Animals (American TV series)
Animals is an American adult animated comedy television series created by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano. The first two episodes were independently produced and presented at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2015. In May 2015, HBO picked the series up with a two-season order, which premiered on February 5, 2016. The series was renewed for a third season on May 19, 2017. Season 3 premiered on August 3, 2018. In October 2018, it was announced that HBO had canceled the series. Plot. Each episode features a different cast of special guests, along with creators  Matarese and Luciano playing various animals. The show features retroscripting and improvised dialogue based on plot outlines. Each season also has a story arc featuring humans in live-action sequences, such as a corrupt mayor and the events leading to his reelection in season one. In season two, the human story arc concerns a reporter investigating a virus outbreak created by mad scientist Dr. Labcoat, who is forced to release a gas that dissolves all human life in New York. In season three, which takes place three years after the dubbed "Green Day" incident, the animals of New York have  formed their own governments while they are being observed by two soldiers who are losing their grip on reality. Critical reception. The first season has received positive reviews from critics. As of April 2020, it holds a 68% "Fresh" rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews, with an average of 6.5/10. On Metacritic, the series holds a rating of 54 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or above average reviews". Maureen Ryan of "Variety" gave the first season a negative review, writing, "The animated HBO show has a lot in common with programs  like "Girls", "Louie" and "Baskets", and like "Togetherness", it boasts Mark and Jay Duplass as executive producers. But the extraordinarily tedious "Animals.", unlike those shows, fails to hit any of its chosen targets. It is unfunny, its animation is unexceptional and the studied banality of its dialogue is excruciating." Conversely, David Wiegand in the "San Francisco Chronicle" gave the season a positive review, writing, "The deadpan approach only enhances the delicious off the wall comedy of "Animals." The series is batty and brilliant as it turns the whole notion of anthropomorphic cartoon animals on its fuzzy ear." Animals (American TV