Invasion Of The BodyScratchers

From design to storyboard to final animation. This was a fun project to work on and our clients were enjoyed the process. The brief was to put the presenter in danger at every turn. Scientist Dr Mike Leahy joins Sky One for a hair-raising exploration into the world of parasites in a gruesome science series like no other. Invasion of the Bodyscratchers follows Dr Leahy (Horizon, Rough Science) on his quest to find out how parasites invade our bodies, and occasionally take over our minds.

Donating his body to the science of parasitology, Dr Leahy becomes host to some of the most interesting and disgusting bloodsuckers imaginable, from microscopic single-celled bugs to four metre long giants. Persuading friends and family members to join his parasite growing experiment Dr Leahy creates biological mayhem in his home country of Oxfordshire.

In episode one, playing October 21st at 10pm, Dr Leahy investigates common or garden parasites that colonise the outside of our bodies and lurk in and around our homes. Leahy demonstrates even the cleanest human is essentially a human zoo. Head lice, fleas, tics, maggots and bed bugs are shown in alarming detail via a high tech scanning electron microscope which is bound to send a shiver down your spine.

On October 28th episode two sees Dr Leahy take on one of his biggest challenges as he delves into the world of internal parasites. In the name of science Dr Leahy sets himself the challenge of growing a tape worm, which at the end of 10 weeks reaches 217cm! Other unwelcome guests include cryptosporidium, toxocara and toxoplasma

The final episode, playing November 4th at 10pm looks further a field to foreign parasites. Whilst we’re all prepared for mosquitoes when abroad this episode may make you reconsider your holiday plans. Dr Leahy hunts out the bot fly, tumbu fly and kissing bug, and what must be one of the most feared parasites on the planet – the candirú fish. Found only in the Amazon River this parasite forces its way into the body’s passageways following the trail of urine. Once inside the candirú fish becomes impossible to remove and eats away at membrane and tissue until the host dies from a haemorrhage.

From the domestic head lice to the exotic Brazilian bot fly and the potentially mind-altering toxoplasmosis Sky One’s Invasion of the Bodyscratchers is a hands on science series not for the squeamish!

We developed a full graphics package for Scream Films. Title sequence, break bumpers, stings and graphic beds for text.