Comic makes a series about feline friends

David Baddiel is to follow up his powerful Channel 4 polemic about antisemitism – with a new series about cats.

The broadcaster says the pets have long been overlooked on TV, and that this new three-part show, entitled Cat Man ‘sets out to challenge the marginalisation of moggies’.

The comedian said: ‘I’ve been in many meetings over many years with TV commissioners and at the end of them, they often say "and do you have any other ideas?" And I always say: "Yes, there should be a TV show about cats." And mostly they’ve laughed, thinking I’m joking. 

‘I’ve never been joking. 

‘There’s always been TV about dogs. Which is fine. But meanwhile there are 12.5 million pet cats in the UK. 29 per cent of households have a cat. The internet’s been won by cats, so why not TV? 

‘Anyway, finally, Channel 4 has realised I’m not joking and commissioned it. Which is great, because I just really love cats, and this will allow me to hang out with them a lot. 

‘I presently have four of my own, and I’m very, very happy to disprove the myth that someone with that many must be a mad old cat woman, by being on Channel 4 as an out and proud mad old cat man.’

One reason for the broadcaster’s change of heart could be that the show is to be ‘made in partnership with' Everypaw Pet Insurance.

The show is being made by Clarkson's Farm producers Expectation, whose creative director Ben Wicks called the series ‘a love letter to the best creatures on earth’.

‘Dogs have dominated our screens for decades and this show redresses the balance,’ he added. ‘Also, science says watching cats can reduce stress by up to 50 per cent so technically this show is medicine.’

Published: 10 Oct 2025