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Jungle (television episode) |
Directed by Paul King |
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Series One Episodes: All episodes: 1 • 2 • 3 |
Jungle is the fifth episode of Series One, originally broadcast on 15 June, 2004, on BBC Three. It re-used material from the Jungle episode of the radio series. It also contains the first appearance of Rudi, a major character in The Priest and the Beast. The episode was preceded by Tundra and followed by Charlie.
Synopsis
Howard is reminiscing about his mentor and former owner of the zoo, Tommy, who supposedly met his end falling into the ocelot pit at feeding time. This passed ownership of the zoo to Dixon Bainbridge. He mistrusts these rumours. Vince, however, seems more concerned with his new look: the Mod. Howard is quick to admonish him; apparently Tommy was a Rocker. Still fondly remembering his old friend and his habit of questioning everything, Howard starts to annoy Vince. But does he really start to annoy Vince?
Later, Howard learns from Bob Fossil that Bainbridge is selling the zoo to make way for a new road. Howard thinks this is unlawful: technically, he says, Tommy is still the owner of the zoo because his body was never found. Fossil shows Howard a contract that proves that in the event of Tommy's disappearance, and after 10 years, ownership reverts to Bainbridge. Meanwhile, Naboo drops a mysterious necklace for Vince to find outside the Jungle Room.
Fossil telephones Bainbridge to warn him that Howard has been asking questions about Tommy. Bainbridge tells him that if he finds Howard investigating the Jungle Room, he must lock him in it and leave him to the wolves, just like "last time".
As a farewell gift, Vince gives the necklace he found to Howard, who immediately recognises it as Tommy's. Vince tells him where he found it, and Howard realises Tommy must be hidden in the Jungle Room. Suitably equipped, the pair break into the abandoned attraction to look for the zoo's rightful owner. Unfortunately, the pair have a trademark falling out, and split up.
Vince finds Rudi, a mystical jazz fusion guitarist, who gives Vince a pipe to test his honesty. Vince passes the test by giving it back. Pleased, Rudi helps Vince by taking him some of the way to Howard. He gives him back the pipe and demonstrates a short tune that will call Rudi to his aid, should he find himself in trouble. When he fails to find his friend, Vince blows what he thinks is Rudi's tune. Actually, it is the tune for the local locksmith, though luckily he is able to give Vince directions to Howard.
Howard has found Tommy, though at first he didn't regonise him in his hooded robe. When Tommy reveals his face, it appears that his entire head is made from cheese. This is a result of a calcium build-up, caused by eating too much cheese. Vince, the mod, arrives, enraging Tommy, the rocker. Unfortunately, it appears the years of solitude have sent Tommy quite mad, but Howard and Vince still attempt to bring him back to the zoo to stop the sale. When Tommy is unable to continue, Howard has to grate him to death, carrying the shavings back to the zoo in a bag.
As soon as Howard is finished, the pair are ambushed by wolves. Luckily, they are Mod Wolves, and Vince is King of the Mods. The wolves take Howard and Vince to the front gate of the Jungle Room, only to find it has been locked by Fossil. Vince remembers the tune for the locksmith, who arrives and opens the door for them. They rush to Fossil's office where Bainbridge is finalising the sale with some business people. The pair offer Bainbridge some of the Tommy-zola cheese, and he accepts. Tommy's spirit invades Bainbridge, and the man of action becomes stuck in a questioning loop, unable to stop questioning anything that is said. Exasperated, the business people leave, and the deal falls through. But does the deal really fall through?
Minor characters featured
Tommy Nooka
You are what you eat, and Tommy is freaking cheese. But is he really freaking cheese? He is the former owner of the zoo and Howard's mentor. He is a rocker dwarf with a massive deposit of cheese on his head. Tommy may have become hideous, but when he dances, his inner beauty shines through. Tommy is probably not lactose intolerant, and asserts that cheese is not suitable for vegetarians. Tommy's surname is not mentioned aloud in this episode, but can be seen on the contract that Fossil shows Howard. Tommy was originally played by Richard Ayoade in the radio episode, Jungle, in which Tommy's surname is heard. But is it really heard?
The Mod Wolves
Fearsome to most people, but helpful to any mod they find, the Mod Wolves are snappy dressers, with great taste in music and retro scooters. As King of the Mods, Vince is revered as a god.
The Locksmith
Vince accidentally summons the locksmith by blowing the wrong tune on the pipe. The locksmith gets this all the time, because he's on doo-dee-dah, and Rudi's on doo-dee-doo. The locksmith accepts several forms of payment, including all major mystical pipes. He usually carries change.
Others
- The Business People - who are very busy, and don't have time for Bainbridge's constant questioning.
- Über-Mod - adorns the cover of Mod Monthly, and is actually modelled by Chris Corner of the Sneaker Pimps and IAMX.
Songs featured
Original music
- "Mod Wolves" – an instrumental that the Mod Wolves dance to. Originally heard as backing music to a song in the radio episode of Jungle.
Crimps
- "Calm a Llama Down" – Vince and Howard reminisce about the time that Howard got off with that llama.
External links
- "Jungle" at the Internet Movie Database
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