I can't say I'd ever even heard of the web series that proceeded the full run of this channel four show. But following the good reviews I've seen online, and recommendations from my friends and decided to give the series at try. I'm so glad I did, as it's just the sort of creepy, surrealist nightmare that I enjoy.
Three friends (... I guess) Red Guy, Yellow Guy and Duck are in the kitchen of their house. Each week, a guest arrives to teach them a lesson about an aspect of life.
Damn, that's the smallest and vaguest description of a show that I've ever done. To do better, "DHMIS" takes the form of a puppet show, in the manner and quality of the sort you might see on CBeebies. It's bright primary colours, it's a charming look, stop motion animation and excellent puppetry. All of that work is top notch and, had the creative team been so inclined, they could have easily made a straightforward educational show. But the show is something else and dare I say, something darker.
It begins, almost immediately to play with its own form, songs take unusual turns and catch one of the characters out, they begin to question how they arrived in a new set, and why they're just going along with things. Then some deeper horror elements arrive, dark sad individuals, unsettling character models and occasional moments of violence and gore. Then some elements of almost a mythology arrive, what is happening upstairs - and on the levels above that?
I can understand if it's a bit divisive. Because it appears so specifically to my sense of humour, I'd assume that there will be tranches of people it just doesn't connect with. But I want to catch up on the YouTube stuff and get into those ahead of a season two I hope is forthcoming.
