Jump to content

Exploding Kittens (TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Exploding Kittens
Initial promotional poster with the release window
GenreAction comedy

Fantasy comedy

Black fantasy
Created byMatthew Inman
&
Shane Kosakowski
Based onExploding Kittens
by Matthew Inman and Elan Lee
Starring
Music byShirley Song
&
Jina Hyojin An
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes9
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJanet Dimon
Editors
  • Lauren Hecht
  • Matt Steinauer
Running time24—27 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)

Exploding Kittens is an American adult animated fantasy comedy television series loosely based on the tabletop card game of the same name designed by Matthew Inman, of The Oatmeal webcomic, and Elan Lee. It features the voices of Tom Ellis, Sasheer Zamata, Suzy Nakamura, Mark Proksch, Ally Maki, Betsy Sodaro, Tom Kenny, David Gborie and Kenny Yates.

Produced by Chomp City, Bandera Entertainment, Jam Filled Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment, it premiered on Netflix on July 12, 2024, to mixed reception from critics.

Premise

[edit]

In this animated comedy series, God and the Devil are sent to Earth in the form of talking cats. God, voiced by Tom Ellis, must reconnect with humanity while navigating life as a house cat. Living with a dysfunctional family, he attempts to solve their problems and faces humorous challenges, all while engaging in slapstick antics. The show is based on the popular card game of the same name.

— Netflix

Voice cast

[edit]

Additional Voices

[edit]

Episodes

[edit]
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Pilot"Eddie RosasMatthew Inman & Shane KosakowskiJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
2"Tartar Recall"Scott BernMatthew Inman & Shane KosakowskiJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
3"Shane & Chugger's"Eddie RosasCaitie DelaneyJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
4"Emotions Are Hard"Traci HondaNoah PrestwichJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
5"No Regrets"Scott BernSierra KatowJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
6"The Town with No Internet"Traci HondaShawn Kenji PearlmanJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
7"SeaWorld Is Hell"Eddie RosasMaggie GottliebJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
8"Let the Games Begin"Traci HondaShane KosakowskiJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)
9"The Westminster Human Show"Eddie RosasMatthew Inman & Shane KosakowskiJuly 12, 2024 (2024-07-12)

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

In April 2022, it was announced that an animated streaming television series was first officially ordered by Netflix, with King of the Hill creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels as executive producers, alongside Peter Chernin.[1] Additional game mechanics and cards tied to the show will be added to the mobile game at a later date.[1]

Casting

[edit]

Alongside the series' announcement, Tom Ellis, Sasheer Zamata, Abraham Lim, Lucy Liu, Ally Maki, Betsy Sodaro, Tom Kenny, David Gborie and Mark Proksch, were cast as the ensemble cast. In May 2024, Suzy Nakamura and Kenny Yates joined the cast;[2] but within the two year span of the show's development, Liu and Lim dropped out from the project.[3]

Release

[edit]

Exploding Kittens had its first look preview at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 14, 2023.[4] Originally planned for a release in late 2023,[1] the series was delayed for a 2024 premiere.[5] The series was released on July 12, 2024.[6]

Reception

[edit]
Exploding Kittens
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic54/100[7]
Rotten Tomatoes71%[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. ClubC−[9]
The Guardian[10]
IGN4/10[11]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 71% approval rating with an average rating of 5.0/10, based on 16 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A battle between heaven and hell translated into daffy slapstick, Exploding Kittens won't blow viewers' minds but serves up some fun animated mayhem."[8] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 54 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews" based on 9 critic reviews.[7]

Lucy Mangan, reviewing for The Guardian, gave the series one star, saying it was "carelessly made, infuriating and unfunny" and criticising the poor storyline.[10] The A.V. Club's Isobel Lewis gives the series a C−, saying that the jokes are "the kind that lead to a small smile but rarely makes anyone laugh out loud" though there are "nuggets of comedy gold"; she criticises the writing as "tame" and "lack[ing] the bravery of other animated series".[9] Chase Hutchinson, writing for IGN rated the series 4/10, saying that throughout the show "premises are stretched well beyond their breaking point, jokes land with tiresome thuds, and every cliffhanger feels like a forced attempt to get Netflix subscribers to keep the app open."[11]

In the Los Angeles Times, Robert Lloyd notes that while the series is a "lesson ... that anything can amount to exploitable intellectual property", it is also "corny as... hell, but it's genuine corn".[12] Angie Han in The Hollywood Reporter said the show's plot was "admirably zany" but that the comedy "[tended] to be obvious"; she concludes that "if you're looking for light humor, you could do worse".[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Goldberg, Lesley (April 18, 2022). "'Exploding Kittens' Animated Series, Mobile Game Coming to Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  2. ^ Milligran, Mercedes (May 9, 2024). "Trailer: Feline Foes Collide in Netflix's 'Exploding Kittens'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  3. ^ Carr, Mary (May 9, 2024). "Netflix's Exploding Kittens trailer is about as random as you'd expect". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  4. ^ Taylor, Drew (April 24, 2023). "Netflix to Debut Official First Looks at 'Nimona,' 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget' at This Year's Annecy". TheWrap. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Reul, Kate (November 11, 2023). "Exploding Kittens Teaser Unveils Tom Ellis as God in Cat Form". IGN. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  6. ^ "Next on Netflix Animation Presentation Sneak-Peeks 'K-Pop: Demon Hunters,' 'Plankton' Movie, 'Motel Transylvania' and Much, Much More!". Animation Magazine. June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Exploding Kittens: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Exploding Kittens: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Isobel Lewis (July 11, 2024). "Netflix's Exploding Kittens series is lost in translation". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Mangan, Lucy (July 12, 2024). "Exploding Kittens review – unfunny, infuriating and life-sapping". The Guardian. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Chase Hutchinson (July 12, 2024). "Exploding Kittens Season 1 Review". IGN. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  12. ^ Lloyd, Robert (July 11, 2024). "Review: Adult cartoons 'Sausage Party' and 'Exploding Kittens,' one charming, one (purposely) not". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  13. ^ Han, Angie (July 12, 2024). "'Exploding Kittens' Review: Netflix's Admirably Zany Animated Cat Comedy Could Use Sharper Jokes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Exploding_Kittens_(TV_series)&oldid=1239426024"