Three Netflix shows to watch if you loved ‘Alley Cats’
Ricky Gervais has officially made his Netflix comeback this week with his new adult-animated series Alley Cats, and it’s safe to call it ferally hilarious.
The Netflix Original black comedy follows a super-lazy, ginger tomcat named Gus and his ragtag crew of foul-mouthed stray cats living in a run-down house who reluctantly join forces to help a lost kitten find her way back home.
While Alley Cats is easily one of the most anticipated releases of the week, now that it’s out and about, it makes sense to ask what’s next?
Well, if you enjoyed the unfiltered blend of crude, irreverent humour and comedic sensibilities, here are three more chaotic Netflix shows to follow up after Alley Cats.
Three Netflix shows to binge after Alley Cats:
Exploding Kittens (2024)
Since Alley Cats focuses on a specific species of the animal kingdom, the immediate follow-up on Netflix would undoubtedly be Exploding Kittens, co-created by Matthew Inman and Shane Kosakowski. The adult animated fantasy comedy, inspired by Inman and Elan Lee’s tabletop card game of the same name, follows an ultimate war between good and evil when supreme celestial beings are cast down to Earth and forced to live as domestic felines.
While trapped in the bodies of chunky house cats, they move in with the Higgins, a highly dysfunctional human family. As they try to fit into the world of mortals, the divine and demonic cats manipulate family members and compete for control. Exploding Kittens tracks the escalating absurdity that plagues the human world when Godcat and Devilcat test every possible boundary to continue their cosmic rivalry.
Mating Season (2026)
Similar to Alley Cats, Mating Season, from the creative team behind Big Mouth, is also set in the animal kingdom. The adult animated romantic comedy series is set against the backdrop of a wild forest and tells the story of four eccentric, diverse animal friends – Josh the bear, Ray the raccoon, Fawn the deer, and Penelope the fox as they navigate the chaotic world of dating, sex, and finding the one.
Like Alley Cats, Mating Season pairs cute anthropomorphic critters with raunchy, R-rated jokes. Even more importantly, the rom-com inclines heavily towards relationship satire, punching dark comedy with absurd physical gags as the animal kingdom makes peace with the annual pressures of pairing rituals, underscoring a journey of growth and maturity.
BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)
Speaking of anthropomorphic animals of Alley Cats, how can we even forget BoJack Horseman? Set in a satirical version of the City of Angels, where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, the adult animated tragicomedy follows the washed-up, depressed star of a 1990s family sitcom, BoJack, who turns to heavy substance abuse, profound cynicism and self-sabotage as he struggles to revamp his personal and professional life.
Despite the hardships and his self-loathing characteristics, BoJack is determined to resurrect his career and regain his celebrity momentum with a tell-all memoir. So, if you want anthropomorphic animals paired with sharp satire, dark existential themes, and flawed characters like the strays of Alley Cats, BoJack Horseman, which chronicles the protagonist’s rise, fall, and reckoning, fits the bill unlike any other.