BoJack Horseman
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Talking animals too crass for the kids it might attract.

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BoJack Horseman
Community Reviews
Based on 42 parent reviews
Good for mature kids and up
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Amazing show - not for kids
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What's the Story?
The eponymous star of BOJACK HORSEMAN is a down-on-his-luck animal actor (Will Arnett) who's nursing the last of his fame left over from his starring in a Full House-like hit sitcom, Horsin' Around. BoJack hasn't had a lot of acting roles since then and spends most of his time moping around his Hollywood home with perma-houseguest/mini-entourage Todd (Aaron Paul), in between throwing parties and drinking himself into a stupor. His agent, talking cat Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), is convinced that BoJack can climb back on top by writing his tell-all memoirs with the help of ghostwriter Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie). BoJack isn't so sure. But he's sure, he's going to stumble back into fame, or at least infamy, somehow, and soon.
Is It Any Good?
BoJack Horseman certainly has the trappings of hilarity: Great comic actors (Will Arnett and Amy Sedaris? An embarrassment of riches!) in situations rich with absurd potential. A horse writing a book? And shopping at an animal grocery store, the shelves lined with asparagus and carrots? A talking cat as the agent of a talking horse who plays "Jellicle Cats" as her phone system's hold music? The writing's not bad, either, getting off some good lines such as when BoJack affirms that he's great with commitment: "I commit to things all the time! It's just following through on that commitment I don't do." Snort.
But somehow, things don't gel into actual thigh-slapping. Mild chuckles are the most you can expect and the pleasant passing of 25 minutes. And maybe that's enough. BoJack is profane and goofy enough to keep adults more or less amused yet not so offensive as to cause parents to dash for the remote lest teens catch some of the action. You probably wouldn't want to watch with tweens -- the goings-on are too blue for that -- but teens may enjoy watching, with or without mom and dad.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why animated series aimed at adults have become popular. What other animated series for adults can you name? How are they like or unlike BoJack Horseman?
Do you recognize any of the voices in BoJack Horseman from other shows? How does it affect the way you feel about this show?
Netflix used to be a site that only distributed movies and TV shows made by other companies. Now it's making its own shows. Why?
TV Details
- Premiere date: August 22, 2014
- Cast: Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Amy Sedaris
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Horses and Farm Animals
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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