| Tuca & Bertie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Lisa Hanawalt |
| Based on | Tuca the Toucan by Lisa Hanawalt |
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | Jesse Novak |
| Composer | Jesse Novak |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 30(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 22–26 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | May 3, 2019 (2019-05-03) |
| Network | Adult Swim |
| Release | June 13, 2021 (2021-06-13) – August 29, 2022 (2022-08-29) |
Tuca & Bertie is an Americananimatedsitcom created by cartoonistLisa Hanawalt forNetflix. It began streaming on May 3, 2019.[1] It starsTiffany Haddish andAli Wong, alongsideSteven Yeun, with a supporting cast including,John Early,Richard E. Grant, andReggie Watts.[2] The show's central characters are twoanthropomorphic female birds: Tuca thetoucan and Bertie thesong thrush. Episodes mainly focus on the two's relationships with each other and with their peers.
The first season received positive reviews,[3][4] and was cited as one of the best shows of 2019 by several publications.[5][6] The series was canceled by Netflix after one season in July 2019.[7] In May 2020,Cartoon Network's nighttimeAdult Swim programming block announced they had ordered a second season of the series, which premiered on June 13, 2021.[8][9] In August 2021, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on July 10, 2022.[10][11]Tuca & Bertie has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of adulthood and friendship-driven themes, as well as its humor and art style.
In November 2022, Hanawalt confirmed that Adult Swim canceled the series after two seasons on its programming block, and three seasons total.[12][13]
The show's title characters are two anthropomorphic birds who are friends living in the same apartment complex, Tuca Toucan (voiced byTiffany Haddish) and Roberta "Bertie" Songthrush (voiced byAli Wong).[14] Tuca is atoco toucan with animpulsive personality, while Bertie is a nervous and career-mindedsong thrush. At the start of the series, Tuca has just ceased drinking alcohol. To support herself, she often relies on various odd jobs for financial gain. At the same time, Bertie works at an office called Conde Nest while also holding an apprentice job at a bakery. The series' main plot lines focuses on the protagonists' friendship and their struggles in adulthood, touching on themes such asalcoholism andsexual abuse.
Many of Tuca's plot lines involve her wealthy aunt Tallulah (voiced byJenifer Lewis). Other relationships of hers vary from episode to episode. Bertie's main love interest is her boyfriend Speckle (voiced bySteven Yeun), aEuropean robin who is an architect. In the first season, Bertie serves as an apprentice at a bakery owned by Pastry Pete (voiced byReggie Watts), anemperor penguin. Bertie's work place also includes a number of her co-workers such as her boss, Holland (voiced byRichard E. Grant), who is ablue jay. Neighbors in Tuca and Bertie's apartment complex include Draca (voiced byShamir), an anthropomorphichouseplant, and Dapper T. Dog (voiced byJohn Early), a flamboyant dog.
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | |||
| 1 | 10 | May 3, 2019 (2019-05-03) | Netflix | ||
| 2 | 10 | June 13, 2021 (2021-06-13) | August 15, 2021 (2021-08-15) | Adult Swim | |
| 3 | 10 | July 11, 2022 (2022-07-11) | August 29, 2022 (2022-08-29) | ||
Tuca originated inLisa Hanawalt's webcomicTuca the Toucan which ran from 2013 to 2014.[15][16] On February 20, 2018,Netflix announced it had given the production a series order to consist of a first season of ten episodes. The series was created by Lisa Hanawalt who executive produced alongsideRaphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, andTiffany Haddish. Production companies involved in the series includeThe Tornante Company andShadowMachine.[14][17][18] On March 14, 2019, Netflix announced that the series would premiere on May 3, and a first look featurette trailer was released.[1]
Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported thatTiffany Haddish would voice the lead character of Tuca.[14] On May 7, 2018, it was announced thatAli Wong had been cast as the voice of Bertie.[19] In March 2019, it was announcedSteven Yeun had been cast as a series regular, withNicole Byer,Richard E. Grant,John Early,Reggie Watts,Tig Notaro,Amber Ruffin,Jermaine Fowler, andTessa Thompson appearing in guest capacity.[20]
Broadcast
The show started airing on TBS on July 25, 2021. In the UK and Ireland, the series aired on E4. Episodes were also avaliable on the Channel 4 streaming service.
Netflix announced the series cancellation on July 24, 2019. In a series of tweets responding to the news, Hanawalt expressed gratitude for the cast, crew, reviews, and fans.[21] Hanawalt and Haddish both expressed hope that the show could find a new home.[22][23]
The announcement of the show's cancellation was met with a negative response. Within 24 hours of the cancellation, theTwitter hashtags #RenewTucaAndBertie and #SaveTucaAndBertie each received more than 10,000 tweets from users.[24] AChange.org petition to renew the show gained media attention and received 3,600 signatures in 24 hours.[21] Various news and lifestyle sites published columns lamenting the cancellation, while continuing to praise the show for its female representation, diverse cast, and handling of complex issues.[25][26][27][28] The cancellation was deemed to be "disappointing" and a "loss for television".[29][26]
The cancellation also led to criticism of Netflix'salgorithm, highlighted by its failure to recommend the show to creator Hanawalt,[21][30] and at Netflix itself for prematurely canceling the series less than three months after its premiere, disallowing the show a chance to grow its audience.[31][32]
According to Hanawalt, several networks showed interest in picking up the show after its cancellation; however, she felt Adult Swim was the best home for the show to continue.[33] On May 22, 2020, it was announced that the series would be revived onAdult Swim in 2021,[8] making it the second Netflix original series to be revived coming off the cancellation ofOne Day at a Time in 2019.[34][35][36] The revival was named one ofIndiewire's "Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2021".[37] On May 3, 2021, it was announced that the second season would premiere on June 13, 2021.[38] The second season ran for ten episodes.[39] The second season is available to stream onHBO Max on June 24, 2022.[40] On August 4, 2021, Adult Swim renewed the series for a third season.[10] The third season ran for ten episodes and is also available to stream on HBO Max.
On November 2, 2022, Hanawalt confirmed that Adult Swim canceled the series after two seasons on the network.[12][13]
Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 98% based on 48 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Tuca & Bertie skips right pastBoJack Horseman's shadow with its chipper sensibility and madcap sight gags, bringing plenty of laughs as it addressesadulting anxiety and exalts the joys of friendship."[3] OnMetacritic, it has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[41]
In a positive review, Kate Abbott ofThe Guardian wrote that the show was "a chirpily realised world that stays true to its experimentalism - and its pleasures are consistent, if deliciously twisted, and very surreal indeed."[42]James Poniewozik ofThe New York Times, praised "Hanawalt's surreal vision, the anarchic fluidity of the landscape, the series's whimsically bending laws of both nature and physics." Critics praised the show's female-focused portrayal of trauma,[43] desire,[44] and friendship.[42] In a negative review, Brian Lowry ofCNN wrote that the show did not stand out beyond similar adult animations on Adult Swim, declaring that the show was "strictly for the birds".[45] The show drew both praise and criticism for perceived similarities toComedy Central'sBroad City, due to both shows focusing on female friendship.[44][46]
The second season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 8.29/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Tuca & Bertie's superb second season is as vivid and sparkling as the first, diving deeper into its dynamic leads without losing any of its singular humor."[47] OnMetacritic, it has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[48] In a positive review, Dan Feinberg ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote "the show has become a savvy vehicle through which to explore repressed trauma,workplace sexism and what may be the most simultaneously nurturing and corrosive friendship on TV".[49] Melanie McFarland ofSlate praised the show for demonstrating "that shows created in and for thefemale gaze are inclusive and appealing to everybody" and "reminding us of the many ways that animation tells multi-dimensional stories that speak to everybody, not just the guys".[50]
The third season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10.[51]
Upon release,The A.V. Club referred to the show as "one of the best new shows of 2019,"[52] withVox namingTuca & Bertie one of the "5 best TV Shows of May 2019".[53]HuffPost named it as 6th best show of 2019,[5] Indiewire named it as the 2nd best new show of 2019 and the 20th best show of the decade,[54][55] andTV Guide named it one of the best animated TV shows of the decade.[56] In addition,The A.V. Club named it the 18th best show of 2019 andJunkee placed it on an unranked list of the best TV of 2019.[6][57] Specific praise was given to the episode "The Jelly Lakes", with bothEntertainment Weekly andThe Hollywood Reporter naming it one of the best episodes of 2019.[58][59]
Tuca & Bertie has won two awards and been nominated for an additional fifteen. It won the2020 Annie Award forOutstanding Achievement in Writing for Shauna McGarry,[60] along with nominations forAnimated Television General Audience and Voice Acting forAli Wong, all for "The Jelly Lakes". At the2022 Annies "The Dance" was nominated for Best General Audience Animated Television, and Lisa Hanawalt was nominated for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Television Production for "Planteau". At the 2023 Annies "The Pain Garden" was nominated for Best Mature Audience Animated Television Production and Outstanding Achievement for Writing, again for Hanawalt.
Lisa Hanawalt won the2022 Writers Guild of America Award for Animation: Television for her work on "Planteau",[61] and was nominated the following year for "The Pain Garden".[62]
Ali Wong received anEmmy Award nomination forOutstanding Character Voice-Over Performance in2023.[63]
Tuca & Bertie has also received nominations at theDorian Awards,Gotham Awards,Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, International Online Cinema Awards, Online Film & Television Association Awards, and theSociety of Voice Arts and Sciences Awards.
| Award | Year[a] | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Awards | 2020 | Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production | "The Jelly Lakes" | Nominated | [64][60] |
| Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production | Ali Wong - (for "The Jelly Lakes") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production | Shauna McGarry - (for "The Jelly Lakes") | Won | |||
| 2022 | Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production | "The Dance" | Nominated | [65] | |
| Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Lisa Hanawalt - (for "Planteau") | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | Best Mature Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production | "The Pain Garden" | Nominated | [66] | |
| Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Lisa Hanawalt - (for "The Pain Garden") | Nominated | |||
| Dorian Awards | 2022 | Best Animated Show | Tuca & Bertie | Nominated | [67] |
| Gotham Awards | 2019 | Breakthrough Series – Short Form | Tuca & Bertie | Nominated | [68] |
| Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | 2022 | Best Broadcast Network or Cable Animated Series or Television Movie | Tuca & Bertie | Nominated | [69] |
| International Online Cinema Awards TV | 2019 | Animated Program | Tuca & Bertie | Nominated | [70] |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards - Television | 2019 | Best Animated Program | Tuca & Bertie | Nominated | [71] |
| Best New Theme Song in a Series | Tuca & Bertie | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2023 | Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance | Ali Wong - (for "Fledging Day") | Nominated | [63] |
| SOVAS Awards | 2019 | Outstanding Animation - Tv, Film or Gaming - Best Spanish Voiceover | Tuca & Bertie | Nominated | [72] |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | 2022 | Television: Animation | Lisa Hanawalt - (for "Planteau") | Won | [61] |
| 2023 | Lisa Hanawalt - (for "The Pain Garden") | Nominated | [62] |
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