Tuca &amp; BertieTuca &amp; Bertie Tuca & Bertie Tuca & Bertie is an American adult animated sitcom created by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt that began streaming on May 3, 2019 on Netflix. It stars Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong, with a supporting cast including Steven Yeun, John Early, Richard E. Grant, and Reggie Watts. The first season received positive reviews, and was cited as one of the best shows of 2019 by several publications. The show's central characters are two anthropomorphic female birds: Tuca the toucan and Bertie the song thrush. Episodes mainly focus on the two's relationships with each other and with their peers. The  series was canceled by Netflix after one season in July 2019. In May 2020, Cartoon Network's nighttime Adult Swim programming block announced they ordered a second season of the series, which premiered on June 13, 2021. In August 2021, the series was renewed for a third season. "Tuca & Bertie" has received largely positive critical reception for its portrayal of adulthood and friendship-driven themes, as well as its humor and art style. Premise. "Tuca & Bertie" follows "the friendship between two 30-year-old bird-women who live in the same apartment building, Tuca, a cocky, care-free toucan, and  Bertie, an anxious, daydreaming songbird." Production. Development. Tuca originated in Lisa Hanawalt's webcomic "Tuca the Toucan" which ran from 2013 to 2014. On February 20, 2018, Netflix announced it had given the production a series order to consist of a first season of ten episodes. The series was created by Lisa Hanawalt who executive produced alongside Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, and Tiffany Haddish. Production companies involved in the series include The Tornante Company and ShadowMachine. On March 14, 2019, Netflix announced that the series would premiere on May 3, and a first look featurette trailer  was released. Casting. Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported that Tiffany Haddish would voice the lead character of Tuca. On May 7, 2018, it was announced that Ali Wong had been cast as the voice of Bertie. In March 2019, it was announced Steven Yeun had been cast as a series regular, with Nicole Byer, Richard E. Grant, John Early, Reggie Watts, Tig Notaro, Amber Ruffin, Jermaine Fowler, and Tessa Thompson appearing in guest capacity. Cancellation and revival. Netflix announced the series cancellation on July 24, 2019. In a series of tweets responding to the news, Hanawalt expressed  gratitude for the cast, crew, reviews, and fans. Hanawalt and Haddish both expressed hope that the show could find a new home. The announcement of show's cancellation was met with a negative response. Within 24 hours of the cancellation, the Twitter hashtags #RenewTucaAndBertie and #SaveTucaAndBertie each received more than 10,000 tweets from users. A Change.org petition to renew the show gained media attention and received 3,600 signatures in 24 hours. Various news and lifestyle sites published columns lamenting the cancellation, while continuing to praise the show for its female representation, diverse cast, and handling of complex issues. The cancellation  was deemed to be "disappointing" and a "loss for television". The cancellation also led to criticism of Netflix's algorithm, highlighted by its failure to recommend the show to creator Hanawalt, and at Netflix itself for prematurely canceling the series less than three months after its premiere, disallowing the show a chance to grow its audience. According to Hanawalt, several networks showed interest in picking up the show after its cancellation; however, she felt Adult Swim was the best home for the show to continue. On May 22, 2020, it was announced that the series would be revived on Adult  Swim in 2021, making it the second Netflix original series to be revived coming off the cancellation of "One Day at a Time" in 2019. The revival was named one of Indiewire's "Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2021". On May 3, 2021, it was announced that the second season would premiere on June 13, 2021. The second season ran for ten episodes. On August 4, 2021, Adult Swim renewed the series for a third season. Reception. Critical reception. Season 1. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first seasons holds an approval rating of 98% based on 47 reviews, with  an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Tuca & Bertie" skips right past "BoJack Horseman"s shadow with its chipper sensibility and madcap sight gags, bringing plenty of laughs as it addresses adulting anxiety and exalts the joys of friendship." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews". In a positive review, Kate Abbott of "The Guardian" wrote that the show was "a chirpily realised world that stays true to its experimentalism - and its pleasures are consistent, if deliciously twisted, and very surreal indeed." James  Poniewozik of "The New York Times", praised "Hanawalt's surreal vision, the anarchic fluidity of the landscape, the series's whimsically bending laws of both nature and physics." Critics praised the show's female-focused portrayal of trauma, desire, and friendship. In a negative review, Brian Lowry of "CNN" wrote that the show did not stand out beyond similar adult animations on Adult Swim, declaring that the show was "strictly for the birds". The show drew both praise and criticism for perceived similarities to Comedy Central's "Broad City," due to both shows focusing on female friendship. Season 2. The  second season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 8.29/10. The website's critical consensus states, ""Tuca & Bertie" superb second season is as vivid and sparkling as the first, diving deeper into its dynamic leads without losing any of its singular humor." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". In a positive review, Dan Feinberg of "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote "the show has become a savvy vehicle through which to explore repressed trauma, workplace sexism and what  may be the most simultaneously nurturing and corrosive friendship on TV". Melanie McFarland of "Slate" praised the show for demonstrating "that shows created in and for the female gaze are inclusive and appealing to everybody" and "reminding us of the many ways that animation tells multi-dimensional stories that speak to everybody, not just the guys". Awards and accolades. Upon release, "The A.V. Club" thought that the show was one of the best new shows of 2019, with "Vox" naming "Tuca & Bertie" one of the "5 best TV Shows of May 2019". The Huffington Post named it as 6th best  show of 2019, Indiewire named it as the 2nd best new show of 2019 and the 20th best show of the decade, and TV Guide named it one of the best animated TV shows of the decade. In addition, "The A.V. Club" named it the 18th best show of 2019 and Junkee placed it on an unranked list of the best TV of 2019. Specific praise was given to the episode "The Jelly Lakes", with both "Entertainment Weekly" and "The Hollywood Reporter" naming it one of the best episodes of 2019. "Tuca and Bertie" was nominated for three awards, winning  one, at the 47th Annie Awards, all for the episode "The Jelly Lakes". It was nominated for Best General Audience Animated TV/Film and Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting (for Ali Wong), and Outstanding Achievement for Writing (for Shauna McGarry). On January 25, 2020, McGarry won the Outstanding Achievement for Writing for "The Jelly Lakes". The episode "Planteau" won the at the 74th Writers Guild of America Awards. Tuca & Bertie Tuca & Bertie is an American adult animated sitcom created by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt that began streaming on May 3, 2019 on Netflix. It stars Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong, with