Ricky Gervais (not for the first time) is venturing into the world of adult animation with Alley Cats, a new series about a group of foul-mouthed feral felines living in a dilapidated house. We’ve gotten our hands on the official press interviews and Q&As with creator Ricky Gervais, alongside stars Tom Basden (Ponce) and Diane Morgan (Olive), who reveal how the show came to be and some secrets ahead of the series full release on August 7th, 2026.
From wild ad-libs to smashing the audience’s hearts “to smithereens,” here is everything the cast and creator had to say about what to expect from Alley Cats, and in case you missed it, check out our expanded deep-dive into the series from the Annecy Film Festival, where we got to watch the first two episodes.
Please note: The following is based on an interview transcript provided by Netflix UK.
The Inspiration for Alley Cats
For Gervais, Alley Cats was born out of a lifelong obsession with the only animals to “domesticate themselves.” As Gervais puts it: “They just wandered into humanity one day and said ‘Feed me, Bitch’… They’re cool, funny, cuddly, violent, and indifferent – often all in the same minute.”
But beyond just loving cats, Gervais wanted to make a classic British sitcom, drawing inspiration from legendary shows like Porridge, Cheers, and Only Fools And Horses. He wanted his characters to be “at the bottom of the pile, fighting this cruel enemy, which is the rest of the world.”
When asked what the show says about people, Gervais didn’t hold back. “We have these delusions of grandeur, because we’re the most intelligent thing on the planet, we assume we’re the most important. We’re not. We might well be the least important. I just wanted to pop that bubble of pomposity.”
Tom Basden, who voices the middle-class pet Ponce, agrees with that sentiment, noting the show “has a very dim view of humanity. In this world, humans are irresponsible, cruel, and quite clueless.” Or, as Diane Morgan bluntly sums it up: “People are arseholes, aren’t they?”
Alley Cats. (L to R) Tom Basden as Ponce, Diane Morgan as Olive, in Alley Cats. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix
“Audio is King”: Ripping Up the Animation Rulebook
One of the most fascinating reveals from the interviews and indeed at Annecy was how Alley Cats was recorded. Instead of actors standing alone in booths, Gervais wanted the entire cast to be in the same room to capture the authenticity of the characters interacting with each other and even echoing what made his podcast days with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington.
“I wanted this to be different,” Gervais explained. “I said, ‘Everyone’s got to be in the room at the same time, we do each episode together, we do way too much, we go off piste whenever we can.’… The first episode, we did one hour and 40 minutes. If you can’t get a fantastic 15 minutes out of that with some of the best comedy minds in the country, then something’s gone wrong.”
This approach led to some incredibly unhinged improvisation. Diane Morgan revealed that David Earl (who voices the scabby fleabag Puke) did a lot of the “heavy lifting” when it came to offensive jokes. “A lot of it has to be cut out because it’s just so disgusting,” Morgan joked. “We have to keep checking every few seconds, ‘Is that okay? Are you sure we can say that?’ because it’s just so awful.”
Alley Cats. (L to R) Ricky Gervais as Gus, Natalie Cassidy as Gus’ Mum, Alley Cats. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix
Meet the Cats: The “Avengers of British Comedy”
Gervais refers to his cast as the “Avengers of British comedy,” writing the characters specifically around the personas of his frequent collaborators.
Diane Morgan says she was happy to play Olive because her character is “just thick.” Morgan, as you may know, is a frequent collaborator with Charlie Brooker, where they came up with her character Philomena Cunk, which also adopts this personality. She explained: “I just turn up, say a few stupid things, and then bugger off. Which is a lovely part to have, because then I get to sit back and listen to everyone else swearing.” Morgan also revealed a sad but hilarious detail about Olive’s crush on Ponce (Basden): “He doesn’t have his balls anymore, so once she finds that out, she’s off straight away.”
Basden elaborated on Ponce’s unique position in the group. As a kept pet, Ponce is “an antagonist for the others” and a “pedant who is knowledgeable in an unfriendly, aggressively knowledgeable way.” Despite being insulted constantly by the feral gang, Ponce recognizes that Gus (Gervais) is secretly a sweetheart, something Gus “certainly doesn’t appreciate.”
Smashing Hearts to Smithereens
If you’ve watched Derek or After Life, you know Gervais loves to hit you with sudden emotional gut-punches, and Alley Cats is no exception. The emotional core of the show kicks in when the gang finds a lost kitten along with other road bumps along the way.
Gervais shared that a childhood experience—where his mother would sing a sad song to make him cry over a lost cat—taught him that “cats were family and death was final.” That exploration of mortality is baked right into the show. “The first time a kid realises that death is forever is often when they lose a pet,” Gervais says, recalling a scene where the kitten sees a dead cat on the street and they have to explain what it means.
Diane Morgan admits this is what Gervais does best. “You think, ‘Oh, it’s just a cartoon with a lot of sweary cats’, and then all of a sudden, he thrusts a knife into your heart. You’re enjoying these mad cats, then suddenly he’ll just smash your heart to smithereens.”
Morgan adds: “No one else really explores grief like Ricky, especially in a sitcom… It’s really difficult to go from madness to emotion really quickly, but Ricky makes it work.”
Basden echoes this, pointing out that beneath the comedy, the show tackles deeper themes. “It asks questions about how people live alongside nature. It’s about mortality, as the cats have short, dispensable lives, and how much control you have over your future.”
The Soundtrack
As a final treat, Gervais touched upon the show’s music, confirming we’ll hear tracks from Cat Stevens, Coldplay, and Van Halen. He also shared a great anecdote about securing The Smiths’ “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.”
“I had to ask Morrissey and Johnny Marr if I could use that song. They both came back straight away and said, ‘Go for it.’ Johnny Marr even donated the fee to an animal charity.”
Rounding out his interview, Gervais added an important disclaimer: “Finally, please don’t be offended by anything these characters say or do. They can’t help it. They’re cats. So sometimes, they’re cunts.”
