Comedian David Baddiel Declares Himself ‘Cat Man’

It’s a purr-litical movement now.

After years of being politely ignored in pitch meetings — and probably silently judged by dogs — comedian David Baddiel is finally bringing his feline crusade to television. Channel 4 has greenlit a three-part documentary series titled David Baddiel: Cat Man, in which Baddiel sets out to prove that cats aren’t just couch ornaments with emotional issues, but actually deserve serious screen time.

The show follows him as he roams across the UK, meeting cats with big personalities and humans who proudly live under their rule. Expect famous faces with even more famous cats, some feline social media influencers raking in more money than their owners, and a few segments where the cats completely ignore the cameras — as is tradition.

Baddiel isn’t just here to show us cute kittens, though. He’s on a mission to challenge the classic “crazy cat person” stereotype — including, as he puts it, the less acknowledged “mad old cat man.” He himself owns four cats, and would like everyone to know that this does not make him a recluse. At least, not entirely.

He also wants to explore the big question: why has TV always been so biased toward dogs? Dogs get whole reality shows. Cats get memes. And while memes are great, Baddiel believes it’s time cats got the respect they deserve — and he’s apparently willing to travel the country to make it happen. He’ll also delve into the mysterious workings of the feline brain: what they think, what they feel, and why they sprint across the house at 3am like ghosts are chasing them.

The show is being produced by Expectation for Channel 4, and yes, it’s backed by a pet insurance company called Everypaw — because nothing says serious cat journalism like a good pun.

According to Baddiel, this idea has been sitting in his back pocket for years. He says he’s pitched a cat show to TV execs countless times, and they always assumed he was joking. Turns out, he wasn’t. Not even a little bit. Now, with 12.5 million pet cats in the UK and nearly 30% of homes having at least one, it seems TV is finally catching up with reality — and the internet, which has been running on cat content since approximately 2006.

The producers even claim there’s a scientific reason to watch: apparently watching cats can reduce stress by up to 50%. Which means this show is technically therapy, and probably tax-deductible if you squint hard enough.

This isn’t a new phase for Baddiel, either. He’s written about his lifelong love of cats, including a heartfelt essay about how they helped him through grief, and once adopted his late father’s cat — a decision that caused a bit of drama among his other, less impressed pets.

So what’s the vibe going to be? Somewhere between affectionate tribute and light existential crisis. There’ll be awkward interviews, cats walking off mid-scene, and probably a few moments of deep philosophical pondering about the human-feline bond. It might be moving. It might be ridiculous. Hopefully both.

David Baddiel: Cat Man is coming soon to Channel 4. And honestly, if there’s one man who can get cats to sit still on camera… it’s probably still not David Baddiel. But we appreciate the effort.