Pets

Pets

Pets is an adult British puppet sitcom, produced by Fit2Fill Productions Limited. It was originally aired on Channel 4 and ran for two series, the first being broadcast in 2001, and the second in 2002. It was also sold to Fox in Australia, MTV in Italy, and the Middle East. The series was created and written by Andrew Barclay and Brian West, who had previously worked together at the Edinburgh Festival, winning an award for an advert for The Jerry Springer Show, and on the sketch show We Know Where You Live. A total of 26 episodes of Pets were aired, all approximately 11 minutes long. They were shown in the early hours of the morning, and as a result, the series was fairly unknown, although it did gain a significant cult following. There was a demand on the official website for Pets to be released on DVD. Eventually a limited edition DVD was made available to purchase via the official website. As well as the two series, the DVD included two unbroadcast episodes, a clip show named "The Trials Of Hamish", and a behind-the-scenes special named "The Making Of Pets". Several episodes of Pets are currently available as a free podcast downloadable via iTunes. In 2010, a similar show named Mongrels aired on BBC3, sparking controversy between the two. The casts of characters in those two shows are almost similar as well, although Pets had four main characters while Mongrels had five. Also, Mongrels' range of locations is more diverse, while Pets is confined to a single flat.

Comedy

Seasons

1. Christmas

Air Date: 2001-05-05

JP believes it is Christmas in the middle of March, and so to humour him, the other Pets decide to hold the event. Unfortunately, disaster strikes when the house is invaded by burglars.

2. Pregnant

Air Date: 2001-05-12

After a wild party, a hungover Hamish is told by JP and Trevor that he had sex with Davina while he was drunk, and three months later it is revealed that she is pregnant.

3. Pleasure

Air Date: 2001-05-19

Trevor has an unreachable itch on his back, which the other Pets refuse to scratch. Frustrated, he decides to use an unconventional method to get rid of it that leaves one of the Pets suffering from a nervous breakdown.

4. American Beauty

Air Date: 2001-05-26

Hamish discovers that Trevor has placed a poor bet in his name with money borrowed from a violent, psychopathic criminal who expects to be payed back. Terrified, Hamish begins many failed attempts to commit suicide before the moneylender arrives.

5. On Hold

Air Date: 2001-06-02

Hamish finds himself being held in an excessively long queue on the phone in his attempt to make a call.

6. Consider Yourself

Air Date: 2001-06-09

In a parody of Sherlock Holmes, Trevor tells JP the story of his Victorian ancestor; a detective who discovered the identity of Jack The Ripper.

7. The Miracle

Air Date: 2001-06-16

When an archangel unblocks the downstairs toilet, Hamish insists the house become religious as an act of respect.

8. Conspiracy Theory

Air Date: 2001-06-23

While watching a television documentary about John F. Kennedy, the Pets' power supply is cut off. Cue a flashback to the 1960s, featuring relations of the Pets on holiday in a house identical to the modern day version in Dallas, who witness the president's assassination and attempt to discover the identity of the perpetrator.

9. Constipation

Air Date: 2001-06-30

After suffering from constipation for fourteen months, Hamish reluctantly tries Trevor's suggestion of eating a pair of tights in order to cure himself.

10. Death

Air Date:

Trevor dies after choking on a fishbone. Later, however, all of the other Pets are able to see him as a ghost.

11. Halloween

Air Date:

JP holds a Halloween party in the living room. Meanwhile, Hamish attempts to cryogenically freeze himself, in order to awaken in the future.

12. Hostage

Air Date:

Hamish goes over the edge and holds JP hostage, much to the bewilderment of Davina and Trevor, who are forced to negotiate with him.

13. Money

Air Date:

When Trevor finds a suitcase full of money under the floorboards, he and Hamish conspire to kill Davina and JP and keep the money for themselves. However, both begin plotting to also double-cross each other.

1. Drugs

Air Date:

Trevor sends himself and the rest of the Pets on a psychedelic trip when he puts LSD incorrectly delivered by a drug dealer in their cornflakes.

2. Robot Wars

Air Date:

JP is convinced a UFO has landed in the garden, and soon he, Davina and Trevor begin to behave strangely around Hamish.

3. Presumed Very Guilty

Air Date:

When Davina is found dead in Hamish's sleeping basket, he is put on trial for murder by Trevor.

4. Talent

Air Date:

Trevor enters Stars in Their Eyes, performing as Marilyn Monroe, much to the disgust of Hamish.

5. Star Gate

Air Date:

JP discovers an interdimensional time portal in the airing cupboard, which leads to an exact replica of the Pets' house, save for it including a double of JP being the only inhabitant and a highly radioactive uranium mine in the kitchen.

6. Manumission Impossible

Air Date:

Hamish is convinced the other Pets are throwing parties in the kitchen in the early hours of the morning simply to spite him, and so he begins to spy on them using surveillance cameras.

7. Possessed

Air Date:

Trevor holds a séance, and when Hamish sceptically observes it, he is possessed by the spirit of Judy Garland and later the house is tormented by a poltergeist.

8. Reincarnation

Air Date:

Hamish hangs himself and is sent to Heaven, however, he is soon brought back to life by Trevor.

9. World War II in Colour

Air Date:

In a retelling of World War II that takes place in the Pets' home, Hamish becomes convinced that a Nazi spy is hiding amongst them.

10. Curse of the Mummy

Air Date:

When JP discovers a copy of the Book of the Dead, he unwittingly places a curse on himself, Hamish and Trevor, which turns them into living mummies one by one, leaving them to rely on Davina to reverse it.

11. Mexican

Air Date:

After listening to a Spanish language tape, Hamish begins to act like a stereotypical Mexican man, much to the annoyance of the other Pets.

12. Satan

Air Date:

In order to fend off his boredom, Trevor attempts to conjure Satan, much to the dismay of Hamish.

13. Business

Air Date:

In a parody of The Godfather, a mysterious package is delivered to the Pets' home, which includes a dead fish and a letter revealing that Hamish has been appointed as the new don of a Chicago mafia.

14. The Making of Pets

Air Date: 2001-11-23

Trevor takes us on an exclusive and foul-mouthed guided tour behind the scenes of Pets.

Select an episode to start watching

Rating

9.5/10

Release Date

2001-05-05

Episodes

27 (2 seasons)

Status

Ended

Cast

Ian Angus Wilkie

Ian Angus Wilkie

Hamish

Sally Elsden

Sally Elsden

Davina

Petros Emmanuel

Petros Emmanuel

JP

Andrew Barclay

Andrew Barclay

Trevor

Production Companies

Fit2Fill Productions Limited