Exploding Kittens (TV series)

{{Infobox television

| image = Exploding Kittens poster.png

| caption = Initial promotional poster with the release window

| genre = {{Plainlist|

}}

| based_on = {{basedon|Exploding Kittens|Matthew Inman and Elan Lee}}

| creator = Matthew Inman
&
Shane Kosakowski

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| music = Shirley Song
&
Jina Hyojin An

| country = {{Plainlist|

United States
Canada

}}

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 9

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

Shane Kosakowski
Matthew Inman
Elan Lee
Greg Daniels
Mike Judge
Dustin Davis
Peter Chernin
Jenno Topping

}}

| producer = Janet Dimon

| editor = {{Plainlist|

Lauren Hecht
Matt Steinauer

}}

| runtime = 24—27 minutes

| company = {{Plainlist|

}}

| network = Netflix

| released = {{Start date|2024|07|12}}

}}

Exploding Kittens is an American adult animated fantasy comedy television series loosely based on the tabletop card game of the same name designed by Matthew Inman, of The Oatmeal webcomic, and Elan Lee. It features the voices of Tom Ellis, Sasheer Zamata, Suzy Nakamura, Mark Proksch, Ally Maki, Betsy Sodaro, Tom Kenny, David Gborie and Kenny Yates.

Produced by Chomp City, Bandera Entertainment, Jam Filled Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment, it premiered on Netflix on July 12, 2024, to mixed reception from critics.

Premise

{{Quote|text=In this animated comedy series, God and the Devil are sent to Earth in the form of talking cats. God, voiced by Tom Ellis, must reconnect with humanity while navigating life as a house cat. Living with a dysfunctional family, he attempts to solve their problems and faces humorous challenges, all while engaging in slapstick antics. The show is based on the popular card game of the same name.|author=Netflix{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}}}

Voice cast

Tom Ellis as Godcat/God
Sasheer Zamata as Devilcat/Beelzebub
Suzy Nakamura as Abbie Higgins
Mark Proksch as Marv Higgins
Ally Maki as Greta Higgins
Kenny Yates as Travis Higgins
Betsy Sodaro as Aidan
Tom Kenny as Cherub Craig
David Gborie as Cherub Aslandeus

=Additional Voices=

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#FDA805 |total_width=auto |overall=5 |title=29 |director=18 |writer=19 |airdate=24 |airdateR= |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 1

|Title = Pilot

|DirectedBy = Eddie Rosas

|WrittenBy = Matthew Inman & Shane Kosakowski

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary = After a series of incidents leave his apartment and a section of Heaven in ruin, God is sent to Earth to answer a family's prayer in an effort to repair his image. However, he is sent in the body of a cat so he can grow closer to the humans, the Higgins family, which also limits his magical powers. After a series of failed attempts to get the family to bond, God, now going by Godcat, shrinks the family so they can play a board game created by Marv, the nerdy patriarch of the Higgins family. The plan works and the Higgins grow closer, but Godcat is informed that he must stay on Earth longer to further repair his reputation. After being notified of this, Godcat spots a black cat in the family's yard that creates a pentagram made of fire.

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 2

|Title = Tartar Recall

|DirectedBy = Scott Bern

|WrittenBy = Matthew Inman & Shane Kosakowski

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary = Feeling she is not evil enough, Hell's board of directors send Beelzebub to Earth in a cat's body, stealing the idea from Heaven, to create "hell on earth". During a fight with Godcat, Devilcat accidentally sends Aidan, a friend of Marv's son Travis, to Heck, a version of Hell for teenagers. Travis and his mother, Abbie, infiltrate Heck in order to save Aidan. Meanwhile, Marv is approached at work to create a presentation for the world's largest tarter sauce company and enlists the help of his daughter Greta in order to bond with her. Marv's plan backfires when Greta convinces the other workers to go on strike.

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 3

|Title = Shane & Chugger's

|DirectedBy = Eddie Rosas

|WrittenBy = Caitie Delaney

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary = Due to his birthday falling on Christmas, Travis tries to convince his parents to throw him a half-birthday party. Godcat takes Travis out while Marv and Abbie prep for the party and brings along his two Cherub assistants, Aslandeus and Craig, in order to show them the wonders of Earth and they eventually end up at the entertainment restaurant Shane & Chugger's. Karen, the Higgins' neighbor and Devilcat's owner, notices the party and tries to shut it down.

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 4

|Title = Emotions Are Hard

|DirectedBy = Traci Honda

|WrittenBy = Noah Prestwich

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary = Greta enters into a rocket-building contest at school sponsored by a billionaire but has trouble finding people at school to help her. Travis runs away from home after discovering that Abbie has been posing as his therapist in a video game, thinking she is using it to eavesdrop on him and control his life. Abbie then seeks help from Karen in order to become a better mom. Godcat and Devilcat enter into a wager over good vs. evil with Marv's soul at stake.

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 5

|Title = No Regrets

|DirectedBy = Scott Bern

|WrittenBy = Sierra Katow

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 6

|Title = The Town with No Internet

|DirectedBy = Traci Honda

|WrittenBy = Shawn Kenji Pearlman

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 7

|Title = SeaWorld Is Hell

|DirectedBy = Eddie Rosas

|WrittenBy = Maggie Gottlieb

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 8

|Title = Let the Games Begin

|DirectedBy = Traci Honda

|WrittenBy = Shane Kosakowski

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 9

|Title = The Westminster Human Show

|DirectedBy = Eddie Rosas

|WrittenBy = Matthew Inman & Shane Kosakowski

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|7|12}}

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = FDA805

}}

Production

=Development=

In April 2022, it was announced that an animated streaming television series was first officially ordered by Netflix, with King of the Hill creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels as executive producers, alongside Peter Chernin. Additional game mechanics and cards tied to the show will be added to the mobile game at a later date.

=Casting=

Alongside the series' announcement, Tom Ellis, Sasheer Zamata, Abraham Lim, Lucy Liu, Ally Maki, Betsy Sodaro, Tom Kenny, David Gborie and Mark Proksch, were cast as the ensemble cast. In May 2024, Suzy Nakamura and Kenny Yates joined the cast;{{cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/05/trailer-feline-foes-collide-in-netflixs-exploding-kittens/|title=Trailer: Feline Foes Collide in Netflix's 'Exploding Kittens'|last=Milligran|first=Mercedes|website=Animation Magazine|date=May 9, 2024|access-date=May 10, 2024}} but within the two year span of the show's development, Liu and Lim dropped out from the project.{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/netflix-exploding-kittens-trailer-tom-ellis-mike-judge-1851466422|title=Netflix's Exploding Kittens trailer is about as random as you'd expect|last=Carr|first=Mary|website=The A.V. Club|date=May 9, 2024|access-date=May 10, 2024}}

Release

Exploding Kittens had its first look preview at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 14, 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/netflix-annecy-film-festival-nimona-chicken-run-2/ |title=Netflix to Debut Official First Looks at 'Nimona,' 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget' at This Year's Annecy |website=TheWrap |last=Taylor |first=Drew |date=April 24, 2023 |access-date=April 24, 2023}} Originally planned for a release in late 2023,{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/exploding-kittens-animated-series-mobile-game-coming-to-netflix-1235130935/|title='Exploding Kittens' Animated Series, Mobile Game Coming to Netflix|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 18, 2022|access-date=April 18, 2022}} the series was delayed for a 2024 premiere.{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/exploding-kittens-teaser-unveils-tom-ellis-as-god-in-cat-form|title=Exploding Kittens Teaser Unveils Tom Ellis as God in Cat Form|last=Reul|first=Kate|website=IGN|date=November 11, 2023|access-date=November 11, 2023}} The series was released on July 12, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/06/next-on-netflix-animation-presentation-sneak-peeks-k-pop-demon-hunters-plankton-movie-motel-transylvania-and-much-much-more-updating/|title=Next on Netflix Animation Presentation Sneak-Peeks 'K-Pop: Demon Hunters,' 'Plankton' Movie, 'Motel Transylvania' and Much, Much More!|website=Animation Magazine|date=June 6, 2024|access-date=June 6, 2024}}

Reception

{{TV ratings

| title = Exploding Kittens

| MC = 54/100

| RT = 71%

| rev1 = The A.V. Club

| rev1score = C−

| rev2 = The Guardian

| rev2score = {{Rating|1|5}}

| rev3 = IGN

| rev3score = 4/10

}}

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 72% approval rating with an average rating of 5.0/10, based on 16 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A battle between heaven and hell translated into daffy slapstick, Exploding Kittens won't blow viewers' minds but serves up some fun animated mayhem."{{cite Rotten Tomatoes|id=exploding_kittens|title=Exploding Kittens|type=tv|season=1|access-date=July 22, 2024|publisher_hide=y}}{{cbignore}} On Metacritic, the series has a score of 54 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews" based on 9 critic reviews.{{Cite Metacritic|id=exploding-kittens|title=Exploding Kittens|type=tv|season=1|access-date=July 14, 2024|publisher_hide=y}}{{cbignore}}

Lucy Mangan, reviewing for The Guardian, gave the series one star, saying it was "carelessly made, infuriating and unfunny" and criticising the poor storyline.{{cite web |first=Lucy |last=Mangan |author1-link=Lucy Mangan |title=Exploding Kittens review – unfunny, infuriating and life-sapping |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/jul/12/exploding-kittens-review-unfunny-infuriating-and-life-sapping |website=The Guardian |access-date=July 12, 2024 |date=July 12, 2024}} The A.V. Club's Isobel Lewis gives the series a C−, saying that the jokes are "the kind that lead to a small smile but rarely makes anyone laugh out loud" though there are "nuggets of comedy gold"; she criticises the writing as "tame" and "lack[ing] the bravery of other animated series".{{cite web |author1=Isobel Lewis |title=Netflix's Exploding Kittens series is lost in translation |url=https://www.avclub.com/exploding-kittens-review-tv-show-netflix-1851581621 |website=The A.V. Club |access-date=12 July 2024 |date=11 July 2024}} Chase Hutchinson, writing for IGN rated the series 4/10, saying that throughout the show "premises are stretched well beyond their breaking point, jokes land with tiresome thuds, and every cliffhanger feels like a forced attempt to get Netflix subscribers to keep the app open."{{cite web |author1=Chase Hutchinson |title=Exploding Kittens Season 1 Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/exploding-kittens-season-1-review-netflix |website=IGN |access-date=15 July 2024 |date=12 July 2024}}

In the Los Angeles Times, Robert Lloyd notes that while the series is a "lesson ... that anything can amount to exploitable intellectual property", it is also "corny as... hell, but it's genuine corn".{{cite web |first=Robert |last=Lloyd |title=Review: Adult cartoons 'Sausage Party' and 'Exploding Kittens,' one charming, one (purposely) not |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-07-11/sausage-party-foodtopia-prime-video-exploding-kittens-netflix-review |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=July 12, 2024 |date=July 11, 2024}} Angie Han in The Hollywood Reporter said the show's plot was "admirably zany" but that the comedy "[tended] to be obvious"; she concludes that "if you're looking for light humor, you could do worse".{{cite web |first=Angie |last=Han |title='Exploding Kittens' Review: Netflix's Admirably Zany Animated Cat Comedy Could Use Sharper Jokes |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/exploding-kittens-review-netflix-animated-1235939983/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=July 12, 2024 |date=July 12, 2024}}