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BoJack Horseman

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BoJack Horseman
File:BoJack Horseman title card.jpg
GenreAdult animation
Animated sitcom
Dramedy
Black comedy
Satire
Created byRaphael Bob-Waksberg
Voices ofWill Arnett
Amy Sedaris
Alison Brie
Paul F. Tompkins
Aaron Paul
Theme music composerPatrick Carney featuring Ralph Carney
Opening theme"BoJack Horseman Theme"
Ending theme"Back in the 90's (BoJack's Theme)" by Grouplove
ComposerJesse Novak
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes37 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersWill Arnett
Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Aaron Paul
Steven A. Cohen
Noel Bright
Running time25–26 minutes
Production companiesThe Tornante Company
Boxer vs. Raptor
ShadowMachine Films
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseAugust 22, 2014 (2014-08-22) –
present

BoJack Horseman is an American adult animated sitcom created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. The series stars Will Arnett as the title character, BoJack Horseman. The supporting cast includes Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. The series' first season premiered on August 22, 2014, on Netflix, with a Christmas special premiering on December 19. The show is designed by the cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt, who had previously worked with Bob-Waksberg on the webcomic Tip Me Over, Pour Me Out.[1]

Despite giving the series mixed reviews upon its debut, critics were notably more positive towards the second half of the first season. Less than a week after its initial release, Netflix renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on July 17, 2015, to critical acclaim. On July 28, 2015, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on July 22, 2016.[2] The series was renewed for a fourth season, scheduled to premiere in summer 2017.[3]

Episodes

Main article: List of BoJack Horseman episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
112August 22, 2014 (2014-08-22)
SpecialDecember 19, 2014 (2014-12-19)
212July 17, 2015 (2015-07-17)
312July 22, 2016 (2016-07-22)
412September 8, 2017 (2017-09-08)
512September 14, 2018 (2018-09-14)
6168October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)
8January 31, 2020 (2020-01-31)

The series takes place mostly in the Los Angeles area, specifically, in Hollywood (later known as "Hollywoo" after the 'D' in the Hollywood Sign was stolen in romantic gesture). In a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals live side by side, BoJack Horseman, the washed-up star of the 1990s sitcom Horsin' Around, plans his big return to celebrity relevance with a tell-all autobiography that he dictates to his ghostwriter Diane Nguyen. BoJack also has to contend with the demands of his agent and on-again-off-again girlfriend Princess Carolyn, the misguided antics of his freeloading roommate Todd Chavez, and his frenemy Mr. Peanutbutter, who is also Nguyen's boyfriend. The series satirizes Hollywood, celebrity culture, and the film industry.

Characters

Main article: List of BoJack Horseman characters

Main characters

  • BoJack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett) – A self-loathing 52-year-old alcoholic horse whose acting career peaked when he starred in a successful show called Horsin' Around, a 90s family sitcom. Though he began as a young bright-eyed actor, he has since grown bitter, deeply depressed, and jaded towards Hollywood and who he has become post-fame. Bojack has been shown to be caring and insightful, but his insecurities, loneliness, and desperate need for approval often result in self-destructive actions that devastate those around him.
  • Princess Carolyn (voiced by Amy Sedaris) – A pink Persian cat who is BoJack's agent and former on-and-off girlfriend. Earnest and unflagging, Princess Carolyn was a top agent at Vigor Agency through her dogged pursuit of new talent and large network of odd personal connections. Though she struggles to find a balance between work, her troubled personal life, and taking care of Bojack and her friends, she enjoys her fast-paced hectic lifestyle.
  • Diane Nguyen (voiced by Alison Brie) – A human ghostwriter, misunderstood intellectual, and a Vietnamese-American third-wave feminist from Boston who lives with her rich and famous boyfriend (and later husband), former sitcom star Mr. Peanutbutter. While writing BoJack's memoir, he and Diane initially develop a strong friendship that becomes increasingly awkward and strained after BoJack develops romantic feelings for her.
  • Mr. Peanutbutter (voiced by Paul F. Tompkins) – An energetic and cheerful yellow Labrador Retriever who is BoJack's former sitcom rival and Diane's boyfriend (and later husband). Mr. Peanutbutter was the star of Mr. Peanutbutter's House, which, according to BoJack, "borrowed the premise" from Horsin' Around. He had a stint at filming a celebrity reality show called Peanutbutter and Jelly. Despite their rivalry, Mr. Peanutbutter cares a great deal about BoJack's opinion and admires him for his work on Horsin' Around.
  • Todd Chavez (voiced by Aaron Paul) – An unemployed, 24-year-old human slacker who ended up at BoJack's house for a party five years before the beginning of the series and never left. Although BoJack constantly voices disdain for him, he secretly cares about Todd, continuing to financially support him and sabotage his attempts to gain independence. Todd has been shown to possess a plethora of skills including an understanding of Japanese; entrepreneurial know-how, having allied with Mr. Peanutbutter for various business ideas; and writing and composing his own rock opera- Newtopia Rising, Book I: The Search for a New Utopia.

Recurring characters

2

Music

The main title theme was composed by Patrick Carney, one half of the blues-rock duo The Black Keys, while the ending credits theme "Back in the 90s (BoJack's Theme)" was performed by the indie-pop act Grouplove.[5] Jesse Novak composed the incidental music.[6]

In addition, the show featured the Death Grips song "No Love" in the Eleventh episode of the first season, and the Rolling Stones song "Wild Horses" and Tegan and Sara's "Closer" in the season finale.

Reception

Critical reception

Season 1

Season Critical response
Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
1 56% (18 reviews) 59 (13 reviews)
2 100% (17 reviews) 90 (7 reviews)
3 100% (21 reviews) 89 (12 reviews)
Average 85% 79

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the first season has an approval rating of 56%, based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It's intermittently funny, but in most respects, BoJack Horseman pales in comparison to similar comedies".[7] On Metacritic, the season received a score of 59 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[8]

Erik Adams' review of the first six episodes gave the series a C+ grade; in the review, Adams wrote that the show "spoofs the emptiness of celebrity, but does so without any novelty or true insight".[9] At Slate, Willa Paskin was more enthused. "[It] is perhaps a little more clever than it is uproariously funny, but it is often very clever, and, moreover, well-tuned to the ludicrousness of the sort of low-level fame that surrounds BoJack". She likened it to 30 Rock in its ability to "[present] big ideas without having to commit to them".[10]

Chris Mitchell from Popzara was equally optimistic about the show's future, saying that "Fans of FX's Archer or Fox's Bob's Burgers will definitely want to check this one out, as its rapid-fire delivery is always consciously spot-on".[11] The New York Times described the show as "hilarious and ribald".[12] Margaret Lyons of Vulture gave a positive review, describing it as "radically sad. I love it".[13]

However, the second half of the season received much more positive reviews. Ben Travers of Indiewire believed one possible reason for mixed reviews of the show was critics reviewing only the first half of the season, with the second half changing drastically in tone and developing a darker and deeper meaning. This change was so drastic it resulted in Indiewire changing its policy to only review entire seasons of shows on Netflix, instead of just the first six episodes, which would have boosted BoJack Horseman's C+ grade.[14]

Season 2

On Rotten Tomatoes the second season holds an approval rating of 100%, based on 17 critics, with an average rating of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "BoJack Horseman truly comes into its own during season two, maturing into an ambitious comedy that sensitively blends wackiness with dark, nuanced drama".[15] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 90 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[16]

Entertainment Weekly critic Marc Snetiker said, "BoJack has become one of TV's best meta-skewers of Hollywood".

Season 3

Rotten Tomatoes gives the third season an approval rating of 100%, based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 9.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Skillfully puncturing the idea of celebrity and our culture's bizarre obsession with it, BoJack Horseman's third season continues its streak as one of the funniest and most heartbreaking shows on television."[17] On Metacritic, the season received a score of 89 out of 100, based on 12 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[18]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2016 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Animated Series BoJack Horseman Won
Annie Awards Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production "Brand New Couch" Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Animation "Hank After Dark" Nominated

References

  1. ^ "TMOPMO Merch". Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  2. ^ "'BoJack Horseman' Season 3 Premiere Date Set by Netflix". Variety. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  3. ^ "BoJack Horseman". Twitter. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  4. ^ "Raphael Bob-Waksberg". Twitter. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  5. ^ Reilly, Dan (August 29, 2014). "The Black Keys' Patrick Carney Wrote the 'BoJack Horseman' Theme Song". Spin. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  6. ^ "Jesse Novak to Score Netflix's 'BoJack Horseman'". Film Music Reporter. June 30, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  7. ^ "BoJack Horseman: Season 1 (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  8. ^ "BoJack Horseman – Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  9. ^ Adams, Erik (August 21, 2014). "Netflix's entry into the adult-animation race, BoJack Horseman, stumbles out of the gate". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  10. ^ Paskin, Willa (August 22, 2014). "The Longest Face". Slate. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  11. ^ Mitchell, Chris (August 29, 2014). "BoJack Horseman Popzara Review".
  12. ^ Neil, Genzlinger (August 24, 2014). "A Talking Horse of a Different Color: Blue". Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  13. ^ "BoJack Horseman's Radically Funny Sadness -- Vulture". Vulture. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  14. ^ Ben Travers (June 27, 2015). "7 New Netflix Shows to Binge Watch in July 2015 - Indiewire". Indiewire. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  15. ^ "BoJack Horseman: Season 2 (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  16. ^ "BoJack Horseman – Season 2". Metacritic. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  17. ^ "BoJack Horseman: Season 3 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  18. ^ BoJack Horseman, retrieved August 9, 2016

External links

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