Ricky Gervais Alley Cats

It would be irresponsible not to say right off that “Alley Cats,” written and directed by the comedian Ricky Gervais, is so gleefully vulgar it could make a TV critic blush. .... That said, the six episodes all end on some sweet note, some nod to basic decency.

It's funnier when it isn't being juvenile.

About as funny as Nightmare Alley and about as visually compelling as Cats.

The show follows its own unhurried rhythm, turning on a dime between casually vicious and ooey-gooey sweet. But lacking the creative depth to make either tone land, it winds up a comedy of existential angst that’s rarely all that funny and only occasionally kind of moving.

The most offensive thing about his six-part series, a point further emphasized by the 25th anniversary celebrations of his mainstream breakthrough, is its sheer laziness. .... The likes of Diane Morgan, Tom Basden, and Andrew Brooke sound thoroughly bored throughout. .... Gervais acolytes will no doubt lap it up. But it’s unlikely many will still be purring about Alley Cats in a year, let alone 25.

The mix of raucous crudeness and simplistic sentimentality – one thing the two elements share is that they’re both aggressively, insistently philistine – has become the signature Gervais style, but that doesn’t make Alley Cats any more appetising. In 2D, his writing falls flatter than ever.

Alley Cats is staggeringly unfunny.

Loved it. Hilarious especially if you love cats and watch their behaviour.

50% of the content is an over de top crude and vulgar attempt at humour, the other half is enjoyable.

Gervais' worst work to date. Only reason I'm not going lower is because I think it did get 2-3 genuine laughs out of me. (Namely the first time he tried to catch a mouse but ended up eating it - it got me in an unexpected way and the delivery was decent). Unlike most I didn't mind Afterlife despite it's failings, and could appreciate it for the simple thing that it was. But listening to Gervais repeat the same tired talking points over and over has finally made me entirely numb to it. Foregoing jokes and even an attempt at wit for constantly repeated and over-the-top shouting, swearing and toilet humour was certainly an interesting choice. It may have landed if it was actually delivered sparingly, but you already know exactly what a cat is going to say before they say it by halfway through the second episode. (Gus: "Oh shut up you c***" Fang: "Yeah, you f****** c***" Ponce: "Real clever" Puke: "I f***** a squirrel once, right up the bumhole") Each episode begins with lazy and innane rambling between the cats in a clear attempt to replicate the gold of the Ricky-Steve-Karl podcasts. Lacking the personality, charm and natural feeling that this dynamic had however, these interactions feel utterly uninspired and like Gervais is just talking to himself through his slightly different persona's. The cats then go out and do something vaguely interesting, before ending with a drastic switch of tone that is so sudden and unexpected it will give you whiplash. These "heartfelt" moments are such an ugly juxtaposition to the tone of everything else beforehand that not only do they not land, they are so rushed that they feel entirely unearned. Oh and cue the Coldplay music incase you didn't know that this was supposed to be a heartfelt moment. Did I mention how boring it has got listening to Gervais preach the exact same points in every single thing he's ever done? Just with increasingly less tact and subtlety, opting further and further for "tell don't show" instead of the "show don't tell" that was so reminiscent of his earlier works. I remained a fan of Ricky long after he got "cancelled" and have never voiced even the slightest concern about anything post Extras, nor have I really hated anything he has said. I have always been a fan. But seeing how he now paints the people who are even slightly critical of him and his later works under one brush, I'm starting to think those earlier criticisms may have had validity. Enjoy your echo chamber. We are now in the timeline where Gervais is Andy Millman, but if he was actually happy with When the Whistle Blows and it's brand of fanbase.

One of the laziest TV series I’ve ever seen that seems to think you can just forgo jokes in favour of swearing every other word...

Terribly written dialogues don't become funny when you add **** 50 times or when they are shouted. I wasn't offended, this was just ****.