'The Office' Creator Returned With a New Project, but It Turned Out to Be a 20%-Rated Disaster

On August 7, Netflix released all six episodes of the adult animated series Alley Cats from The Office creator Ricky Gervais.

Gervais is known for his lighthearted humor and silly social commentary, and the promo material for Alley Cats featured cynical, foul-mouthed furry creatures and promised a bold satire in the vein of BoJack Horseman. However, the result was a rather different kind of beast.

What Is 'Alley Cats' About?

Gus is a cynical, lazy street cat. His gang includes the pugnacious Fang and Puke, a scrawny nymphomaniac. They hang out with Olive, Gus' dim-witted, sincere, and feisty stepsister, and Rupert, a refined house cat.

During one of their outings, this motley crew encounters a cute female kitten who has lost her way. As they try to find her home, the cats find themselves in various amusing situations.

'Alley Cats' Is Full of Vulgarity Instead of Satire, and Depression Instead of Humor

The promo suggested that Alley Cats would be a bold and vulgar satire – a new BoJack Horseman with a more down-to-earth setting. However, the balance of the new show is noticeably off.

In the first half of the season, the focus shifts too heavily toward vulgar jokes, some of which are appropriate while others are simply tiresome. It's as if the writers couldn't come up with anything more original than a drawn-out discussion of cat genitals.

It's surprising to realize that behind all this ridiculous humor is the man who invented the jelly-covered office supplies.

In the second half, the series calms down, using fewer jokes and focusing on the characters' emotional development. Jokes and individual plot lines are interspersed with social critiques of modern society, but the messages are too frivolous and cliched.

'Alley Cats' Didn't Live up to Its Own Potential

Alley Cats is a captivating idea with great unrealized potential. The concept of the TV scenes was clever and could have been developed into a hilarious satire and the street cats' perspective on human reality promised to breathe new life into familiar themes.

However, the execution lacked the inventive plot twists needed to break up the series of flat, vulgar jokes. The entire season seemed like a rough draft of an idea that Gervais might develop in a possible another season.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Alley Cats'?

• Alley Cats has 20% from critics and 66% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 6.8/10.

Where to Watch 'Alley Cats'?

Alley Cats is available to stream on Netflix.