Animals (U.S. TV series)

Animals.
Genre	Animated comedy
Created by	Phil Matarese; Mike Luciano;
Written by	Phil Matarese; Mike Luciano;
Directed by	Phil Matarese; Mike Luciano;
Voices of	Phil Matarese; Mike Luciano;
Composer(s)	Julian Wass
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	30 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mark Duplass ; Jay Duplass ;
Producer(s)	James Fino; Kenny Micka; Jen Roskind; Joe Russo; Josh Polon;
Running time	22–30 minutes
Production company(s)	Karen BBQ; Duplass Brothers Television ; Starburns Industries [1]
Release
Original network	HBO
Original release	February 5, 2016 –; October 5, 2018
External links
	Website

Last updated April 21, 2019

Animals. is an American animated 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.^[2] In May 2015, HBO picked the series up with a two-season order,^[3] which premiered on February 5, 2016.^[4] The series was renewed for a third season on May 19, 2017.^[5] Season 3 premiered on August 3, 2018. In October 2018, it was announced that HBO had canceled the series.^[6]

An independent film, independent movie, indie film or indie movie, is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies. Independent films are sometimes distinguishable by their content and style and the way in which the filmmakers' personal artistic vision is realized. Usually, but not always, independent films are made with considerably lower budgets than major studio films.

The Sundance Film Festival, a program of the Sundance Institute, takes place annually in Park City, Utah, the largest independent film festival in the United States with more than 46,660 attending in 2016. It is held in January in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as at the Sundance Resort. It is a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections, including NEXT, New Frontier, Spotlight, Midnight, Premieres, and Documentary Premieres.

HBO is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the namesake unit Home Box Office, Inc., a division of AT&T's WarnerMedia. The program which featured on the network consists primarily of theatrically released motion pictures and original television shows, along with made-for-cable movies, documentaries and occasional comedy and concert specials.

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 of a reporter investigating a virus outbreak 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:

Recurring

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

John Early is an American comedian and actor. He has appeared on 30 Rock as Jenna Maroney's son and in the independent film Fort Tilden. He stars in Search Party, which was written partly by Michael Showalter and also stars Alia Shawkat.

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Animals

Katie Aselton as Rebecca, Mom^[7]
Neil Casey as Principal Lief, a rat principal at the high school Phil Jr. and Mike attended in the first two seasons. He also played the human Executive 3, a Pestico employee that became the founding leader of the Labcoats in season 3 after Dr. Labcoat subjected him to a mutative strain of the Green Pill in season 2, and Reporter.
Jay Duplass as Dennis^[7]
Lauren Lapkus as Jacob, CO298^[7]
Jon Lovitz as Himself, Old Ben^[7]
Claudia O'Doherty as April^[7]
Mindy Sterling as Psychic Lady^[7]
Kurt Vile as Himself^[7]

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Episodes

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
Season		Episodes	First aired	Last aired
	1	10	February 5, 2016 (2016-02-05)	April 8, 2016 (2016-04-08)
	2	10	March 17, 2017 (2017-03-17)	May 19, 2017 (2017-05-19)
	3	10	August 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 2016, it holds a 60% "Fresh" rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 15 reviews, with an average of 6.3/10.^[10] On Metacritic, the series holds a rating of 54 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or above average reviews".^[11] 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."^[12] 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."^[13]

Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang. The name "Rotten Tomatoes" derives from the practice of audiences throwing rotten tomatoes when disapproving of a poor stage performance.

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References

↑ "How Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano Turned Their Ad Agency Side Project Into HBO's New Animated Series, 'Animals'". February 12, 2016.
↑ Andreeva, Nellie (January 20, 2015). "Animated Series 'Animals' Adds Indie TV Flavor To Sundance Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 29, 2015). "HBO Gives 2-Season Order To 'Animals' Animated Comedy From Duplass Brothers". Deadline. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
↑ "HBO Confirms Debut Date for Animated Adult Comedy Series "Animals"". The Futon Critic. November 25, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
↑ Petski, Denise (May 19, 2017). "'Animals' Renewed For Third Season By HBO". Deadline. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 17, 2018). "'Animals' Animated Series Canceled By HBO After 3 Seasons". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 "Animals". HBO . Retrieved April 3, 2016.
1 2 3 4 5 Radish, Christina (February 3, 2016). "Animals': 14 Things to Know About HBO's Bewildering Animated Series". Collider.com. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
↑ 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.
↑ "Animals : Season 1 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 18, 2016.
↑ "Animals: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved February 18, 2016.
↑ Ryan, Maureen (February 3, 2016). "TV Review: 'Animals'". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
↑ Wiegand, David (February 1, 2016). "'Animals' cuts the cute, but remains wildly kooky". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 10, 2016.

External links

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "How Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano Turned Their Ad Agency Side Project Into HBO's New Animated Series, 'Animals'". February 12, 2016.

[2] Andreeva, Nellie (January 20, 2015). "Animated Series 'Animals' Adds Indie TV Flavor To Sundance Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved February 14, 2016.

[3] Andreeva, Nellie (May 29, 2015). "HBO Gives 2-Season Order To 'Animals' Animated Comedy From Duplass Brothers". Deadline. Retrieved January 2, 2016.

[4] "HBO Confirms Debut Date for Animated Adult Comedy Series "Animals"". The Futon Critic. November 25, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2016.

[5] Petski, Denise (May 19, 2017). "'Animals' Renewed For Third Season By HBO". Deadline. Retrieved May 31, 2017.

[6] Andreeva, Nellie (October 17, 2018). "'Animals' Animated Series Canceled By HBO After 3 Seasons". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 17, 2018.

[Animals_Cast_and_Crew-7] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 "Animals". HBO . Retrieved April 3, 2016.

[Collider-8] 1 2 3 4 5 Radish, Christina (February 3, 2016). "Animals': 14 Things to Know About HBO's Bewildering Animated Series". Collider.com. Retrieved April 3, 2016.

[9] 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.

[10] "Animals : Season 1 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 18, 2016.

[11] "Animals: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved February 18, 2016.

[12] Ryan, Maureen (February 3, 2016). "TV Review: 'Animals'". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2016.

[13] Wiegand, David (February 1, 2016). "'Animals' cuts the cute, but remains wildly kooky". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 10, 2016.