'Mutants' by Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding

Animals are mysteriously disappearing at the Zoo-Niverse, and zookeeper Joey Moose is kidnapped while investigating a noise in the Reptile House. The following morning, Mrs Gideon asks Vince for help in finding her missing python, just as Bollo disappears in the middle of having his portrait painted. Meanwhile, Bob Fossil takes the stolen python to Dixon Bainbridge’s secret laboratory, where his boss is busy creating bizarre animal hybrids; after learning that Joey Moose has also been used in an experiment, Bob unwittingly lets one of the horrifying mutants escape, and receives a beating from Bainbridge for his mistake. Later, Bob tells his staff that Joey Moose was killed by the python; but Mrs Gideon refuses to believe him, and so Howard resolves to find out the truth with Vince’s help. Talking to a cobra, Vince goes into a trance and sees what the snake saw the previous night: Bainbridge stole the python, and was forced to kidnap the inquisitive Joey when he was discovered. Howard trails Bainbridge through the zoo, but only succeeds in getting kidnapped too; when Howard awakes he finds himself strapped to a table in Bainbridge’s lab, about to have his head spliced to the body of a snake in his boss’ latest mad experiment…

Noel Fielding (Vince Noir / Mutant), Julian Barratt (Howard Moon), Michael Fielding (Naboo), Rich Fulcher (Bob Fossil / Squid Mutant), Peter Elliott (Bollo), Matt Berry (Dixon Bainbridge), Victoria Wicks (Mrs. Gideon), Dave Brown (Joey Moose / Big Nose Mutant), Peter Kyriacou (Zookeeper / Furry Faced Mutant), Emma Tomero (Zookeeper), Taylor Wright, Clemmie Hooton, Dean Mitchell (Zoo Keeper)

Directed by Paul King
Produced by Alison MacPhail and Spencer Millman
Associate producers Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding
Executive producers Steve Coogan and Henry Normal
Original Music by Julian Barratt
A Baby Cow production for BBC Three

TX (BBC3):
25th May 2004

Notes:
*Featuring Vince Noir, Howard Moon, Naboo, Bollo and Bob Fossil