Animals (American TV series)

Animals is an American adult animated[2] comedy television series created by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano. The first two episodes were independently produced and presented at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2015.[3] In May 2015, HBO picked the series up with a two-season order,[4] which premiered on February 5, 2016.[5] The series was renewed for a third season on May 19, 2017.[6] Season 3 premiered on August 3, 2018. In October 2018, it was announced that HBO had canceled the series.[7]

"Animals." redirects here. For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation).

Animals
GenreComedy
Created by
  • Phil Matarese
  • Mike Luciano
Written by
  • Phil Matarese
  • Mike Luciano
Directed by
  • Phil Matarese
  • Mike Luciano
Voices of
  • Phil Matarese
  • Mike Luciano
ComposerJulian Wass
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes30 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • James Fino
  • Kenny Micka
  • Jen Roskind
  • Joe Russo
  • Josh Polon
Running time22–30 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkHBO
Original releaseFebruary 5, 2016 (2016-02-05) –
October 5, 2018 (2018-10-05)

Plot

Each episode features a different cast of special guests, along with creators Matarese and Luciano playing various animals. The show features retroscripting and improvised dialogue based on plot outlines. Each season also has a story arc featuring humans in live-action sequences, such as a corrupt mayor and the events leading to his reelection in season one.

In season two, the human story arc concerns a reporter investigating a virus outbreak created by mad scientist Dr. Labcoat, who is forced to release a gas that dissolves all human life in New York.

In season three, which takes place three years after the dubbed "Green Day" incident, the animals of New York have formed their own governments while they are being observed by two soldiers who are losing their grip on reality.

Cast

Main
  • Phil Matarese as himself
    • Humans: Private Matarese
    • Rats: Phil Jr. Also portrayed Phil Jr.'s biological father in the first episode.
    • Pigeons
    • Cats: Emperor Phil, a sociopathic cat who was initially the mayor's cat. Also portrayed Phil, a mafia cat who took over the family business.
    • Dogs
    • Flies
    • Squirrels
    • Roaches
    • Worms
    • Horses
  • Mike Luciano as himself
    • Humans: Private Luciano
    • Rats: Mike, Phil Jr's best friend. Also portrayed Phil Jr.'s grandfather in his youth.
    • Pigeons
    • Cats: Emperor Mike, a sociopathic cat who was initially the mayor's cat. Also portrayed Mike, a mafia cat leaving organized crime.
    • Dogs
    • Flies
    • Squirrels
    • Roaches
    • Worms
    • Horses

Humans
  • RuPaul Charles as Dr. Labcoat, the antagonist of season two's human storyline. A scientist of the unscrupulous conglomerate Pesci Co., Labcoat arranged for an epidemic in New York to sell the 'Green Pill' to enslave the populace. But after being exposed, Labcoat ends up destroying himself when he wiped out the human populace of New York. Posthumously, he established the Labcoat terrorists of season three.
  • John Early as The Assistant, Dr. Labcoat's aid and accomplice.
  • Demi Moore as The General, the antagonist of season three's human storyline.
  • Mel Rodriguez as The Lieutenant

Animals

Guest stars

Episodes
Main article: List of Animals episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
110February 5, 2016 (2016-02-05)April 8, 2016 (2016-04-08)
210March 17, 2017 (2017-03-17)May 19, 2017 (2017-05-19)
310August 3, 2018 (2018-08-03)October 5, 2018 (2018-10-05)

Critical reception

The first season has received positive reviews from critics. As of April 2020, it holds a 68% "Fresh" rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews, with an average of 6.5/10.[13] On Metacritic, the series holds a rating of 54 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or above average reviews".[14] Maureen Ryan of Variety gave the first season a negative review, writing, "The animated HBO show has a lot in common with programs like Girls, Louie, and Baskets, and like Togetherness, it boasts Mark and Jay Duplass as executive producers. But the extraordinarily tedious Animals., unlike those shows, fails to hit any of its chosen targets. It is unfunny, its animation is unexceptional and the studied banality of its dialogue is excruciating."[15] Conversely, David Wiegand in the San Francisco Chronicle gave the season a positive review, writing, "The deadpan approach only enhances the delicious off the wall comedy of Animals. The series is batty and brilliant as it turns the whole notion of anthropomorphic cartoon animals on its fuzzy ear."[16]

See also

References
  1. "How Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano Turned Their Ad Agency Side Project Into HBO's New Animated Series, 'Animals'". February 12, 2016. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  2. "Animals - TV Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. February 8, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  3. Andreeva, Nellie (January 20, 2015). "Animated Series 'Animals' Adds Indie TV Flavor To Sundance Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  4. Andreeva, Nellie (May 29, 2015). "HBO Gives 2-Season Order To 'Animals' Animated Comedy From Duplass Brothers". Deadline. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  5. "HBO Confirms Debut Date for Animated Adult Comedy Series "Animals"". The Futon Critic. November 25, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  6. Petski, Denise (May 19, 2017). "'Animals' Renewed For Third Season By HBO". Deadline. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (October 17, 2018). "'Animals' Animated Series Canceled By HBO After 3 Seasons". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  8. "Animals". HBO. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  9. Radish, Christina (February 3, 2016). "Animals': 14 Things to Know About HBO's Bewildering Animated Series". Collider.com. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  10. Nguyen, Hanh (March 1, 2017). "'Animals' Trailer: Season 2 Throws Down With Emilia Clarke, Judy Greer, Rupaul and Dan Harmon". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  11. ""Animals." Rats (TV Episode 2016) - IMDb". IMDb.
  12. ""Animals." Rats (TV Episode 2016) - IMDb". IMDb.
  13. "Animals : Season 1 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  14. "Animals: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  15. Ryan, Maureen (February 3, 2016). "TV Review: 'Animals'". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
  16. Wiegand, David (February 1, 2016). "'Animals' cuts the cute, but remains wildly kooky". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 10, 2016.

Further reading
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