''Big City Greens'' is an American animated comedy

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme sp ...

television series created by The Houghton Brothers that premiered on Disney Channel on June 18, 2018. The series features the voices of Chris Houghton, Marieve Herington,

Bob Joles Robert W. Joles (born July 16, 1959) is an American voice actor. He is known for voicing many characters in many television shows, most notably the voice of Man Ray in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (replacing John Rhys-Davies), and Bill Green in '' ...

, and

Artemis Pebdani Artemis Pebdani (born August 2, 1977) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Susan Ross on ''Scandal'', Artemis on ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' and Gramma Alice on ''Big City Greens''. Early life Pebdani was born and raised ...

Premise

After losing his farm in the country, Bill Green and his two children Cricket and Tilly move in with his mother Alice Green (Gramma), who lives on a small farm in the middle of a city known as "Big City."

Episodes

Characters

Main

* Cricket (voiced by Chris Houghton) is a 10-year-old trouble-making country boy who is always barefoot. He was fascinated by every discovery he would make in Big City. He got a job in Big Coffee in "Critterball Crisis" until it closed in "Chipwrecked". Later, he worked as a delivery boy at the Gloria + Green Cafe in the early episodes of Season 3, until his family moved back to Smalton in "The Move". His middle name is revealed to be Ernest, after his late paternal grandfather in "Bleeped". * Tilly (voiced by Marieve Herington) is Cricket's older sister, with an eccentric and imaginative nature. She is frequently accompanied by Saxon, a homemade doll Tilly created out of an old sack. Although she is very cheerful and incredibly kind, she has moments of selfishness, like her younger brother. This was shown in the episode "Mama Bird" when she was angry and jealous because the birds didn't show any affection towards her and instead favored Cricket. In "The Move", it is revealed that Tilly was born in the woods. * Bill (voiced by

as an adult; Andre Robinson as a child) is Cricket and Tilly's father and Gramma Alice's son. A skilled farmer, Bill is overprotective and cautious, having lost part of a finger because of a hay baler accident. * Gramma Alice (voiced by

) is Bill's mother and Cricket and Tilly's paternal grandmother, who owns the Green family farm in Big City. She frequently exhibits cantankerous and combative behavior to hide her love and affection for her family. When the family moves back to their farm in "The Move", Alice decides to stay in Big City, but later decides to move in with them temporarily after "Homeward Hound", using the animals sneaking into Big City as an excuse. Her full name is revealed to be Alice Delores Green in "Cricket Versus". * Nancy (voiced by

Wendi McLendon-Covey Wendi McLendon-Covey (née McLendon; born October 10, 1969) is an American actress and comedian. She is known primarily for her work in comedic and improvisational roles. Since 2013, McLendon-Covey has played the role of Beverly Goldberg, a fami ...

as an adult, Candace Kozak as a child) is Cricket and Tilly's mother and Bill's ex-wife. A former biker with a rebellious streak, she was briefly incarcerated before being released after the family moved to Big City. While they are divorced, she and Bill remain good friends, and she is a frequent presence in the children's lives. * Remy (voiced by

Zeno Robinson Zeno Robinson is an American voice actor. He has done voice acting for both Western animation and English dubbing (filmmaking), dubs of Japanese anime. Some of his major anime roles include: Hawks in ''My Hero Academia'' (for which he won Best VA ...

) is Cricket's best friend, whom he meets shortly after moving to Big City. He comes from a rich family – being optimistic and fun-loving, but he also struggles with his self-confidence. He later tags along with the Greens in their move back to Smalton. His last name is revealed to be Remington in "Remy Rescue".

Recurring

* Gloria (voiced by

Anna Akana Anna Kay Napualani Akana (born August 18, 1989) is an American actress, filmmaker, musician, and YouTuber. She has appeared in TV series, films, and music videos that include ''Awkward'' (2011), ''Ant-Man'' (2015), ''Hello, My Name is Doris'' (2 ...

) is the former

Japanese-American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...

barista at Big Coffee, who becomes friends and co-workers with Cricket. She dreams of one day saving up enough money to leave Big City and move to Paris. After Big Coffee shuts down at the end of "Chipwrecked", Gloria moves in with the Greens at the end of the next episode. In "'Rent Control", her full name is revealed to be "Gloria Sato" (derived from her parents' known surnames). In the Season 2 finale, she succeeds in opening her dream coffeehouse, with help from the Greens, called the Gloria + Green Cafe. * Officer Keys (voiced by

Andy Daly Andrew J. Daly (born April 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He starred as Forrest MacNeil on the Comedy Central series ''Review'', and had a supporting role in the HBO comedy series ''Eastbound & Down'' as Terrence Cutler. H ...

as an adult, Jason Maybaum as a child) is a muscular Big City

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

with an overly cheery and oblivious personality. * Kiki (voiced by Monica Ray) is part of a group of children that frequently play with Cricket, Tilly, and Remy. Her last name is revealed to be Kitashima in "Chipocalypse Now". * Benny (voiced by Luke Lowe) is part of a group of children that frequently play with Cricket, Tilly, and Remy. * Weezie (voiced by Lamar Woods) is part of a group of children that frequently play with Cricket, Tilly and Remy. His real name is revealed to be Westley Eastman in "Chipocalypse Now". * Brett (voiced by

Colton Dunn Colton Dunn (born June 30, 1977) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Garrett McNeil on the NBC workplace comedy '' Superstore'' (2015–2021) and for his work on Comedy Central sketch co ...

) is the Greens' easygoing former next-door neighbor who works at an animal shelter. His last name is revealed to be Eze in "Chipocalypse Now". * Chip Whistler (voiced by

Paul Scheer Paul Christian Scheer (born January 31, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, director, and podcaster. Scheer is a SAG award-winning actor known for his roles in Showtime's comedy series '' Black Monday'' and FX/ FXX's ''The ...

) is the Green family's rival and manager of the Wholesome Foods supermarket, a parody of

Whole Foods Market Whole Foods Market IP, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon, is an upscale American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A USDA ...

. He later becomes the CEO of the Wholesome Foods Corporation after his father's retirement and plans to get the Green's out of Big City (this plan ultimately fails with him getting banned from Big City). A

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...

is that his attempts to drive the Greens out of Big City usually gets his front tooth chipped (in "Friend Con", all his other teeth fell out instead), though his front tooth would somehow be repaired by the next appearance. After getting banned from Big City, he was most likely revoked of his position as CEO. * Vasquez (voiced by Danny Trejo) is Remy's bodyguard who watches over him when his parents are unavailable. * Rashida Remington (voiced by

Lorraine Toussaint Lorraine Toussaint () is a Trinidadian-American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Black Reel Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Toussaint began her career in theatre before ...

) is Remy's well-to-do mother who works as a lawyer. * Russell Remington (voiced by Colton Dunn) is Remy's father and Rashida's husband. He is a lawyer and former football player for the Big City Bengals. * Ms. Cho (voiced by Anna Akana) is the former owner of Big Coffee and Gloria and Cricket's boss. She only communicates via grunting. Her first name is Miriam, as revealed in "Cricket's Kapowie". In "Chipwrecked", Chip bribes Ms. Cho with retirement, which results in Big Coffee closing. She has not been seen again since. * Andromeda (voiced by

Nicole Byer Nicole Byer (born August 29, 1986) is an American comedian, actress, and television host. She is known as the host of the Netflix comedic reality bake-off series '' Nailed It!'' (2018–present), for which she received two Primetime Emmy Award ...

) is Tilly's best friend. She is a

conspiracy theorist A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

with a strong belief in aliens, supernatural phenomena, and government cover-ups. * Alucard Grigorian (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) is an old Armenian man who is the neighbor of Brett and formerly, the Greens and has personal issues with Gramma. His first name is revealed in "Chipocalypse Now". * Gabriella Espinosa (voiced by Jenna Ortega) is Cricket's girlfriend and female counterpart. She's as troublemaking and rambunctious as Cricket is as well as sharing his interests. * Gregly (voiced by Tim Robinson) is Cricket's grumpy friend who has a habit of screaming everything he says. * Maria Media (voiced by

Raven-Symoné Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman-Maday () (née Pearman; born December 10, 1985), also known mononymously as Raven, is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She has received several accolades, including five NAACP Image Awards, two Kids ...

) is a local news reporter in Big City. * Community Sue (voiced by

Betsy Sodaro Betsy Sodaro is an American actress from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles. Sodaro is best known for her appearances on comedy programs such as ''Another Period'', '' Duncanville'', '' Clipped'', ''Animal Practice'', '' Nailed ...

) is the director of the Big City Community Center. She constantly shouts during conversations and regularly encourages others to adopt more health-conscious behaviors. Her last name is revealed to be Lanemoto in "Chipocalypse Now". * Gwendolyn Zapp (voiced by

Cheri Oteri Cheryl Ann Oteri () is an American actress and comedian. A nominee of a Primetime Emmy Award, Oteri is best known for her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 2000. Early life The daughter ...

) is the CEO of the BigTech technology company. She is an eccentric and slightly mad inventor, creating high-tech products that tend to go haywire.

Notable guest stars

* Waiter (voiced by

Jim Rash James Rash (born July 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He portrayed the role of Dean Craig Pelton on the NBC sitcom ''Community'' (2009–2015), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Be ...

) appears in " Fill Bill." * Fish (voiced by

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

) appears in " Fill Bill." * Pepper Merchant (voiced by Griffin McElroy) appears in " Feud Fight". * Louis (voiced by

Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televisio ...

) appears in " Big Deal". * Jyle (voiced by Wallace Shawn) appears in " Night Bill". * Dr. Enamel (voiced by

Eric Jacobson Eric Jacobson is an American puppeteer. He is best known for performing Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle for The Muppets Studio, as well as ''Sesame Street'' characters Bert, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and Guy Smiley—all role ...

Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character best known as the insecure and comedically fruitless stand-up comic on ''The Muppet Show.'' Fozzie is an orange-brown bear who often wears a brown pork pie hat and a pink and white polka dot necktie. The char ...

) appears in " Hurty Tooth". * Wyatt (voiced by

Alex Hirsch Alexander Robert Hirsch (born June 18, 1985) is an American voice actor, animator, writer, storyboard artist, and producer. He is the creator of the Disney Channel series ''Gravity Falls'', for which he provided the voices of Grunkle Stan, Soos ...

) appears in " Park Pandemonium". * Donny Tinselton (voiced by

Thomas Middleditch Thomas Steven Middleditch (born March 10, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Richard Hendricks in the HBO series ''Silicon Valley'' (2014–2019), earning a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award f ...

) appears in " Cricket's Kapowie". * Hair Stylist (voiced by

Jonathan Van Ness Jonathan McDonald Van Ness (born March 28, 1987), also commonly referred to by his initials JVN, is an American hairstylist, podcast host and television personality. He is best known as the grooming expert on the Netflix series '' Queer Eye'', ...

) appears in " Cricket's Kapowie". *

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

(voiced by

Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...

) appears in " Green Christmas". * Mr. Whistler (voiced by Ed Begley Jr.) appears in " Reckoning Ball" and " Chipwrecked." * Grampa Green (voiced by

Tim Blake Nelson Timothy Blake Nelson (born May 11, 1964) is an American actor and playwright. Described as a "modern character actor", his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' (2000), Gideon in '' Minority Report'' (2002), Dr. Penda ...

) appears in " Garage Tales". * Phoenix (voiced by

Jameela Jamil Jameela Alia Jamil (born 25 February 1986) is a British actress and presenter. She began her career on Channel 4, where she hosted a pop culture series in the T4 strand from 2009 until 2012. She then became the radio host of '' The Official Ch ...

) appears in "

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' is a beast fable, in the form of satirical allegorical novella, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to cre ...

" and " Homeward Hound". * Cogburn (voiced by

Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pl ...

) appears in "

" and " Homeward Hound". * Other Bill Green (voiced by

Jim O'Heir Jim O'Heir (born February 4, 1962) is an American actor and comedian, perhaps best known for portraying Jerry Gergich on the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation''. O'Heir first became active in Chicago theater and improv during the late 1980s an ...

) appears in "

". * Canteloupe Sinclair (voiced by

Melissa Fumero Melissa Fumero (née Gallo; born August 19, 1982) is an American actress. From the age of ten, she aspired to become an actor and later attended New York University, from which she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama. She made her ...

) appears in " Dolled Up". * Tom Hanks (voiced by himself) speaks offscreen at the end of " Cheap Show". * Mimi O'Malley (voiced by

Lucy Lawless Lucille Frances Lawless (; born 29 March 1968) is a New Zealand actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', as D'Anna Biers on the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' ser ...

) appears in " Cricket's Tickets". * Gertie (voiced by

Sandy Martin Sandy Martin is an American actress, playwright, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles in the film ''Napoleon Dynamite'' and the TV series '' Big Love'', ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'', and ''Ray Donovan''. Career Martin ...

) appears in " Super Gramma!". * Librarian (voiced by

Linda Hamilton Linda Carroll Hamilton (born September 26, 1956) is an American actress. She played Sarah Connor in the '' Terminator'' film series and Catherine Chandler in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–1990), for which she was nomina ...

) appears in " Quiet Please". * Chairwoman (voiced by Mary Holland) appears in " Chipwrecked". * Mayor Hansock (voiced by

Andy Richter Paul Andrew Richter (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on each of O'Brien's talk shows: '' Late Night'' and ''The Tonight Show'' on NBC and ...

) appears in " Chipocalypse Now" and " Spaghetti Theory". * Ronald Featherman (voiced by David Wain) appears in " Winter Greens". * Kevin (voiced by

Booboo Stewart Nils Allen "Booboo" Stewart Jr. (born January 21, 1994) is an American actor. He is known for playing Seth Clearwater in '' The Twilight Saga'', Warpath in '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'', Jay in the Disney television film franchise '' Desce ...

) appears in " Winter Greens". * Kara Karaoke (voiced by

Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. Gray ha ...

) appears in " Okay Karaoke". * Viper Fang (voiced by Joe Manganiello) appears in " Spaghetti Theory". * Rick (voiced by

David Harbour David Kenneth Harbour (born April 10, 1975) is an American actor. He has played supporting roles in films such as ''Brokeback Mountain'' (2005), ''Quantum of Solace'' (2008), '' State of Play'' (2009), '' The Green Hornet'' (2011), '' End of ...

) appears in " The Van". * Community Dan (voiced by Rob Riggle) appears in " Bat Girl". * Gina (voiced by Riki Lindhome) appears in " The Gifted". * Doug Perkins (voiced by

Tom Gammill Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

) appears in " DependaBill". * Ms. Torres (voiced by Rosie Perez) appears in " The Delivernator". * Frilled Lizard (voiced by

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, '' Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 20 ...

) appears in " Rembo". * Mr. Extras (voiced by

Alfonso Ribeiro Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and television host. He is best known for his roles as Alfonso Spears on the sitcom ''Silver Spoons'', Carlton Banks on the NBC sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Ai ...

) appears in " Virtually Christmas".

Production

On March 8, 2016, Disney XD

greenlit To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...

the series under the title of ''Country Club''. The series is created by the brothers Chris and Shane Houghton, who originally worked on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. Its ...

's '' Harvey Beaks''. Chris Houghton also worked as a storyboard artist on ''

Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American mystery comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines ( Jason Ritter) and his twin sister Mabel (Kristen Schaal) wh ...

'' with

Rob Renzetti Robert John Renzetti is an American animator and author. Renzetti is known for creating '' My Life as a Teenage Robot'' and the ''Oh Yeah! Cartoons'' series '' Mina and the Count'' for Nickelodeon, directing ''Dexter's Laboratory'', ''The Powerpu ...

. The series was later renamed to ''Big City Greens'' on July 24, 2017. The show's animation is done entirely in traditional pen and paper as opposed to digital ink. The theme song was written and performed by

The Mowgli's The Mowgli's were an American alternative rock band from Calabasas, California. Background and formation Di Panni, Appelbaum, Trent, and Warren were all friends from Calabasas High School. They were joined by Earl, a childhood friend of some o ...

, and on July 28, 2017, a sneak peek of it was revealed at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con and was uploaded to Disney XD's YouTube channel on the same day. On May 17, 2018, it was reported that Disney Channel had ordered a second season of ''Big City Greens'' ahead of the series' debut. On October 7, 2019, it was announced that the second season will premiere on November 4, 2019, however, it got pushed back to November 16, 2019. On January 13, 2021, the series was renewed for a third season. On January 21, 2022, the series was renewed for a fourth season. During production for the first season, an episode titled "Hands-On History" was in development. The episode was directed by Monica Ray, from a story by Carson Montgomery, also being written and storyboarded by Caldwell Tanner and Cheyenne Curtis. It featured Mark Hamill in the role of Dr. Ponderstein, a sinister curator who ran a museum. The plot focused on Cricket and Remy at odds with one another, over Ponderstein's method of educating children. The episode was shelved when the Houghton Brothers found Remy's behavior in the episode unlikeable - they could not find a way to make the story work so early in the show's run. On cancelling the episode, co-creator Chris Houghton stated, " killed that episode for the best of reasons: it just didn’t work. We broke and re-broke the story a ton of times. Reboarded it again and again. Sometimes the best course of action is to take your creation out behind the shed, ya know?" The episode's production number, 110, would be given to "Parade Day" and "DIY Guys" instead.

Release

When announced, the series was scheduled to premiere in 2018 on Disney XD; however, on March 26, 2018, it was reported that the series would debut on Disney Channel in mid-2018. On May 17, 2018, '' The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that the series would premiere on Disney Channel as part of Disney Channel's GO! Summer on June 18, 2018. The series premiere was made available for streaming via the DisneyNow app and the Disney Channel YouTube channel as of June 8, 2018. Additional new episodes premiered on This Week Mornings at 10:00 AM throughout the summer. In addition, ''Big City Greens'' shorts began airing on Disney Channel and Disney Channel’s YouTube channel on June 4, 2018.

Ratings

Reception

Critical response

''Big City Greens'' received a positive reception from critics. ''

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

''s Emily Ashby praised the series for its characters and themes, writing that "despite mining familiar stereotypes of rural dwellers, the show has strong family-centric themes and silly, lighthearted laughs". Bekah Burbank of ''LaughingPlace.com'' praised the series' characters, stating that "While the mischief and antics are super silly and completely ridiculous, the characters themselves are quite fun. Just like it is with every family, the quirkiness is what you come to love most about the people you spend time with. The Green family might not be perfect, but they’re positive, supportive, and optimistic no matter the situation. Everyone could benefit from spending a little time with this wacky family".

Accolades

Film

Along with a fourth season, a musical film was announced to be in development, with the series' main cast returning. Series director Anne O'Brian will helm the film, with Michael Coughling producing. The film is set to be released on both Disney Channel and Disney+.

Video game

A multiplayer game titled ''Big City Battle!'', where players compete against each other in order to earn a place as a member of the Green family, was released on the DisneyNOW app.

References

External links

*
Production website
* {{Rough Draft Studios 2010s American animated television series 2020s American animated television series 2018 American television series debuts American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated comedy television series Disney Channel original programming English-language television shows Television series by Disney Television Animation Animated television series about families