Warren United is a British animated comedy series that debuted on ITV in 2014. It was co-produced by Baby Cow Productions and Canadian-based animation house, Smiley Guy Studios. The show is unique in that it was ITV's first foray into full-length animated series. Created by Simon Nye, the show was designed to counterbalance the often too serious world of football on television, by focusing on the humorous and occasionally absurd elements of being involved in the culture of football fandom.

The series centers on Warren Kingsley, an average family man with an extraordinary love for Brainsford United, a dismally performing and fictitious football team. Warren's overly passionate and singularly obsessive love for his team often finds him at odds with the more practical concerns of home and work life but his dedication to his beloved United is unwavering. The show expertly weaves comedy with relatable slice-of-life elements that closely mirror the everyday challenges faced by hardcore football fans outside the television world.

Warren is a kitchen salesman by profession, his wife Ingrid is a local councillor, and they are parents to two children, Charlie and Harrison. Ingrid is mostly indifferent to her husband’s football obsession, while their teenage son Charlie couldn't care less about it. Their youngest child, Harrison, is the only other family member who shares Warren’s unyielding passion for Brainsford United. This setup fosters an intriguing family dynamic that leads to some hilarious situations and discussions, especially when Warren's passion for football often comes into conflict with routine family matters.

The show conveys an authentic portrayal of the British suburbs, along with the amiable and familiar humour that is signature to ITV. Warren United introduces a colorful array of characters, both within Warren's family and the wider Brainsford community. There’s his arch-rival and coworker, secondary school sweetheart and femme fatale Fitzy, his seemingly perfect and annoyingly successful brother-in-law Ralph, and many more.

Although primarily focused on football, the series does an excellent job of crafting storylines that do not alienate non-football fans. The football component serves more as a backdrop to navigate comedic elements and portray relatable family situations rather than a basis for in-depth athleticism. Warren Kingsley's primary antagonist is not on the football field, but rather in his everyday life, dealing with work pressure, family commitments, and societal expectations.

Warren United masterfully satirizes the world of football fandom, often focusing on its extreme manifestations. It highlights the absurdity of the hero worship commonly seen among fans and showcases the lows of supporting a team that seems doomed to perpetual failure – a feeling many real-life fans can relate to. The sharp witty writing combined with big-hearted characters guaranteed the show's appeal to a broad audience, extending beyond just football aficionados.

The animations in Warren United are colorful and playful, with expressive characters, glossy textures, and rich environments. The character design is done in a semi-caricature style, exaggerating the features of Warren and other characters in a way that is endearing and immediately recognizable. All the visual elements combined make watching the show an aesthetic treat.

The voice casting for the series features a host of talented actors who are well-versed in comedy. Darren Boyd, who voices the lead character Warren, delivers an exceptional performance. He is able to infuse life into his animated counterpart with a perfect blend of exasperation, obsession, and warmth. There is a great chemistry among the voice cast that translates well into the animation and adds another level of humor to the storytelling.

Warren United offers a unique take on the classic British sitcom by infusing it with animated fun, shifting the focus from the impersonal world of professional football to a personal, light-hearted narrative centered around one man's undying love for his haplessly bad football team. Its universal theme of passion versus practicality, battle of obsessions, and family dynamics, all set against the quirky world of suburban Britain, makes it a not-to-be-missed series venture from ITV in 2014.