Pets (TV series)

"Pets" was a British puppet adult sitcom. It was produced by Fit2Fill Productions Limited. It was first broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK, the first series being broadcast in 2001, and the second being broadcast in 2002. It was also sold to Fox in Australia and MTV in Italy, as well as being broadcast in the Middle East.

Watch PETS here: http://pets2007.btpodshow.com/

The series was created and written by Andrew Barclay and Brian West (pen name Brian Luff), who had previously worked together at the Edinburgh Festival, winning an award for an advert for the Jerry Springer Show, and on the sketch show We Know Where You Live.

In total there were 26 episodes of Pets, all around 11 minutes long. They were shown in the early hours of the morning, as a result it was fairly unknown, but it did gain a significant cult following. There was a demand on the programme's official website to get the programme out on DVD. Eventually a limited edition DVD was made available, but only via the official website. As well as the two series, the DVD included two unbroadcast programmes, a 'clip show'- The Trials Of Hamish, and a 'behind-the-scenes The Making Of Pets.

All 26 episodes of pets are currently available as a free podcast downloadable via Itunes. This includes the clip show "The Trials Of Hamish" and "The Making Of Pets", and a pets "trance remix".

ituation

The programme concerns the everyday lives of four household pets who live in a filthy, rundown house, although it has working electricity and running water. There is never a human owner visible or even evident, which suggests that Pets takes place in an anthropomorphic universe. The animals certainly behave like humans in that they stand up on their hind legs, watch and talk about television (once even entering a TV programme Stars in Their Eyes). They also refer to human historical events and talk of interacting with humans without ever making a reference to the fact that they are human. This suggests that it is unwise to attempt to categorise the program further, as the writers have dispensed somewhat with situational integrity in favour of comedy.

Essentially, the situation Pets is similar to many flatmate situation comedies such as Friends, the twist being that all the characters are animals. The episodes are all self-contained, taking place entirely within their house.

The events of the episodes tend to be very bizarre, and follow a theme. There have been a lot of supernatural occurrences in the Pets household, such as appearances by Archangels, poltergeists and aliens.

Pets follows a rather traditional sitcom technique in the "restart button". The Pets have all died at least once only to reappear alive and well the next episode. Events from previous episodes are never referred to, but unseen events from the past are referred to in many episodes.

Characters

Hamish (Ian Angus Wilkie) is a red setter dog. He is well spoken and something of a pseudointellectual. He seems well-read on a lot of subjects, but doesn't actually know much about them. He is frequently uptight and has a short temper. He often longs to be in more intelligent, cultured company than the pets household. Perhaps because of all this the others often gang up on him to play a prank on him or leave him out of social occasions.

Trevor (Andrew Barclay) is a small, grey bulldog. Trevor is usually foul-mouthed and grumpy, has few ambitions and spends most of his time masturbating. He has a large collection of hardcore pornography and is often seen humping items of furniture. He drinks out of the toilet with a curly straw. Trevor can be rather clever and witty at times, but is prone to doing either very odd or crude things to fend off boredom. He loves sandwiches. He speaks in a gruff Cockney accent. He has no sense of hygiene and has had the same tapeworms in his stomach since the late '70s. The worms often reminise about well-known pop-culture subjects such as ABBA and the Kennedy assassination.

Davina (Sally Elsden) is a Persian blue cat. She suffers from clinical depression and is addicted to her medication. She has a large collection of bloodstained plastic binbags which seem to be containing some kind of furry animal. She puts these bags under the floorboards or tries to flush them down the toilet. She has a boyfriend named Vince, who suddenly left her long ago. However, he still sends her messages from a far away part of the world along with excuses as to why he hasn't returned, while she thinks of increasingly twisted ways on how she'll get revenge on him when he does return.

JP (Petros Emmanuel) is a parrot. He has no feathers, having lost them all to Trevor in a card game (he bet his entire plumage on a pair of fours). He also can't fly. He has two different coloured eyes. He has a pet himself, a goldfish who has obviously been dead for a long time, although JP doesn't seem to realise this. He is extremely eccentric and appears to live in a fantasy world of his own, often rambling on about a wide range of strange subjects. He speaks in an Afrikaans accent. He likes to drink his own urine, a fact which he says in almost every episode.

Iestyn Evans, Mark Mander, Garry Rutter, Mandy Travis and Martin Weinling performed the puppets in Pets swapping characters scene by scene. The puppets were designed and built by Iestyn Evans and Andy Heath. [Official site: http://www.petscomedy.co.uk]

Episode list

Series 1

1) Christmas

JP thinks its Christmas and so to humour him, the other Pets decide to hold the event.Unfortunately disaster strikes when burgulars decide to strike.

2) Pregnant

After a particularly rampant night, Hamish awakes with a hangover only to find he has had sex with the cat.So after deliberation, he decides to do the decent thing only to find out the truth the hard way.

3) Pleasure

Trevor has an itch on his back and the other Pets refuse to help him get rid of it.So he decides to use an unconventional method that leaves one of the Pets in a nervous breakdown.

4) American Beauty

Hamish discovers that Trevor has placed a bad bet in his name and now a psychotic moneylender wants it back.After trying several times to commit suicide before the moneylender arrives, he exacts his revenge when the truth comes out.

5) On Hold

Hamish is on the phone waiting for to speak to someone.Will he get through or will something more cruel happen?

6) Consider Yourself

Trevor tells the story of one of his ancestors to JP which involves him finding the identity of Jack The Ripper.But is the purpetraitor closer than they think and is one of the Pets involved in the plot?

7) The Miracle

When an archangel unblocks the downstairs toilet, Hamish insists the house become very religious as an act of respect.But is it too good to last?

8) Conspiracy Theory

The Pets are watching a JFK documentary when the power cuts off.Cue a flashback to the 70's featuring relations of the Pets who try to find the identity of the killer.

9) Constipation

Hamish has been constipated for 14 months so the others try to help.The only solution they can come up with involves eating a pair of tights ...

10) Death

Trevor dies after choking on a fishbone and the other pets mourn the loss.But when JP claims he saw him in the living room, will the pets mortality be in question?

11) Halloween

JP holds a Halloween party in the living room for the Pets.Meanwhile Hamish tries to freeze himself in order to get to the future.

12) Hostage

Hamish holds JP hostage leaving the others bemused.But will Hamish give up or will JP get the better of him?

13) Money

Trevor finds a suitcase full of money under the floorboards.But will it prove too tempting for him and the other pets to handle?

Series 2

1) Drugs

Trevor gives the Pets a psychedelic trip when he puts LSD on the cornflakes.But will he regret it when he loses all sense of what he is doing?

2) Robot Wars

Trevor, JP and the cat seem to be acting very strangely.Is it alien control or is it just a complete scam?

3) Presumed Very Guilty

The cat is found dead in Hamish's basket, this can only lead to one thing.Hamish put on trial for her murder. But is it all black and white?

4) Talent

Trevor goes on Stars In Their Eyes as Marilyn Monroe.But will Hamish's skeptisism or JP and the cat's support prove truthful?

5) Star Gate

JP finds a interdimensional time portal in the airing cupboard.But does it lead somewhere that the Pets consider to be home?

6) Manumission Impossible

Hamish is convinced the other Pets are having a party in the kitchen.So he decides to take the method of observation. Will he find anything?

7) Possessed

8) Reincarnation

9) World War II In Colour

10) Curse Of The Mummy

11) Mexican

12) Satan

13) Business

References

External links

Official site: http://www.petscomedy.co.uk

Comedy People Limited: http://www.comedypeople.biz

Comedy People Limited - Pets: http://www.comedypeople.biz/petswelcome.htm

Fit2Fill: http://www.fit2fill.com

"Pets" IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0445893/

British Comedy Guide: http://www.comedy.org.uk/guide/tv/pets/