CBS premiered their new series ‘Creature Comforts’ on Monday night. While the show might be new for this network, it is by no means new for fans of Nick Park’s work. The man who brought us Wallace and Gromit and other stop motion animated films and shorts is behind this dryly witty half-hour comedy.
I’ll admit, I’ve seen bits and pieces of Wallace and Grommit but other than that, I’m more familiar to the man’s reputation than I am by what he’s contributed to the animated film industry. Tonight was my first real taste of an Aardman Animations’ production and I have to say, I was not disappointed.
In case you know nothing about this “new” series, it originated in The UK and involves stop-animated animals being interviewed on a variety of subjects. In this American version, the voices are from real Americans all over the country who were interviewed by the producers.
Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? Well it is and the genius of the series is in the simplicity. The animals discuss everyday life in a fairly conversational way. What makes the show laugh-out-loud funny is the animation. Each animal’s facial expressions reflect their mood and reaction to what they’re talking about perfectly. Whether it’s a twitch of the wings, a roll of the eyes or just a general look of discomfort, Aardman Productions has managed to implant subtle human emotion in each of their animated subjects.
In the first episode, a frog with a child’s voice tells a silly joke. Two crickets sitting next to the frog make cricket noises (implying that the joke was a dud) to which the frog responds by eating one of the crickets. The next time the frog tells a lame joke, both crickets applaud. Like I said, its simple but its funny. Describing it truly doesn’t do it justice. The humor is dry which might not appeal to everyone but it’s the goofy wittiness of the animation mixed with the interviews that makes the show work.
The only problem I can see with this series is that it might be too simple for American viewers. There doesn’t seem to be any overlying story, which is often necessary to get viewers to come back and watch next week. What CBS does have going for it is that its summer and there’s less competition right now, especially in the comedy department.
In terms of story, there is none but if you’re looking to for a show that will make you laugh for 30 minutes after a long Monday, check out ‘Creature Comforts’ on CBS at 8 PM on Mondays this summer.
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In case you missed it, here’s a sample of the show:
