Stressed Eric

This is a class program. It was all everyone talked about when it was on, but I am dismayed to hear that Eric's wonderful London/middle class accent was dubbed for the American version! Plum, forgotten plum, but a plum never the less!!!

just so Lee47 isn't the only one to make a comment, I decided to voice my opinion about dear ole Eric aswell. This series is truly brilliant, the humour is warped as hell and the animation is fanrtastic. It follows the life of Eric, a harrassed single father, with a normal curious young daughter and a slightly less than normal young son who tends to eat anything that isn't nailed down. The au pair is superb, a totally neurotic girl, who goes out gets drunk, takes drugs etc etc. The story lines are great with Eric usually ending up, as the title suggests, stressed out, no matter what he does to avoid it. Watch for the old granny who tries and fails to post her letter each week.

This series comes a very close second to an animated film that's just come out called Ogri, if you get the chance see either of them they are both brilliant.

Unfortunately, this BBC-2 show was picked up by NBC who, like most networks, have a tendency to take a show from abroad and tweak it into useless American drivel. NBC felt that Americans had no desire to see a British guy getting upset. Hank Azaria was brought in to perform the voice of Eric. The opening sequence was changed from the original British version. Music and all. The new opening shows a montage of Eric (the American) moving to England, marrying, and having kids. In addition to dramatically changing the lead character NBC also dropped 4-5 minutes from each episode to accommodate for its commercial spots. The show was by no means brilliant, but it did contain some good gags, and occasionally exceedingly clever dialog. Eric's home life consisted of a psychotic ex-wife fighting for everyone/things rights, a hyper-allergenic daughter, a son who puts everything in his mouth, a sex-crazed (and often missing) nanny, a constantly enraged boss, and his aptly named next door neighbors the Perfects. The show is worth watching, but it's placement in NBC's "Must See TV" prime-time line-up was a bit misguided. This show would be better placed in the Fox Sunday night line-up. It would likely have found a home.

A TV programme which doesn't seem to have got the recognition it deserves, which is a pity, as it is the best original creation for years. The series is based around Eric Feeble, 40-year-old divorced father who, as the title suggests, is forever under strain. At home he has to cope with his alcoholic au pair, autistic son and a daughter who is allergic to just about everything. Added to that are Eric's hippy ex-wife who keeps turning up when he least expects it, and next-door neighbours the Perfects, who seem to make it their business to out-shine Eric at every turn. At work things are no easier. The quite irritatingly handsome and wonderful Ray Perfect is a highly successful executive at Eric's place of work, Eric's secretary is forever on the telephone organising her social life, and the boss. P.P. (who is incidentally my favourite character in this series, apart from Eric himself) rules the business with an iron rod. Other regular characters include Eric's psychiatrist Doc (an age-ing swinger) and elderly neighbour Mrs Wilson, who's trips out to post a letter always end in disaster.

There is plenty of biting humour and some great comedy moments. Storylines include a nativity play, an old flame of Eric's turning up, a desperate hunt for a potato, a parents V pupils cricket match and many more. What makes this series stand out is the fact that comedy is combined with darker undertones, reflections on the pressures of modern-day life and the cast of interesting, genuine and often not unsympathetic characters. A second series was broadcast in 2000. Let's hope for a third.

When I first saw this show in the UK I thought it was about time someone in Britain made a decent animated show. Watched it on the BBC till it was over. But then when I moved out here I was very disappointed to hear that the American network that was broadcasting it had decided to re-dub Eric's voice, not only that but to my memory the also decided to put a laugh track to it. Sure Hank Azaria is a great person for voices but thats on the Simpsons, leave the British to do what we do good. And that includes grammar