Season 1
12 episodes Feb 16, 2023 7.5
Overview
A group of local animal control workers' lives are complicated by the fact that animals are simple, but humans are not. Leading the crew is Frank, an opinionated, eccentric animal control officer who may not have gone to college but is still the most well-read person in the room. In his past life as a cop, Frank tried to expose corruption in his department, but his efforts got him fired, leaving him cynical and curmudgeonly. Despite his rough exterior, he is blessed with an almost superhuman ability to understand animals.
Seasons
5 listed- Status
- Returning Series
- Seasons
- 5 seasons
- Episodes
- 47 episodes
- First aired
- Feb 16, 2023
- Last aired
- Sep 27, 2026
- Network
- FOX
Next episode: S5 E2 Crows and Lizard Legs (Oct 4, 2026)
Latest episode: S5 E1 Seahawks and Piglets (Sep 27, 2026)
Season 2
9 episodes Mar 6, 2024 7.8
Season 3
10 episodes Jan 2, 2025 6.8
Season 4
12 episodes Dec 28, 2025 7.9
Season 5
4 episodes Sep 27, 2026
Cast
Joel McHale
Frank Shaw
Vella Lovell
Emily Price
Michael Rowland
Fred 'Shred' Taylor
Ravi Patel
Amit Patel
Grace Palmer
Victoria Sands
Reviews
6 min readThe Office, But With More Beaks and Bite
I’ll admit it: I went into Animal Control expecting a parade of slapstick animal gags, the kind of show that treats a raccoon in a dumpster like the second coming of Buster Keaton. What I got instead was something quieter, stranger, and—dare I say—warmer. This is a workplace comedy that understands something fundamental about modern labor: the job itself might be ridiculous, but the people doing it are just trying to get through the day without losing their minds.
Or, in Frank’s case, without losing his last shred of dignity after getting fired from the police force for doing the right thing.
That’s the show’s secret weapon. It’s not really about the animals.
Oh, they’re there—an emu that may or may not be a reincarnated philosopher, a ferret that looks like it’s plotting world domination, the occasional CGI disaster that makes you wonder if the VFX team was paid in exposure. But the animals are mostly MacGuffins, excuses to throw this ragtag group of misfits into the same truck and let them bounce off each other. The real action happens in the cab, where Frank (Joel McHale) holds court like a man who’s read every book in the Seattle Public Library but still can’t figure out how to talk to people, and where his coworkers—each nursing their own brand of quiet desperation—either challenge him or enable him, depending on the day.
Take the pilot’s centerpiece, a scene where Frank and his new partner, Shira (Vella Lovell), are called to deal with a loose ostrich in a suburban backyard. The bird is enormous, absurd, and—thanks to some unfortunate camera angles—looks like it might actually be judging them. Frank, ever the showman, tries to reason with it.
Shira, the voice of reason, suggests they just call for backup. The ostrich, unimpressed by either approach, pecks at Frank’s shoe. The scene could’ve been a farce, all pratfalls and screaming.
Instead, it’s a masterclass in workplace dynamics. Frank’s monologue about the ostrich’s “existential dread” is less about the bird and more about his own midlife crisis. Shira’s eye rolls aren’t just for the ostrich—they’re for Frank, for the job, for the sheer absurdity of being an adult who still has to deal with this nonsense.
The ostrich, meanwhile, just stands there, a silent, feathery Rorschach test.
This is where Animal Control finds its footing. It’s a show that understands the rhythm of a workday—the way time stretches and contracts, how a slow Tuesday can feel like a lifetime, how a single weird call can derail an entire afternoon. The writing leans into the mundane details of the job: the paperwork, the radio chatter, the way Frank’s truck smells like old coffee and regret.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.9/10
"A cozy, low-stakes workplace comedy carried by a likable ensemble more than by its animal gags."
Character interactions, especially the banter in the trucks and office, are the big draw, creating a light, pleasant show that is easy to keep up with week to week. latestnetflix.com's view is that Humor and storylines are viewed as modest and familiar rather than groundbreaking, and the animal sequences, including some weak CGI, rarely live up to the premise.
What viewers praise
- Engaging character banter Conversation and chemistry among the animal control officers make episodes feel fun even when plots are simple.
- Likeable ensemble cast Joel McHale is a draw, but several viewers end up staying for the broader team dynamics and specific standouts like Grace Palmer.
- Easy, comforting watch Short, largely episodic installments with a positive tone work well as light background viewing or end-of-day comfort TV.
- Warm, upbeat tone The show leans into a good-natured, optimistic vibe rather than heavy drama, which some find refreshing.
- No laugh track Jokes land more naturally without canned laughter, giving the comedy a gentler, less forced feel.
Common complaints
- Underwhelming animal scenes Animal encounters, including some noticeably unconvincing CGI, feel flat and out of step with the stronger character work.
- Modest laugh rate Episodes are often described as mildly amusing or "passably humorous" rather than consistently laugh-out-loud funny.
- Limited depth or impact The show is frequently described as solid but not life-changing, offering little in the way of deeper themes or emotional weight.
- Not strongly rewatchable Even those who enjoy keeping up with new episodes are unsure they would revisit the series or feel strongly attached if it ended.
Recommended for
Workplace sitcom enjoyers Joel McHale followers Light comfort-comedy seekers Low-stakes ensemble comedy fans Casual weeknight viewing Animal-themed sitcom curiosity
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThey put a tarantula named Gretchen on Joel McHale's face.
Fox's Animal Control started as a half-hour about Seattle animal officers. McHale, on a lunch break from the Vancouver set, told The Seattle Times his real fear was not the animals. It was his ankles. They had him running an empty skatepark pool. "If you're gonna ask me my phobia, it's that." He broke an ankle at Mercer Island High School coming down on another guy's foot. latestnetflix.com's view is that a basketball take the day before made him ask the crew to zip his ankles up.
The animals were the job. He held a baby cougar for a Super Bowl promo. "It was like a kitten, except it weighed 70 pounds and had razor blades for claws." The handler said the cat just wanted to play. Avoid the claws.
At Deadline's Contenders panel he named the tarantula. Gretchen. "It was way more pleasant than I ever thought it would be. She works at all the schools around Vancouver. I am not kidding. And they just set her on my face." Vella Lovell, who plays precinct boss Emily Price, ran into a working dog named Brass she had already shot another movie with. "This dog is busy." McHale's rule for the show. They treat the animals as the main characters. If you get distracted by something cute, that is the gag working. 
Chicago lost the mountains.
The scripts were written for Chicago. Then production landed in Vancouver, and McHale, a Mercer Island kid, said you cannot fake Chicago with mountains in the background. He was thrilled they flipped the setting to Seattle. "Just head down Denny Way." Coffee from the Cyclops. He caught a Queen Anne sign missing the e. A guy pulled out a Sharpie. Early episodes even floated Marshawn Lynch. McHale said they had to do alternate takes, Kraken tickets in one, generic hockey tickets in the other, in case legal never cleared the names.
Fox needed this one to stick. Animal Control is the network's first wholly owned live-action comedy. The February 16, 2023 premiere was Fox's most-streamed scripted debut. Michael Thorn, Fox's scripted president, thanked "a menagerie of wild animal method actors" when he renewed it for season 2. Cross-platform, Fox claimed 4.7 million viewers, a 236 percent lift from live-plus-same-day. Live-plus-seven was more modest. About 2.25 million and a 0.4 demo, still second among Fox comedies behind The Simpsons. ,
Community cameos, then more seasons than anyone budgeted.
Ken Jeong showed up in season 2 as Lee Park, a moderately unhinged dog whisperer. Deadline billed it as a reunion with McHale's Community co-star. Sarah Chalke booked Yazmin, the woman Frank let get away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZemT758Ado
McHale told Collider he still cannot believe the job lasts. "I can't believe my good fortune that you get to make these things," he said. "Thank you, Fox, for spending the money." He has no plans to write or direct an episode. "If I had the attention span to do that, I would do it in a heartbeat." Season 4 cameras rolled in Vancouver that August. The fourth season got a sneak preview in December after NFL football. By February 2026 Fox had already picked up season 5, with Thorn calling that fourth-season launch a series high. The show that started as a Chicago idea with a tarantula on a face is now the Fox comedy that will not leave. , ,
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.