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BoJack Horseman

BoJack Horseman is an American adult animated black comedy-drama streaming television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. Set primarily in Hollywood,[note 1] the series revolves around the anthropomorphic horse BoJack Horseman (Arnett), a washed-up star of a 1990s sitcom who plans a return to relevance with an autobiography to be written by ghostwriter Diane Nguyen (Brie). It also chronicles his contentions with his agent, Princess Carolyn (Sedaris), former rival Mr. Peanutbutter (Tompkins), roommate Todd Chavez (Paul), and his declining mental health. The series is designed by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt, a longtime friend to Bob-Waksberg who previously collaborated on the webcomic Tip Me Over, Pour Me Out.[11][12]

BoJack Horseman
Genre
Created byRaphael Bob-Waksberg
Voices of
Theme music composerPatrick Carney featuring Ralph Carney
Ending theme"Back in the '90s (BoJack's Theme)" by Grouplove
ComposerJesse Novak
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes77 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Raphael Bob-Waksberg
  • Noel Bright
  • Steven A. Cohen
  • Blair Fetter
  • Jane Wiseman
  • Will Arnett
  • Aaron Paul
  • Andy Weil
Producers
Running time25 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkNetflix
Picture formatHDTV 1080p
Audio formatDolby Digital Plus 5.1
Original releaseAugust 22, 2014 (2014-08-22) –
January 31, 2020 (2020-01-31)

The series premiered on Netflix on August 22, 2014. On September 20, 2018, Netflix renewed the show for its sixth and final season, and the series ended on January 31, 2020, with a total of 77 episodes. The first five seasons consist of 12 episodes each, while the sixth and final season consists of 16 episodes divided into two parts of eight episodes each.[13] A one-off Christmas special was also released on December 19, 2014.

Despite mixed reviews upon its debut, critics were significantly more positive towards the second half of the first season, and the subsequent seasons received widespread critical acclaim. GQ magazine hailed the show as one of the best of the decade, and IndieWire ranked BoJack Horseman as one of the greatest animated TV series in history. The show has been lauded for its realistic take on depression, trauma, addiction, self-destructive behavior, racism, sexism, teen pregnancy, sexuality, and the human condition.[14] The series received numerous accolades, including four Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best Animated Series, three Annie Awards and two Writers Guild of America Awards. It also received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including two for Outstanding Animated Program.

Premise

The series is set in an alternate world where humans and anthropomorphic animals live side by side, taking place mostly in Hollywoo (the name is changed after the D is stolen from the sign). BoJack Horseman is the washed-up star of the 1990s sitcom Horsin' Around, which centered around a young bachelor horse trying to raise three human children who had been orphaned. Now living in relative obscurity in his Hollywood Hills mansion, BoJack plans a monumental comeback to celebrity relevance with a tell-all autobiography to be written by ghostwriter Diane Nguyen. At the same time, he deals with his addiction to alcohol and other drugs, and the resulting recklessness. BoJack also has to contend with the demands of his agent and former girlfriend Princess Carolyn, the misguided antics of his freeloading roommate Todd Chavez, and his former rival Mr. Peanutbutter.

Cast and characters

  • Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman, a self-loathing cynical alcoholic horse currently in his 50s, whose acting career peaked when he starred in a successful 1990s family sitcom called Horsin' Around. Though he began as a young bright-eyed actor, he has since grown bitter, deeply depressed, and jaded towards Hollywoo and who he has become post-fame. BoJack has been shown to be caring and insightful, but his insecurities, loneliness, desperate need for approval, and guilt over his own actions often result in self-destructive and selfish actions that devastate those around him. His past and present relationships with his abusive alcoholic parents and his attempts at overcoming their legacy are a continual theme of the series. BoJack also discovers he has a more sensible half-sister, Hollyhock, a result of an affair by his father.
  • Amy Sedaris as Princess Carolyn, a pink Persian cat who is BoJack's agent in the first three seasons and former on-and-off girlfriend. Hailing from Eden, North Carolina, the earnest and unflagging Princess Carolyn was a top agent at Vigor agency through her tireless 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. She left Vigor to start a new agency with her then-boyfriend and coworker Rutabaga Rabitowitz. After recognizing his lack of trustworthiness and confronting her fear of being alone, she ultimately decides to leave him and run the new company named VIM by herself. After several setbacks, Princess Carolyn closes VIM in season 3, only to reopen it as a management agency. She struggles throughout the series in starting a family and suffers several miscarriages. In season 5, after several failed attempts, she successfully adopts a baby porcupine from Sadie, a young woman from her hometown. In the series finale, she marries Judah, her loyal assistant.
  • Alison Brie as Diane Nguyen, a human ghostwriter, a well-schooled, misunderstood intellectual, and a Vietnamese-American third-wave feminist from Boston. She is a thinker who wants to make the world a better place for women and wants others to behave according to her morals even though she often breaks them. While writing BoJack's memoir, Diane and BoJack develop a strong friendship that initially becomes awkward and strained after BoJack develops romantic feelings for her, especially as she was dating Mr. Peanutbutter at the time. She eventually marries Mr. Peanutbutter, but during and after Mr. Peanutbutter's run for Governor of California, their marriage begins to deteriorate, and they divorce at the beginning of season 5. She eventually realizes she has depression, and gains weight as her mental health improves due to antidepressants; news media celebrated the series' realistic portrayal of her changing body shape as a sign of improved health.[15] During the sixth season, Diane develops a relationship with a buffalo named Guy (whom she goes on to wed) and comes to terms with her neglectful upbringing. She is a graduate of Boston University.
  • Paul F. Tompkins as Mr. Peanutbutter, an energetic, optimistic and cheerful yellow Labrador Retriever who is BoJack's former sitcom rival. Mr. Peanutbutter was the star of Mr. Peanutbutter's House, which, according to BoJack, "borrowed the premise" from Horsin' Around. Despite their rivalry, Mr. Peanutbutter cares a great deal about BoJack's opinion and admires him for his work on Horsin' Around. He has an especially good relationship with Todd, and his positive attitude and financial resources combined with Todd's outlandish schemes and plans often result in the two starting questionable business ventures. Mr. Peanutbutter has been married three times (to Katrina Peanutbutter, Jessica Biel and Diane Nguyen). In "Old Acquaintance", it is revealed that "Mr." is his actual first name. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and a native of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. His character was initially created as a foil for BoJack, but then evolves into an important character himself.
  • Aaron Paul as Todd Chavez, an unemployed, silly but vastly talented 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—allying with Mr. Peanutbutter for various business ideas—and writing and composing his own rock opera, which was eventually sabotaged by BoJack. This, along with other examples of BoJack's poor behavior towards him leads Todd to break ties with BoJack in season 4. Todd also has an uncanny knack for getting himself in absurd and extremely dangerous situations when his friends aren't around, such as getting into gun fights on several occasions, ending up in prison, and in one case, switching places Prince and the Pauper–style with a Cordovian dictator. He is also almost never seen without wearing his signature yellow beanie. In his teenage years, he was an aimless skateboarder, and the object of affection of his schoolmate Emily. He realizes in the season 3 finale "That Went Well" that he is asexual. In season 6, Todd forms a relationship with a rabbit named Maude who is also asexual.

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)

Production

Conception

After moving to LA for the first time, writer Raphael Bob-Waksberg unsuccessfully pitched ideas for shows to different networks. Among them was the idea for a family comedy set during the Reign of Terror called The Good Times Are Killing Me, which Waksberg described as "All in the Family but in France, ... where the Dad was guillotine salesman and business was booming, but he couldn't get his wacky family in order."[16] Around the same time, he moved into a friend's house up in the Hollywood Hills, living in what he described as "a glorified closet in a beautiful mansion". On his first night there, he "look[ed] out on the deck over all of Hollywood, and [felt] simultaneously on top of the world and never more isolated and alone." This was the beginning of the idea that would become BoJack Horseman.[16]

Raphael Bob-Waksberg and illustrator Lisa Hanawalt had met in high school and the two would often joke about creating an animated series together. The two eventually went their separate ways, with Bob-Waksberg moving to LA and Hanawalt moving to New York, but stayed in touch, working together on the web comic Tip Me Over, Pull Me Out. In March 2010, Bob-Waksberg emailed Hanawalt asking for a drawing of one of the "horse-guys" she had been sketching, outlining a pitch for a show he titled "BoJack the Depressed Talking Horse". This early pitch hewed closely to the final product except for some minor differences – Todd was called Topher and was BoJack's childhood friend; Diane was a development executive instead of a ghostwriter; and Mr. Peanutbutter was BoJack's agent instead of Princess Carolyn, with his role as BoJack's rival instead filled by a horse called Honeybucket. Hanawalt joked that the concept sounded too depressing.[17]

Development history

In late 2010, Bob-Waksberg met with producer Steven A. Cohen of the Tornante Company and pitched five different animated projects, including BoJack Horseman. After the pitch, Cohen asked Bob-Waksberg which project interested him most, and Bob-Waksberg chose BoJack Horseman. He wrote up a treatment for the series which was then pitched to the Tornante Company CEO Michael Eisner, who suggested that the show center around a former racehorse rather than a former sitcom actor. While Bob-Waksberg successfully pushed for the show-business angle, this contributed to a storyline in which BoJack later played the titular racehorse in the fictional movie Secretariat in the show's second season.[17]

Hanawalt was approached to come on board to design the show. She initially turned down the offer. "I'd just finished illustrating a children's book and it was kind of a bad experience. It took six months of work and felt endless, and I didn't want to commit to another big project. I made the mistake of not jumping aboard a good thing". Production went ahead with various other artists coming on board to design the show and characters, but none captured Hanawalt's unique style. Six months later, Hanawalt was again approached to design the show, and this time agreed.[17] She then worked with animation production studio ShadowMachine to develop the show's visual style.[17] The production team put together a brief pilot presentation of the show which was used to shop the show to networks.

Bob-Waksberg and the team eventually pitched to Netflix in October 2013, and the show was picked up on the condition that the series launch in time for summer 2014.[17] As a result, the 12-episode first season was produced in just 35 weeks; the first three episodes were written by Bob-Waksberg before a full writing staff were hired, and the first table read was held in the first week of production. The original plan had been to use the footage from the original pilot presentation in the season's first episode; however, the decision was made to start from scratch (partially due to the decision to completely redesign the character of Todd Chavez from the way he appeared in the pilot).[17]

The series premiered on August 22, 2014. Four days later, the series was renewed for a second season[18] which released on July 17, 2015.[19] A third season was announced July 28, 2015,[20] and premiered July 22, 2016,[21] with a fourth season announced the same day.[22] The fourth season launched on Netflix on September 8, 2017.[23] A fifth season was announced on September 21, 2017[24] and launched on September 14, 2018.[25] Each season contained twelve episodes. Writers for BoJack Horseman included Bob-Waksberg, Joe Lawson, Kate Purdy, Elijah Aron, Jordan Young, Mehar Sethi and Joanna Calo. Directors include Amy Winfrey, J.C. Gonzalez, Mike Hollingsworth, Aaron Long and Anne Walker Farrell.

The show's first season intentionally told a self-contained story in case the show was not picked up for a second season. Netflix asked Bob-Waksberg to leave some threads hanging to set up a potential second season, and Bob-Waksberg asked that, should Bojack Horseman get cancelled, Netflix warn him in advance so he could end the series properly. After the release of the fifth season, Netflix told Bob-Waksberg that the upcoming sixth season would be the show's last. "They don't have to do that, obviously. But I said I would appreciate it if I could have the forewarning to give the show a proper finale, and not set up some cliffhangers that will never pay off. So when they picked up season six, they said, 'Hey, remember how you asked for that heads-up? We think that this is your heads-up.' So I'm very grateful that we got that notice." An extended sixth and final season of sixteen episodes was announced on October 30, 2018, and released in two parts of eight episodes each. The first half released on October 25, 2019, and the second on January 31, 2020.

Casting

"I was presented with a seven-or-nine-page written spec treatment. I didn't see any animation for it; I just heard sort of the broad strokes of what the show was about. And I read it, and I loved it, instantly, of course. The world, the setting, you know? In Hollywood, in the industry, where animals and humans co-exist, and there's nothing weird about it. It's just how it is. And I read it and I thought it was just so smart. Raphael explained to me that he wanted to not only do a cartoon that was funny, but also a cartoon that was incredibly tragic at times. I thought that was such a brave, cool idea."

Aaron Paul, about signing on to play Todd Chavez in BoJack Horseman

Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris and Aaron Paul were the first actors to be cast for the show as BoJack Horseman, Princess Carolyn and Todd Chavez respectively, landing their roles ahead of the show's pilot presentation,[17] with the remaining cast brought on board after Netflix picked up the show. Arnett and Paul also served as executive producers on the show. The character of BoJack was not written with any particular actor in mind. Bob-Waksberg cast Arnett because he was "so funny, but there's also a darkness to him... I feel like, in his gravelly performance, you feel like he's lived a life. And there's a sadness lurking underneath there. But again, he's so funny... He took our dumbest stuff and spun it into gold."[16] Arnett also provided the role of BoJack's father, Butterscotch Horseman, as well as the voice of a younger BoJack in flashback sequences. Amy Sedaris signed on to the series as she wanted to work with Arnett.[26]

Following Netflix's acquisition of the series, Paul F. Tompkins was cast as BoJack's sitcom rival Mr. Peanutbutter. When Bob-Waksberg was originally writing Mr. Peanutbutter, he originally imagined him as being a "meat-head" with a deep voice, but the casting of Arnett as BoJack and Paul as Todd caused the casting team to go in a different direction with the character. Tompkins brought a "beautiful, lilting quality" to the role, with Bob-Waksberg describing his performance as "skipping above the line, which as a foil to BoJack is very funny. BoJack, even in his voice, is very sunk down and in the muck, whereas Mr. Peanutbutter is playfully skipping above the muck."[16]

Alison Brie was cast as Diane Nguyen, a ghostwriter hired to write BoJack's memoir and later ends up marrying Mr. Peanutbutter. As the show grew in popularity, Brie's casting as a Vietnamese-American character was met with controversy and accusations of white-washing. Bob-Waksberg later commented on the controversy, applauding Brie's performance of the character while expressing regret and that he believed the casting had "hurt the show". "When I think about casting now, I try to be very race-conscious. My casting director, Linda Lamontagne, and I are actively looking for people of color for every new character, and that's made a big difference in how we cast the show. I hope that is reflected even to a layperson observing the show. I'm very proud of the movement we've made, but we're always going to be somewhat hobbled in our efforts because of our original sin."[27]

Influences

Creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg has cited the cynical humor in the Canadian show The Newsroom as a large influence on BoJack Horseman. He also praised The Simpsons as an influence for being able to tell sad stories without sacrificing humor.[28] Based on storyline similarities and graphical nuances, the series has been said to have influences deriving from Californication, Two and a Half Men, and Daria.[29] In September 2018, before the show's fifth season was released, Bob-Waksberg stated that the show's ten biggest influences were The Simpsons, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Archer, Animaniacs, Daria, The Tick, Pixar Animation Studios, Futurama, South Park, and the works of Don Hertzfeldt.[30]

Addressing social issues

Since its first season, BoJack has addressed many hot-button sociopolitical issues. Its creator, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, once said that he considered the concept of "political correctness" something that other comedians and media creators should view as more of a responsibility.[31] In a 2017 interview with Vice, he said,

I think most people who argue for what you might call political correctness, are not actually arguing for censorship. They're arguing for self-control and self-restraint. They're arguing for people to be conscious of the power they have, right? And I believe that I have a lot of power, as someone making popular entertainment. I do think we have to be careful about the art we put out.

A notable example is the episode "Hank After Dark" (season two, episode seven), commonly referred to as "the Cosby episode,"[32] which follows Diane and BoJack on a book tour as they field questions regarding allegations that have just surfaced about a comedy legend, Hank Hippopopalous. In the episode "Brrap Brrap Pew Pew" (season three, episode six), Diane accidentally announces she is getting an abortion via pop starlet Sextina Aquafina's Twitter account, and Hollywoo gets swept up in talks about the practice. The season four episode, "Thoughts and Prayers," took a similar satirical approach towards the frequency of mass shootings and the gun debate in America, after Diane fires a gun for the first time, and one of Princess Carolyn's projects get caught in the crossfire, launching a debate on whether or not women should own and use guns.[33]

The fifth season has been praised for its handling of sexual harassment and powerful men following the Me Too movement.[34][35] Emily VanDerWerff wrote that it "just might be the best artistic rumination on #MeToo and an age of terrible men yet."[36]

The show also explores Todd Chavez's open asexuality,[37] which is addressed throughout the latter three seasons. In the last episode of the third season, Todd says, "I'm not gay... I mean, I don't think I am, but I don't think I'm straight, either. I don't know what I am. I think I might be nothing." In season 6, Todd forms a relationship with Maude, a rabbit he meets on the asexual dating app Emily created, "All About That Ace."

Music

The main title theme for BoJack Horseman was composed by Patrick Carney, drummer for the blues-rock duo the Black Keys, with his uncle Ralph Carney,[38] and the ending theme "Back in the 90s (BoJack's Theme)" was performed by the indie-pop act Grouplove.[39] The incidental music is composed by Jesse Novak who acted as the recurring composer for the six seasons.[40]

The soundtrack for BoJack Horseman was released on Lakeshore Records on September 1, 2017. It includes several songs, among them the full version of the main theme, Patrick Carney and Michelle Branch's version of America's "A Horse with No Name", Sextina Aquafina's "Get Dat Fetus, Kill Dat Fetus", the themes from Horsin' Around and Mr. Peanutbutter's House, and the entire score for the episode "Fish Out of Water".[41]

Critical reception

Season Critical response
Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
1 71% (28 reviews) 59/100 (13 reviews)
2 100% (22 reviews) 90/100 (7 reviews)
3 100% (31 reviews) 89/100 (12 reviews)
4 97% (35 reviews) 87/100 (5 reviews)
5 98% (48 reviews) 92/100 (6 reviews)
6 96% (54 reviews) 93/100 (6 reviews)
91/100 (8 reviews)
Average 93%[42] 85/100[43]

Initially met with "mixed" to "average" reviews from critics, the series would quickly go on to receive consistent critical acclaim midway into season one and onwards. It was ranked as the best Netflix original series of all time by Thrillist and Uproxx in August 2018 and May 2019, respectively.[44][45] IndieWire, in November 2018, named BoJack Horseman as the best animated series of all time.[46] It has also been ranked as one of the best TV shows of the 2010s by multiple publications, including Time and Vanity Fair[47][48] and following the premiere of the first half of season six in 2019, Chris Mandle of the BBC declared BoJack Horseman "the 21st Century's best animation".[49] Rolling Stone has labeled BoJack Horseman "phenomenal".[50] GQ magazine hailed the show as one of the best of the decade, declaring it to be "the benchmark by which all comedies of the decade can be judged".[51]

Season 1

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 71% with an average rating of 5.9/10 based on 28 reviews. The website's critics consensus is, "It's intermittently funny, but in most respects, BoJack Horseman pales in comparison to similar comedies."[52] On Metacritic, the season received a score of 59 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[53] 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".[54] Willa Paskin, writing for Slate, 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".[55] Chris Mitchell of 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".[56] The New York Times described the show as "hilarious and ribald".[57] Margaret Lyons of Vulture gave a positive review, describing it as "radically sad. I love it."[58]

The second half of the season, however, 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 that it led to 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.[59]

Keith Uhlich of The A.V. Club named the first season of BoJack Horseman the fourth-best motion picture of 2014.[60]

Season 2

The second season received universal acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season holds an approval rating of 100% with an average rating of 8.7/10 based on 22 critics. The website's critics consensus is, "Bojack Horseman truly comes into its own during season two, maturing into an ambitious comedy that sensitively blends wackiness with dark, nuanced drama."[61] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 90 out of 100, based on 7 critics.[62] Emily VanDerWerff of Vox wrote that the show had "found its footing beautifully in season two, earning the title of not just the streaming service's best show, but of one of television's best shows".[63] Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire gave the series a grade of "A−", praising the depth of the show's storyline, the voice cast and the superior comedy in comparison to the first season.[64] Vikram Murthi of The A.V. Club also gave the series an "A−", commenting that "for the most part, it's an entirely unique, funny, and melancholic exploration into the heart and mind of someone struggling to put his life back on track after a series of dark turns".[65]

Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine awarded the series four-and-a-half stars out of five, commenting that "BoJack Horseman's second season is an even more confident blend of the various tones it experimentally donned last year, as it's simultaneously melancholic, angry, goofy, playful, and often uproariously funny in a distinctively ineffable what-the-fuck fashion".[66] Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B rating, stating it was "one of TV's best meta-skewers of Hollywood".[62]

Season 3

The third season received near-universal acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has an approval rating of 100% with average rating of 9.1 based on 31 reviews. The website's critics consensus is, "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."[67] On Metacritic, the season received a score of 89 out of 100, based on 12 reviews.[68] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter lauded the season, commenting that the show "evolved from frothy talking-animal Hollywood satire to character-rich treatise on depression in its first season, deepened and darkened into one of TV's best shows in its second season and gallops into its third season with a profound confidence".[69] Entertainment Weekly gave the series an A rating, stating the season is "more digressive than the show's first two years, and much more open-ended, sending core characters in different directions" and that it "builds to one of the funniest, weirdest, and most profound moments ever seen in a television show".[70]

The A.V. Club awarded the series an A−, commenting that "Netflix has taken it upon itself to add BoJack to the line of TV's famous antiheroes" and praising the show for improving with each series.[71] Chris Cabin of Collider gave the show four out of five stars, stating "BoJack Horseman ends up becoming a thrilling, rueful study of the psychological games and uniquely vain, notably capitalistic decision-making that powers the entertainment industry". They went on to praise the show's humor; "through its venomous jokes and unrelenting, uproarious gags, the series also recognizes how charming, joyful, and galvanizing entertainment for entertainment sake can be, no matter how stupid or silly it may seem".[72]

Season 4

The fourth season also received wide acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 97% approval rating with an average rating of 8.7/10 based on 35 reviews. The website's critics consensus is, "BoJack Horseman's fourth season finds the show continuing to fearlessly traverse the emotional gamut - with results that are heartbreaking as often as they are hilarious."[73] Metacritic awarded the show a score of 87 out of 100 based on 5 reviews.[74] Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire gave the series an "A" grade, commenting that "by the end of the season, we know these characters, and this show, far better than ever before. BoJack's signature tropes—the background visual jokes, the animal puns, the brutal moments of sadness—remain reliably consistent, but turns the focus largely inward, ensuring that some of the more outlandish plots support and highlight the more emotional storylines".[75]

Bethonie Butler of The Washington Post lauded the series, praising the installment as "moving and unexpected" and that "it offers hope but never ignores the sorrows that are inevitable in real life".[76] Mike Hale of The New York Times also gave a positive review, commenting that the "material has the snap and the poignancy we've grown accustomed to" and that "while nothing matches the adventurousness of season three's underwater film festival episode, season four's ninth episode—narrated from the future by a distant descendant of Princess Carolyn's—is a devastating example of what BoJack can do at its best".[77]

Season 5

Keeping up with the performance of previous seasons, the fifth season received widespread acclaim. Based on 48 reviews, the season has an approval rating of 98% with average rating of 9.3/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. The website's critics consensus is, "BoJack Horseman continues confidently down the thematic rabbit hole with a fresh and poignant season that's as devastating as it is hilarious."[78] On Metacritic, it holds a score of 92 out of 100 based on 6 reviews.[79] Indiewire gave the season an "A" calling it another brilliant season and saying the series has become so great that it is "beyond reproach". Multiple critical reviews have praised the episode "Free Churro", calling it one of the series' best episodes and giving it Emmy buzz for both the writing and Will Arnett's monologue.[80] Les Chappell of The A.V. Club observed that the episode "The Dog Days Are Over", in which Diane Nguyen takes an impromptu trip to Hanoi, can be seen as a commentary on the "identity crisis elements" of having the Vietnamese-American character Diane voiced by a white actress.[81]

Season 6

The sixth season has also received wide acclaim. Jen Chaney of Vulture called it "more clever, intelligent, and multilayered than 95 percent of comedies on television or any other platform".[82] On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 9.2/10 based on 54 reviews, with a critics' consensus that reads: "Bittersweet and brilliant to the very end, BoJack Horseman's final season manages to keep surprising viewers with its empathy and depth, solidifying its place as one of TV's greatest offerings."[83] On Metacritic, the first part of season six holds a score of 93 out of 100 based on 6 reviews,[84] while the second part holds a score of 91 out of 100 based on 8 reviews.[85]

Legacy

BoJack Horseman has been considered by multiple critics to be one of the best animated shows of all time.[86][87][88] It received acclaim during its run for its existential plot lines and realistic take on depression, drug addiction, alcoholism, and celebrity status. Its ensemble cast has been praised for their voice performances.

BoJack Horseman has contributed to the rise of the "sadcom", a tragicomic format that balances both humor and sadness.[89][90][91]

Syndication

On July 26, 2018, Comedy Central acquired exclusive linear television syndication rights to BoJack Horseman; making it the first Netflix original to be syndicated to cable television in the United States.[92] The series debuted on September 26, 2018, following the South Park season 22 premiere.[93] In February 2021, BoJack Horseman re-aired on MTV2.

In the United Kingdom, the show began airing on DMAX on February 25, 2019.[94]

Home media

On December 13, 2018, The Tornante Company and Shout! Factory announced a deal to release the first four seasons on DVD and Blu-ray.[95] In North America, a bundle of the first two seasons and the Christmas special was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 30, 2019; this release also contains animatics, art galleries and audio commentaries as bonus features.[96] In the United Kingdom, Manga Entertainment released season one on October 28, 2019, followed by season two on December 2, respectively.[97]

Awards and nominations

Throughout its run, BoJack Horseman has received numerous accolades, including two Saturn Award nominations for Best Animated Series on Television,[98][99] four Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best Animated Series,[100][101][102][103] and two Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Animated Program.[104][105] For her voicing of Sarah Lynn, Kristen Schaal was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance.[106] Additionally, writers on the show received a total of seven nominations from the Writers Guild of America, three of which were won by Joe Lawson for "Stop the Presses", Kate Purdy for "Time's Arrow", and Nick Adams for "Xerox of a Xerox".[107][108]

References

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Further reading

McDonnell, Chris (2018). Bojack Horseman: The Art Before the Horse. Harry N. Abrams.

External links

  • BoJack Horseman – Official site
  • BoJack Horseman at IMDb

Notes

  1. ^ Hollywood is renamed twice in the series, first as Hollywoo shortly into season one and then briefly as Hollywoob in the final season

bojack, horseman, bojack, redirects, here, other, uses, bojack, disambiguation, american, adult, animated, black, comedy, drama, streaming, television, series, created, raphael, waksberg, stars, voices, will, arnett, sedaris, alison, brie, paul, tompkins, aaro. BoJack redirects here For other uses see Bojack disambiguation BoJack Horseman is an American adult animated black comedy drama streaming television series created by Raphael Bob Waksberg It stars the voices of Will Arnett Amy Sedaris Alison Brie Paul F Tompkins and Aaron Paul Set primarily in Hollywood note 1 the series revolves around the anthropomorphic horse BoJack Horseman Arnett a washed up star of a 1990s sitcom who plans a return to relevance with an autobiography to be written by ghostwriter Diane Nguyen Brie It also chronicles his contentions with his agent Princess Carolyn Sedaris former rival Mr Peanutbutter Tompkins roommate Todd Chavez Paul and his declining mental health The series is designed by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt a longtime friend to Bob Waksberg who previously collaborated on the webcomic Tip Me Over Pour Me Out 11 12 BoJack HorsemanGenreAnimation 1 Comedy drama 2 Tragicomedy 3 4 5 Black comedy 6 Surreal humor 7 Psychological drama 8 9 Satire 10 Created byRaphael Bob WaksbergVoices ofWill Arnett Amy Sedaris Alison Brie Paul F Tompkins Aaron PaulTheme music composerPatrick Carney featuring Ralph CarneyEnding theme Back in the 90s BoJack s Theme by GrouploveComposerJesse NovakCountry of originUnited StatesNo of seasons6No of episodes77 list of episodes ProductionExecutive producersRaphael Bob Waksberg Noel Bright Steven A Cohen Blair Fetter Jane Wiseman Will Arnett Aaron Paul Andy WeilProducersAlex Bulkley Corey Campodonico Mehar Sethi Lisa Hanawalt Kate PurdyRunning time25 minutesProduction companiesTornante TelevisionBoxer vs RaptorShadowMachineReleaseOriginal networkNetflixPicture formatHDTV 1080pAudio formatDolby Digital Plus 5 1Original releaseAugust 22 2014 2014 08 22 January 31 2020 2020 01 31 The series premiered on Netflix on August 22 2014 On September 20 2018 Netflix renewed the show for its sixth and final season and the series ended on January 31 2020 with a total of 77 episodes The first five seasons consist of 12 episodes each while the sixth and final season consists of 16 episodes divided into two parts of eight episodes each 13 A one off Christmas special was also released on December 19 2014 Despite mixed reviews upon its debut critics were significantly more positive towards the second half of the first season and the subsequent seasons received widespread critical acclaim GQ magazine hailed the show as one of the best of the decade and IndieWire ranked BoJack Horseman as one of the greatest animated TV series in history The show has been lauded for its realistic take on depression trauma addiction self destructive behavior racism sexism teen pregnancy sexuality and the human condition 14 The series received numerous accolades including four Critics Choice Television Awards for Best Animated Series three Annie Awards and two Writers Guild of America Awards It also received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations including two for Outstanding Animated Program Contents 1 Premise 2 Cast and characters 3 Episodes 4 Production 4 1 Conception 4 2 Development history 4 3 Casting 5 Influences 6 Addressing social issues 7 Music 8 Critical reception 8 1 Season 1 8 2 Season 2 8 3 Season 3 8 4 Season 4 8 5 Season 5 8 6 Season 6 9 Legacy 10 Syndication 11 Home media 12 Awards and nominations 13 References 14 Further reading 15 External links 16 NotesPremise EditThe series is set in an alternate world where humans and anthropomorphic animals live side by side taking place mostly in Hollywoo the name is changed after the D is stolen from the sign BoJack Horseman is the washed up star of the 1990s sitcom Horsin Around which centered around a young bachelor horse trying to raise three human children who had been orphaned Now living in relative obscurity in his Hollywood Hills mansion BoJack plans a monumental comeback to celebrity relevance with a tell all autobiography to be written by ghostwriter Diane Nguyen At the same time he deals with his addiction to alcohol and other drugs and the resulting recklessness BoJack also has to contend with the demands of his agent and former girlfriend Princess Carolyn the misguided antics of his freeloading roommate Todd Chavez and his former rival Mr Peanutbutter Cast and characters EditMain article List of BoJack Horseman characters Will Arnett as BoJack Horseman a self loathing cynical alcoholic horse currently in his 50s whose acting career peaked when he starred in a successful 1990s family sitcom called Horsin Around Though he began as a young bright eyed actor he has since grown bitter deeply depressed and jaded towards Hollywoo and who he has become post fame BoJack has been shown to be caring and insightful but his insecurities loneliness desperate need for approval and guilt over his own actions often result in self destructive and selfish actions that devastate those around him His past and present relationships with his abusive alcoholic parents and his attempts at overcoming their legacy are a continual theme of the series BoJack also discovers he has a more sensible half sister Hollyhock a result of an affair by his father Amy Sedaris as Princess Carolyn a pink Persian cat who is BoJack s agent in the first three seasons and former on and off girlfriend Hailing from Eden North Carolina the earnest and unflagging Princess Carolyn was a top agent at Vigor agency through her tireless 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 She left Vigor to start a new agency with her then boyfriend and coworker Rutabaga Rabitowitz After recognizing his lack of trustworthiness and confronting her fear of being alone she ultimately decides to leave him and run the new company named VIM by herself After several setbacks Princess Carolyn closes VIM in season 3 only to reopen it as a management agency She struggles throughout the series in starting a family and suffers several miscarriages In season 5 after several failed attempts she successfully adopts a baby porcupine from Sadie a young woman from her hometown In the series finale she marries Judah her loyal assistant Alison Brie as Diane Nguyen a human ghostwriter a well schooled misunderstood intellectual and a Vietnamese American third wave feminist from Boston She is a thinker who wants to make the world a better place for women and wants others to behave according to her morals even though she often breaks them While writing BoJack s memoir Diane and BoJack develop a strong friendship that initially becomes awkward and strained after BoJack develops romantic feelings for her especially as she was dating Mr Peanutbutter at the time She eventually marries Mr Peanutbutter but during and after Mr Peanutbutter s run for Governor of California their marriage begins to deteriorate and they divorce at the beginning of season 5 She eventually realizes she has depression and gains weight as her mental health improves due to antidepressants news media celebrated the series realistic portrayal of her changing body shape as a sign of improved health 15 During the sixth season Diane develops a relationship with a buffalo named Guy whom she goes on to wed and comes to terms with her neglectful upbringing She is a graduate of Boston University Paul F Tompkins as Mr Peanutbutter an energetic optimistic and cheerful yellow Labrador Retriever who is BoJack s former sitcom rival Mr Peanutbutter was the star of Mr Peanutbutter s House which according to BoJack borrowed the premise from Horsin Around Despite their rivalry Mr Peanutbutter cares a great deal about BoJack s opinion and admires him for his work on Horsin Around He has an especially good relationship with Todd and his positive attitude and financial resources combined with Todd s outlandish schemes and plans often result in the two starting questionable business ventures Mr Peanutbutter has been married three times to Katrina Peanutbutter Jessica Biel and Diane Nguyen In Old Acquaintance it is revealed that Mr is his actual first name He is a graduate of Northwestern University and a native of Newfoundland and Labrador Canada His character was initially created as a foil for BoJack but then evolves into an important character himself Aaron Paul as Todd Chavez an unemployed silly but vastly talented 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 allying with Mr Peanutbutter for various business ideas and writing and composing his own rock opera which was eventually sabotaged by BoJack This along with other examples of BoJack s poor behavior towards him leads Todd to break ties with BoJack in season 4 Todd also has an uncanny knack for getting himself in absurd and extremely dangerous situations when his friends aren t around such as getting into gun fights on several occasions ending up in prison and in one case switching places Prince and the Pauper style with a Cordovian dictator He is also almost never seen without wearing his signature yellow beanie In his teenage years he was an aimless skateboarder and the object of affection of his schoolmate Emily He realizes in the season 3 finale That Went Well that he is asexual In season 6 Todd forms a relationship with a rabbit named Maude who is also asexual Episodes EditMain article List of BoJack Horseman episodes SeasonEpisodesOriginally released112August 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 Production EditConception Edit After moving to LA for the first time writer Raphael Bob Waksberg unsuccessfully pitched ideas for shows to different networks Among them was the idea for a family comedy set during the Reign of Terror called The Good Times Are Killing Me which Waksberg described as All in the Family but in France where the Dad was guillotine salesman and business was booming but he couldn t get his wacky family in order 16 Around the same time he moved into a friend s house up in the Hollywood Hills living in what he described as a glorified closet in a beautiful mansion On his first night there he look ed out on the deck over all of Hollywood and felt simultaneously on top of the world and never more isolated and alone This was the beginning of the idea that would become BoJack Horseman 16 Raphael Bob Waksberg and illustrator Lisa Hanawalt had met in high school and the two would often joke about creating an animated series together The two eventually went their separate ways with Bob Waksberg moving to LA and Hanawalt moving to New York but stayed in touch working together on the web comic Tip Me Over Pull Me Out In March 2010 Bob Waksberg emailed Hanawalt asking for a drawing of one of the horse guys she had been sketching outlining a pitch for a show he titled BoJack the Depressed Talking Horse This early pitch hewed closely to the final product except for some minor differences Todd was called Topher and was BoJack s childhood friend Diane was a development executive instead of a ghostwriter and Mr Peanutbutter was BoJack s agent instead of Princess Carolyn with his role as BoJack s rival instead filled by a horse called Honeybucket Hanawalt joked that the concept sounded too depressing 17 Development history Edit In late 2010 Bob Waksberg met with producer Steven A Cohen of the Tornante Company and pitched five different animated projects including BoJack Horseman After the pitch Cohen asked Bob Waksberg which project interested him most and Bob Waksberg chose BoJack Horseman He wrote up a treatment for the series which was then pitched to the Tornante Company CEO Michael Eisner who suggested that the show center around a former racehorse rather than a former sitcom actor While Bob Waksberg successfully pushed for the show business angle this contributed to a storyline in which BoJack later played the titular racehorse in the fictional movie Secretariat in the show s second season 17 Hanawalt was approached to come on board to design the show She initially turned down the offer I d just finished illustrating a children s book and it was kind of a bad experience It took six months of work and felt endless and I didn t want to commit to another big project I made the mistake of not jumping aboard a good thing Production went ahead with various other artists coming on board to design the show and characters but none captured Hanawalt s unique style Six months later Hanawalt was again approached to design the show and this time agreed 17 She then worked with animation production studio ShadowMachine to develop the show s visual style 17 The production team put together a brief pilot presentation of the show which was used to shop the show to networks Bob Waksberg and the team eventually pitched to Netflix in October 2013 and the show was picked up on the condition that the series launch in time for summer 2014 17 As a result the 12 episode first season was produced in just 35 weeks the first three episodes were written by Bob Waksberg before a full writing staff were hired and the first table read was held in the first week of production The original plan had been to use the footage from the original pilot presentation in the season s first episode however the decision was made to start from scratch partially due to the decision to completely redesign the character of Todd Chavez from the way he appeared in the pilot 17 The series premiered on August 22 2014 Four days later the series was renewed for a second season 18 which released on July 17 2015 19 A third season was announced July 28 2015 20 and premiered July 22 2016 21 with a fourth season announced the same day 22 The fourth season launched on Netflix on September 8 2017 23 A fifth season was announced on September 21 2017 24 and launched on September 14 2018 25 Each season contained twelve episodes Writers for BoJack Horseman included Bob Waksberg Joe Lawson Kate Purdy Elijah Aron Jordan Young Mehar Sethi and Joanna Calo Directors include Amy Winfrey J C Gonzalez Mike Hollingsworth Aaron Long and Anne Walker Farrell The show s first season intentionally told a self contained story in case the show was not picked up for a second season Netflix asked Bob Waksberg to leave some threads hanging to set up a potential second season and Bob Waksberg asked that should Bojack Horseman get cancelled Netflix warn him in advance so he could end the series properly After the release of the fifth season Netflix told Bob Waksberg that the upcoming sixth season would be the show s last They don t have to do that obviously But I said I would appreciate it if I could have the forewarning to give the show a proper finale and not set up some cliffhangers that will never pay off So when they picked up season six they said Hey remember how you asked for that heads up We think that this is your heads up So I m very grateful that we got that notice An extended sixth and final season of sixteen episodes was announced on October 30 2018 and released in two parts of eight episodes each The first half released on October 25 2019 and the second on January 31 2020 Casting Edit I was presented with a seven or nine page written spec treatment I didn t see any animation for it I just heard sort of the broad strokes of what the show was about And I read it and I loved it instantly of course The world the setting you know In Hollywood in the industry where animals and humans co exist and there s nothing weird about it It s just how it is And I read it and I thought it was just so smart Raphael explained to me that he wanted to not only do a cartoon that was funny but also a cartoon that was incredibly tragic at times I thought that was such a brave cool idea Aaron Paul about signing on to play Todd Chavez in BoJack Horseman Will Arnett Amy Sedaris and Aaron Paul were the first actors to be cast for the show as BoJack Horseman Princess Carolyn and Todd Chavez respectively landing their roles ahead of the show s pilot presentation 17 with the remaining cast brought on board after Netflix picked up the show Arnett and Paul also served as executive producers on the show The character of BoJack was not written with any particular actor in mind Bob Waksberg cast Arnett because he was so funny but there s also a darkness to him I feel like in his gravelly performance you feel like he s lived a life And there s a sadness lurking underneath there But again he s so funny He took our dumbest stuff and spun it into gold 16 Arnett also provided the role of BoJack s father Butterscotch Horseman as well as the voice of a younger BoJack in flashback sequences Amy Sedaris signed on to the series as she wanted to work with Arnett 26 Following Netflix s acquisition of the series Paul F Tompkins was cast as BoJack s sitcom rival Mr Peanutbutter When Bob Waksberg was originally writing Mr Peanutbutter he originally imagined him as being a meat head with a deep voice but the casting of Arnett as BoJack and Paul as Todd caused the casting team to go in a different direction with the character Tompkins brought a beautiful lilting quality to the role with Bob Waksberg describing his performance as skipping above the line which as a foil to BoJack is very funny BoJack even in his voice is very sunk down and in the muck whereas Mr Peanutbutter is playfully skipping above the muck 16 Alison Brie was cast as Diane Nguyen a ghostwriter hired to write BoJack s memoir and later ends up marrying Mr Peanutbutter As the show grew in popularity Brie s casting as a Vietnamese American character was met with controversy and accusations of white washing Bob Waksberg later commented on the controversy applauding Brie s performance of the character while expressing regret and that he believed the casting had hurt the show When I think about casting now I try to be very race conscious My casting director Linda Lamontagne and I are actively looking for people of color for every new character and that s made a big difference in how we cast the show I hope that is reflected even to a layperson observing the show I m very proud of the movement we ve made but we re always going to be somewhat hobbled in our efforts because of our original sin 27 Influences EditCreator Raphael Bob Waksberg has cited the cynical humor in the Canadian show The Newsroom as a large influence on BoJack Horseman He also praised The Simpsons as an influence for being able to tell sad stories without sacrificing humor 28 Based on storyline similarities and graphical nuances the series has been said to have influences deriving from Californication Two and a Half Men and Daria 29 In September 2018 before the show s fifth season was released Bob Waksberg stated that the show s ten biggest influences were The Simpsons Who Framed Roger Rabbit Archer Animaniacs Daria The Tick Pixar Animation Studios Futurama South Park and the works of Don Hertzfeldt 30 Addressing social issues EditSee also Netflix and LGBTQ representation in BoJack Horseman Since its first season BoJack has addressed many hot button sociopolitical issues Its creator Raphael Bob Waksberg once said that he considered the concept of political correctness something that other comedians and media creators should view as more of a responsibility 31 In a 2017 interview with Vice he said I think most people who argue for what you might call political correctness are not actually arguing for censorship They re arguing for self control and self restraint They re arguing for people to be conscious of the power they have right And I believe that I have a lot of power as someone making popular entertainment I do think we have to be careful about the art we put out A notable example is the episode Hank After Dark season two episode seven commonly referred to as the Cosby episode 32 which follows Diane and BoJack on a book tour as they field questions regarding allegations that have just surfaced about a comedy legend Hank Hippopopalous In the episode Brrap Brrap Pew Pew season three episode six Diane accidentally announces she is getting an abortion via pop starlet Sextina Aquafina s Twitter account and Hollywoo gets swept up in talks about the practice The season four episode Thoughts and Prayers took a similar satirical approach towards the frequency of mass shootings and the gun debate in America after Diane fires a gun for the first time and one of Princess Carolyn s projects get caught in the crossfire launching a debate on whether or not women should own and use guns 33 The fifth season has been praised for its handling of sexual harassment and powerful men following the Me Too movement 34 35 Emily VanDerWerff wrote that it just might be the best artistic rumination on MeToo and an age of terrible men yet 36 The show also explores Todd Chavez s open asexuality 37 which is addressed throughout the latter three seasons In the last episode of the third season Todd says I m not gay I mean I don t think I am but I don t think I m straight either I don t know what I am I think I might be nothing In season 6 Todd forms a relationship with Maude a rabbit he meets on the asexual dating app Emily created All About That Ace Music EditMain article BoJack Horseman soundtrack The main title theme for BoJack Horseman was composed by Patrick Carney drummer for the blues rock duo the Black Keys with his uncle Ralph Carney 38 and the ending theme Back in the 90s BoJack s Theme was performed by the indie pop act Grouplove 39 The incidental music is composed by Jesse Novak who acted as the recurring composer for the six seasons 40 The soundtrack for BoJack Horseman was released on Lakeshore Records on September 1 2017 It includes several songs among them the full version of the main theme Patrick Carney and Michelle Branch s version of America s A Horse with No Name Sextina Aquafina s Get Dat Fetus Kill Dat Fetus the themes from Horsin Around and Mr Peanutbutter s House and the entire score for the episode Fish Out of Water 41 Critical reception EditSeason Critical responseRotten Tomatoes Metacritic1 71 28 reviews 59 100 13 reviews 2 100 22 reviews 90 100 7 reviews 3 100 31 reviews 89 100 12 reviews 4 97 35 reviews 87 100 5 reviews 5 98 48 reviews 92 100 6 reviews 6 96 54 reviews 93 100 6 reviews 91 100 8 reviews Average 93 42 85 100 43 Initially met with mixed to average reviews from critics the series would quickly go on to receive consistent critical acclaim midway into season one and onwards It was ranked as the best Netflix original series of all time by Thrillist and Uproxx in August 2018 and May 2019 respectively 44 45 IndieWire in November 2018 named BoJack Horseman as the best animated series of all time 46 It has also been ranked as one of the best TV shows of the 2010s by multiple publications including Time and Vanity Fair 47 48 and following the premiere of the first half of season six in 2019 Chris Mandle of the BBC declared BoJack Horseman the 21st Century s best animation 49 Rolling Stone has labeled BoJack Horseman phenomenal 50 GQ magazine hailed the show as one of the best of the decade declaring it to be the benchmark by which all comedies of the decade can be judged 51 Season 1 Edit On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the first season has an approval rating of 71 with an average rating of 5 9 10 based on 28 reviews The website s critics consensus is It s intermittently funny but in most respects BoJack Horseman pales in comparison to similar comedies 52 On Metacritic the season received a score of 59 out of 100 based on 13 critics indicating mixed or average reviews 53 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 54 Willa Paskin writing for Slate 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 55 Chris Mitchell of 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 56 The New York Times described the show as hilarious and ribald 57 Margaret Lyons of Vulture gave a positive review describing it as radically sad I love it 58 The second half of the season however 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 that it led to 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 59 Keith Uhlich of The A V Club named the first season of BoJack Horseman the fourth best motion picture of 2014 60 Season 2 Edit The second season received universal acclaim On Rotten Tomatoes the second season holds an approval rating of 100 with an average rating of 8 7 10 based on 22 critics The website s critics consensus is Bojack Horseman truly comes into its own during season two maturing into an ambitious comedy that sensitively blends wackiness with dark nuanced drama 61 On Metacritic the season has a score of 90 out of 100 based on 7 critics 62 Emily VanDerWerff of Vox wrote that the show had found its footing beautifully in season two earning the title of not just the streaming service s best show but of one of television s best shows 63 Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire gave the series a grade of A praising the depth of the show s storyline the voice cast and the superior comedy in comparison to the first season 64 Vikram Murthi of The A V Club also gave the series an A commenting that for the most part it s an entirely unique funny and melancholic exploration into the heart and mind of someone struggling to put his life back on track after a series of dark turns 65 Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine awarded the series four and a half stars out of five commenting that BoJack Horseman s second season is an even more confident blend of the various tones it experimentally donned last year as it s simultaneously melancholic angry goofy playful and often uproariously funny in a distinctively ineffable what the fuck fashion 66 Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B rating stating it was one of TV s best meta skewers of Hollywood 62 Season 3 Edit The third season received near universal acclaim On Rotten Tomatoes the third season has an approval rating of 100 with average rating of 9 1 based on 31 reviews The website s critics consensus is 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 67 On Metacritic the season received a score of 89 out of 100 based on 12 reviews 68 Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter lauded the season commenting that the show evolved from frothy talking animal Hollywood satire to character rich treatise on depression in its first season deepened and darkened into one of TV s best shows in its second season and gallops into its third season with a profound confidence 69 Entertainment Weekly gave the series an A rating stating the season is more digressive than the show s first two years and much more open ended sending core characters in different directions and that it builds to one of the funniest weirdest and most profound moments ever seen in a television show 70 The A V Club awarded the series an A commenting that Netflix has taken it upon itself to add BoJack to the line of TV s famous antiheroes and praising the show for improving with each series 71 Chris Cabin of Collider gave the show four out of five stars stating BoJack Horseman ends up becoming a thrilling rueful study of the psychological games and uniquely vain notably capitalistic decision making that powers the entertainment industry They went on to praise the show s humor through its venomous jokes and unrelenting uproarious gags the series also recognizes how charming joyful and galvanizing entertainment for entertainment sake can be no matter how stupid or silly it may seem 72 Season 4 Edit The fourth season also received wide acclaim On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 97 approval rating with an average rating of 8 7 10 based on 35 reviews The website s critics consensus is BoJack Horseman s fourth season finds the show continuing to fearlessly traverse the emotional gamut with results that are heartbreaking as often as they are hilarious 73 Metacritic awarded the show a score of 87 out of 100 based on 5 reviews 74 Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire gave the series an A grade commenting that by the end of the season we know these characters and this show far better than ever before BoJack s signature tropes the background visual jokes the animal puns the brutal moments of sadness remain reliably consistent but turns the focus largely inward ensuring that some of the more outlandish plots support and highlight the more emotional storylines 75 Bethonie Butler of The Washington Post lauded the series praising the installment as moving and unexpected and that it offers hope but never ignores the sorrows that are inevitable in real life 76 Mike Hale of The New York Times also gave a positive review commenting that the material has the snap and the poignancy we ve grown accustomed to and that while nothing matches the adventurousness of season three s underwater film festival episode season four s ninth episode narrated from the future by a distant descendant of Princess Carolyn s is a devastating example of what BoJack can do at its best 77 Season 5 Edit Keeping up with the performance of previous seasons the fifth season received widespread acclaim Based on 48 reviews the season has an approval rating of 98 with average rating of 9 3 10 on Rotten Tomatoes The website s critics consensus is BoJack Horseman continues confidently down the thematic rabbit hole with a fresh and poignant season that s as devastating as it is hilarious 78 On Metacritic it holds a score of 92 out of 100 based on 6 reviews 79 Indiewire gave the season an A calling it another brilliant season and saying the series has become so great that it is beyond reproach Multiple critical reviews have praised the episode Free Churro calling it one of the series best episodes and giving it Emmy buzz for both the writing and Will Arnett s monologue 80 Les Chappell of The A V Club observed that the episode The Dog Days Are Over in which Diane Nguyen takes an impromptu trip to Hanoi can be seen as a commentary on the identity crisis elements of having the Vietnamese American character Diane voiced by a white actress 81 Season 6 Edit The sixth season has also received wide acclaim Jen Chaney of Vulture called it more clever intelligent and multilayered than 95 percent of comedies on television or any other platform 82 On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 96 approval rating with an average rating of 9 2 10 based on 54 reviews with a critics consensus that reads Bittersweet and brilliant to the very end BoJack Horseman s final season manages to keep surprising viewers with its empathy and depth solidifying its place as one of TV s greatest offerings 83 On Metacritic the first part of season six holds a score of 93 out of 100 based on 6 reviews 84 while the second part holds a score of 91 out of 100 based on 8 reviews 85 Legacy EditBoJack Horseman has been considered by multiple critics to be one of the best animated shows of all time 86 87 88 It received acclaim during its run for its existential plot lines and realistic take on depression drug addiction alcoholism and celebrity status Its ensemble cast has been praised for their voice performances BoJack Horseman has contributed to the rise of the sadcom a tragicomic format that balances both humor and sadness 89 90 91 Syndication EditOn July 26 2018 Comedy Central acquired exclusive linear television syndication rights to BoJack Horseman making it the first Netflix original to be syndicated to cable television in the United States 92 The series debuted on September 26 2018 following the South Park season 22 premiere 93 In February 2021 BoJack Horseman re aired on MTV2 In the United Kingdom the show began airing on DMAX on February 25 2019 94 Home media EditOn December 13 2018 The Tornante Company and Shout Factory announced a deal to release the first four seasons on DVD and Blu ray 95 In North America a bundle of the first two seasons and the Christmas special was released on DVD and Blu ray on July 30 2019 this release also contains animatics art galleries and audio commentaries as bonus features 96 In the United Kingdom Manga Entertainment released season one on October 28 2019 followed by season two on December 2 respectively 97 Awards and nominations EditMain article List of awards and nominations received by BoJack Horseman Throughout its run BoJack Horseman has received numerous accolades including two Saturn Award nominations for Best Animated Series on Television 98 99 four Critics Choice Television Awards for Best Animated Series 100 101 102 103 and two Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Animated Program 104 105 For her voicing of Sarah Lynn Kristen Schaal was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice Over Performance 106 Additionally writers on the show received a total of seven nominations from the Writers Guild of America three of which were won by Joe Lawson for Stop the Presses Kate Purdy for Time s Arrow and Nick Adams for Xerox of a Xerox 107 108 References Edit Stolworthy Jacob September 1 2018 Netflix in September Every new movie and TV show coming from The Good Place and Maniac to BoJack Horseman The Independent Archived from the original on September 14 2018 Retrieved September 14 2018 Croot James August 30 2017 Bojack Horseman Inside the world s most popular animated dramady Stuff Limited Archived from the original on September 14 2018 Retrieved September 14 2018 Bramesco Charles July 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Retrieved February 21 2020 BoJack Horseman Season 6 Reviews Metacritic Archived from the original on November 8 2019 Retrieved January 31 2020 BoJack Horseman Season 6 5 Reviews Metacritic Archived from the original on January 31 2020 Retrieved January 31 2020 Mandle Chris How BoJack Horseman became the 21st Century s best animation BBC BBC Retrieved October 22 2020 The Best Animated Series of All Time IndieWire September 18 2020 Retrieved October 22 2020 Bartleet Larry September 27 2017 How Bojack Horseman became the best animation on TV NME Retrieved October 22 2020 The legacy of BoJack Horseman theweek com January 30 2020 Retrieved May 19 2020 Jaffe Jenny September 3 2015 The Rise of the Sadcom Vulture Retrieved May 19 2020 Gilbert Sophie May 4 2020 Trying Is a Sadcom In the Fleabag Mold The Atlantic Retrieved May 19 2020 Wright Megh July 26 2018 Every Season of BoJack Horseman Comes to Comedy Central This Fall Vulture Archived from the original on July 27 2018 Retrieved July 27 2018 Liptak Andrew July 26 2018 BoJack Horseman comes to Comedy Central this fall The Verge Archived from the original on July 27 2018 Retrieved July 27 2018 Bojack Horseman goes FTA on DMAX advanced television com February 20 2019 Zahed Ramin December 13 2018 Shout Factory Steers in BoJack Horseman DVD Blu Ray Deal Archived from the original on December 14 2018 Retrieved December 14 2018 Milligan Mercedes June 6 2019 Shout Reveals BoJack S1 amp S2 Bonus Features Archived from the original on June 7 2019 Retrieved June 7 2019 Stevens Josh A August 2 2019 Manga UK to release Goblin Slayer Fruits Basket and more Anime UK News Archived from the original on August 2 2019 Retrieved August 2 2019 Dave McNary March 2 2017 Rogue One Walking Dead Lead Saturn Awards Nominations Variety Penske Media Corporation Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Dave McNary March 15 2018 Black Panther Walking Dead Rule Saturn Awards Nominations Variety Penske Media Corporation Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Matt Webb Mitovich January 17 2016 Critics Choice Awards TV Winners Include Fargo Mr Robot Master of None Rachel Bloom and Carrie Coon TVLine Penske Media Corporation Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Kimberly Nordyke Patrick Shanley December 11 2016 Critics Choice Awards The Complete Winners List The Hollywood Reporter MRC Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Henrique DaMour January 13 2019 Critics Choice Awards 2019 See the full winners list Entertainment Weekly Meredith Corporation Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Ryan Lattanzio January 12 2020 Critics Choice Awards 2020 Full Winners List IndieWire Penske Media Corporation Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Christi Carras Kimberly Nordyke September 14 2019 Creative Arts Emmys Complete Winners List The Hollywood Reporter MRC Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Michael Schneider September 19 2020 Creative Arts Emmys Eddie Murphy Maya Rudolph RuPaul Among Major Victors Full Winners List Variety Penske Media Corporation Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Pete Hammond Patrick Hipes July 13 2017 Emmy Awards Nominations Westworld This Is Us Stranger Things Atlanta Lead Diverse List Deadline Hollywood Penske Media Corporation Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Cynthia Littleton Dave McNary February 19 2017 WGA Awards Moonlight Arrival Win for Best Screenplay Atlanta Wins Twice Variety Penske Media Corporation Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 WGA Awards The Complete Winners List Variety Penske Media Corporation February 11 2018 Archived from the original on December 21 2020 Retrieved January 29 2021 Further reading EditMcDonnell Chris 2018 Bojack Horseman The Art Before the Horse Harry N Abrams External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to BoJack Horseman BoJack Horseman Official site BoJack Horseman at IMDbNotes Edit Hollywood is renamed twice in the series first as Hollywoo shortly into season one and then briefly as Hollywoob in the final season Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title BoJack Horseman amp oldid 1149831937, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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