Season 2 • Episode 13
LatestThe Gang discover a prototype hover mower whilst clearing out Bob's shed. The major design fault is obvious when it burrows into the ground, creating a tunnel that leads all the way from the back garden to Australia. A shouting match with some dingos follows, at the end of which an enraged Bob accidentally throws Vince down the hole, precipitating an adventure of global proportions.
Rex the Runt is an animated claymation television show produced by Aardman Animations for BBC Bristol in association with EVA Entertainment and Egmont Imagination. Its main characters are four plasticine dogs: Rex, Wendy, Bad Bob and Vince. The series began with a short, Ident, in 1989 directed by Richard Goleszowski. After a long gestation period this developed into two unaired shorts and then thirteen ten-minute episodes that first aired over two weeks on BBC2 from December 1998. A second thirteen episode series aired from September 2001 on the same channel. As well as the core cast guest voices included Paul Merton, Morwenna Banks, Judith Chalmers, Antoine de Caunes, Bob Holness, Bob Monkhouse, Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Arthur Smith, June Whitfield, Kathy Burke, Pam Ayres and Eddie Izzard.
Practical Effects
Gloriously grotesque plasticine animation from Aardman's dark side
Writing
Absurdist dialogue that somehow makes zero and perfect sense
Sound
Vince's unhinged noises will haunt your dreams (fondly)
Creator
Richard Starzak
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Richard Starzak (credited as Richard Goleszowski) directed the original 1989 short while still at Aardman, making this his decade-long passion project before he co-directed Shaun the Sheep Movie.
This was Aardman's first adult-oriented series, essentially their answer to 'What if we made The Young Ones but everyone's a malformed dog?' BBC2 buried it in late-night slots despite the stellar guest cast.
GB
