Ridiculous, yes. Kiddie, also yes. Non-cerebral, agreed. Nevertheless, its unadulterated amusement. I find myself guffawing aloud many times through an episode of Planet’s Funniest Animals.
I am not an avid TV viewer. I rather keep my views on the Saas Bahu, Kundli- Janam-patri type soaps to myself, as they don’t make polite reading. I surf, watching a channel for 25 seconds or so. Only few programmes make me disengage my hand from the remote and Planet’s Funniest Animals is one of them.
This is a serial for all those who aren’t in the least bit concerned about animals’ conjugal or reproductive habits, threat to endangered species, or whatever intricate details pertaining to animals you’ve never seen and probably won’t ever. Instead, it is non-stop fun involving animals in routine life. A series of their uproarious antics captured on candid camera with absolutely and unapologetically no educational content.(Unlike the more ‘intelligent’ animal shows)
What an amazingly hilarious range of fauna populates this show.
I never knew dogs were so ridiculously funny. Falling over themselves, chasing their own tails, singing (actually), splashing water around and making a general nuisance.
Ducks, who poke their beaks at people’s behinds as they waddle, are so dumb you just can’t stop laughing. Ditto the horses and cows. A cow in this show ate leaves off weak tree branches, till parts of the tree dismantled on it.
Cats for some reason, go hiding in cardboard boxes, getting their heads stuck in the small ones. Mice, Hamsters pigeons etc all upto silly animal antics.
The host, Matt himself can’t seem to believe the whale of a time he is having. Looks like he is trying to stop himself from rolling on the floor laughing at all those daft creatures. Quite unlike Steve, (Crocodile Hunter), who hugs the ugliest reptiles and exclaims, “ Isn’t she a beauty?”
Funniest episodes:
A playful puppy biting away half ingested food from a baby’s mouth leaving the poor tot bawling.
A bird tucking in paper strips resembling artificial feathers in its tail, to make itself look more attractive.
A dog tearing newspapers to shreds (Somebody please give this dog Bombay Times)
Cats playing with string (old hat but always amusing)
You don’t even have to be an animal lover to like this show. At first the show may seem like a rip off on those shows on funny home videos. But home videos mostly feature only humans who aren’t half as amusing, plus the situations in them seem rehearsed. While animal behavior is more spontaneous and natural.
This is one funny show. Funnier than other animals who try to be funny (like Govinda or any sitcom actor)