or


[01/15/16 - 10:19 AM]
Animated Adult Television Series "Animals.," Created by Phil Matarese & Mike Luciano and Produced by Duplass Brothers Television, Debuts Feb. 5, Exclusively on HBO
Whether it's lovelorn rats, gender-questioning pigeons or aging bedbugs in the midst of a midlife crisis, the awkward small talk, moral ambiguity and existential woes of these non-human urbanites prove startlingly similar to our own.

[via press release from HBO]

ANIMATED ADULT TELEVISION SERIES "ANIMALS.," CREATED BY PHIL MATARESE & MIKE LUCIANO AND PRODUCED BY DUPLASS BROTHERS TELEVISION, DEBUTS FEB. 5, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

New York City, Earth's least habitable environment, is home to a host of downtrodden creatures. Whether it's lovelorn rats, gender-questioning pigeons or aging bedbugs in the midst of a midlife crisis, the awkward small talk, moral ambiguity and existential woes of these non-human urbanites prove startlingly similar to our own.

Created by Phil Matarese & Mike Luciano, and produced by Duplass Brothers Television, the animated adult television series ANIMALS. kicks off its ten-episode season FRIDAY, FEB. 5 (11:30 p.m.-midnight ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

The series is also available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.

Matarese and Luciano voice many of the characters on the show, which also features such guest voiceover artists as Eric Andre, A$AP Ferg, A$AP Rocky, Katie Aselton, Jessica Chastain, Rob Corddry, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Ellie Kemper, Nick Kroll, Lauren Lapkus, Melanie Lynsky, Marc Maron, Kumail Nanjiani, Horatio Sanz, Adam Scott, Molly Shannon, Wanda Sykes, Cobie Smulders, Kurt Vile, Matt Walsh, Zach Woods and Steve Zissis.

Upcoming episodes:

Episode #1: "Rats."

Debut: FRIDAY, FEB. 5 (11:30 p.m.-midnight ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Feb. 5 (1:30 a.m.), 9 (3:25 a.m.) and 10 (4:20 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Feb. 7 (4:00 p.m.) and 11 (midnight)

An uninitiated rat gets mating tips from his friend at a subterranean party. A pair of police horses complains about an old acquaintance who's made it big. A bedbug has a midlife crisis.

Written and directed by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano.

Episode #2: "Pigeons."

Debut: FRIDAY, FEB. 12 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Other HBO playdates: Feb. 12 (1:30 a.m.), 16 (3:10 a.m.) and 17 (2:00 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Feb. 14 (5:30 p.m.) and 18 (11:45 p.m.)

A naive male pigeon prepares himself for motherhood, while another is challenged by a New Jersey rival. One caterpillar's metamorphosis is another's lament.

Written and directed by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano.

Episode #3: "Cats."

Debut: FRIDAY, FEB. 19 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Other HBO playdates: Feb. 19 (1:30 a.m.), 23 (4:00 a.m.) and 24 (4:30 a.m.)

HBO2 playdate: Feb. 25 (midnight)

Two privileged feline siblings find their perfect day interrupted by a crafty alley cat. Bored with the monotony of his life, a goose sets off on his own, and attempts to bond with a flock of Central Park swans.

Written by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano; directed by Phil Matarese, Mike Luciano and Wes Archer.

Episode #4: "Dogs."

Debut: FRIDAY, FEB. 26 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Other HBO playdates: Feb. 26 (1:30 a.m.) and March 1 (3:55 a.m.) and 2 (4:25 a.m.)

HBO2 playdate: Feb. 28 (5:30 p.m.)

A papillon is thrust into an unwelcoming dog park. A dog-walking group deals with an unexpected secret. Two dogs dissect their owners' first date.

Written by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano; directed by Phil Matarese, Mike Luciano and Dominic Polcino.

Episode #5: "Rats."

Debut: FRIDAY, MARCH 4 (11:30 p.m.-midnight)

Other HBO playdates: March 4 (1:30 a.m.), 8 (4:30 a.m.) and 9 (5:00 a.m.)

A rat invents pants. A moth tries neon light for the first time. Two fish couples have a tense dinner.

Written by Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano; directed by Phil Matarese, Mike Luciano and Wes Archer.

Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano met while working together at a New York City production company, where they would do voices for the pigeons outside of their office. Phil, an illustrator in his free time, proposed animating a scene based off their pigeon-riffing to screen at Mike's monthly comedy show.

Thus was born a series of animated shorts, simply dubbed "Animals.". The series quickly became a full-time passion project, screening in venues throughout NYC, as well as at festivals around the country. After winning Best Comedy at the 2013 New York Television Festival, the duo gained the attention of executive producers Jay and Mark Duplass, who convinced them to quit their jobs and move across the country to begin making ten half-hour episodes independent of any studio or network. One year later, the inaugural two episodes premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival - the first independently produced TV series to do so - which led to acclaim in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, and a two-season pickup by HBO.

The animation for ANIMALS. was created with Starburns Industries, the studio known for "Rick & Morty" and Charlie Kaufman's new stop-motion film "Anomalisa."

ANIMALS. is part of the continuing relationship between HBO and Jay & Mark Duplass, whose acclaimed show "Togetherness," also produced by Duplass Brothers Television, returns for its second season Sunday, Feb. 21 (10:30-11:00 p.m.).

The executive producers of ANIMALS. are Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass; directors/writers, Phil Matarese & Mike Luciano; producers, Jen Roskind, James Fino, Joe Russo II, Kenny Micka.





  [january 2016]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· ANIMALS. (HBO)





[10/13/25 - 01:30 PM]
"Last Lands," The Two-Part Documentary Series on the Battle to Protect the Health of the Planet, Streams on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu Beginning Thursday, Oct. 16
The gripping two-part documentary series, in partnership with Global Conservation, is hosted by award-winning ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff and spotlights conservation efforts to preserve Earth's most threatened ecosystems.

[10/13/25 - 11:21 AM]
Tubi's Wild New Adult Animated Comedy "Breaking Bear" Takes a Bite Out of New York Comic Con
Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Annie Murphy, and Elizabeth Hurley star in the animated comedy series, due in March 2026.

[10/13/25 - 09:31 AM]
Video: NBC Releases Official Trailer and Key Art for New Comedy Series "Stumble"
"Stumble" premieres Friday, November 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

[10/13/25 - 08:02 AM]
Video: "Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy" - Final Trailer - Peacock Original
When a teenager goes missing, it becomes clear that many young men and boys have disappeared at the hands of John Wayne Gacy, the prime suspect.

[10/13/25 - 08:01 AM]
Apple Original Films' "F1 The Movie" to Make Global Streaming Debut December 12
Since its wide theatrical release on June 27, 2025, "F1 The Movie" has broken records, debuting at No. 1 and surpassing $629 million at the global box office.

[10/13/25 - 07:14 AM]
TNT Sports' 2025 MLB National League Championship Series Coverage to Begin Tonight Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET
For the ninth consecutive year, Brian Anderson will provide play-by-play for the Championship Series coverage for TNT Sports.

[10/13/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Juan Gabriel: I Must, I Can, I Will" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Rare videos and exclusive interviews reveal the genius, sacrifices and duality between the public and private lives of iconic singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel.

[10/13/25 - 05:22 AM]
Video: "Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour - The End of an Era" - Disney+
On December 12, the streaming event of an era comes to Disney+.

[10/13/25 - 04:21 AM]
Video: "Bridgerton" Season 4 - Date Announcement - Netflix
Season 4 will arrive in two parts with Part 1 premiering January 29 and Part 2 on February 26.

[10/13/25 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Turn of the Tide: The Surreal Story of Rabo de Peixe" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In June 2001, hundreds of kilos of cocaine washed up in a Portuguese village. This gripping documentary reveals the long-lasting impact on the community.

[10/13/25 - 02:08 AM]
ITV Recommissions "Midsomer Murders" for Series 26
This four-episode commission will bring the number of episodes available to 148.

[10/13/25 - 01:02 AM]
Stories Set to Thrill, Move, and Entertain: Netflix Announces Six Tamil and Telugu Originals
South Indian stories like "Pushpa 2," "Amaran," "Leo," and "Devara" dominated the Global Top 10 Non-English lists, reflecting the growing demand for original stories from the region.

[10/13/25 - 12:31 AM]
Sky Exclusively Picks Up "Crystal Lake," The Highly Anticipated Prequel to the "Friday the 13th" Franchise
Produced by A24 and distributed by Peacock in the US, the series marks the first new project connected to the franchise since the reboot of the 2009 original film.

[10/12/25 - 05:02 PM]
Video: "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" - Official Teaser - Netflix
The franchise's latest installment is only on Netflix, coming in 2026.

[10/12/25 - 05:01 PM]
"Grand Galaxy Hotel" Open for Business: Netflix Confirms Production and Cast
Only open in the middle of the night to provide top-class service and console the souls of the dead, the Grand Galaxy Hotel has a new owner, Eun-ha (Lee Do-hyun).