Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts DVD cover
Genre	Comedy, Animation
Created by	Peter Lord, Nick Park, David Sproxton
Starring	The Great British Public
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Production
Produced by	Aardman Animations
Running time	10 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV1
Original run	November 17, 1989 - 2003 – Present
Links
IMDb profile

Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 animated short film made in Britain about how animals feel about living in a zoo, and later became a series of commercials for Heat Electric. In 2003 a television series in the same style was released. Image File history File links Creature_Comforts. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke[[ laughter in general). ... Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ... Peter Lord (born 1953) is co-founder of Aardman Animations, a British animation firm best known for claymation films including those involving the characters Wallace and Gromit, and the 2000 film Chicken Run. ... Nicholas Wulstan Park, CBE (b. ... This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Aardman Animations, Ltd. ... ITV1 is the name, in England, Wales and the Scottish borders, for a terrestrial, free-to-air television channel, broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... Short subject is an American film industry term that historically has referred to any film in the format of two reels, or approximately 20 minutes running time, or less. ... Animalia redirects here. ... Giraffes in Sydneys Taronga Zoo A zoological garden, zoological park, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures and displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred. ...

The original film

The original Creature Comforts was conceived and directed by Nick Park, and produced by Aardman Animations featuring the voice acting of the Great British public. It was produced as part of a series called Lip Synch for Channel 4. Nicholas Wulstan Park, CBE (b. ... Aardman Animations, Ltd. ... It has been suggested that Channel Four Television Corporation be merged into this article or section. ...

The film shows various animal in a zoo being interviewed about their living conditions. These include turtles, a female gorilla, a family of polar bears and a melancholic puma who complains about the lack of "space" and the "grass with pollen that gives me hay fever every day!" Turtles and terapins may mean: plural of turtle Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Turtles band Turtles band Turtles Music stores See also: Turtle (disambiguation) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Type species Troglodytes gorilla Savage, 1847 distribution of Gorilla Species Gorilla gorilla Gorilla beringei The gorilla, the largest of the living primates, is a ground-dwelling omnivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. ... The name Polar Bear is also a tradename for a type of scuba divers warm undersuit to be worn under a drysuit. ... Binomial name Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) Cougar range map Synonyms Felis concolor The cougar (Puma concolor), also known as the puma or mountain lion, is a New World mammal of the Felidae family. ...

The dialogue was created by interviewing residents of a housing development, an old folks home and a family that lived in a local shop (the polar bears). Clay animation was then created that attributed the answers to zoo animals. One of the most popular characters was the puma. He was in fact a Brazilian student who lived in a hostel and was talking about his own situation. (Source: DVD audio commentary). Clay animation is one of many forms of stop motion animation; specifically, it is the form where each animated piece, either character or background, is deformable, i. ...

The film won an Academy Award for Animated Short Film, beating off the challenge of two other films — one of which, (A Grand Day Out), was also a creation of Nick Park. Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... This class was known as Short Subjects, cartoons from 1932 until 1970, and as Short Subjects, animated films from 1971 to 1973. ... A Grand Day Out is a 1989 animated film directed and animated by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit. ...

This soon led to a series of British television commercials for the Electricity Board which were made in the same style, featuring a closing voice-over by Johnny Morris. Ironically, many members of the public mistakenly believed these commercials were advertising gas heating, the main competitor to electricity. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Twelve Regional Electricity Companies (RECs) were formed on 31. ... Johnny Morris OBE (20 June 1916 - 6 May 1999) was a childrens television presenter for the BBC. A farmer by trade, he was discovered telling stories in a pub. ...

The series

In 2003, a series of Creature Comforts films was made for the British television network ITV by Aardman, with episodes directed by Richard Goleszowski. On ITV, the series is sponsored by British Gas. This series since aired as re-runs on Comedy Central, usually late at night. Starting in 2005 it has also aired in Australia on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in The Netherlands on Veronica and on pay-TV channel UK.TV. It has been suggested that Channel 3 (UK) be merged into this article or section. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States and, as of October 19, 2006, in Poland[1], of January 15, 2007 in Germany[2], of April 30, 2007 in the Netherlands[3] and in Italy of May 1. ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ... Motto (French) Ik zal handhaven(Dutch) I shall stand fast1 Anthem Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Netherlands() – on the European continent() – in the European Union() [] Capital (and largest city) Amsterdam2 Official languages Dutch3 Recognised regional languages Low Saxon, Limburgish Ethnic groups  80. ... Veronica is a commercial TV channel in the Netherlands from the SBS Broadcasting Group. ... UKTV is a subscription television channel in Australia and New Zealand, screening UK entertainment programming, sourced mainly from the archives of the BBC, TALKBACKThames and ITV Plc. ...

Another series of 10-minute episodes was aired on ITV, starting October 30, 2005. A 30-minute special in which the regular characters attempt to perform and interpret the Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was first aired on 25 December 2005. The special was broadcast in Canada on the CBC on December 26, 2005. October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is about carols in general; for the short story by Charles Dickens, see A Christmas Carol. ... The Twelve Days of Christmas and the associated evenings of those twelve days (Twelve-tide), are the festive days beginning the evening of Christmas Day (December 25) through the morning of Epiphany on (January 6). ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Humour pervades all aspects of the series, for example: Look up humour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

• A highly philosophical speech, ironically given by an amoeba.
• An alligator praising her neighbourhood, the sewer.
• Animals being scared of their own terrain (hydrophobic sharks and walruses, birds afraid of heights, etc.)
• Background details such as:
  • Insects swarming into a gap in the paving stones when a slug mimics a bird call.
  • Greys blinking in unison.
  • A lab mouse being interviewed while another mouse with a human ear on his back walks by.

The series gently mocks the constructed performance sometimes given by members of the general public when being interviewed for television vox-pops and documentaries. This includes the attempts to present a cogent but simple conclusive answer to a general question — a sound bite — and the attempts to present a cheery spin on a complex issue while the subject attempts to hide their personal issues and problems with the issue. Amoeba, amÅ“ba, or ameba is a genus of protozoa that moves by means of temporary projections called pseudopods, and is well-known as a representative unicellular organism. ... Species Alligator mississippiensis Alligator sinensis An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. ... Bold text Hydrophobis is: Hydrophobia, a set of symptoms of the later stages of a rabies infection, in which the victim has difficulty swallowing, shows panic when presented with liquids to drink, and cannot quench his or her thirst. ... Orders Carcharhiniformes Heterodontiformes Hexanchiformes Lamniformes Orectolobiformes Pristiophoriformes Squaliformes Squatiniformes Symmoriida(extinct) Shark (superorder Selachimorpha) are fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton[1] and a streamlined body. ... Binomial name Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies Walruses are large semi-aquatic mammals that live in the cold Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. ... “Aves” redirects here. ... The Greys, also known as Roswell aliens, Zetas, and Reticulians, are extraterrestrial life forms that appear in modern UFO conspiracy theories and other UFO-related paranormal phenomena. ... Vox populi, which means literally in Latin voice of the people, is often used in broadcasting for interviews of members of the general public; usually the interviewees are shown in public places, and supposed to be giving spontaneous opinions in a chance encounter — unrehearsed persons, not selected in any way. ...

Regular characters

The following characters make regular appearances throughout the first series. These animals are always portrayed by the same interviewees to maintain consistency throughout the series.

• Pickles the Guide Dog — a guide dog who seems vacant and has a high-pitched, exaggerated laugh.
• Fluffy the Hamster — A depressed hamster who has a pessimistic view on everything including: the beach, clowns etc.
• Trixie and Capt. Cuddlepuss — a dog and a cat respectively who seem like a bored, married couple who argue over cats having bad breath or Yorkshire terriers wearing lipstick.
• Gary and Nigel — Two garden slugs who seem like gardening professionals and get crawled on by ladybirds. Nigel's wife is rather overweight and is reported to be on a diet (of leaves).
• Sid and Nancy, the Shed Rats — two rats who seem to be married. Sid wishes to build another shed so he can listen to the football , however Nancy thinks he wants to view pornography.
• Ted and Stan — baby birds, possible brothers
• Victor the Geordie mouse
• Frank the tortoise

A blind man is led by his guide dog in Brasília, Brazil. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Red Slug, Arion rufus - red color form Slugs are gastropod mollusks without shells or with very small internal shells, in contrast to snails, which have a prominent coiled shell. ... Subfamilies Chilocorinae Coccidulinae Coccinellinae Epilachninae Scymininae Sticholotidinae etc. ... Species 50 species; see text *Several subfamilies of Muroids include animals called rats. ... Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Look up Geordie in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Feral mouse A mouse (plural mice) is a rodent that belongs to one of numerous species of small mammals. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

American version

In February 2006, it was announced that CBS have commissioned seven episodes of an American version of the show, to feature members of the American public. The episodes will begin airing on June 4, 2007 at 8pm ET [1]. The American version is being co-produced by Aardman Animations and The Gotham Group, and is currently in production. Executive Producer: Kit Boss, Directors: Merlin Crossingham & Dave Osmand; Producer: Gareth Owen CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini era. ...

Holiday themed promotional ads for the American version have been broadcast as of late December, 2006. Beneath the show logo is the message "coming soon".

A special short was aired in the UK as part of Red Nose Day 2007. Red Nose Day 2007, was a fundraising event organised by Comic Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of March 16, 2007 to early the following morning. ...

Credits

All voice acting was performed, unscripted, by The Great British Public.

1989

• Models and Sets: Michael Wright, Greg Boulton, John Parsons, Cliff Thorne
• Animal Sculptures: Debbie Smith
• Photography: David Sproxton, David Alex Riddett, Andy MacCormack, Fred Reed
• Interviewer: Julie Sedgewick
• Editor: William Ennals
• Dubbing Mixer: Aard Writz
• Assistant Producer: Alan Gardner
• Producer: Sara Mullock
• Director and Animator: Nick Park

2003

• Created by: Nick Park
• Animation: Phil Beglan, Seamus Malone, Claire Billett, Suzy Fagan, Terry Brain, Pascual Perez, Darren Burgess, Dan Ramsey, Dug Calder, Chris Sadler, Miki Cash, Andy Symanowski, Stefano Cassini, Darren Thompson, Merlin Crossingham, Rich Webber, Jo Fenton, Ian Whitlock, Jay Grace, Lee Whilton
• Computer Animation: Stefan Marjoram
• Additional Animation: Peter Peake, Dave Bennett
• Assistant Animators: Shona Andrews, Alison Evans, Maria Hopkinson-Hassell, Jack Slade, Andy Spilsted
• Character Design: Michael Salter
• Additional Character Design: Sylvia Bennion, Nigel Davies
• Senior Model Maker: Kate Anderson
• Model Makers: Arlene Arrell, Rob Horvath, Chris Brock, Neil Jones, Ciare Drewett, Virginia Mason, Amanda Darby, Dave Pedley, Chris Entwistle, Debbie Smith, Cath Ford, Lee Tetzner, Ben Greenwood, Harriett Thomas, Mick Hockney, James Young
• Art Direction: Kitty Clay
• Set Build: Cliff Thorne Scenic Construction
• Senior Prop Maker: Jane Kite
• Props and Set Makers: Justeen Bailey, Rachel Moore, Claire Baker, Bridget Phelan, Andy Brown, Manon Roberts, Duncan Miller, Kathryn Williams
• Directors of Photography: Andy Mack, Frank Passingham
• Lighting Camera: Toby Howell
• Additional Lighting Camera: Charles Copping
• Camera Assistant: Churton Season
• Gaffer: Richard Hosken, Clive Scott
• Riger: Alan "Scratch" Scrase
• Script Editor: Toby Farrow
• Interviewers: Karen Bidewell, Wendy Rickard, Mindell Bowen, Graeme Rose, Steve Cole, Katherine Towsey, Andrew Carter, Zbigniew Trzaska, Jane Devoy, Gerald Tyler, Kim Lenaghan, Rob Young
• Sound Recordists: Toby Hughes, Sean Millar, Mark Swinglehurst, Adam Tavner
• Key Transcriber: Susan Fry
• Associate Producers: Claire Jennings, Abbie Ross
• Production Manager: Gareth Owen
• Producton Coordinator: Helen Argo
• Pre-Production Coordinators: Cindy Jones, Bridget Mazzey
• Floor Manager: Richard "Beeky" Beek
• Floor Assistant: Dean Ferris
• Supervising Sound Editor: James Mather
• Assistant Sound Editor: Joseph Stracey
• Dubbing Studio: Wounded Buffalo
• Foley Artist: Paul Ackerman
• Editors: Will Ennals, Andrew Hassenruck, Dan Lincoln, Dave MacCormick
• Assistant Editor: Stuart Bruce
• Voice Breakdown: Helen Garrard, Nick Upton
• Visual Effects: Mike Shirra
• Post Production: The Pink House
• Title Music: Rory McLeod
• Incidental Music: Mcasso
• Title Sequence: Nick Mackie, Dan Lane, Nigel Davies
• Executive Producers: Nick Park, Peter Lord, David Sproxton
• Producer: Julie Lockhart
• Director: Richard Goleszowski

See also

• Wallace and Gromit
• List of Creature Comforts episodes

Wallace and Gromit Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series of three British animated short films, a series of ten short animated sequences, and a feature-length film by Nick Park of Aardman Animations. ... The following is a list of episodes from the United Kingdom television series Creature Comforts. ...

External links

• Creature Comforts Official website
• Watch Creature Comforts (1989) online (Real, WMP, QT formats)
• Creature Comforts (1989) at the Internet Movie Database
• Creature Comforts (2003 series) at the Internet Movie Database
• Creature Comforts (2007 American series) at the Internet Movie Database
• Article about CBS winning TV rights