New animal stars from the South Coast

Because we are duty bound to bring you the latest news and views from the Devon and Cornwall region, we really should tell you about the latest TV celebrities to emerge from the South Coast -talking animals in ‘a reality show with a difference’.

The staff and animals from Paignton Zoo Environmental Park are featured in the Creatures Like Us show, which is on Animal Planet.

The conceit is that a load of animals live in special animal village in the countryside (yeah, it’s called a zoo). And ‘like every village, alongside the daily routines and behind closed doors there are dramas unfolding. This is a special village. The issues are real, the stories compelling and all the characters are animals’.

The show takes the point of view of the animals, and the incidents are apparently based on real events.

Paignton Zoo spokesperson Phil Knowling told D+CFilm: ‘The series is a modern take on the classic Animal Magic, where Johnny Morris gave real animals comic voices. Creatures Like Us tells real stories from the zoo world -stories about animal care and husbandry, conservation breeding, parenthood, relationships, animal moves and the problems of introducing animals to one another. It is a terrific mix of humour and drama.’

The voice talent for the animals includes Matt Berry (The IT Crowd, The Mighty Boosh), Sally Phillips (Smack the Pony, Bridget Jones) and Daisy Haggard (Green Wing).

A film crew of four from the BBC Natural History Unit spent time at the Zoo between February and September. The first series consists of seven half hour programmes. Phil said: ‘The film crew was good to work with because they understood the complexities of working with animals and were very patient. They have produced a show which is very different -it is at the same time well-informed and very entertaining. We hope it is a great success.’

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Posted by Cptn