Cows

During interviews from the early 1990s onwards, Eddie Izzard frequently mentioned that she was working on a sitcom featuring a family of cows. This was initially met with general incredulity but as time passed it became apparent that he was serious. Izzard had been inspired by Gary Larson's comic strips and his portrayal of the animals as having human atributes.

The comedian collaborated with Nick Whitby on the scripts and had high hopes for the project. She expressed the ambitious intention that it would be a cross between Planet Of The Apes and The Simpsons. The show would contain a mixture of the prosthetics of the former and the off-the-wall humour of the latter.

A pilot episode was commissioned by Channel 4 and produced by Ella Communications. A herd of successful and gifted actors were convinced to appear as the bovine brood including Pam Ferris, James Fleet and Kevin Eldon. Sally Phillips was also cast as Pinky, the human girlfriend of one of the beasts, and the hiring of experienced hand Geoff Posner as director also appeared to bode well for the programme's future.

The first installment, a one-hour pilot, was broadcast on January 1st 1997 and received a distinctly mixed reception. Some critics did praise the show due to its innovative concept but most were scathing in their condemnation. Viewers were also largely unimpressed with the central idea of the sitcom, and it was criticised as having been flawed from the start.

Izzard had originally intended to make a full series and with Whitby worked on five more scripts. However, the reaction to that first episode meant that Channel 4 were not willing to continue with the project and it was unceremoniously cancelled.

In the years since its broadcast, Izzard has been reminded about the comedy by several interviewers and discussed its failings. She has opined that the masks worn by the actors prevented them from fully emoting and detracted from the human qualities that they may have had. She has been able to laugh about the show's lack of success, and it has not stopped her from continuing to be one of the most successful comedians in the world.