Ricky Gervais’ New Animated Comedy Alley Cats Premieres on Netflix This August
Ricky Gervais is returning to Netflix with a brand-new adult animated comedy, Alley Cats. The six-part series premieres on August 7, 2026, bringing Gervais’ trademark dark humour to the lives of a group of feral British cats.
Created as part of Gervais’ ongoing partnership with Netflix, the series blends sharp comedy with existential themes in an unconventional animated setting.
What Is Alley Cats About?
Alley Cats follows a group of streetwise cats living on the fringes of British society. As they search for food, companionship and purpose, the series explores the everyday challenges of survival while reflecting on the absurdities of life.
Combining sharp observational comedy with existential themes, the show examines relationships, loneliness, friendship and the frustrations of daily life through the perspective of its feline characters.
Episode Format and Animation Style
The first season consists of six episodes, each running for approximately 15 minutes. The shorter runtime points towards a fast-paced comedy format, with plenty of quick-fire dialogue and the biting humour that has become synonymous with Gervais’ work.
Animation is being handled by Blink Industries, the studio behind Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared. The series features a bold 2D visual style that complements its unconventional premise.
Cast
The voice cast includes several familiar collaborators alongside some of Britain’s best-known comedy talent:
- Ricky Gervais
- Tom Basden
- Andrew Brooke
- David Earl
- Kerry Godliman
- Jo Hartley
- Diane Morgan
The series also features Natalie Cassidy and Tony Way.
In April 2026, Gervais shared a photo from the recording sessions featuring Tony Way, Jo Hartley, Natalie Cassidy, Diane Morgan, Tom Basden, Kerry Godliman, Ricky Gervais, David Earl and Andrew Brooke.
What Ricky Gervais Has Said About Alley Cats
Gervais will voice one of the show’s main characters and described the role by saying:
“I play a fat, lazy, rude, opinionated creature with fangs, who’s not as smart or brave as he thinks he is. So quite a stretch.”
He also revealed how the idea for the series first came to him:
“I came up with the idea for Alley Cats during lockdown. I thought covid couldn’t stop me recording audio and designing characters. That’s how fucking long these things take!”
Discussing the recording process, Gervais explained why he wanted the cast to record together rather than separately:
“I wanted this to be different,” Gervais explained. “I said, ‘Everyone’s got to be in the room at the same time, we do each episode together, we do way too much, we go off piste whenever we can.’… The first episode, we did one hour and 40 minutes. If you can’t get a fantastic 15 minutes out of that with some of the best comedy minds in the country, then something’s gone wrong.”
Part of Gervais’ Netflix Deal
Alley Cats is the latest project to come from Ricky Gervais’ long-term partnership with Netflix. Previous titles released under the deal include After Life, Special Correspondents and the animated film The Willoughbys.
Speaking about signing the deal, Gervais said:
“I was planning to retire soon and just wander around the house drunk until I die, but I’ve grown a bit tired
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