''Major Lazer'' is an American

adult animated An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a "minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of majori ...

television series based on the electronic music group of the same name, created by DJ and record producer

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...

with Ferry Gouw and Kevin Kusatsu. It premiered on

FXX FXX is an American basic cable channel owned by the Walt Disney Television unit of The Walt Disney Company through FX Networks, LLC. It is the partner channel of FX, with its programming focusing on original and acquired comedy series and fe ...

on April 16, 2015 as part of their

Animation Domination High-Def Animation Domination High-Def (also called Animation Domination HD, Fox ADHD, and ADHD) was a late-night programming block broadcast by Fox. Originally premiering on July 21, 2013 as a spin-off of ''Animation Domination'', the block originally fo ...

(ADHD) block. After ''

Stone Quackers ''Stone Quackers'' is an American adult animated television series created by Ben Jones. The series premiered October 27, 2014 on FXX as part of their Animation Domination High-Def block. Despite the Animation Domination High-Def block originall ...

'', ''Major Lazer'' is the second ADHD original series to be aired on the channel after

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 ...

had stopped its broadcast of the block itself. The show was renewed for a second season, but was later canceled. On September 3, 2016, it was announced that

John Boyega John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega (born 17 March 1992), known professionally as John Boyega, is a British actor and producer. He first rose to prominence in his native Britain for his role as Moses in the sci-fi comedy film '' Attack the Block ...

had left the series to focus on the new ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' films prior to its cancellation. The show is now available to stream on

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

Plot

Set in the future, Major Lazer is a Jamaican

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

with a laser gun for a right hand who fights against the

dystopia A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

n forces led by

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

's leader

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Whitewall and his servant

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Rubbish. Major Lazer is assisted in his fight by President Whitewall's daughter Penny Whitewall and hacker Blkmrkt.

Production

''Major Lazer'' had been in production for nearly five years before its premiere. It was originally considered for

Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as

dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...

and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...

through a

pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

produced in 2011 by

Williams Street Williams Street Productions, LLC, d/b/a Williams Street and formerly known as Ghost Planet Industries, is an American animation and live action television production studio owned by the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., ...

and Titmouse, Inc., which was never broadcast. The musical group

Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...

, on which the show is based, previously starred animated characters, including the character of Major Lazer. Ferry Gouw, along with

John Pham John Pham is a cartoonist, animator, comic creator, and art director based in Los Angeles, California. Pham was born in Saigon but was raised in the United States. He received a self publishing grant from the Xeric Foundation in 2000 for "Epoxy. ...

, served as art director for this incarnation. Other musicians such as

Jay Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

, and the

Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF, was an American Hip hop music, hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles County, California in 2007. The original members were Ty ...

collective, had signed on for television shows on the network during the year; Odd Future's came out as ''

Loiter Squad ''Loiter Squad'' is an American adult sketch comedy television series for Adult Swim starring Tyler, the Creator, Jasper Dolphin, Taco Bennett, Earl Sweatshirt, and Lionel Boyce from the Los Angeles hip hop group Odd Future. The show regularly ...

'' the next year. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' announced ''Major Lazer'' would premiere 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 2014.

Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

and

Riff Raff Riff Raff, Riffraff, or Riff-Raff, a term for the common people but with negative connotations, may refer to: In music * Riff Raff (rapper), from Texas * Riff Raff (band), a UK progressive rock band * Riff Raff, a band formed by Billy Bragg * ...

were said to have collaborated on the soundtrack for the show. In 2015, ''Billboard'' announced the show would premiere on

. Diplo called the long wait of the production "worth it to have such a succinct TV show for our music fans and cartoon fans alike". He said that it would appeal to "any fans of hip-hop ndelectronic music or '80s cartoons, and the culture that gave birth to ajor Lazer'smusical landscape".

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (, ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor, director, and former fashion model known for his roles as Lock-Nah in ''The Mummy Returns'', Nykwana Wombosi in '' The Bourne Identity'', Heavy Duty in '' G.I. Joe: The R ...

, who voices the eponymous character, described the feeling of the show as "like being

high High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift ...

J. K. Simmons Jonathan Kimble Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor, considered one of the most prolific and well-established character actors of his generation. He has appeared in over 200 films and television roles since his debut in 1986. He i ...

voices President Whitewall, while

Aziz Ansari Aziz Ismail Ansari (; born February 23, 1983) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is known for his role as Tom Haverford on the NBC series ''Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015) and as creator and star of the Netflix series ''Master ...

Ezra Koenig Ezra Michael Koenig ( ; born April 8, 1984) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and internet radio personality. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Additio ...

Andy Samberg Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2005 ...

, and

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...

make guest voice performances.

Voice cast

Principal cast

– Major Lazer, Evil Lazer (ep. 10) *

James Adomian James Adomian (born January 31, 1980) is an Armenian-American stand-up comedian, actor, and impressionist. He is best known for his work on ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'', ''Chapo Trap House'', ''Last Comic Standing'', ''The Late Late Show with Craig Fe ...

– General Rubbish *

– Blkmrkt * Ashante "Taranchyla" Reid – Old Rasta, PG Tipps, Weed Man (Episode 1) *

– President Whitewall *

Angela Trimbur Angela Denise Trimbur (born July 19, 1981) is an American actress, writer, dancer, choreographer, and former reality television participant. Personal life Trimbur was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on July 19, 1981. She attended Neshaminy H ...

– Penny Whitewall

Additional voices

Trinidad James Nicholaus Joseph Williams (born September 24, 1987), better known by his stage name Trinidad James (often stylized as Trinidad Jame$), is a Trinidadian-American rapper. In 2012, he signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. The label d ...

– Mr. Mary James (episode 1), Goldie (episode 9) *

Tiësto Tijs Michiel Verwest (; born 17 January 1969), known professionally as Tiësto ( ), is a Dutch DJ and music producer from Breda. He was voted "the Greatest DJ of All Time" by '' Mix'' magazine in a 2010/2011 poll amongst fans. In 2013, he was ...

– DJ God (episode 2) *

Jonathan Banks Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Chillum Heights, Maryland, while attending Indiana University Bloomington Banks did theatre. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles where he be ...

– The Law (episode 2) *

– Dr. Nerd/Dr. Bass Drop (episodes 2–3) *

– Double Cup (episode 4), Additional Voices (episode 7) *

Udo Kier Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...

– Head Vampire Vampire (episode 5) *

– Ryland (episode 5) *

Matt Berry Matthew Charles Berry (born 2 May 1974) is an English actor, comedian, musician, and writer. He is best known for his roles in comedy series such as '' The IT Crowd'', ''Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'', ''The Mighty Boosh'', ''Snuff Box'', ''What ...

– Professor Teacher (episodes 6–7) *

Jorma Taccone Jorma Christopher Taccone (; born March 19, 1977) is an American comedian, director, actor, and writer. He is one-third of the sketch comedy troupe The Lonely Island, with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. In 2010, Taccone co-wro ...

– Spooky Dookie (episode 6), Killscreen (episode 8), K-Pop (episode 10) *

– Goosh (episode 7) *

Heather Anne Campbell Heather Anne Campbell is an American writer, comedian, podcast host, and actress. Life and career Born in Chicago, Illinois, Campbell began studying improvisational comedy at iO Theater at the age of fifteen, under the tutelage of Del Close. F ...

– Game Tournament Worker (episode 8) *

Kumail Nanjiani Kumail Ali Nanjiani (; ur, کمیل علی ننجیانی, ; born May 2, 1978) is a Pakistani-American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Dinesh in the HBO comedy series ''Silicon Valley'' (2014–2019) and for co-wri ...

– Thor (episode 8) * Ferry Gouw – Kamikaze (episode 9) *

Clyde Kusatsu Clyde Kusatsu (born September 13, 1948) is an American actor and trade union leader of Japanese descent. Since 2013, he has served as the National Vice President of SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local. Life and career Clyde Kusatsu was born in Hawaii a ...

– Store Owner (episode 9) *

Chan Marshall Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

– Knife Fight (episode 9) * Mike Skinner – Block Head (episode 9) *

– Lady Vanessa Rothchild (episode 11)

Episodes

Pilot (2011)

Series (2015)

Broadcast and reception

The show premiered on April 16, 2015. The Major Lazer group's third album was expected to be released near the same date, but was moved to June 1. A special preview of the show was broadcast on October 27, 2014, on FXX. Erik Adams of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'' graded the series with an ''B'', praising its visuals reminiscent of the "chunky outlines, washed-out colors, and fantastical content of '80s Saturday-morning fare" while calling the writing solid yet familiar. In 2016,

Teletoon at Night Teletoon at Night (stylized as TELEToON AT NiGHT and formerly known as Teletoon's Adult Block, The Detour On Teletoon and Teletoon Detour) was a Canadian English language late night programming block that aired on Teletoon, which is owned by Tel ...

broadcast the show at 11:15pm EST in Canada.

Explanatory notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Major Lazer 2010s American adult animated television series 2010s American music television series 2010s American science fiction television series 2015 American television series debuts 2015 American television series endings American adult animated action television series American adult animated musical television series American adult animated superhero television series Animation based on real people English-language television shows FXX original programming Television series based on singers and musicians Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series by Fox Television Animation