History Series / Mongrels

Set in Millwall, on the Isle of Dogs in [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} London's East End]], the show follows the misadventures of five animals who hang out round the back of a pub called The Lord Nelson. The protagonist is Nelson, a fox who lives a [[TheDandy metrosexual middle-class lifestyle]] despite being a wild animal. He has a massive crush on Destiny, a [[AlphaBitch self-absorbed and pretentious Afghan hound]] and pet to the pub's landlord, Gary - but Destiny has absoutely no interest in Nelson whatsoever. Best friend to Nelson is Marion, a [[TheDitz good-hearted simpleton cat]] who's been abandoned by a lot of owners and views Nelson as a father figure. Rounding out the cast is Kali, a spiteful pigeon who is quick to [[RevengeBeforeReason dole out revenge for the slightest wrong against her]], and Nelson's "friend" Vince, a violent, foul-mouthed sociopath who considers himself a "proper ***ing fox".

->''"They may be furry, they may be feathered, they may be feral, but scratch their hairy surfaces and they're just a group of messed-up little creatures struggling with life, love, dreams and what happens when your Parisian pen-friend turns up [[BreadEggsMilkSquick with a chronic case of rabies]].!''

* GuyOnGuyIsHot: Kali seems very interested in [[HoYay what happened between Nelson and Vince]] when they were stuck on the island.

* StalkingIsLove: Used in-universe in the episode "Nelson and the Human": Nelson considers Neil's obsession to be the stuff of romantic comedy and tries to get Neil and the girl together. [[MurderSuicide It doesn't end well.]]

Now has a [[Recap/Mongrels recap page.]]

->''"They may be furry, they may be feathered, they may be feral, but scratch their hairy surfaces and they're just a group of messed-up little creatures struggling with life, love, dreams and what happens when your Parisian pen-friend" turns up [[BreadEggsMilkSquick with a chronic case of rabies]].''

Set in Millwall in [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} London's East End]], the show follows the lives of five animals who hang out round the back of a pub called the Lord Nelson. The protagonist is Nelson, a fox who lives a [[TheDandy metrosexual middle-class lifestyle]] despite being a wild animal. He has a massive crush on Destiny, a self-absorbed and pretentious Afghan hound and pet to the pub's landlord, Gary - but Destiny has absoutely no interest in Nelson whatsoever. Best friend to Nelson is Marion, a good-hearted simpleton cat who's been abandoned by a lot of owners and views Nelson as a father figure. Rounding out the cast is Kali, a spiteful pigeon who is quick to [[RevengeBeforeReason dole out revenge for the slightest wrong against her]], and Nelson's "friend" Vince, a violent, foul-mouthed sociopath who considers himself a "proper ***ing fox".

Set in Millwall in [[UsefulNotes/London London's East End]], the show follows the lives of five animals who hang out round the back of a pub called the Lord Nelson. The protagonist is Nelson, a fox who lives a [[TheDandy metrosexual middle-class lifestyle]] despite being a wild animal. He has a massive crush on Destiny, a self-absorbed and pretentious Afghan hound and pet to the pub's landlord, Gary - but Destiny has absoutely no interest in Nelson whatsoever. Best friend to Nelson is Marion, a good-hearted simpleton cat who's been abandoned by a lot of owners and views Nelson as a father figure. Rounding out the cast is Kali, a spiteful pigeon who is quick to [[RevengeBeforeReason dole out revenge for the slightest wrong against her]], and Nelson's "friend" Vince, a violent, foul-mouthed sociopath who considers himself a "proper ***ing fox".

->''"They may be furry, they may be eathered, they may be feral, but scratch their hairy surfaces and they're just a group of messed-up little creatures struggling with life, love, dreams and what happens when your Parisian pen-friend" turns up [[BreadEggsMilkSquick with a chronic case of rabies.''

''Mongrels'' is a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Three]] production that started airing in 2010, which is, as it says in the ads, 'a puppet show for adults'. Indeed, the show does revolve around five [[{{Muppet}} puppet animals]] who hang out in the back of an inner city pub.

It was created by Adam Miller, who claims he wants 'to do for puppetry what American shows like ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' have done for animation'. The show's first season ran for eight episodes from June through August 2010, and the second season of nine episodes began with a double bill on the 7th of November 2011. It was not renewed for a third season.

* CrapsackWorld

** Played straight with a Citibank tower that can be seen repeatedly throughout the series.
** During a part of "Immigration Nation," Nelson sings "Is that a new Playstation?" Cut to a UsefulNotes/Playstation3.

* ArtisticLicenceMedicine: In Destiny's song 'Ugly Women Are Beautiful Too,' one of the lyrics refers to her fat friend having a thyroid gland that's "clearly over-active." An over-active thyroid would actually make you thin - it's an ''under''-active thyroid that makes you fat.

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: [[spoiler:Vince]] certainly acts like a puppydog around his... [[BerserkButton until someone insults her]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Vince might be a unrepentant racist, thief, murderer, and rapist, who assaults and mutilates other animals for kicks, but he draws the line at joining the BNP, as [[HypocriticalHumor hypocritical as it sounds.]]

* JailbaitWait: Part of the third episode revolves around this.

* RealityEnsues:
** No human character can understand the animals, and the animals understand their roles in the food chain. For example; the animals decide to attack the humans as part of a protest... only for the humans to defeat and kill them with ease because the animals are just a composition of woodland and urban creatures, while the humans are ''adults''. In other cases; the animals are amoral and will hunt each other or have indiscriminate sex.
** In one episode; Marion gets a girlfriend called "Lollipop", who is a 3-week old kitten, ''nobody'' supports this relationship and are rightly disgusted by it. Eventually, [[TheJailbaitWait the couple decide to wait until Lollipop reaches 4 weeks old to have sex]]. When Lollipop does finally reach the age of consent and the two can finally have sex legally... everyone is still disgusted by it due to the significant age gap between Lollipop and Marion, especially since Lollipop was still underage a few seconds ago.

* DeadlyDoctor: Tim the German Badger attends to the medical needs of the surrounding animals. He also appears to be a SerialKiller.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: "Oh god, I'm part of the problem..."

* RacistGrandma: With Nelson and an Elderly chicken.

** In one episode; Marion gets a girlfriend called "Lollipop", who is a 3 month old kitten, ''nobody'' supports this relationship and are rightly disgusted by it. Eventually, [[TheJailbaitWait the couple decide to wait until Lollipop reaches 4 months old to have sex]]. When Lollipop does finally reach the age of consent and the two can finally have sex legally... everyone is still disgusted by it due to the significant age gap between Lollipop and Marion, especially since Lollipop was still underage a few seconds ago.

'''Nelson:''' Yes, yes. Alright, [[Series/TheBasilBrushShow Basil]]. [[GoLookAtTheDistraction Look! A gray heron!]]\\

* BiTheWay: Marion ends up being quite sanguine about his Siamese "wife" [[UnsettlingGenderReveal turning out to be male]], and they decide to stay together by the end of the episode.

** And Vince claimed that the "circle stroke" was only the ''second'' gayest thing he'd seen Nelson (aka the [[WholesomeCrossdresser "Divine Miss Vulpine"]]) do in the last 10 days.[[note]]What he saw Nelson do was dress as Music/FreddieMercury.[[/note]] Though Nelson's also the least depraved member of the cast, [[BiTheWay so he'd just be bi]].

* SoundEffectBleep: Played straight and averted throughout the series. Most consistently done with Vince's favorite word.

** In one episode; Marion gets a girlfriend called "Lollipop", who is a 3 month old kitten, ''nobody'' supports this relationship and are rightly disgusted by it. Eventually, [[TheJailbaitWait the couple decide to wait until Lollipop reaches 4 months old to have sex]]. When Lollipop does finally reach the age of consent and the two can finally have legal sex... everybody is still disgusted by it because Marion is an adult cat, while Lollipop is a still kitten who was just underage a few seconds ago.

* ReadTheFinePrint: Nelson mistakes the intention of one of those "Adopt an endangered animal" campaigns and when explained exactly what it actually meant he comments that he should know better by now. Cue cutaway to Nelson agreeing to an iTunes update EULA and the GrimReaper demanding his first born.

* CutawayGag: Lots and rather frequently.
** [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Not that that's a bad thing of course.]]

* BerserkButton: Nelson and [[GrammarNazi poor grammar]], see [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltb_14CWqDA here]]. Also, Vince if anyone ever so much as insinuates that he may be a c***, or insults his mother.

** [[TropesAreNotBad Not that that's a bad thing of course.]]

* ShoutOut: The second episode in season two has Nelson and Marion as Creator/SimonPegg and Nick Frost in ''Film/ShaunOfTheDead''. Also, name of the Creator/RichardOBrien-voiced dog doing the [[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow Time Warp]] parody was Riff Raff.

** When Nelson goes to the petting zoo, we see a dead rabbit being carried away while Garfunkel's "Bright Eyes" plays, a la ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown''.

-->'''Kali:''' You can achieve a hell of a lot in life without any testicles!\\

'''Announcer:''' Ladies and Gentlemen, Michael Buble!

* VillainSong: Vince gets one in "Vince and the C***s Speech", singing about how much of a "c***" he is.

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Nelson, also known as The Divine Miss Vulpine