Mongrels TV Show Overview and Analysis

Mongrels is a British sitcom that aired from 2009 to 2010. The show was created by Joe Thomas, Simon Farnaby, and Blake Harrison, who are also the main cast members.

The show revolves around the lives of three friends, Elliot, Nick, and Will, who live together in a flat in London. They often find themselves in absurd and humorous situations.

Mongrels was broadcast on BBC Three and consisted of two seasons, with a total of 13 episodes.

Mongrels is a British puppet-based situation comedy series that first aired on BBC Three in 2010. The show features five anthropomorphic animals hanging around the back of a pub in Millwall, the Isle of Dogs, London.

The characters include Nelson, a metrosexual fox, Destiny, a self-centred Afghan hound, Marion, a "borderline-retarded" cat, Kali, a grudge-bearing pigeon, and Vince, a sociopathic foul-mouthed fox. Each character is voiced by a different person and performed by a puppeteer.

The show is aimed at an adult audience and features humor styles such as slapstick and farce, with topics including neutering, incontinence, cannibalism, and catnip overdoses.

Character development is a crucial aspect of storytelling, and it's fascinating to see how it unfolds in the creation of a show. Nelson's character was originally depicted as brash and obnoxious, but this was later changed to make him more likeable.

Developing the character of Destiny, Nelson's love interest, was a challenge for the programme makers. Kali, the villain, was created to be a "Hitler-figure" and was a deliberate choice to create a strong contrast to the other characters.

The process of character development can be iterative, as seen in the case of Nelson's character. It's not uncommon for characters to undergo changes as the story evolves.

The show Mongrels is set in a very specific location - the back of a pub on the Isle of Dogs in London. This is where the five main characters, anthropomorphic animals, hang out.

The characters are Nelson, a metrosexual fox, Destiny, a self-centred Afghan hound, Marion, a "borderline-retarded" cat, Kali, a grudge-bearing pigeon, and Vince, a sociopathic foul-mouthed fox.

Mongrels won the Royal Television Society Craft and Design Award 2009-2010 for "Production Design - Entertainment and Non-Drama" led by production designer Simon Rogers.

The series was also nominated for the award for "Tape and Film Editing - Entertainment and Situation Comedy" led by film editor Nigel Williams, but lost to Pete versus Life.

In 2011, Brown won the BAFTA Craft Award for "Break-through Talent".

The series was nominated for the Ursa Major Award for "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work or Series" in 2010 and 2011.

In 2012, Andy Heath & Iestyn Evans won the Royal Television Society Craft and Design Award 2011/12 for special effects in Mongrels Series 2.

Mongrels puppeteers Warrick Brownlow-Pike, Andy Heath, and Iestyn Evans were guests of honor at Eurofurence 19 in 2013.

Warrick Brownlow-Pike and Andy Heath were also announced as guests of honor for Further Confusion 2015.

Mongrels received mixed reviews from critics, with some considering its quality to be inconsistent.

Some reviewers found the show to be hit or miss, with even the unfunny moments having a well-written sheen. The work put into the jokes is evident, but the tone can be off at times.

The show's attempts at humor were not always successful, with some gags misjudging the tone, particularly those related to Harold Shipman. The age group BBC3 is aimed at may have contributed to this issue.

Despite some missteps, the show does have its laughs, thanks to a script that isn't entirely about crass shock value. However, the sitcom is not really for grown-ups, according to some critics.

The cast of Mongrels made a special appearance in the first ever Comedy Prom on 13 August 2011, performing a song live on BBC Radio 3.

They performed the song "Middle Class is Magical" from the seventh episode of the first series, "Marion The Superfluous Feed Character".

Their performance was later broadcast on BBC Two on 27 August 2011.

Nelson and Marion reappeared in a Puppet Aid sketch for the BBC's annual Children in Need telethon in November 2021.

Mongrels received mixed reviews from critics, with some finding its quality inconsistent.

Some reviewers felt that the show's humor was hit or miss, with one critic noting that even the unfunny moments had a well-written quality to them. The work put into the jokes was evident, but not always successful.

Jane Simon of the Daily Mirror criticized the show for misjudging the tone in some of its jokes about Harold Shipman. She suggested that the age group BBC3 is aimed at might think anything is fair game for comedy.

The Independent's Tom Sutcliffe noted that while Mongrels had its laughs, it wasn't entirely about crass shock value. However, he felt that the show wasn't really suitable for adults.

Sam Wollaston of The Guardian was mainly positive about Mongrels, but thought the novelty of its humor would wear off eventually. He enjoyed the show's depiction of cuddly children's toys saying unexpected things.