Netflix’s 6-Part Comedy With Near-Perfect RT Score Changed Streaming Forever

Although Netflix has many great original comedy shows, only one of these critical hits was successful enough to change the way that streaming approached series renewals. While Netflix’s major franchises like Stranger Things, One Piece, Bridgerton, and Wednesday might dominate the 2026 conversation surrounding the streaming service, its best-known offerings weren’t always big-budget blockbuster shows.

Early on in the streaming service’s popularity, before Stranger Things began in 2016, comedy shows were a major part of Netflix’s appeal. 2013’s comedy drama Orange Is The New Black was the show that introduced many viewers to Netflix, while acclaimed hits like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None won over further viewers.

However, it was an unassuming adult animated satire that became the streaming service’s true critical darling in the genre. Netflix’s critically adored BoJack Horseman is now considered one of the best comedy shows of the 21st century, although the show’s inauspicious beginnings belied its eventual critical acclaim, as well as the many awards the series was later nominated for and won.

BoJack Horseman’s First Season Was Its Worst By Far

A dramedy set in the toxic environs of the Hollywood entertainment industry, BoJack Horseman focused on its eponymous antihero, a self-hating ‘90s sitcom icon who can’t confront the reality that his career is in its twilight years. When the caustic reporter Diane Nguyen is tasked with ghostwriting his biography, BoJack finds himself unexpectedly and uncomfortably opening up about his past.

If this all sounds very grim and heavy, it should be noted that BoJack is also an anthropomorphic horse, and the series takes place in a world filled with talking animals. Created by show runner Raphael Bob-Waksal and designed by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt, BoJack Horseman balances its deconstruction of heavy themes with constant comedic relief.

Compared to Netflix’s many successful action shows, this dramedy’s balance of comedy and serious issues is admirably ambitious. However, that doesn’t mean that BoJack Horseman nailed this tricky combination from the start. On the contrary, BoJack Horseman season 1 was met with middling reviews as critics agreed that the show had moments of fun, but a confused tone.

Way back in 2014, BoJack Horseman season 1 received a mere 71% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the critical consensus on the series was worse than this figure implies. Per the site’s summary, season 1 is “Intermittently funny, but in most respects, BoJack Horseman pales in comparison to similar comedies.” Since most of those “similar comedies” were TV staples, this was damning news.

Most of the shows that BoJack Horseman was compared to were animated sitcoms influenced by The Simpsons, such as Family Guy, South Park, and American Dad, and all of these shows had been on the air for over a decade at that stage. As such, the future initially didn’t look bright for Netflix’s offbeat dramedy, despite its inspired sight gags.

BoJack Horseman’s Critical Trajectory Proved Streaming’s Strength

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However, Netflix renewed BoJack Horseman for a second season shortly after season 1’s release despite these reviews, and this ended up being one of the streaming service’s best decisions ever. Season 2 of BoJack Horseman won widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers calling the show’s handling of sensitive topics like grooming and addiction masterful.

In 2016, BoJack Horseman season 3 became the second season in a row to earn a 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the show’s silent episode “Fish Out of Water” was lauded as a modern masterpiece. Although one season 3 twist saw BoJack Horseman’s tone grow a lot darker, this didn’t hurt the reception of later outings.

On the contrary, seasons 4, 5, and 6 earned 97%, 98%, and 96% critical ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, proving that Netflix’s decision to renew the series despite its rocky season 1 reviews clearly paid off. Some of the show’s most acclaimed outings, including “Time’s Arrow” and “Free Churro,” came in this era, and these episodes helped shape BoJack Horseman’s near-universal acclaim.

BoJack Horseman’s Success Could Only Happen On Streaming

While it is impressive that BoJack Horseman recovered from a weak first season and became a success, this is hardly unheard of. There are entire lists of shows that changed their premises during their runs, and this is uniquely common in the world of sitcoms. Comedic shows that rely on character chemistry often need a while to build their cast’s rapport.

However, unlike earlier comedies with weak first seasons that later improved, like The Office, Community, or Parks and Recreation, BoJack Horseman didn’t get warmer, fuzzier, and more playfully chaotic as the show went on. Instead, BoJack Horseman got darker and more dramatic, earning more critical acclaim precisely because it wasn’t afraid of alienating the major mainstream audience network shows need to survive.

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Many of BoJack Horseman’s best episodes are among the show’s darkest, saddest outings, and this is no accident. In its first season, the series awkwardly balanced attempts at mainstream, crowd-pleasing comedy with its dramatic ambitions, but, once Netflix renewed BoJack Horseman, the streaming service left the show free to go all in on its darker, stronger story.

Release Date

2014 – 2020-00-00

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Raphael Bob-Waksberg

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  Will Arnett

  BoJack Horseman / BoBo the Angsty Zebra (voice)

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  Todd Chavez / Emperor Fingerface (voice)

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