The annals of anthropomorphic TV horses with emotionally crippling personal histories aren’t the most plentiful, and are pretty much limited to BoJack Horseman Seasons 1-6. And that’s fine, because those six seasons comprise one of the best TV comedies of all time, and it remains a bummer that a new season isn’t hitting Netflix’s upcoming TV and movie lineup. But huzzah, creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg will be horsin’ around at the streaming giant once more for a new adult animated series.
Perhaps it should surprise no one who watched all six seasons of BoJack Horseman’s psychological trials and tribulations that Bob-Waksberg’s new project sounds like it could tread similarly hilarious-yet-troubling waters. Here’s how Netflix first described the exciting new project on X:
BoJack Horseman man Raphael Bob-Waksberg has a new adult animated comedy series coming to Netflix with original artwork from Lisa Hanawalt.
That doesn’t sound so bad, right? “Adult animated comedy series” could mean anything, right? Hit the tape! (Or just keep reading for the rest of the description.)
Long Story Short is about a family, over time. It's about the shared history, the inside jokes, the old wounds. If you’ve ever had a mother, father, sibling, partner, or child, this is the show for you and by the way would it kill you to call them?
You can’t fool me, Raphael Bob-Waksberg! “Family, over time” is precisely the factor that gave the Will Arnett-voiced horse his heftiest emotional baggage. (Season 5’s “Free Churro” remains a heartbreaker and then some.) And the ideas of a shared history, of inside jokes, and of old wounds? That’s BoJack’s relationship with Sarah Lynn to a T, and could be applied to others.
And then if we’re talking about partners and children, that could get into a whole other mess of spoiler-filled sob-talk. So let me take a moment to celebrate that the BoJack and Undone creator will once again be working with award-winning illustrator and animator Lisa Hanawalt on the new show.
She not only provided her talents as a designer for BoJack, but she also created the two-season comedy Tuca & Bertie, which Adult Swim picked up after Netflix canceled it. It’s good to see that both creators are on good terms with the streaming service, as Bob-Waksberg shared his disappointment in Netflix’s cancellation policy at the time when they pulled the plug. (In hindsight, BoJack lasted way longer than current streaming shows.)
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Sure, the word combinations above could all be perfectly innocuous without the intention to imply that this new show Long Story Short will darken anyone’s souls. But let’s not forget that BoJack Horseman started out as a far less intense exploration of addiction, genetic trauma, and other metaphorical skeletons in the closet. And then when we least expected it, probably as Princess Carolyn was bopping some yarn about, the show sunk its claws in for reals.
As much as I wish Long Story Short will be available to stream as part of the upcoming TV schedule, animated shows tend to take a while before making their debuts. Here’s hoping this announcement is happening in the middle of the creative process, instead of right at the start.
