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Don't Hug Me I'm Scared - TV series (All 4 - Sept 12th)

keptbybees

By keptbybees,
in Film, TV & Radio

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keptbybees

keptbybees

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dont_hug_me_im_scared_tv_crop.jpg.ede2285ca24a019b910382e9d231b30a.jpg

 

 

I haven't seen much news about this, which I guess isn't a surprise given that the original web series is over 6 years old now, but I was excited to find out this week that there is going to be an actual 6 episode series of 'Don't Hug Me I'm Scared' (DHMIS) streaming on All4. All episodes should be going up on the 12th September but I think they will only be available to stream and not shown on anything else, which is a shame.

For those who haven't seen anything about the original videos on YouTube, DHMIS is about the three main characters (above) who appear to be taking part in some form of children's show but with a very dark side to it. There were originally 6 web videos which outlined the original story, with things getting darker as it went on. I'm not sure if they are going to be direct canon with the new show but the videos are fairly short and well worth a watch on their own.

 

The new trailer:

 

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keptbybees

keptbybees

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Sorry I hadn't realised there was already a thread. I did a quick search and went back through the TV thread for a bit and hadn't seen anything. Happy for the mods to merge or delete if needed.

 

Anyway, this seems to have been delayed until later in the month now, there is a bit more in the Off Topic thread linked above. 

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dug

dug

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2 hours ago, hmm said:

Should the original web series be watched before this or is this some kind of expanded version of them anyway?

 

I don't know the answer to that question because I haven't watched the TV series yet, but the total running time of the web series is 30-odd minutes, so you might as well watch them anyway.

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PK

PK

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On 24/09/2022 at 08:33, hmm said:

Should the original web series be watched before this or is this some kind of expanded version of them anyway?

 

On 24/09/2022 at 11:17, dug said:

 

I don't know the answer to that question because I haven't watched the TV series yet, but the total running time of the web series is 30-odd minutes, so you might as well watch them anyway.

 

Yeah you can watch the web series within half an hour and in the context of the TV series it sort of works as an episode in its own right.

 

There's so, so much in this, I think I'm genuinely a bit overwhelmed by it all being available in one go 😅 Will be slowly rewatching it for a while I think

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LeighCb

LeighCb

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I never bothered watching this on YouTube but I have enjoyed watching this on More 4. It is very bleak. I love the puppetry and the voice acting. Much better than I was expecting. The dialogue and all of the little interruptions are amazing. 

 

"Look, he's one of those guys who has one of himself"

 

And the duck character is a perfect take on a classic Henson performance, like Hoggle from Labyrinth or something. 

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Timmo

Timmo

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18 minutes ago, LeighCb said:

I never bothered watching this on YouTube but I have enjoyed watching this on More 4. It is very bleak. I love the puppetry and the voice acting. Much better than I was expecting. The dialogue and all of the little interruptions are amazing. 

 

"Look, he's one of those guys who has one of himself"

 

And the duck character is a perfect take on a classic Henson performance, like Hoggle from Labyrinth or something. 


You really should watch the YouTube series, probably 25 mins in total.

 

The duck is easily my favourite character and I love his voice so much. 

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Stig

Stig

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I've watched the Family epsiode twice now and I binged all the YouTube shorts too. Was cracking up at episode 4

 

"Wow look a line graph

Digital style

Do a digital dancing, hey this is fun

Wow look a bar graph

Digital style

Do a digital dancing, hey this is fun"

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Spatial

Spatial

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I've just finished the Friends episode and it now feels to me like the series is hitting is stride after a wobbly start. I dunno if it's been down to the changes made to fit the format, or the longer format itself.

 

Family felt more like it, but not as dark and creepy as I expected (not that it wasn't still both of those things). I properly laughed at the end of Friends, that felt more like the theming of the Youtube episodes and a bit more off the wall.

 

Red guy is actually really funny in this too.

 

I still find it fascinating about how much of a rough ride this had getting to Telly, honestly I should just over the moon that it got made at all.

 

I didn't realise they'd scrubbed the Wakey Wakey short from the face of the Internet and that people had pieced together half the first episode from potato cam / Sundance footage.  If you watch the below, a pre-warning that there's some obnoxious forced guffawing from the person filming;

 

 

I still think that feels more in line with the Youtube episodes but apparently they didn't like the South Park 'open' feel. That strangers song is excellent tho :D

 

 

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LeighCb

LeighCb

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On 26/09/2022 at 18:46, Timmo said:


You really should watch the YouTube series, probably 25 mins in total.

 

The duck is easily my favourite character and I love his voice so much. 

 

I'll give them a watch.

 

Those kids from episode three remind me of these two from Reeves & Mortimer.

 

 

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PK

PK

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23 hours ago, Spatial said:

I've just finished the Friends episode and it now feels to me like the series is hitting is stride after a wobbly start. I dunno if it's been down to the changes made to fit the format, or the longer format itself.

 

Family felt more like it, but not as dark and creepy as I expected (not that it wasn't still both of those things). I properly laughed at the end of Friends, that felt more like the theming of the Youtube episodes and a bit more off the wall.

 

Red guy is actually really funny in this too.

 

I still find it fascinating about how much of a rough ride this had getting to Telly, honestly I should just over the moon that it got made at all.

 

I didn't realise they'd scrubbed the Wakey Wakey short from the face of the Internet and that people had pieced together half the first episode from potato cam / Sundance footage.  If you watch the below, a pre-warning that there's some obnoxious forced guffawing from the person filming;

 

 

I still think that feels more in line with the Youtube episodes but apparently they didn't like the South Park 'open' feel. That strangers song is excellent tho :D

 

 

 

That's so interesting, I had no idea they'd actually followed up on that Wakey Wakey video before taking it in a different direction. Personally I think I'm glad they did -

I think the series works much better as single metaphorical episodes very loosely tied together, to me that seems closer to the Youtube shorts. That pilot seems to be a more traditional structure with randomness thrown into it - in fact it's so different to the shorts that I wonder if it was a ploy to get commissioned? Is there a good summary or interview anywhere covering the rough ride you mentioned?

 

I'm surprised you didn't like the first couple of episodes though, the Work one is absolutely incredible. I just stared at my keyboard in utter desolation for the first hour or so on Monday morning!

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PK

PK

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On 26/09/2022 at 20:38, Stigweard said:

"Wow look a line graph

Digital style

Do a digital dancing, hey this is fun

Wow look a bar graph

Digital style

Do a digit dance, hey this is fun"

 

ffs I shouldn't have read this just before bed, I'll still be singing it in my head at 3am

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Spatial

Spatial

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48 minutes ago, PK said:

 

That's so interesting, I had no idea they'd actually followed up on that Wakey Wakey video before taking it in a different direction. Personally I think I'm glad they did -

I think the series works much better as single metaphorical episodes very loosely tied together, to me that seems closer to the Youtube shorts. That pilot seems to be a more traditional structure with randomness thrown into it - in fact it's so different to the shorts that I wonder if it was a ploy to get commissioned? Is there a good summary or interview anywhere covering the rough ride you mentioned?

 

I'm surprised you didn't like the first couple of episodes though, the Work one is absolutely incredible. I just stared at my keyboard in utter desolation for the first hour or so on Monday morning!

 

I finished up the last two tonight. Overall I've enjoyed it but annoyingly I still can't articulate what I think is missing. There wasn't an episode that I thought was bad or boring, it just felt like it lacked some of the... punch... of the YT series. Perhaps the initial creep / surprise factor has gone for me and this didn't seem to fully roll into it as hard as I would have wanted.

 

That said, the themes are still strong but perhaps some of the delivery is a bit more subtle.  I wonder if its because, in my head, I was expecting something like Wakey Wakey, until I discovered after the first few episodes they'd change it.  I think I need to watch it all again really and I'm still hoping for more.

 

If the Wakey Wakey style wasn't working I can totally get behind them on that - you can see even with potato-cam that they put so much effort into that pilot, so they wouldn't junk the whole idea for no reason.

 

The articles up on the Guardian website - worth a full read, but the bit about Wakey Wakey is here

 

Quote

An unexpected detour helped them clarify what they wanted the TV series to be. Back in 2016, they made a pilot with a US company. It had a town and neighbours and was “a bit South Park”, says Sloan. “We also made an attempt, and I’m going to whisper this, because it almost sounds like a dirty phrase, to get an element of current affairs into it,” says Terry.

 

But the timelessness and claustrophobia of the originals was missing. Writing the new version during the pandemic, often over Zoom, may have helped recapture that oppressive vibe. “It was very strange writing a show about characters stuck inside during a time when we were all stuck inside,” says Pelling. “So maybe there are points where we did actually go insane.”

 

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/sep/12/people-might-cry-welcome-to-the-hilariously-creepy-world-of-dont-hug-me-im-scared

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Straps

Straps

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Finished this tonight and I think it is absolute brilliance, in all honesty. I don't think there's a single bit that felt like filler. Even though it isn't new, it still feels fresh, and I'm really surprised at how it just didn't feel like four minutes being dragged out over 30.

 

I can't work out if I hope they do more, because even just in a statistical sense there's a very real risk of the quality dropping.

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Alan Stock

Alan Stock

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Binged this all tonight. I thought the web series was great and amazingly they've managed to translate it to full length episodes perfectly. Instead of just relying on a musical number or two you get proper (mad) stories, lots of jokes and of course some funny tunes as well. The dark, weird and horrifying is here in full force too which is great to see - although I agree its not as hard hitting as the Youtube series in that regard. Loads of creativity (lets get creative!) and I love the characters. I think the comedic timing is brilliant.

 

Also this was absolutely beautiful as many of you have already attested (Ep 6 spoiler):

Spoiler

 

 

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