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, David is determined to redress the balance with his entertaining polemic, David Baddiel: Cat Man.
In this witty, warm and thought-provoking series, David sets out to challenge the marginalisation of moggies and prove they are worthy of more than internet memes.
As he embarks on a nationwide journey to meet extraordinary cats and their equally passionate owners, including celebrity cat-lovers, David 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, David, who once had a cat called Chairman Miaow, will uncover the rich personalities that make cats superior to all other species.
This is David’s love letter not just to his own beloved cats, but to cats everywhere. Because David is, and always will be, a true Cat Man.
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.”
