Ricky Gervais brought his unmistakable blend of sharp comedy and heartfelt storytelling to the Annecy Animation Festival, offering audiences first two episodes and an extended first look at his upcoming Netflix animated series Alley Cats while revealing why animation was the perfect medium for his latest sitcom.
Taking to the stage, Gervais discussed the origins of the project, his unconventional approach to recording the cast, and the philosophy that has shaped the series from its earliest sketches. While Alley Cats marks Gervais’ first animated series, the comedian explained that, creatively, it isn’t a departure from the stories he’s always wanted to tell.
“I’ve always done studies in things,” he said. “I worked in an office for ten years and then did a study of it. Extras was a study of media. Derek was a study of kindness.” He also reflected on After Life, revealing that despite audiences often interpreting it as a story about grief, that was never his intention.
“I think people thought it was a study of grief, but that was never the intention,” Gervais explained. “It was a love story.” For Alley Cats, that fascination has shifted towards animals. “I’ve loved cats all my life,” he said. “They’re just perfect creatures. They’re so independent. They’re so tiny and they think they’re lions.”
Despite Netflix positioning the project as adult animation, Gervais was quick to push back on that description. “I don’t even like the term ‘adult animation’,” he admitted. “This is a sitcom. It’s a family of cats.” That grounded approach extends to every aspect of the series. Gervais explained that apart from the obvious fact that the cats can talk, the world obeys real-life rules.
“The only thing that’s different is the cats talk,” he said. “Everything else is real.” One of the biggest creative decisions behind Alley Cats was abandoning the traditional animation recording process.
Rather than recording every performer separately, Gervais assembled the cast together in the studio, allowing conversations to overlap naturally and encouraging improvisation throughout each recording session. “We were all in the room at the same time,” he revealed.
The scripts provided the structure, but the actors were given the freedom to experiment before episodes were refined in the edit.
“When we laugh, we leave it in,” Gervais said. “Because the cats are mates, so they would laugh.” He also revealed that he cast the series before writing it, allowing him to tailor dialogue specifically to each performer’s strengths.
“I know what they can do,” he explained. “It’s easier to write for.” Naturalism became something of a mantra throughout production. Gervais said he instructed both the cast and animation team to resist many of the conventions typically associated with animated comedy.
“I said to the actors, ‘Don’t put on voices. Don’t do cartoon voices. Just be yourself.” That philosophy carried through into the animation itself, with Gervais repeatedly reminding the team not to exaggerate performances or oversell jokes. “Sitcom isn’t about clever lines and jokes,” he said. “It’s about character. If you love the characters, you can watch them do anything.”
Annecy audiences were also treated to two exclusive scenes from the series. The first showcased the show’s fast-paced humour as a simple conversation about bees spiralled into an increasingly absurd argument in classic Gervais fashion.
The second, however, proved to be one of the panel’s highlights. Set to The Smiths’ iconic There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, the sequence follows two cats nervously heading out on a first date, with the visuals playfully echoing the song’s famous lyrics as they narrowly avoid being hit by traffic.
Gervais revealed that it was the very first scene he wrote for the series. “I love the fact that that song is so existential and uplifting,” he said. Securing the music wasn’t guaranteed, however. Gervais explained that he personally wrote to both Morrissey and Johnny Marr to ask permission to use the track.
“They both said yes,” he revealed. “So, big thank you to them.” Throughout the discussion, one theme continued to surface: emotional honesty. Whether discussing The Office, After Life or now Alley Cats, Gervais repeatedly returned to the idea that audiences connect with characters before they connect with jokes.
“I just want people to feel something,” he said. If Annecy’s exclusive footage is anything to go by, Alley Cats looks set to deliver exactly that. A character-driven sitcom that combines Gervais’ trademark humour with the warmth and emotional sincerity that have defined much of his recent work.
The series is set to premiere on Netflix August 7th.
