Ricky Gervais’ Animated Series ALLEY CATS Unleashes a Hilarious Gang of Foul-Mouthed Felines
If you've ever wondered what a group of foul-mouthed stray cats might talk about when humans aren't around, Ricky Gervais is ready to give you the answer.
Netflix has released the first trailer for Alley Cats, a new animated comedy series from Gervais that looks completely unhinged in some really fun ways.
Set to premiere on August 7, the six-episode series is being showcased this week at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where audiences will get an early look at what Gervais has cooked up.
Based on the trailer, it's clear that Alley Cats isn't aiming for family-friendly entertainment. In fact, it's about as far away from Top Cat as you can get.
The preview introduces viewers to a gang of feral British felines who spend their days hanging around, getting into trouble, and debating life's biggest questions.
Among the topics discussed are how they'd prefer to die, plans to take down an overweight child, and details of their previous night's adventures. The conversations are exactly as ridiculous and inappropriate as you'd expect from a project spearheaded by Gervais.
One cat casually answers the question of how he'd like to die with "a hand job," while another enthusiastically suggests, "let's bag us a little wagyu fat kid!" Elsewhere, one of the cats proudly announces, "I f*cked a rat."
The series is described as a slacker sitcom that follows a collection of cats from different walks of life as they navigate friendship, companionship, and the everyday absurdities of existence.
While they may be animals living on the streets, their conversations and struggles appear to be rooted in the same mundane observations and social frustrations that have fueled much of Gervais' comedy over the years.
Gervais voices one of the central characters, describing him as a "fat, lazy, rude, opinionated creature with fangs," which fits the comedian and his style of comedy perfectly.
Joining him is an impressive cast of frequent collaborators, including Tom Basden, Andrew Brooke, David Earl, Kerry Godliman, Jo Hartley, and Diane Morgan. The voice cast also features Natalie Cassidy and Tony Way.
Speaking about the series, Gervais shared his excitement, saying: “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a trailer. I can’t wait for everyone to get to know these cats.”
The series is co-directed by Elliot Dear, with animation provided by the award-winning U.K. studio Blink Industries, whose previous credits include Dead End: Paranormal Park and Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared.
Outside of his stand-up specials, Alley Cats marks Gervais' first television series as a creator since After Life concluded its three-season run on Netflix in 2022.
As you’ll see, he's returning with something that fully embraces his signature brand of irreverent humor, only this time it's being delivered through a pack of animated alley cats with absolutely no filter.
Alley Cats looks like it could become a favorite for fans who enjoy adult animated comedies that aren't afraid to get weird, crude, and surprisingly insightful all at the same time. I’m looking forward to this, it looks hilarious!