Creature Comforts America
[netflix] [IMDb] [http://www.creaturecomforts.tv/]
This is the American version of Nick Park’s Creature Comfort but before you shrink back in horror, it was actually done by Aardman, so it’s okay, you can watch. It hasn’t been destroyed like 95% of British adaptations.
This time the interview Americans for their peculiar brand of claymation. The interviewees really seems heavily centered in NYC, and urban areas in general, although there are several southern characters. And while, in the British version, there were several characters who showed up in several shows, this one really seems to concentrate on having the same characters return for the entire series. In particular, I’m thinking about the love birds, the cats on the sofa, and the horses, but most repeat at some point and sometimes for extended segments.
Some of the characters really stand out: the love birds, the bickering bulldogs, the horses, and I especially liked the petulant teenage owl and his mother. He visibly cringes every time his mom opens her mouth. “I wasn’t paying attention but if I was, I’m sure I’d disagree.”
Far more fascinating is the comparison of the British v. American version. It may be partially due to the people they selected to interview, and certainly in large part due to editing, but there is a very real and substantial difference between the two. I don’t mean the animation style which is excellent in all of them, but more the opinions on the topics and the subject matter covered. Even the working class Brits were more interested in words and better in grammar, and the Americans had far more fascination with body functions. The kids in both were cute, though.
Another must see.
