Fox Sitcom ‘Animal Control’ Should Be the Next ‘Brooklyn 99’ or ‘Community’
Animal Control, the Fox comedy whose second season premieres Mar. 6, emphasizes the familiar over the novel. Set in Seattle (though filmed in Vancouver), the single-camera sitcom follows a group of animal control officers who juggle their personal and professional woes. Frank Shaw (Joel McHale)—a snarky, emotionally distant former cop—leads the show’s ensemble alongside his partner, Shred (Michael Rowland), a guileless former pro snowboarder relatively new to the squad who’s eager for Frank’s mentorship and approval. Shred’s ceaseless optimism constantly gets on Frank’s nerves, but— surprise, surprise—the gruff older partner shares a reluctant bond with his younger companion.
The squad’s other two officers have a more supportive opposites-attract relationship. Victoria (Grace Palmer), a New Zealand free spirit with a sharp tongue, is paired up with Patel (Ravi V. Patel), an overtaxed father of three who craves time (and good food, and good travel) outside the family home. Meanwhile, the kindhearted Emily (Vella Lovell) fills out the cast as precinct director; though her team frequently takes advantage of her bottomless generosity, they eventually come to respect and befriend her.
It’s easy to spot the influences of previous comedies in Animal Control’s DNA. Traces of Brooklyn Nine-Nine are baked into the premise, especially as the series slowly explores secondary or tertiary characters in the department. (Of course, Animal Control skirts any political problematics by having its officers “arrest” only wildlife and shelter future pets.) McHale’s character (and performance) inevitably recalls his previously long-running role as Jeff Winger on Community: Both protagonists are vain, reluctant leaders, with a palpable melancholic hurt bubbling beneath the surface, who take goofing off very seriously. The squad's rivalry with Templeton (Gerry Dee), a smug officer from a neighboring precinct, has roots in any number of sitcoms, including Cheers, whose employees engaged in competitions with Gary’s Old Towne Pub.