’BoJack Horseman’ canters through familiar satirical terrain

  • By Mary McNamara Los Angeles Times
  • Monday, August 25, 2014 1:32pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

A word or two about binge-watching: As a long-term sustainable business model, it works only if the original content being produced is binge-worthy, i.e. any good. Sure, people will spend a day nursing the flu or a breakup by tearing through multiple episodes of one cheesy show or another, but “Breaking Bad” didn’t become a binge hit simply because it was available in seasonal increments.

Also, for the record, there are already plenty of mediocre shows to go around. These days, most people don’t have time to keep up with the really good ones.

So I’m not quite sure what Netflix is thinking with “BoJack Horseman,” other than realizing a rather naked desire to create genre diversity and showcase a newfound popularity with A-listers like Will Arnett, Aaron Paul and Amy Sedaris. Beyond these supposed accomplishments, however, there really isn’t much to, er, graze on in the adult-oriented comedy, which becomes available Friday.

For reasons known only to creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the show exists in a universe where some people are people and some are talking, bipedal versions of various animals. BoJack Horseman (Arnett) is an upright horse who is also a washed up sitcom star. In the ‘90s, he headlined “Horsin’ Around,” a “Full-Housian” tale of a bachelor horse who finds true happiness when he adopts three orphan children.

That show was such a huge hit that BoJack never quite recovered. Now he lives in one of those big glass houses in the hills favored by writers seeking to make a statement about Hollywood, with a couch-surfing slacker leech/assistant (Paul). BoJack spends his days watching his own reruns while his agent/sometime lover, Princess Caroline (a pink cat voiced by Sedaris) fails to find him even a walk-on in “War Horse.”

Instead, she pushes him to finish his memoir, which he hasn’t even started. Princess Caroline eventually hires Diane (Alison Brie), a ghost writer who happens to be living with BoJack’s “nemesis,” Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins), a golden retriever who had a show similar to “Horsin’ Around.” Diane is there to get BoJack to face his fears, tell his story and, presumably, become a better horse.

All of which is not nearly as confusing as it sounds or, unfortunately, as funny. In parodying the celebrity life, Bob-Waksberg only occasionally hits the mark. An episode in which BoJack is reunited with one of his former costars has some smart and stinging things to say, and some of its digressions into diatribes about our attitudes toward the military or the fall of the publishing business are dark and funny.

Mostly, however, the show safely canters through familiar terrain: The oblivious narcissism of actors complete with drinking, drugs and random sex; the double-edge sword of social media, the ruthlessness of agents, etc., etc.

Twenty-five years after the debut of “The Simpsons,” satiric adult animation is nothing new. Being the first such show with an instantly available full season may still be a novelty, but that too is getting old.

In the end, if you want people to watch your show, your best bet is still to make sure it is very good.

And the horse you rode in on

“BoJack Horseman” will be available Friday on Netflix. Rating: TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17)

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.