''Slacker Cats'' is an American
adult animated
An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and ...
sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
created by British writers
Andy Riley and
Kevin Cecil for
ABC Family
American cable television, cable and satellite television network Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through four different owners and six different name changes dur ...
. The series premiered on August 13, 2007 and features the voice talents of comedians
Harland Williams and
Sinbad as
slacker
A slacker is someone who habitually work aversion, avoids work or lacks work ethic.
Origin
According to different sources, the term "slacker" dates back to about 1790 or 1898. "Slacker" gained some recognition during the UK, British Gezira Sche ...
cats Buckley and Eddie who live in the fictional city of Wendell, California. The series is produced by
Film Roman
Film Roman, LLC, is an American animation studio currently based in Woodland Hills, California and formerly in Burbank. It was previously owned by Starz Inc., which is now a division of Lionsgate, and currently by Waterman Entertainment, the p ...
and
Laika
Laika ( ; , ; – 3 November 1957) was a Soviet space dog who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth. A stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft, launched into lo ...
. Riley and Cecil
serves as executive producers for the series, along with animation director Seth Kearsley, who designed the characters. 12 episodes were produced.
While the show was first announced, despite an initial lack of information, and its presence on ABC Family, many outlets erroneously believed ''Slacker Cats'' was aimed towards kids, but in later advertising and in press kits issued to the media, it was clearly indicated that the show adds more adult tone and themes. The show's 10PM broadcast time further illustrated that its target was an adult audience. It was the fourth adult animated series produced by Disney, the other three being ''
The PJs'', which aired 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 ("brush").
Twelve species ...
, ''
Clerks: The Animated Series'', which aired on
ABC, and ''
Clone High
''Clone High'' is an adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Bill Lawrence for MTV. It premiered on November 2, 2002, in Canada, and January 20, 2003, in the United States. Set at a high school popu ...
'', which was a co-production of
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
,
Teletoon
Cartoon Network (formerly Teletoon) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers. It was launched on October 17 ...
and
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited (; also known as Nelvana Enterprises, Nelvana International or Nelvana Digital; commonly known as Nelvana; stylized as "nelvana") is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment s ...
, and is the only adult animated show from them at the time to not be produced at Touchstone Television, now known as
ABC Signature
ABC Signature was a production arm of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company. The studio ...
.
''Slacker Cats'' was canceled on September 17, 2007, after six episodes. A second season premiered on the ABC Family website on December 19, 2008, and was released on
iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
and
Xbox Live
The Xbox network, formerly known and commonly referred to as Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Gaming for the Xbox brand. It was first made available to the origina ...
Marketplace. The second season was numbered as a continuation of the first season, episodes 7 through 12.
Plot
The series is about the adventures of Buckley and Eddie, respectively. The
slacker
A slacker is someone who habitually work aversion, avoids work or lacks work ethic.
Origin
According to different sources, the term "slacker" dates back to about 1790 or 1898. "Slacker" gained some recognition during the UK, British Gezira Sche ...
cat
The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
s are going on their quotidian, strange and outrageous life. Most plots of the show revolve around Buckley and Eddie's schemes to escape the everyday monotony of being
slacker
A slacker is someone who habitually work aversion, avoids work or lacks work ethic.
Origin
According to different sources, the term "slacker" dates back to about 1790 or 1898. "Slacker" gained some recognition during the UK, British Gezira Sche ...
cats by taking advantage of humans (as well as other cats) to freewheel themselves in the fictional city of Wendell, California.
Cast and characters
Buckley
Buckley is a brave, young
Maine coon
The Maine Coon is a large Domestication, domesticated breeds of cats, cat breed. One of the oldest natural breeds in North America, the breed originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official List of U.S. state mammals, state cat ...
who has indigo fur, a white V-shaped mark on the chest, black eyes and a pink snout, and this is clever by cat standards, but he thinks he is much more clever than he really is, which causes him and Eddie to encounter a lot of trouble. He secretly wants to be human, feeling that life is limited as a cat. His best friend is Eddie, who is often the cause of his mishaps. Buckley is also the constant nemesis of Mrs. Boots for reasons that remain unknown. He is in love with his owner Louise and plans on marrying her, but she doesn't return his feelings. Despite his unreturned feelings, he still addresses her as if she were his girlfriend. Buckley's personality fluctuates from being lazy and uncaring to being remotely active and feeling guilty. He is notably more ethical than Eddie. Buckley also shows an aggressive side, attacking his friend Tabitha and removing her remaining ear, though it was later reattached. Buckley is one of the two main
protagonists of the series alongside Eddie, and he is voiced by
Harland Williams.
Eddie
Eddie is an adventurous, but cute
tabby cat
A tabby cat, or simply tabby, is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a Cat_coat_genetics#Tabbies , coat pattern distinguished by an M-shaped marking on its forehead, stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, around its leg ...
with orange fur who looks surprisingly like him. Eddie is Buckley's best friend but he rarely acts like it. Eddie is extremely egotistical about himself, even to the point of kissing a dummy replica of himself. Eddie often speaks of his way with lady cats and past events that involve numerous lady cats at one time, although there is no evidence of this. However, he's stated by other characters to be more of a "tough alley cat" than a normal house cat, hinting Eddie could actually be somewhat of a ladies man. Yet at the same time is also shown to be very desperate, including going far out of his way and hurting himself/friends to get attention from female cats. He resides with his owner, Dan. He knows Buckley is in love with his owner, Louise, and often makes fun of him for it, calling him a "sicko" or an "Ownerphile" whenever he looks at something human related. However, he will still stand up for Buckley, normally against Mrs. Boots asking "Where is Mr. Boots?" which causes her run off angrily every time. He is one of the two main protagonists alongside Buckley, and he is voiced by
Sinbad.
Tabitha
Tabitha is a light pink
Munchkin cat
The Munchkin is a breed of cat characterized by its very short legs, which are caused by a genetic mutation. Compared to many other cat breeds, it is a relatively new breed, documented since 1940s and officially recognized in 1991. The Munchkin ...
and her owner is currently unknown. He is implied she may be a stray because of her neglected appearance. However, in episode 5 she admits to have once have had an owner but since then had forgotten who it was. She has one ear, which has a bow on it and the other seems to have been mostly bitten off. She is also often shown carrying a small green purse. She is not too bright, but she is cheery and believes she is everyone's friend. Of all the people in Wendell, she enjoys spending time with Buckley and Eddie, much to their annoyance. Whenever she sees them and tries to talk she is given an excuse by Eddie why they are too busy or tells her to wait somewhere for them, often somewhere dangerous. She is willing to forgive anything, including being left in the middle of a highway or having her ear ripped off by Buckley. She often shows characteristics of
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
, going from cheery to standing over Louise (whom she duct-taped to her bed) with a scalpel and directions on how to perform a "reverse conjoined twin separation" on her. She is voiced by
Kiersten Warren.
Dooper
Dooper is a spoiled and pampered, but selfish cream-colored, male
stray cat that lives in a
cardboard box
Cardboard boxes are industrially prefabricated boxes, primarily used for packaging goods and materials. Specialists in industry seldom use the term cardboard because it does not denote a specific material. The term ''cardboard'' may refer to a ...
in an alley near Louise's apartment. He is afraid of almost everything and is quite nervous. As a result of this he is constantly coming up with outlandish conspiracy theories and rushes to warn everyone. The closest things to friends he has are Buckley and Eddie, whom he normally tells his theories to first. They usually ignore him, but sometimes use his conspiracy theories to trick him into doing their dirty work. He will often find small, everyday things like a crack in the pavement and use it as proof of his theories. Also it is said that Dooper doesn't have any
testicles
A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of androgens, primarily testosterone.
The ...
, suggesting that he once had an owner who had him neutered. He is voiced by
Emo Philips.
Mrs. Boots
Mrs. Boots is an attractive light purple
Persian cat
The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterised by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats might have been imported into Italy from Greater Khorasan, Khoras ...
. The owner is rare, and her owner's family is shown to be wealthy as she lives in a mansion. She is Buckley's nemesis and tries to thwart his plans in any way she can. The reason why she hates Buckley remains unknown. Her name derives from the difference in color of her body and her paws. The entire body is all light purple, except for her paws, which are dark brown. She is very self-conscious about them, calling them "deformities" and hiding them in her fur when she sits. She is also self-conscious about her name, always becoming aggravated when Eddie asks "Where's Mr. Boots?". She shows herself as a classy cat, but has a short temper and when angry starts to yell and her voice becomes a little bit hoarse. She is voiced by
Niecy Nash
Carol Denise Betts (previously Nash, née Ensley; born February 23, 1970) (), known professionally as Niecy Nash, is an American actress. Her career began in the late 1990s, with appearances in the films '' Boys on the Side'' (1995) and '' Cooki ...
.
Ingrid and Latoyah
Ingrid and Latoyah are two grey
British Shorthair
The British Shorthair is the Purebred, pedigree version of the traditional British Domestic cat (landrace), domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, thick Fur, coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", wi ...
s, who Eddie thinks are hot. They are voiced by
Masasa Moyo
Masasa Moyo is a Canadian television, film, and voice actress.
Filmography Film
Television
Animation
Video games
References
External links
*
*
Living people
Canadian film actresses
Canadian television actresses
Canadian vid ...
and
Alex Borstein, respectively.
Louise
She is one of two main human characters. She is Buckley's owner and can speak to and understand Buckley, but she still treats him as a pet most of the time. Buckley has a romantic infatuation with Louise and hopes to one day consummate their relationship, although she is oblivious to the fact. Buckley even said that he once
proposed to her. She is voiced by
Nicole Sullivan.
Dan
He is one of two only main human characters. He is Eddie's owner, and is voiced by
Greg Pitts
Greg Eugene Pitts (born January 21, 1970) is an American actor best known for his role as Drew in the film ''Office Space''.
Career
He has taken roles in films and television series, including ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''Sons & Daughters (U.S. TV s ...
.
Production
The original 2001 pilot was animated in
claymation
Claymation, sometimes called clay animation or plasticine animation, is one of many forms of stop-motion animation. Each animated piece, either character or background, is "deformable"—made of a malleable substance, usually plasticine cl ...
by Laika's predecessor,
Will Vinton Studios at
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
*Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon
*Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine
*Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel
Portland may also r ...
, done in the same model and animation style as
Gary & Mike, which Hardland Williams voiced Mike. The series was pitched to
The WB
The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
, who turned it down. The pilot has a different art style from the final version. It also has a different voice cast, except for Tabitha.
The series was animated using
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash and FutureSplash) is a mostly discontinuedAlthough it is discontinued by Adobe Inc., for the Chinese market it is developed by Zhongcheng and for the international enterprise market it is developed by Ha ...
. With the animation being a split between
Boulder Media
Boulder Media Limited is an Irish animation studio founded by filmmaker Robert Cullen in 2000. It is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian media company Princess Pictures, which purchased the company in 2022 from its previous owner ...
in Ireland, Big Star Enterprise in South Korea and
Renegade Animation in
Glendale.
Episodes
Season 1 (2007)
Season 2 (2008–2009)
References
External links
*
{{Freeform
2000s American adult animated television series
2000s American animated comedy television series
2000s American sitcoms
2007 American animated television series debuts
2009 American television series endings
American adult animated comedy television series
American animated sitcoms
American flash adult animated television series
American television series revived after cancellation
American English-language television shows
ABC Family original programming
Animated television series set in California
Animated television series about cats
Television series about talking animals
Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television
Television series by Film Roman