Ricky Gervais to release new adult animated series with Netflix

Ricky Gervais is set to release a new adult animated comedy, Alley Cats, with Netflix.

The six-part series is a slacker sitcom that follows the exploits of a group of unmotivated and feral felines, who bond with each other through their ruminations on everyday life. It is expected to be available on the streaming service in 2026.

Starring Gervais as a “lazy, rude, opinionated creature”, the show will also feature Plebs and After Life actor Tom Basden, Phone Shop star Andrew Brooke, and David Earl and Kerry Godliman, Gervais’s frequent collaborators on Derek and After Life.

This Is England actor Jo Hartley, Cunk on Earth’s Diane Morgan, longtime EastEnders actor Natalie Cassidy and another of Gervais’s After Life co-stars, Tony Way, have also joined the cast.

“I play a fat, lazy, rude, opinionated creature with fangs, who’s not as smart or brave as he thinks he is,” said Gervais, who created and directed the programme. “So quite a stretch.”

Gervais has dabbled in cartoons before, with an animated version of his podcast, The Ricky Gervais Show, airing for three series between 2010 and 2012. Best known for his workplace comedy, The Office, the actor, writer, director and producer has also achieved success with shows such as Extras, Derek and After Life.

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Throughout his career, he has won several awards including Golden Globes for The Office (UK), Emmys for Extras and The Office (US) and multiple Baftas, including for The Office and Extras.

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Gervais is also known for his controversial jokes about the transgender community, and for his outspoken views on “cancel culture”, which he referenced earlier this year when he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“Thank you so much for this honour. It’s a genuine thrill to be part of such an exclusive club,” Gervais told those in attendance. “And just looking around earlier at all the other stars, absolute icons, you know, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Fatty Arbuckle.

“And we’ve had a few weird years of cancel culture – people telling you what you can and can't laugh at or talk about, but we pushed back and we won until the next time.”