Category: 2000s

Animated short: Anthropomorphic Dog on the London Underground

~ UnidentifiedWeirdTV ~ 1 Comment

Today we continue our exploration into the dark recesses of televisual and psychological do-they-or-don’t-they-exist mysteries, with this UWTV memory submitted by one of our followers, Kirsty Asher, of a strange animated claymation short film about an anthropomorphic dog, seen on TV around the turn of the millennium.

Over to Kirsty!

“I have searched and searched for evidence this animated short exists because I definitely remember watching it, but haven’t managed to locate any stills or IMDb clues. It would have been late 90s, possibly early 00s. No idea what channel it was on I was probably about 7 or 8 when I watched it.

It was a claymation short about an anthropomorphic dog (I think he was a black labrador?), living in London and he gets on the Underground with his CD Walkman. All the other background characters were some form of anthropomorphic animal, at least as best as I can remember. Puts his headphones on when he gets on the tube and falls asleep, has weird, trippy nightmares that he thinks are really happening, then when he wakes up he realises the tube’s reached the end of the line and he’s locked in the carriage. I remember it ending with him all stressed and banging on the doors of the carriage.

I realise this is such a vague synopsis to go on but I’m hoping someone might remember!”

As this sounds like a particularly intriguing, and possibly disturbing production, it would be well worth identifying and locating this animated short.

Does anyone else recall seeing this? Or does anyone know the title or have access to a copy?

UPDATE (03/04/25) – It seems someone else remembers this production and is looking for it, going from this thread on Reddit (click to read). According to this Reddit user, the dog’s dreams featured him in a time machine controlled by a computer, travelling to three different periods in the future, the final one of which features a meteor falling from the sky, which hits before the dog can get back into his time machine, causing him to wake up. The ending apparently sees the dog running out from the tube carriage yelling “I need to tell people about my prophecy!”

As of yet, other users on the thread above have not been able to identify this piece of lost media.

If you can help us out, please respond below or send us an email!

Image Credit: “Metal Dog” by oliva732000 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Unidentified Short Film: Man Trapped in River

~ UnidentifiedWeirdTV ~ 2 Comments

Today’s UWTV memory comes from one of our blog followers, Stephanie Owens, who is looking on behalf of a friend for a strange short film or sketch, thought to have been shown on Channel 4, about a man trapped in a river.

This one may be slightly outside of our usual 1970s-90s range as the person who saw this thinks it was around 2002-2005 that they saw this. But it is certainly weird and seems to echo of classic Hauntology-era TV weirdness, so it is definitely worth an entry on UWTV.

So over to Stephanie, to relay the memory from her friend:

“Some time in the early 2000s – probably around 2002 – 2005 is a good time frame – there was a TV sketch (I think it was a Channel 4 thing) that revolved around a man that needed to be rescued from drowning. 

It is daytime and this man stands with water above his waist in a still river or canal, and is unable to move. Two men approach, walking along the towpath, wearing what seems to be Orthodox Jewish clothing. The man in the water asks for help, the two men realise that as it is the Sabbath they cannot help unless he is in danger. The man in the river considers his situation but does not think he is in immediate danger. The man in the water comes up with several suggestions including throwing the lifesaving ring, but the other men still say that as it is considered work, they can’t do that. The three enter into a dialogue to discuss the situation and to explore if there is an alternative. I believe it ended with no solution, and the man is left standing in the river.” 

This piece of lost media seems to echo of the much-emulated classic La Cabina, with its themes of someone becoming trapped, and unhelpful passers-by. Though it sounds from the description as though this one may have taken a more comedic approach as opposed to horror like the latter film and its many imitators.

Does anyone else recall seeing this film/sketch/clip, or know what it was or where to find it?

If you are able to help us identify this piece of lost media, please respond below or email us!