With awards darlings House of Cards and Orange is the New Black ranking among its original series, Netflix no longer has to prove that it can deliver programming on the level of premium networks like HBO and Showtime. So, now it appears that the streaming giant is attempting to stretch itself in other ways, with riskier shows that hardly any other network would take a chance on. One such offering is animated comedy BoJack Horseman, about a washed-up actor, the horse star of ’90s sitcom Horsin’ Around, looking for a comeback.
A new trailer for the series has arrived, showing us that BoJack Horseman is quite a distinctive creature. The animation is a little choppy (intentionally), the audience is clearly adult (almost like a blend between FX’s shows Archer and Louie) and the main selling point appears to be the lineup of voice actors Netlix has pulled together.
Will Arnett voices BoJack, who is an alcoholic and lifelong cynic on top of his career troubles. Aaron Paul voices his human sidekick Todd, while Amy Sedaris lends her vocals to Princess Carolyn, BoJack’s feline agent and occasional lover. Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins and Patton Oswalt are also in the voice cast.
First impressions? This is going to be a very niche show, watched only by a few and beloved by fewer. Then again, Netflix has been adamant about how big ratings aren’t the main goal of its original programming slate, so that should hardly matter. The big question is whether the premise will lend itself to multiple seasons.
BoJack Horseman will premiere its 12-episode first run on August 22nd.