Picture Credit: Netflix
Ricky Gervais wasn’t joking when he said he assembled the “Avengers of British comedy” for his very first animated series, Alley Cats. When the show drops on Netflix on August 7, 2026, you’re going to hear some incredibly familiar voices bringing this feral gang to life.
If you loved the hilarious and heart-wrenching ensembles of After Life or Derek, you’re in for an absolute treat. Gervais has reunited with his favorite comedy chums, letting them completely off the leash (literally) in the recording booth to improvise and create comedy magic.
Picture via Netflix
Here’s your official guide to the voice cast of Alley Cats and the chaotic felines they play:
Ricky Gervais as Gus
Credits: The Invention of Lying, Ghost Town, Night at the Museum, After Life, Derek, Extras, The Office
Character description: Gus is a charismatic, wise-cracking wheeler-dealer and the self-appointed leader of the gang—though no one really knows why. His tough-guy persona is unafraid of anything, but beneath that brave, cool exterior lies a tender heart (who’s also terrified of spiders and getting wet). Gervais himself describes Gus as a flawed but deeply British comedy archetype: a mix of Captain Mainwaring from Dad’s Army, Fletcher from Porridge, and Del Boy from Only Fools And Horses. He talks a big game, but he’s ultimately an ordinary guy trying to do something he’s not equipped for.
Tom Basden as Ponce
Previous Gervais Collaborations: After Life, David Brent: Life on the Road
Other Credits: Plebs, Here We Go, The Ballad of Wallis Island
Character description: Middle-class pet Ponce occasionally leaves the comforts of his cushy home to slum it with the gang. He may be the butt of their jokes, but he does know where to find the finest smoked salmon and caviar. According to Basden, Ponce serves as an antagonist to the feral cats—an aggressively knowledgeable pedant who is constantly frustrated by the idiotic company he keeps. Yet, he secretly loves hanging out with them and is the one character who truly sees the sweetheart hiding beneath Gus’s bravado. (Just don’t expect romance from Ponce anytime soon; as a house pet, he’s missing some vital equipment!).
Diane Morgan as Olive
Previous Gervais Collaborations: After Life, David Brent: Life on the Road
Other Credits: Cunk on Earth, Motherland, Mandy
Character description: Chronically fed up with everything, Olive isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but she does have the good sense to live in her own place upstairs, where it smells a lot better than the gang’s main hideout. Morgan hilariously describes her character as Gus’s sister (or half-sister) who is “just thick.” She drifts in and out of the gang’s adventures, occasionally harboring a doomed crush on Ponce until she discovers he’s been neutered.
David Earl as Puke
Previous Gervais Collaborations: After Life, Derek, Cemetery Junction, Extras
Other Credits: Brian and Charles, Rovers
Character description: Utterly shameless in being a scabby fleabag, Puke proudly devotes his time to bizarre and/or highly questionable activities. There are no depths to which he won’t sink in seeking the comfort of strangers. Behind the scenes, Earl did a lot of the “heavy lifting” for the show’s most outrageously offensive and disgusting insults, bringing a winning and charming attitude to a character who is otherwise absolutely foul.
Jo Hartley as Kitten
Previous Gervais Collaborations: After Life, David Brent: Life on the Road
Other Credits: This Is England, In My Skin, Sweetheart
Character description: She may be tiny and timid, but this inquisitive kid has a knack for asking the most profound questions. When the gang takes this lost kitten under their wing, she becomes the emotional core of the series. Her wide-eyed view of the world forces the adult cats to look inside themselves, questioning their chaotic lifestyles and eventually proving that they are a caring, supportive chosen family.
Andrew Brooke as Fang
Previous Gervais Collaborations: After Life, David Brent: Life on the Road, Derek
Other Credits: The Agency, Andor, Sexy Beast, PhoneShop
Character description: A right hard nut and insult king, Fang revels in violence and chaos. Every sitcom gang needs a muscle, and Fang is the guy you want on your side when a fight breaks out… Most likely because he provoked it in the first place!
Kerry Godliman as Lara
Previous Gervais Collaborations: After Life, Derek, Life’s Too Short
Other Credits: Whitstable Pearl, Trigger Point, Taskmaster
Character description: Witty, down-to-earth, and totally no-nonsense, Lara’s the kind of female Gus might actually see himself shacking up with. Of course, that would only happen if the self-appointed leader could drop his ridiculous ‘player’ façade for five minutes.
Natalie Cassidy as Gus’ Mum
Previous Gervais Collaborations: None (This marks her highly anticipated first major project with Ricky Gervais, although we have seen Gervais pluck talent from EastEnders lots of times before!)
Other Credits: EastEnders, Motherland
Character description: Getting on in years, Gus’s mum has seen better days, but she still shares a deeply loving and tender relationship with her handsome boy.
Tony Way as Drug Dealer
Previous Gervais Collaborations: After Life, Derek, Extras, Life’s Too Short
Other Credits: Edge of Tomorrow, Game of Thrones, Ali G Indahouse
Character description: Supplying the local feline population with their essential fixes of mint, silvervine, and catnip, the local dealer can be found hanging out on street corners, more than happy to accept payment in kind.
Are you excited to hear this incredible voice cast in action? Alley Cats pounces onto Netflix on August 7th!
