Stressed Eric
Encyclopedia
Stressed Eric is a British/American
/New Zealand cartoon series
that was produced by Absolutely Productions
for the BBC Two
television channel in the United Kingdom
and the Television New Zealand
. The series revolves around Eric Feeble, a middle class
man who is always stress
ed, because of his family, work, co-workers, etc. The animation for the first season was carried out by American
studio Klasky Csupo
. It is also the first ever animation series to be re-dubbed into the same language (British English to American English).
housekeeper, Maria, is an eighteen-year-old Portuguese woman with a serious drinking problem; despite Eric's frequent attempts to keep her under control and focused, she seems to be passed-out drunk for hours at a time, often sprawled on a floor. His ex-wife, Liz, left him for a Buddhist, but she insists on phoning him up incessantly, which merely adds to his growing stress level. The next-door neighbours, the wealthy, successful and snobbish Perfect family, provide him a constant and painful view of what his life could have been.
Eric's workplace is absolutely no escape from his everyday problems. His boss, Paul Power (known as PP), is loud, rude and demanding; he has demoted Eric from Assistant Manager to a low-level clerk in an office sandwiched between the janitor's closet and the men's washroom. His secretary, Alison, is completely useless, spending all her "working hours" making and taking personal phone calls and shrilling rudely at Eric when he requests her attention.
At the end of almost every episode, as the climax of events cause Eric's stress to reach breaking point, the throbbing vein emerges from his temple and wraps itself around his neck, strangling him.
Eric is a kind, well-meaning man who loves his children. Although bitter and sarcastic about many aspects of his life, Eric genuinely tries to make the best out of situation and deeply loves his children, going to great lengths to make them proud. However he normally fails due to no fault of his own, and the rare times he actually does well, something always happens to ruin it.
Due to her allergies she has to eat special regulation food and is always sneaking ordinary food, which immediately makes her swell up.
In one episode she made an exception to this and after mistakingly saying eric was at a funeral actually bothered to remember to say that ehe was at the dentist. Ironically this got eric in trouble as secretly he was going for a job interview
A US adaptation replaced Mark Heap's voice with that of Hank Azaria
.
Stressed Eric was bought by NBC
and adapted for American audiences. The BBC described it as "the first British animated sitcom to make it on to prime time US TV." Some episodes were shown in August, 1998, but they were received poorly despite concessions such as replacing the lead character's voice with famous American voice actor Hank Azaria
and changing the storyline to an American in London. Reviewers compared it unfavorably to The Simpsons
and South Park
.
Stressed Eric continued when Hibbert Ralph produced the second season, but however, Klasky Csupo did not participate due to budgeting constraints.
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
/New Zealand cartoon series
Cartoon series
A cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme...
that was produced by Absolutely Productions
Absolutely Productions
Absolutely Productions is a television production company formed in 1988 by Morwenna Banks, Jack Docherty, Moray Hunter, Pete Baikie, John Sparkes and Gordon Kennedy, all of whom were the cast of British television comedy sketch show AbsoluTEly....
for the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
television channel in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
. The series revolves around Eric Feeble, a middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
man who is always stress
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
ed, because of his family, work, co-workers, etc. The animation for the first season was carried out by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
studio Klasky Csupo
Klasky Csupo
Klasky Csupo, Inc. is a multimedia entertainment production company located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, founded by artist/producer, Arlene Klasky and animator, Gábor Csupó.- History :...
. It is also the first ever animation series to be re-dubbed into the same language (British English to American English).
Overview
Eric Feeble is 40 years old, still upset over his divorce two years ago, lives in a middle class London house, and is always being kept under extreme amounts of pressure and stress from all aspects of life, represented by a throbbing vein in his temple. His two children, Claire and Brian, plague him with fear and worries every day. Claire is a frail six-year-old who is allergic to a large range of things such as wheat, ponies, spices etc., while Brian is a ten-year-old with learning problems who has been kept back three straight years in school and has an oral fixation. The family's au pairAu pair
An au pair is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use...
housekeeper, Maria, is an eighteen-year-old Portuguese woman with a serious drinking problem; despite Eric's frequent attempts to keep her under control and focused, she seems to be passed-out drunk for hours at a time, often sprawled on a floor. His ex-wife, Liz, left him for a Buddhist, but she insists on phoning him up incessantly, which merely adds to his growing stress level. The next-door neighbours, the wealthy, successful and snobbish Perfect family, provide him a constant and painful view of what his life could have been.
Eric's workplace is absolutely no escape from his everyday problems. His boss, Paul Power (known as PP), is loud, rude and demanding; he has demoted Eric from Assistant Manager to a low-level clerk in an office sandwiched between the janitor's closet and the men's washroom. His secretary, Alison, is completely useless, spending all her "working hours" making and taking personal phone calls and shrilling rudely at Eric when he requests her attention.
At the end of almost every episode, as the climax of events cause Eric's stress to reach breaking point, the throbbing vein emerges from his temple and wraps itself around his neck, strangling him.
Main characters
- Eric Feeble - Stressed out divorced father of two children.
Eric is a kind, well-meaning man who loves his children. Although bitter and sarcastic about many aspects of his life, Eric genuinely tries to make the best out of situation and deeply loves his children, going to great lengths to make them proud. However he normally fails due to no fault of his own, and the rare times he actually does well, something always happens to ruin it.
- Claire Feeble - Daughter of Eric; allergic to just about everything. Despite this she is an intelligent, curious, playful little girl.
Due to her allergies she has to eat special regulation food and is always sneaking ordinary food, which immediately makes her swell up.
- Brian Feeble - Son of Eric; has yet to learn to talk and is always putting things in his mouth.
- Maria Gonzalez - The Feeble family's punk-looking live-in au pairAu pairAn au pair is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use...
; she is PortuguesePortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and always drunk or hungover. She also uses alcohol as perfume in the episode "Potato".
Major characters
- Liz - Eric's eccentricEccentricity (behavior)In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
ex-wife. - Ray Perfect - Snobbish and "perfect" next-door neighbour of Eric. Shares Eric's workplace but is senior and consistently praised for his fine work.
- Mrs. Perfect - Snobbish wife of Mr. Perfect. Catchphrase: "How art thou, Eric?"
- Heather Perfect - Snobbish daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Perfect.
- Paul Power, a.k.a. P.P - Boss of Eric who is usually very angry. Catchphrase: "Double arseburgers, Eric!"
- Alison - Eric's useless secretary who spends all her time on the telephone gossiping to friends.
In one episode she made an exception to this and after mistakingly saying eric was at a funeral actually bothered to remember to say that ehe was at the dentist. Ironically this got eric in trouble as secretly he was going for a job interview
- Doc - Eric's dementedly relaxed doctor, more interested in chasing women than treating Eric. He is the closest thing Eric has to a best friend.
- Mrs. Wilson - An old lady who slowly tries in vain to post a letter, whereupon it always falls from her hand and into a drain, sometimes with Eric to blame. Catchphrase: "Morning, Mister Eric. Just off to the post..."
Voice cast
- Mark HeapMark HeapMark Heap is an English actor. He began his acting career in the 1980s as a member of the Medieval Players, a touring company performing medieval and early modern theatre, and featuring stilt-walking, juggling and puppetry...
as Eric Feeble (UK) & (NZ) - Morwenna BanksMorwenna BanksMorwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
as Claire Feeble and Heather Perfect - Rebecca FrontRebecca FrontRebecca Front is a BAFTA Award–winning English comedian and actress best known for her performances in The Thick of It in the late 2000s, and series of critically acclaimed satirical comedies in the early 1990s: On The Hour, The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You...with Alan Partridge...
as Liz Feeble - Gordon KennedyGordon Kennedy (actor)Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh...
- Doon MackichanDoon MackichanDoon Mackichan is an English comedienne and actress.-Biography:Born in London, Mackichan was brought up in Surrey until the age of 9 when she moved with her family to Upper Largo, Fife. She is a graduate of Manchester University...
as Maria Gonzalez and Alison Scabie - Geoffrey McGivernGeoffrey McGivernGeoffrey McGivern is an English actor in film, radio, stage and television. He was born in Balham, South London and grew up in York. There he attended Archbishop Holgate's School, where he was made Head Boy...
as Caleb and Paul Power - Paul ShearerPaul ShearerPaul Shearer is a British actor who is best known as a member of the Fast Show team. His best-known roles on that programme are as a newscaster and a variety show host on the European television parody sketch 'Chanel 9'....
as Doc - Alison SteadmanAlison SteadmanAlison Steadman OBE is an English actress. She established her career with roles such as Beverley in Abigail's Party and Candice Marie in Nuts in May for the director Mike Leigh, to whom she was once married. In addition to her stage and radio work, she has had lead roles in The Singing Detective,...
Mrs Perfect
A US adaptation replaced Mark Heap's voice with that of Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
.
TV history
The show was first broadcast on BBC2 in April, 1998 and ran for two series.Stressed Eric was bought by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and adapted for American audiences. The BBC described it as "the first British animated sitcom to make it on to prime time US TV." Some episodes were shown in August, 1998, but they were received poorly despite concessions such as replacing the lead character's voice with famous American voice actor Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
and changing the storyline to an American in London. Reviewers compared it unfavorably to The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
.
Stressed Eric continued when Hibbert Ralph produced the second season, but however, Klasky Csupo did not participate due to budgeting constraints.
Series 1
- Nativity - April 20, 1998
- Sex - April 27, 1998
- Pony - May 11, 1998
- Hospital - May 18, 1998
- Potato - June 1, 1998
- Tidy - June 8, 1998
Series 2
- Cricket - August 31, 2000
- Bursting - September 6, 2000
- Team - September 13, 2000
- Tent - September 20, 2000
- Crush - September 27, 2000
- Au Pair - October 4, 2000
- Drool - October 11, 2000
DVD Release
The Complete Stressed Eric Collection was released on DVD in the UK on May 2, 2011, with the following Special Features:- The Story of Stressed Eric
- Drawing the Characters with Stig Bergqvist
- Audio Commentaries
- Animatic of Nativity Episode
- BBC Trails
- Storyboard Excerpt from Pony Episode