''Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show!'' is an

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

skitcom Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and i ...

television show that aired on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

from 28 October 2001 to 18 February 2002. The show was created by

David Freedman David Freedman (April 26, 1898 – December 8, 1936) (aged 38) was a Romanian-born American playwright and biographer who became known as the "King of the Gag-writers" in the early days of radio. Biography David Freedman was born in Botoşan ...

and Alan Gilbey after the greeting card line about a painfully honest demon created by cartoonist Hugh MacLeod. The basic format was a series of sketches linked by the eponymous Mr. Hell, a

Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...

-esque host voiced by comedian

Bob Monkhouse Robert Alan Monkhouse (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including ''The Golden Shot'', ''Celebrity Squares'', ''Family Fortunes'' and '' ''Wipeout'. Early ...

– the last series before his death in 2003. Mr. Hell delights in making his guests as miserable as possible, and also discusses his own personal problems, to add to the general sense of desolation. Notable characters in the series include Josh, voiced by

Jeff "Swampy" Marsh Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (; born Jeffrey Kent Dudman; December 9, 1960) is an American animator, writer, director, producer, and voice actor. He is known for several animated television series, most notably as an executive producer and the voice of ...

, who attempts to start a discussion about

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...

before inevitably getting killed, and Serge the Fashion Industry Seal of Death (an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

), who wants to take revenge on the fashion industry for killing his parents. Mr. Hell also regularly appears in his own sketches, some featuring his illegitimate son Damien, and Damien's mother Angela, an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

Episodes

Awards

* 2001 Houston World Festival ''Platinum Remi Award'' winner * 2001

Leo Award The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...

winner for ''Best Animation Program or Series'' * 2002

Gemini Award The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States ...

winner for ''Best Animated Program or Series''

References

External links

* *{{British Comedy Guide, tv, aaagh_its_the_mr_hell_show 2000s British adult animated television series 2000s British animated comedy television series 2000s British television sketch shows 2000s Canadian adult animated television series 2000s Canadian animated comedy television series 2000s Canadian sketch comedy television series 2001 British television series debuts 2002 British television series endings 2001 Canadian television series debuts 2002 Canadian television series endings British adult animated comedy television series British flash animated television series Canadian adult animated comedy television series Canadian flash animated television series English-language television shows BBC Television shows