Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show! is an animated skitcom television show that aired on BBC Two from 28 October 2001 to 18 February 2002. The show was created by David Freedman and Alan Gilbey after the greeting card line about a painfully honest demon created by cartoonist Hugh MacLeod. The basic format was a series of sketches linked by the eponymous Mr. Hell, a Satan-esque host voiced by comedian Bob Monkhouse – the last series before his death in 2003. Mr. Hell delights in making his guests as miserable as possible, and also discusses his own personal problems, to add to the general sense of desolation.[1]
| Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show! | |
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| Genre | Sketch comedy |
| Created by |
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| Written by |
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| Music by | Mark Sayer-Wade |
| Country of origin |
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| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
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| Producer | J. Falconer |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production companies | Peafur Productions and Sextant Entertainment Group |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 28 October 2001 – 18 February 2002 |
Notable characters in the series include Josh, voiced by Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, who attempts to start a discussion about reincarnation before inevitably getting killed, and Serge the Fashion Industry Seal of Death (an anthropomorphic seal), who wants to take revenge on the fashion industry for killing his parents. Mr. Hell also regularly appears in his own sketches, some featuring his illegitimate son Damien, and Damien's mother Angela, an angel.
Episodes
edit| Episode no. | Title | Original airdate | |
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| 1 | "Mr. Hell Moves In" | 28 October 2001 | |
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Mr. Hell discusses the "C" word – Commitment. We slowly meet Champion the Wonder Snail, and tempt a lawsuit as we spoof four lovable teens and their ever-hungry hound, as they discover that not all ghosts are harmless caretakers. | |||
| 2 | "Edukashun" | 4 November 2001 | |
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See a man cut off his own eyelids with scissors... and laugh! See Mr. Hell go to a school and the Victorian Lady Detective go to pot. Well, opium actually. | |||
| 3 | "Triple Indemnity Squared" | 11 November 2001 | |
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We learn to trust a worm, get Jurasskicked by a silly dinosaur rapper and Mr. Hell meets his match. John if you're reading this, I've still got your wife. | |||
| 4 | "From Here to Paternity" | 18 November 2001 | |
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Mr. Hell meets his long lost son, the Victorian Lady Detective meets Jack the Ripper and Josh the Reincarnation Guy meets his maker again... and again... and again. | |||
| 5 | "Big Buzznizz" | 3 December 2001 | |
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More seal slaughtering from Serge, some singing corpses and Mr. Hell finally gets a job. Scorpios – this month is a bad one for you. Stay in. | |||
| 6 | "Right Royal Rain Rin Re Rass/Mr. Hell Takes Buckingham Palace" | 9 December 2001 | |
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Our hero mounts the British throne and Serge the Seal mounts other things. Plus "Wolicking wizards, its Harry Nutter!" This week's winning numbers were 7, 23 and 89. The winning colour was Teal. | |||
| 7 | "Hellathon" | 16 December 2001 | |
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Give! Give! Give! It's the Hellathon Special! Make your pledge now on 666-666-6667 (all calls charged at local rates and the loss of your immortal soul.) Plus Serge the Seal meets the true spirit of Christmas, and shoots it. | |||
| 8 | "The Animation Special" | 6 January 2002 | |
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Mr. Hell takes us on a guided history of animation, gets annoyed at the budgets of other shows and tortures stick figures. Plus the horror story Oscar Wilde would have penned if he hadn't been so talented; the bone chilling, butt jiggling tale of "The Photocopy of Dorian Gray's Arse." | |||
| 9 | "Run Like Hell" | 13 January 2002 | |
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Serge the Seal of Death decimates London Fashion Week, the serial killer who keeps changing his gimmick strikes again and Mr Hell wakes up with an election... and other bad puns. | |||
| 10 | "Prince Not So Charming" | 20 January 2002 | |
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This week things get pretty Grimm, as Mr. Hell teaches us that fairy tales can come true, but not for you. Plus Thomas the Tank, Tommy Tomorrow, The Telltale Phone and other things beginning with T. | |||
| 11 | "Deep Thought - or - Shallow Hell" | 28 January 2002 | |
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Mr. Hell ponders life's deep philosophical questions and makes more nob gags. Plus Serge the Seal meets Karlsberg Lagertop. This week's secret word is "Trebor." Mark Katz, you owe me a phone call. | |||
| 12 | "Blinded by Science and Rosy Palmer" | 11 February 2002 | |
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Mr. Hell investigates the fascinating intellectual world of science and makes some nob gags. Plus, for all you pet lovers, we release laboratory animals into the wild and then watch them suffer. | |||
| 13 | "The Seven Ages... of Parties" | 18 February 2002 | |
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Unlucky for some – every third viewer of this show will be bit by a doberman. But for the rest of you it's all fun as Mr. Hell gatecrashes the parties of your life. Break open a beer and belch with us to celebrate the last show! | |||
Awards
edit- 2001 Houston World Festival Platinum Remi Award winner[2]
- 2001 Leo Award winner for Best Animation Program or Series[3]
- 2002 Gemini Award winner for Best Animated Program or Series[4]
References
edit- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 435–436. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ "WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival Past Winners". WorldFest. Archived from the original on 25 February 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
- ^ "Leo Awards 2001 Winners". Leo Awards. Archived from the original on 25 May 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
- ^ "17th Annual Gemini Award Winners". 17th Annual Gemini Awards. Archived from the original on 30 December 2002.