Things We Saw Today: Tuca & Bertie Premieres Tonight on Adult Swim

The television landscape is littered with beloved shows that didn’t deserve cancellation. But every once in a while, fate smiles on a beloved series and gives it another chance to find its audience. And now, nearly two years after it was canceled by Netflix, Tuca & Bertie season 2 is premiering tonight on Adult Swim.

The animated series, created by Bojack Horseman executive producer and artist Lisa Hanawalt, follows the friendship between two 30-year-old bird-women who live in the same apartment building, Tuca (Tiffany Haddish) a gregarious and impulsive American toucan and Bertie (Ali Wong), an anxious and introverted song thrush who moves in with her mild-mannered boyfriend Speckle (Steve Yeun).

When the series premiered in 2019, it immediately drew comparisons to Bojack Horseman (Bojack creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg is an executive producer on the series) for its animation style and animal cast. But Tuca and Bertie quickly carved out its own lane, with whimsical, psychedelic animation, and a bustling world filled with talking plant women and snake subway trains. The series also focused on more complex themes like sexual harassment in the workplace, addiction, and anxiety, along with trauma.

When asked about the unlikely season 2 renewal at Adult Swim, Tiffany Haddish said she had no doubt the series would find a home. “We’re amazing—Ali and I are amazing. You would be a complete idiot not to want to work with both of us, not to have us somewhere. Or: You’re broke; you can’t afford us. And, apparently, Adult Swim could afford us and they’re not dumb. They’re quite intelligent over there at Adult Swim, and they picked us up immediately. You know, we were concerned for a moment—but just a moment—and then we realized we’re amazing. [Laughs.]”

Tuca and Bertie season 2 premieres tonight on Adult Swim. Season 1 is streaming on Netflix.

(via The A.V. Club, image: Netflix)

• This deep dive into the rise and fall of Planet Hollywood is well worth a read. (via Esquire)
• Loki showrunner Michael Waldron talks the new series, Doctor Strange 2. (via Collider)
• In the Heights accused of colorism and excluding Afro-Latinx actors. (via The Root)
• Monsters at Work, a spinoff series of Monsters, Inc., premieres next month on Disney+.
• Square Enix drops the first trailer for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy video game. (via EW)
• Life is Strange: True Colors is coming in September. (via Polygon)
• Amazon’s Invincible gets the Honest Trailer treatment.
• Happy 40th Birthday Chris Evans!
See more

Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday, Mary Suevians!

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com

Author

Close

Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

twitter