Comedian, writer and lifelong cat devotee David Baddiel is on a mission to put our feline friends firmly in the spotlight in a new three-part series made by Expectation for Channel 4.
The internet may have crowned cats as the undisputed champions with over 20 billion views on YouTube alone, but television has long favoured their canine counterparts. Now, he is determined to redress the balance with his entertaining polemic, David Baddiel: Cat Man.
As he embarks on a nationwide journey to meet extraordinary cats and their equally passionate owners, including celebrity cat-lovers, Baddiel will explore how these incredible creatures have worked their way into the hearts of millions. Along the way he’ll tackle misconceptions, get to grips with feline philosophy and find answers to the questions he has about cats and their uniquely amusing behaviour.
From cats with outstanding talents to famous felines who are earning more than their owners, he will uncover the rich personalities that make cats superior to all other species.
David Baddiel said: “I’ve been in many meetings over many years with TV commissioners and at the end of them, they often say ‘and do you have any other ideas?’ And I always say: ‘Yes, there should be a TV show about cats.’ And mostly they’ve laughed, thinking I’m joking. I’ve never been joking. There’s always been TV about dogs. Which is fine. But meanwhile there are 12.5 million pet cats in the UK. 29% of households have a cat. The internet’s been won by cats, so why not TV? Anyway, finally, Channel 4 has realised I’m not joking and commissioned it. Which is great, because I just really love cats, and this will allow me to hang out with them a lot. I presently have four of my own, and I’m very, very happy to disprove the myth that someone with that many must be a mad old cat woman, by being on Channel 4 as an out and proud mad old cat man.”
Jayne Stanger, Senior Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, said: “I couldn’t be more excited to have commissioned this series. It’s a complete joy to work with David Baddiel and the team at Expectation who are all as mad about cats as I am.”
Ben Wicks, Creative Director, Entertainment, at Expectation, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be working with David Baddiel and Channel 4 on this warm, funny series – a love letter to the best creatures on earth. Dogs have dominated our screens for decades and this show redresses the balance. Also, science says watching cats can reduce stress by up to 50%, so technically this show is medicine.”
David Baddiel: Cat Man (3×60’) is an Expectation production for Channel 4. It was commissioned by Jayne Stanger, Senior Commissioning Editor, Lifestyle at Channel 4, with Jo Street, Director of Commissioning, Nations and Regions and Channel 4’s Head of Lifestyle. The executive producers are Ben Wicks and Dom Wells Martin, the series producer is Jo Maney, the series director is Charlie Graham and the line producer is Claire Fletcher. It was developed by Amy Dallmeyer and Morwenna James. The series is being made in partnership with Everypaw Pet Insurance. All3Media International is the worldwide distribution partner.
Pippa Considine
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