''HouseBroken'' is an American
animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
created by
Jennifer Crittenden
Jennifer Crittenden (born ) is an American screenwriter and producer. She started her writing career on the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and has since written for several other television sitcoms including ''Everybody Loves Raymo ...
,
Clea DuVall
Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall (born September 25, 1977) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. She is known for her appearances in the films ''The Faculty'' (1998), ''She's All That''; '' But I'm a Cheerleader''; '' Girl, Interrup ...
, and Gabrielle Allan that premiered on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
on May 31, 2021.
In August 2021, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on December 4, 2022.
Plot
''HouseBroken'' follows an
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
therapy dog named Honey, who explores human dysfunctions and neurosis by applying her knowledge of psychiatry through leading a group of other anthropomorphic neighborhood animals in group therapy sessions.
Cast
Main
*
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( ; born July 30, 1963) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She rose to fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004), which has since been named one of the greatest television cha ...
as Honey, a
standard poodle
, nickname =
, stock =
, country = Germany or France (see history)
, height =
, maleheight =
, femaleheight =
, weight =
, maleweight =
, femaleweight =
, coat ...
who opens her living room for the group to come and support each other. Honey also struggles with her own problems, such as mourning the death of her best friend Big Cookie and her arranged (by her human) marriage with Chief.
*
Clea DuVall
Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall (born September 25, 1977) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. She is known for her appearances in the films ''The Faculty'' (1998), ''She's All That''; '' But I'm a Cheerleader''; '' Girl, Interrup ...
as Elsa, a power-hungry, know-it-all
Corgi
The Welsh Corgi ( or Corgi, plural Corgis, or occasionally the etymologically consistent Corgwn; ) is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name ''corgi'' is derived from the Welsh words and (which is mutated to ), mean ...
and service dog in training — or so she claims — who drives Honey crazy.
Her owner is a neglectful and oblivious young woman who only put a service vest on Elsa so that she can get away with or do things that are considered illegal without repercussions.
*
Nat Faxon
Nathaniel Faxon (born October 11, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. A frequent presence on comedic films and TV series, he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing ''The Descendants'' (2011) ...
as Chief, a sloppy and not-too-bright
St. Bernard and Honey's mate who enjoys eating socks, playing in mud, and licking himself.
** Nathan, a male
blue-and-yellow macaw
The blue-and-yellow macaw (''Ara ararauna''), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot with mostly blue top parts and light orange underparts, with gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the la ...
whose very pretentious and selfish, and enjoys tormenting others.
*
Will Forte
Orville Willis Forte IV ( ; born June 17, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Forte is known for being a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (2002–2010), a recurring character on the show leading to a feature film ada ...
as Shel, a
tortoise
Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, ...
with intimacy issues and a shoe fetish. He was initially in a relationship with a single
croc
Croc or CROC may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming
* Croc (game designer), a French video game designer
* '' Croc: Legend of the Gobbos'', a 3D platform video game
** ''Croc'' (2000 video game), a 2D sidescrolling port of the abov ...
he names "Lindsay" and was going to marry it until his mate Darla returns after 15 years.
In the episode "Who Are You?", it is revealed that Shel lives with other animals but never talks about them to the group due to his narcissism. His youngest owner goes to the same elementary school Nibbles lives at.
He then gets into a
polyamorous relationship with Darla and Lindsay. In the episode "Who's a Bad Girl? (Part 1)", it is revealed Lindsay belongs to Xavier, Shel's original owner who forgot the shoe when he went to college. Both Shel and Darla become parents in season 2.
*
Tony Hale
Anthony Russell Hale (born September 30, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the Fox comedy series ''Arrested Development'' as Buster Bluth. Hale played Gary Walsh on the HBO comedy ''Veep'' from 2012 until its ...
as
**Diablo, an anxious, sweater-wearing mixed-breed
Terrier
Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary ...
with OCD. He became Big Cookie's replacement in the session group.
His owners are divorced and share joint custody of him. However, in "Who Are You?", his owners decide to let him pick his forever home, and he ultimately decides to live with his "father." His "mother" is revealed to be Jewish in season 2 as he both wears Christmas and Hanukkah-themed clothing.
**Max,
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
's
Berkshire Pig
The Berkshire is an English breed of pig. It originated in the county of Berkshire, for which it is named. It is normally black, with some white on the snout, on the lower legs, and on the tip of the tail.
It is a rare breed in the United Kin ...
, a former actor and current status obsessed narcissist.
He is named after George Clooney's real life pig who died in 2006. This is brought up in the episode "Who Are You?" when Max realizes there was another pig named Max before him and is essentially his replacement.
In the episode "Who's a Bad Girl? (Part 1)", he is sent to live with
Ray Liotta
Raymond Allen Liotta (; December 18, 1954 – May 26, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Shoeless Joe Jackson in ''Field of Dreams'' (1989) and Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's ''Goodfellas'' (1990). He was a Primeti ...
. In season 2, he starts living with
David Spade
David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host, and writer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' in the 1990s, and he later began an acting career in both film and television. He also s ...
.
*
Sharon Horgan
Sharon Lorencia Horgan (born 13 July 1970) is an Irish actress, writer, director, comedian and producer who co-wrote and starred in the comedy series '' Pulling'' (2006–2009) and ''Catastrophe'' (2015–2019). She also created the HBO comedy ...
as Tabitha, an aging
Persian cat
The Persian cat (), also known as the Persian longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterized by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats were imported into Italy from Persia around 1620. Widely recog ...
and a retired
beauty queen
A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...
, trying to adjust to life off the cat show circuit.
She speaks with a Russian accent. She initially lives with her owners Stelios and Brett and a kitten named Kit-Kat. In the fourth episode, consumed by jealousy at her owners giving more attention to Kit-Kat than they do to her, she runs away from home and starts living at a cat cafe. Tabitha eventually hates it after someone at the cafe tried to catnap her and starts living with The Gray One and other cats in the seventh episode. Tabitha and The Gray One become a couple in the ninth episode. She eventually reunites with her owners in the tenth episode.
*
Jason Mantzoukas
Jason Mantzoukas (, el, Ιάσων Μαντζούκας; born December 18, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer and podcaster. He is best known for his recurring role as Rafi in the FX comedy series ''The League'', and as one of the th ...
as The Gray One, a street-smart
russian blue
The Russian Blue Cat (russian: Русская голубая кошка, Russkaya golubaya koshka), commonly referred to as just Russian Blue, is a cat breed with colors that vary from a light shimmering silver to a darker, slate grey. The short ...
who lives with about forty or sixty other cats and has a crush on Tabitha who wouldn't give him the time of day.
He is missing an eye and riddled with diseases. His owner is an old cat lady and hoarder who never leaves her house. The Gray One and Tabitha become a couple in the ninth episode.
*
Sam Richardson as Chico, a chunky, co-dependent and very naive
tabby cat
A tabby is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a distinctive 'M'-shaped marking on its forehead; stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail; and (differing by tabby type), characteristic striped, d ...
.
He considers his owner Kevin to be his best friend though his feelings for him are more than platonic. In the episode "Who's a Good Therapist?", it is revealed that he is pregnant and gave birth to eight kittens during a therapy session which Elsa was in charge of. His kittens were given away for adoption in the episode "Who's Getting Cold Feet?" It also turns out his pregnancy was the result of him mating with a male cat.
In the season 1 finale "Who's a Bad Girl? (Part 2)", it is revealed his owner is a flight attendant and Chico actually belonged to Kevin's ex-girlfriend Dana before she abandoned him.
* Tchotchke, a
slow loris
Slow lorises are a group of several species of nocturnal strepsirrhine primates that make up the genus ''Nycticebus''. Found in Southeast Asia and bordering areas, they range from Bangladesh and Northeast India in the west to the Sulu Archipe ...
who does not speak, but communicates via body language and a cocktail umbrella, which he appears to have an attachment to. He lives in Jill's shed.
Recurring
*
Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Her work has drawn critical acclaim and controversy because her humor often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depression ...
as
**Jill, Honey and Chief's human owner.
She works as a therapist.
**Darla, Shel's mate who returned after she was missing for 15 years.
*
Greta Lee
Greta Jiehan Lee (born March 7, 1983) is an American actress.
Early life
Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Korean immigrants.
While attending Harvard-Westlake School, she became interested in the performing art ...
as Bubbles, a horny, teenage
goldfish
The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have ...
who lives with Honey and Chief. She heckles the other animals.
It is revealed in the episode "Who Are You?" that she is not the first Bubbles.
*
Bresha Webb
Bresha Webb (born Breshae Renee Webb; May 6, 1984) is an American actress. She starred as Imunique Jefferson in the TV One (American TV channel), TV One comedy series ''Love That Girl!'' from 2010 to 2014. She later has appeared in films ''Meet t ...
as Nibbles, a psychopathic
hamster
Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in seven genera.Fox, Sue. 2006. ''Hamsters''. T.F.H. Publications Inc. They have become established as popular small pets. The b ...
who is mourning the loss of her mate (whom she killed).
She is a classroom pet for a third grade classroom.
*
Brian Tyree Henry
Brian Tyree Henry (born March 31, 1982) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in the FX comedy-drama series ''Atlanta'' (2016–2022), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstan ...
as Armando, a wild
coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...
who Honey has a crush on.
*
Timothy Simons
Timothy Charles Simons (born June 12, 1978) is an American actor and comedian best known for his role as Jonah Ryan on the HBO television series ''Veep'', for which he has received five nominations and one win for the Screen Actors Guild Award f ...
as Raccoon, a wild
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
that loves the outdoors, and willing to show everyone that they have their wild sides inside.
Guest
*
Dax Shepard
Dax Randall Shepard (born January 2, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker and podcast host. Since 2018, he has hosted '' Armchair Expert'', a podcast that interviews celebrities, journalists, and academics about their lives.
Shepard h ...
and
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky That ...
as Rutabaga and Juliet, respectively, an ideal dog couple that Honey is jealous of.
*
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris (; born November 29, 1976) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her work in comedic roles, particularly the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the ''Scary Movie'' film series (2000–2006). She has appeared in a number o ...
as Lil' Bunny, an
Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound is a hound that is distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end. The breed is selectively bred for its unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan. Its local name is ( ps, تاژ ...
, and the dog of a social media influencer who Honey befriends in an epic game of frisbee on the beach.
** Faris has also voiced Chartreuse in "Who's a Good Therapist".
*
Sarah Cooper
Sarah Anne Cooper (born December 19, 1977) is an American author and comedian based in New York City. She worked in design for Yahoo! and in user experience for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides while also performing stand-up comedy. Cooper le ...
as Lenny
*
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 n ...
as Larrabee
*
Ben Schwartz
Benjamin Schwartz (born September 15, 1981) is an American actor and comedian. He has guest starred as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'' and Clyde Oberholt on the Showtime series ''House of Lies''; voiced Randy C ...
as Brice, an Unnamed cat, and Bunny Paul.
*
Cathy Moriarty
Cathy Moriarty (born November 29, 1960) is an American actress and singer whose career spans over 40 years. For her work in Martin Scorsese's 1980 film ''Raging Bull'', she received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress ...
(Season 1) and
Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards.
Turner became widely k ...
(Season 2) as Nancy, Nathan's owner and Jill's mother.
*
Nicole Sullivan
Nicole Sullivan (born April 21, 1970) is an American actress and comedian best known for her six seasons (1995–2001) on the sketch comedy series ''MADtv''. She also played Holly Shumpert in five seasons (2001–2005, 2007) of the CBS sitcom '' ...
as Little Cookie, the new puppy of Jill's neighbors.
** Others
*
Paul F. Tompkins as
Ray Liotta
Raymond Allen Liotta (; December 18, 1954 – May 26, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Shoeless Joe Jackson in ''Field of Dreams'' (1989) and Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's ''Goodfellas'' (1990). He was a Primeti ...
*
David Spade
David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host, and writer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' in the 1990s, and he later began an acting career in both film and television. He also s ...
as Himself
*
Phil LaMarr
Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series ''Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include Jo ...
and
Maddie Corman
Maddie Corman (born Madeleine Cornman; August 15, 1970) is an American actress. She has appeared in over 25 films, including ''Seven Minutes in Heaven'', '' Some Kind of Wonderful'', ''The Adventures of Ford Fairlane'' and ''A Beautiful Day in th ...
as Guernico and Caravaggio
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2021)
Season 2 (2022)
Production
Development
The show's early working title was ''Therapy Dog''. On December 19, 2019,
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
ordered the show to series. ''HouseBroken'' is created by
Clea DuVall
Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall (born September 25, 1977) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. She is known for her appearances in the films ''The Faculty'' (1998), ''She's All That''; '' But I'm a Cheerleader''; '' Girl, Interrup ...
,
Jennifer Crittenden
Jennifer Crittenden (born ) is an American screenwriter and producer. She started her writing career on the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and has since written for several other television sitcoms including ''Everybody Loves Raymo ...
, and Gabrielle Allan who were expected to executive produce alongside Sharon Horgan, Clelia Mountford, Aaron Kaplan, and Dana Honor.
On August 9, 2021, Fox renewed the series for a second season.
Casting
Alongside the initial series announcement,
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( ; born July 30, 1963) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She rose to fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004), which has since been named one of the greatest television cha ...
,
Clea DuVall
Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall (born September 25, 1977) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. She is known for her appearances in the films ''The Faculty'' (1998), ''She's All That''; '' But I'm a Cheerleader''; '' Girl, Interrup ...
,
Nat Faxon
Nathaniel Faxon (born October 11, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. A frequent presence on comedic films and TV series, he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing ''The Descendants'' (2011) ...
,
Will Forte
Orville Willis Forte IV ( ; born June 17, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Forte is known for being a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (2002–2010), a recurring character on the show leading to a feature film ada ...
,
Tony Hale
Anthony Russell Hale (born September 30, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the Fox comedy series ''Arrested Development'' as Buster Bluth. Hale played Gary Walsh on the HBO comedy ''Veep'' from 2012 until its ...
,
Sharon Horgan
Sharon Lorencia Horgan (born 13 July 1970) is an Irish actress, writer, director, comedian and producer who co-wrote and starred in the comedy series '' Pulling'' (2006–2009) and ''Catastrophe'' (2015–2019). She also created the HBO comedy ...
,
Jason Mantzoukas
Jason Mantzoukas (, el, Ιάσων Μαντζούκας; born December 18, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer and podcaster. He is best known for his recurring role as Rafi in the FX comedy series ''The League'', and as one of the th ...
, and
Sam Richardson were cast as series regulars.
Broadcast
''HouseBroken'' premiered on May 31, 2021, on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
.
In Canada, it airs on
CTV 2
CTV 2 is a Canadian English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated television stations (O&Os) in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two regional cab ...
and streams on
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
. In Australia, it streams on
Paramount+
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
. The second season premiered on December 4, 2022, with two Christmas themed episodes.
Reception
Critical response
On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the series holds an approval rating of 50% based on 10 critic reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Housebroken'' boasts an insanely talented voice cast—if only its basic writing would learn some new narrative tricks." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, it has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Ratings
Season 1
Season 2
References
External links
*
*
{{Fox Animation
2020s American animated comedy television series
2020s American adult animated television series
2020s American sitcoms
2021 American television series debuts
Animated television series about dogs
Animated television series about cats
Animated television series about pigs
Animated television series about animals
Animated television series about turtles
American animated sitcoms
American adult animated comedy television series
English-language television shows
Fox Broadcasting Company original programming
Television shows set in California
Television shows set in Los Angeles
Television series by Fox Entertainment
Television series by Kapital Entertainment