Mongrels (TV series)

Mongrels
The logo for Mongrels
Genre
Created byAdam Miller
Written by
  • Jon Brown
  • Daniel Peak
Directed byAdam Miller
Starring
Voices of
Theme music composer
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series2
No. of episodes17 (plus 1 unbroadcast pilot and a behind the scenes featurette) (list of episodes)
Production
ProducerStephen McCrum
EditorNigel Williams
Running time28 minutes
Production companyBBC
Original release
Network
Release22 June 2010 (2010-06-22) –
19 December 2011 (2011-12-19)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Mongrels is a British puppet-based musical situation comedy series first broadcast on BBC Three between 22 June and 10 August 2010, with a making-of documentary entitled "Mongrels Uncovered" broadcast on 11 August 2010. A second and final series of Mongrels began airing on 7 November 2011.[1][2]

The series revolves around the lives of five anthropomorphic animals who hang around the back of a pub in Millwall, the Isle of Dogs, London. The characters are Nelson, a metrosexual fox (voiced by Rufus Jones, performed by Andy Heath); Destiny, an Afghan hound (voiced by Lucy Montgomery, performed by Richard Coombs and Sue Beattie); Marion, a "borderline-retarded"[3] cat (voiced by Dan Tetsell, performed by Warrick Brownlow-Pike); Kali, a grudge-bearing pigeon (voiced by Katy Brand, performed by Iestyn Evans); and Vince, a sociopathic foul-mouthed fox (voiced by Paul Kaye, performed by various puppeteers).

The show is aimed at an adult audience, features "neutering, incontinence, cannibalism and catnip overdoses" and has several humour styles such as slapstick and farce. For example, the first episode begins with a scene in which Marion, portrayed as desperately trying to revive his deceased owner, learns she has actually been dead for four months, whereupon he casually gives his cat friends permission to eat her.[4] Mongrels has attracted accusations of plagiarism, with claims that Mongrels stole ideas from a similar Channel 4 show called Pets.[5]

On January 18, 2012, it was announced via Twitter that Mongrels had not been renewed for a third series by the BBC due to a decision made by BBC Three's then controller Zai Bennett.[6]

  1. ^ "Mongrels to return". Chortle. 25 August 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  2. ^ "Mongrels – Episodes". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Marion is a simple soul". BBC Three. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  4. ^ Hogan, Michael (18 June 2010). "Mongrels: the new BBC Three adult puppet comedy is a shaggy dog story". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  5. ^ "The fur flies over Mongrels". Chortle.co.uk. 25 June 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  6. ^ Brown, Aaron (18 January 2012). "BBC axes puppet sitcom Mongrels". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 19 January 2012.