Stressed Eric

Forgotten TV & Film · 1998

Published

Stressed Eric was a British adult animated black-comedy sitcom created by Carl Gorham for BBC Two. Its first documented transmission was “Nativity,” shown at 10pm on Monday 20 April 1998; the original run totalled 13 episodes across two series. Mark Heap voiced Eric Feeble, an overwhelmed divorced middle-class father in London whose stress vein could emerge and strangle him. NBC later broadcast a substantially adapted United States version of the first series.

Why It Mattered

It is a clear example of a British-to-US television adaptation that changed more than its lead voice. The NBC version made Eric American, replaced Heap with Hank Azaria, altered material for US broadcast standards and fitted episodes to a commercial-network format. The complete 13-episode UK run was preserved on a three-disc DVD collection in 2011, while Stressed Eric’s Guide to Stress Management gave the series an unusual afterlife on BBC audio.

Original BBC Two Run

- First transmitted on BBC Two at 10pm on Monday 20 April 1998 with “Nativity.” - Two series ran across 1998 and 2000, comprising 13 episodes. - The original British Eric was voiced by Mark Heap.

NBC Localisation

- NBC debuted its adapted US version on 12 August 1998. - Hank Azaria replaced Mark Heap as Eric’s voice in the US version. - NBC aired three episodes before removing the programme from its schedule.

Releases

- Stressed Eric: The Complete Collection, BBCDVD3317, was issued as a three-disc Region 2 DVD on 2 May 2011. - The DVD catalogue lists all 13 episodes, commentaries, an animatic, BBC trails and storyboard material. - BBC Digital Audio catalogued Stressed Eric’s Guide To Stress Management, credited to Carl Gorham and Michael Hatt.

Associated With

Carl Gorham / BBC Two - creator or production company

Defining Feature

Eric Feeble’s stress vein

Status

Discontinued - Ended after two series

Primary Records

- **Carl Gorham — Animation** - **Stressed Eric’s Guide To Stress Management**

Image Sources

- **Image 1** - **Image 2** - **Image 3** - **Image 4**

Rights Notice

Images are included for historical and archival reference. Rights holders may contact Forgotten Archive through the publishing account to request a credit correction or removal.

Gallery

Animated image of Eric, a red-haired cartoon man with bulging eyes and clenched teeth, standing with both hands raised against a cloudy grey sky; coloured triangular bunting appears at right.
Source
Credit

MUBI

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

Stressed Eric’s alarmed expression embodies the programme’s central joke: everyday life repeatedly overwhelms its animated lead.

Close-up portrait of a smiling man with short dark hair wearing a striped collared shirt against an orange background.
Source
Credit

Hank Azaria portrait supplied via Plex; photographer not identified

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

Hank Azaria's portrait accompanies the American adaptation of Stressed Eric, for which he provided the lead character's voice.

Photograph of a DVD case titled “The Complete Stressed Eric Collection,” showing an animated red-haired man at a desk covered in papers while holding a telephone.
Source
Credit

Stressed Eric programme and DVD artwork; product photograph supplied via eBay, photographer not identified

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

A complete-series DVD gathered Stressed Eric's episodes into a home-video release, preserving a short-lived adult cartoon beyond its original broadcasts.