer I thought Destiny (the female dog) would be an annoying chav type character. I couldn't have been more wrong, she had two lines in the show that made me laugh so much I was finding it hard to breathe. The part where she’s begging not to be part of a dance class where she says

'No! This is worse than being a puppy when you made me rub my nose in it, although I've really rubbing your nose in it'
> cut to her being with her owner at a grave yard and her mocking him like a child
'You've got a dead wife; you've got a dead wife'

to

'NO! I hope you get raped later, I really do'

EDIT: just watched the show again and I was wrong, she didn't say rape she said renal failure

Now I like black comedy, but I never expected to find that as funny as a I did. But perhaps because It was from a puppet dog that I allowed myself to see the humour in it. If it had been a live action show I think I might have thought it to have been a little sick.

I'm a fan of Katy Brand and her show on ITV2. I was delighted to hear she would be doing one of the voices. She is the voice of Kali (pigeon). Before I go on this is how the BBC 3 website describes her

Kali is a spiteful, petty, vindictive, s***ty little bird with a small beak and a big voice. In fact there's only one thing in life she enjoys more than revelling in other people's misfortune, and that's causing other people's misfortune and then revelling in it a bit afterwards (like maybe over some coffee and a bagel from the bins near Pret).

I love evil/loveable characters. Much like Jordan from scrubs I wish I could be as evil as them and get away with it. Granted I was told in a job interview that I had a dry sarcastic sense of humour and while this true I don't think I've ever said anything to actually insult anyone. (I hope, meh sod them I got a better job elsewhere)I won't go in to full detail as to what she does in the first episode as it will just take to long to write up and it would be allot quicker for you to just go watch it.

Heres a little clip from the first episode



Katy's voice just works so well with the character and sells it. Without going in to too much detail there is apart where Kali is trying to fly out of a house and keeps hitting a window. Just the use the puppet and the look it gives and it lifts up its wing and stops the others from helping her get out is priceless
'Leave me, I've got to learn'

I really don't think I can do this show justice by just writing about it. So I highly recommend you go watch it. I think I may give it another re-watch now.