{"id":2942,"date":"2026-06-25T10:39:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T10:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2942"},"modified":"2026-06-25T10:39:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T10:39:12","slug":"ricky-gervais-talks-netflixs-alley-cats-as-annecy-sings-him-happy-birthday-i-hope-you-like-cats-and-swearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=2942","title":{"rendered":"Ricky Gervais Talks Netflix\u2019s \u2018Alley Cats\u2019 as Annecy Sings Him \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019: \u2018I Hope You Like Cats. And Swearing\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n<\/p>\n
\n

\nRicky Gervais is ready for Netflix\u2018s \u201cAlley Cats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI hope you like cats. And swearing,\u201d he told the audience at Annecy. The viewers serenaded him before the screening of the first two episodes, singing Happy Birthday.\u2019<\/p>\n

Read more Tubi to Provide Creatorverse Lineup to Amazon\u2019s Fire TV (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tIn the show, the comedian and creator of \u201cThe Office\u201d and \u201cAfter Life\u201d decided to turn his attention to British feral cats. Gervais explained why he wanted to try his hand at animation.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cMany reasons. I don\u2019t have to do hair and makeup, or get up early. I can just sit in a chair and do this forever.\u201d Also, cats are \u201cperfect creatures.\u201d \u201cThey are so independent and so tiny. They think they are lions,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cBut it\u2019s a sitcom. I don\u2019t even like the term \u2018adult animation,\u2019 because it\u2019s a family of cats \u2013 just like in a sitcom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cYou write it and then you just play with it. It\u2019s just fun. There are no restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe hilarious new series had the audience in stitches. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cSometimes I would think: Can we do it?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe wanted the actors to keep things real when voicing the characters.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s recorded very differently to average [animation]. We were in a room at the same time, firing. I told them: \u2018Don\u2019t be \u2018funny.\u201d Everything is realistic \u2013 apart from the cats talking. I said: \u2018Think of them as people, sitting on a couch and watching TV\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLooking at a photo of the team at work, he said: \u201cThey look like a posh orchestra, but they are about to say \u2018cunt\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tGervais also treated the audience to his very first drawing of one of the cats, Gus. They \u201cleft his attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cSitcom is all about the characters. if you love them, you can watch them do nothing. I could watch Homer Simpson read something for hours. I told everyone: \u2018If people will love these cats, we\u2019ve done it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Virginie Efira to Be Honored by Locarno Film Festival<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tHe added: \u201cThe fact that someone is animating that absolute drivel is already funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI don\u2019t know how we fucking did it. It came out not only as I wanted it in my head, but it seemed\u2026 easy. It was fun! There was one thing we had three goes at \u2013 there\u2019s dancing at the end, and we had to figure out what\u2019s the best way for these cats to dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do much to make it slightly different,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\n\tStill, it was a \u201cbig learning curve\u201d for Gervais.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI had to learn fast, but kept everything in my wheelhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe also talked about using \u201cThere Is a Light That Never Goes Out\u201d by The Smiths in one of the scenes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cMy favorite bit in the craft is: How can I get emotions across?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe noted: \u201cThis song is so existential and uplifting. Everything I\u2019ve done is slightly existential and it\u2019s exaggerated with cats, because they have such short lives. Then we had to get permission, so I had to write a nice letter to Morrissey and Johnny Marr, and they both said yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI like pathos. With any fiction, you create your own heroes and villains as a roleplay for the soul. it\u2019s all there is. I\u2019ve never been interested in \u2018oh, that was a great dolly shot.\u2019 Do I believe the actor? Do I care about these characters? Everything you do, there\u2019s got to be a bigger picture. Otherwise, we don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDeath is very present in the show, \u201con purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI want people to want them to survive. And they do. I just want them to love the cats,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI should also say how great Netflix is, because I want a second season. They commissioned it based on: \u2018There are cats and they swear a lot.\u2019 \u2018What happens?\u2019 \u2018Nothing happens\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe show is \u201cvery British,\u201d but only \u201con a trivial level.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201c\u2018The Office\u2019 was supposed to be British, too. But the themes are universal. [In the original version] we put a stapler in jelly \u2013 in the French version it was cheese. It translates! I\u2019ve always written about humanity. The joke is that I\u2019m not a fan, but I am. I just like being honest about it. Drama hides a hero\u2019s flaws; comedy exaggerates it. It says: \u2018We are all idiots.\u2019 I love humanity and I love bringing that out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Genre-Bending Stories, Trailblazing Co-Productions Head Annecy\u2019s MIFA Feature Pitches<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ricky Gervais opens up about Netflix’s upcoming animated series ‘Alley Cats’ at Annecy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2478,344,25,2479],"class_list":["post-2942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-alley-cats","tag-annecy-animation-festival","tag-netflix","tag-ricky-gervais"],"yoast_head":"\nRicky Gervais Talks Netflix\u2019s \u2018Alley Cats\u2019 as Annecy Sings Him \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019: \u2018I Hope You Like Cats. 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