# Animal Control (2023)

> A cynical former cop turned animal control officer leads a small crew through the awkward, risky calls of a Seattle-area workplace where animals are easier than people.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/134992

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 56
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg, Dan Sterling
- Network: FOX
- Cast: Joel McHale, Vella Lovell, Michael Rowland, Ravi Patel, Grace Palmer, Gerry Dee, María Gabriela de Faría, Kristina Capati
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21376524/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: irreverent, deadpan, breezy, absurd, gently comic

## What critics say

Audiences find Animal Control a mixed but generally enjoyable workplace sitcom, with its animal-centered humor and Joel McHale's performance as the eccentric Frank drawing praise while the uneven middle season draws criticism.

## Synopsis

Animal Control (2023-present) is an American network sitcom created by Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg and Dan Sterling for FOX. Joel McHale plays Frank Shaw, an opinionated, eccentric animal control officer in Seattle who was fired as a cop after trying to expose corruption in his department and now carries a cynical, curmudgeonly edge. His engine is simple: he has an almost superhuman gift for understanding animals, yet the animals are the easy part, and the humans around him are not. Vella Lovell plays Emily Price and Michael Rowland plays Fred 'Shred' Taylor, with Ravi Patel as Amit Patel and Grace Palmer as Victoria Sands rounding out the crew. Each twenty-two minute episode is built as a case of the week, with calls that turn into awkward and sticky situations, co-worker friction and a steady stream of pranks. The show runs as a five-season workplace comedy with a loose serialized thread in the relationships among the crew. Its tone is breezy, irreverent and gently absurd, with a deadpan sensibility that recalls Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. Viewers who enjoy ensemble workplace comedies with an eccentric lead will find it an easy, funny companion.

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