Ricky Gervais's new Netflix animated series Alley Cats has received harsh reviews from critics, but has won praise from fellow comedy veteran John Cleese, who publicly endorsed the show. The dark, politically incorrect animation debuted over the weekend and has struggled with reviewers, though Gervais points to strong viewer engagement as evidence the show is resonating with audiences despite the critical panning.

The series holds just a 39% score on Metacritic, with The Telegraph awarding it zero stars and The Independent one star, while several other outlets gave it two stars. Gervais shared a screenshot showing Alley Cats performing well in Netflix's UK charts. Cleese, the Monty Python star and Fawlty Towers creator, called the show "quite wonderful" on X, prompting a grateful reply from Gervais. Alley Cats, which Gervais created and voices, follows feral British cats and marks his return to adult animation 13 years after The Ricky Gervais Show ended.