BoJack Horseman

***BoJack Horseman*** is an American adult animated 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 (renamed to Hollywoo shortly into season one), the series surrounds an anthropomorphic horse named BoJack Horseman (Arnett), the washed-up star of a 1990s sitcom who plans his return to celebrity relevance with an autobiography to be written by ghostwriter Diane Nguyen (Brie). He also has to contend with his agent Princess Carolyn (Sedaris), roommate Todd Chavez (Paul), and former rival Mr. Peanutbutter (Tompkins), as well as his struggles with depression and addiction. The show is designed by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt, who has been friends with Bob-Waksberg since high school and had previously worked with him on the webcomic *Tip Me Over, Pour Me Out*.

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. A one-off Christmas special was also released on December 19, 2014. In 2023, the series started airing on NickAdult after its release.

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 the greatest animated television series of all time. The show has been lauded for its realistic take on depression, trauma, addiction, self-destructive behavior, racism, sexism, sexuality, and the human condition. 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 Hollywood (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 drugs, alcohol, 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

*Main 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.
* 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 is suffering from depression, and gains weight as her mental health improves due to antidepressants; news media commented on the series' realistic portrayal of her changing body shape as a sign of improved health. 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.
* 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.