5 British TV Comedies You Shouldn't Have Ignored

4. Mongrels (BBC3, 2010 €“ 2011)

Mongrels Mongrels is a masterclass in making a sitcom with a difference. We€™re far away from the clichés of bumbling dads and incompetent bosses here with all of the characters being fundamentally flawed individuals and, more often than not, complete monsters. Oh, and they€™re animals portrayed by puppets but that was obvious. The series is set in the yard behind a pub on the Isle Of Dogs and focuses on a small collective of animals including middle class fox Nelson, his murderous cousin Vince, dim-witted cat Marion, sociopathic pigeon Kali, and spoiled Afghan Destiny. It€™s beautifully dark with constant swearing and an immense amount of violence (which is largely just out of shot) usually committed by Vince who savages or murders something in pretty much every episode. And it€™s that darkness that really makes the series great because this is what animals are like. They€™re creatures of impulse who act for their own interests. Something which is wonderfully realised here. The programme is somewhat innovative since it€™s puppetry for adults (although there were accusations of plagiarism from the creators of Channel 4€™s Pets, which was broadly the same concept) and has three major elements that stop it being from a straight (if bizarre sitcom). A number of Family Guy-esque cutaway gags that tend to work very well but occasionally fall flat, a couple of minor celebrities appearing as themselves each week such as Paul Ross and Christopher Biggins, and a musical number that is included in all but one episode including €œWhat Kind Of God€, €œEverybody Loves A Lesbian€, and the truly moving €œI€™m Gonna Murder Justin Bieber€. It€™s flat-out lunacy but it€™s a brilliant kind of lunacy. If you€™re easily offended, it€™s definitely not for you but if you€™re fine with blue humour, you€™ve got no excuse for not checking this out. Nowhere else will you find a pigeon planning to murder Harry Hill or a discussion on the age of consent for cats.
Contributor
Contributor

JG Moore is a writer and filmmaker from the south of England. He also works as an editor and VFX artist, and has a BA in Media Production from the University Of Winchester.