Ricky Gervais animated series “Alley Cats” faces harsh reviews as John Cleese publicly defends Netflix comedy

Ricky Gervais’ new animated television series “Alley Cats” debuted on Netflix over the weekend, but early reviews were sharply mixed, with some critics calling the show overly edgy. Deadline reported that critics have been dismissive of the series’ tone, describing it as a politically incorrect dark comedy, and it cited a low aggregate audience-and-critics score of 39% on Metacritic as of the weekend rollout.

Deadline also reported that at least one major British newspaper, The Telegraph, was among the outlets taking issue with the show, pointing to a broader wave of unfavorable commentary that began soon after the series became available to stream. The criticism centered on the material itself, rather than on distribution or platform issues, according to the report.

Amid the backlash, Deadline said comedy legend John Cleese publicly came to Gervais’ defense. Cleese’s reaction, described in the report as giving the show “thumbs up,” was positioned as a direct response to the early reviews, highlighting a split between some critics and at least one prominent figure in comedy with a long record in mainstream British television.

The Deadline article framed the controversy as a test of how audiences and industry figures weigh comedic boundaries against critical standards, especially for a project that arrives as an animated series rather than a live stand-up or sketch format. In particular, it suggested that the show’s content is likely to remain the focus of discussion because the initial reception already made it a talking point during its first days on Netflix.

For Netflix, the practical effect of the early negative coverage is largely tied to visibility and discoverability, as initial critical narratives can shape what viewers decide to try, particularly in the crowded streaming landscape. For Gervais and the production, the immediate challenge is that the reviews began circulating almost immediately after release, meaning any attempt to broaden the audience may depend on word of mouth rather than formal criticism.

The next phase for “Alley Cats” will be how review coverage evolves beyond the initial wave, including whether additional major outlets publish different assessments and whether Metacritic scores move materially as more criticism and audience responses accumulate. Deadline’s report did not indicate any platform response to the critiques, nor did it describe any changes to episodes or content after debut.