Ricky Gervais has marked the success of his animated series "Alley Cats," which has reached the number one spot on Netflix, shortly after its release on Friday. Gervais shared his excitement on Instagram, posting a screenshot of the show's ranking and expressing his gratitude to his fans. "Oh. My. God. I've never been so happy. Best fans in the f***ing world," he wrote.
The short-form animated sitcom centers on a group of London street cats. Gervais, 65, described the characters as "unwanted" to "add to the pathos and the jeopardy," aiming for viewers to "root for them straight away." He characterized the premise as a "typical British sitcom class conflict," where uneducated, streetwise cats interact with a more educated, middle-class pet.
Despite its popularity on the streaming platform, "Alley Cats" has been met with predominantly negative reviews from major critics. Reviewers have criticized the series for being an "exhausting, unfunny mix of excessive profanity and unearned, manipulative sentimentality."
Critics pointed to a lack of a coherent storyline, with some noting a plot involving a lost kitten that the gang promises to help. Deborah Ross of the Daily Mail gave the series one star, stating that "something has gone very wrong with Ricky Gervais." Tom Percival of Metro also awarded one star, calling the show "lazy claptrap" from a comedian he previously considered a "comedy genius."
Louis Chilton of The Independent questioned Gervais's ability to produce work as brilliant as his earlier successes like "The Office." Matt Maytum of NME described the series as "a cross between a sitcom and a Pixar movie. But with swearing." Jack Seale of Radio Times commented on the "mix of raucous crudeness and simplistic sentimentality," suggesting it has become Gervais's signature style but does not make "Alley Cats" more appealing. Emily Baker of The iPaper opined that the show failed to evolve Gervais's "old man yells at cloud" persona, delivering "the same old provocative rubbish."