Five years ago, a very famous horse rode into our lives and stole our hearts, along with our ability to naturally produce seratonin. In just a few months, Bojack Horseman producer and designer Lisa Hanawalt is looking to bring a little light-heartedness back to the streets of Hollywoo. And honestly, thank fuck for that.
Rather than focusing on a washed-up (horse)man methodically destroying his life, Tuca & Bertie places women of colour front and centre, with Girls Trip star Tiffany Haddish and comedian Ali Wong respectively playing the titular birdwomen. While Bertie is “an anxious, daydreaming songbird”, Tuca is more “cocky and care-free”… and from what we can see in the trailer, fairly inclined towards publicly exposing herself.
It’s got all the anthropomorphic action you’ve come to expect from Hanawalt and her unique animation style, plus a bunch of stylish flairs that give the show more of a loose, hand-drawn feel. There’s a vibrant energy here that makes me less fearful of slipping into another sadness coma after watching two episodes back-to-back.
Add to the mix sweet, sweet boi Steven Yeun as Bertie’s husband and a host of guest stars like Oscar nom Richard E. Grant, Reggie Watts, Tig Notaro and Tessa Thompson, and you’ve got yourself a binge-worthy bird-girl version of Broad City.
I’m not kidding, the vibe I get from this show is, to quote Tuca, “horny as shit”. Tiffany “loves that her character got ass” and there’s a whole lot more cartoon breasts in this three minute trailer then in all of Bojack. It’s clearly as adult as its predecessor, even if it may not force you to stare directly into the void quite as often. Tuca & Bertie is all about being thirty, female and as lost as everyone else, all confidence aside.
So you hardly need wings to be on their level. I’m putting aside the weekend to smash through the show when it launches through Netflix on Friday 3rd May. And the first person to make a joke about live-tweeting it gets a slap in the beak.
You can catch Tuca & Bertie when the first season drops in full on Friday 3rd May through Netflix.
