Netflix has a long history of producing solid animated comedies, with shows like Big Mouth, Disenchantment, and F is for Family having kept people entertained for years. But for my money, Netflix has never topped Bojack Horseman, the six-season masterpiece that started out as a crude comedy about a washed up movie star who happened to be a horse, and which ended as an existential odyssey about a washed up movie star who happened to be a horse.
I’ve been waiting for something to fill the Bojack-shaped hole in my life for years, and a new show coming later this month may fit the bill.
Strip Law has a promising premise
If you can’t find something funny in Las Vegas, you aren’t looking hard enough
Las Vegas is every bit as colorful and interesting as New York City and Los Angeles, yet there are far, far fewer TV shows set there. Strip Law hopes to balance the scales. It’s about an uptight lawyer named Lincoln Gumb (Adam Scott) who doesn’t have the requisite panache to make it as an attorney in Sin City, where juries expect some showmanship. He teams up with local magician Sheila Flambé (Janelle James) to bring in some glitz and glam, and together they’re off to the races.
When BoJack Horseman first debuted, it looked like a pretty standard-issue shock comedy with animation that was almost too simple to be pleasing to the eye. But that simplicity allowed the show to render all kinds of interesting scenarios, and very soon the edgy humor gave way to surprising depth. I’m getting that vibe off of Strip Law. The animation looks a little flat in stills, but has a lot of personality when you see it move. And the trailer includes a lot of sly jokes and intriguing scenarios that make you want to see more, including:
- “Finally! A show about lawyers.” A self-aware show is a show worth taking seriously.
- Before watching this trailer, I’d never seen a cow held up by drones in an office.
- There’s a cut to some live-action footage spliced in among the animation, giving the trailer an Adult Swim feel.
- I like the joke where Lincoln moves to shake Shiela’s hand only for it to explode. Old magician’s trick. A lot of shows would end it there, but Strip Law takes it a step further and has Shiela’s head explode as well. A comedy should want to surprise you.
And if the trailer isn’t enough to sell you, the creative team should be.
The cast is spectacular
So many great actors they don’t even name them all in the credits
I already mentioned that Adam Scott is playing the lead. He’s one of the most versatile actors working today, holding down both classic sitcoms like Parks and Recreation as well as dramas like Severance, which is among the best sci-fi shows on a streaming service known for making great sci-fi shows. And Janelle James plays Principal Coleman on Abbot Elementary, where she regularly runs away with the show.
Those are two great leads, but Strip Law also has some legendary supporting players in its cast. Stephen Root has been the highlight of so many great movies and TV shows it almost feels unfair, including Office Space, King of the Hill, NewsRadio, Get Out, and Barry. He’ll play Lincoln’s law partner Glem Blorchman, and if he’s involved in a project, you pay attention. The cast also includes three-time Emmy Award winner Keith David, and while it’s not clear who he plays — if his distinctive baritone was in the trailer, I would’ve noticed — I know I will stop to see whatever the guy who killed his roles in The Thing, Platoon, They Live, and Nope is doing.
There are big-name actors the show doesn’t even bother to highlight. Community star Joel McHale plays a character named Pringus, and if you listen closely, you can hear his Community costar Jim Rash — an Oscar winner, let it be noted — voicing the judge in the trailer, the one who has gavels for fingers.
If it’s bad, there’s always BoJack Horseman
Swap Vegas for Hollywood
Basically, there is a suspiciously large amount of high-level talent involved in this show, and I don’t think that would happen if there wasn’t something to it. Strip Law was created by Cullen Crawford, who served as a writer on other solid animated series like Star Trek: Lower Decks. How did he get all these luminaries to sign on? I’m very curious.
And if Strip Law slips, BoJack Horseman is still there, being strange and funny and sad and gripping. There are also other new comedies to look out for this year on Netflix, including Big Mistakes, from the makers of Schitt’s Creek. You can always depend on Netflix to not let you go too long without something new to binge.
Strip Law cometh
Strip Law will premiere on Netflix on Friday, February 20. The first season will have 10 episodes. Will it be the kind of animated show that unexpectedly moves you, will it stick to laughs, or do something else? We’ll find out soon.
