Mike Judge's Netflix Animated Series Bad Crimes Lands Two Amazing Leads
Beloved old school "Beavis and Butt-Head" creator and animator Mike Judge is returning to the craft with a new Netflix series about friendship and a whole lot of crime. Variety announced that the 10-part series will star comedic gems Lauren Lapkus ("Orange Is the New Black," "American Dad!") and Nicole Byer ("Nailed It!," "Girl Code"). Entitled "Bad Crimes," the show is described as a dark comedy procedural that follows Kara (Byer) and Jennie (Lapkus), "two FBI agents who travel across the country to solve grisly crimes while juggling their friendship, career ambitions, and as many men as possible."
"Rick and Morty" and "Big Mouth" actress Erica Hayes will co-star as well as serve as an executive producer alongside Byer and Lapkus. The series creator, Nicole Silverberg ("Full Frontal with Samantha Bee"), will also serve as executive producer. Mike Judge and Greg Daniels ("The Office," "King of the Hill") are also serving as executive producers alongside Dustin Davis under their Bandera Entertainment banner.
Netflix's Head of Adult Animation, Mike Moon, stated that "Bad Crimes" is a dream project of his. He enthusiastically expressed, "Greg and Mike are the visionaries behind some of the smartest and funniest comedies of all time, including one of the most beloved animated shows ever. Combined with the brilliant mind of Nicole Silverberg and the immense vocal talents of Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus, we know "Bad Crimes" will be set up for great success.
Girl Gang
One of the best things about this new show is that it is primarily women-driven. While shows like "Beavis and Butt-head," "King of the Hill," and "Silicon Valley" will always have a soft spot in my heart, I'm glad we're now seeing a transition to where women in comedy are not only getting more air time starring in series, but are also joining the writing, animation artistry, and executive producing teams as well.
Lauren Lapkus has grown to be one of my favorite comedians of the past few years with her performances in films like "The Unicorn" and shows such as "Crashing." She has this awkward subtlety about her that somehow translates into a dynamic performance while still keeping her characters full of surprise. Her personality also seems like a great foil to Byer's vibrant and energetic demeanor. I love the concept of "Bad Crimes" and combining an authoritative role to solving gruesome crimes with also trying to juggle romantic encounters and friendships. The show sounds like it has the potential to be the perfect combination of dark humor, sex, and camaraderie.
Storyboard artist Erica Hayes ("Rick and Morty") elaborated on this women-driven creative environment by telling Variety, "what really drew me to this project, in the beginning, was the fact that it was female-created and female-led, with a creator who was very passionate about diversity, inclusion, and worker's rights." Hayes continued, "after reading Nicole's script, I was so impressed with not only how hilarious it was, but that the female leads were allowed to be morally gray and flawed in ways that we have rarely seen in adult animation. Nicole was really interested in hiring a partner who could help build the visual side of the show from top to bottom, which was incredibly appealing, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it."
Personally, I can't wait for this show and think the veteran voice actors, comedians, and creators on board can make something truly special (and hopefully hilariously dark). With all the iconic cop duos that have existed throughout cinematic history, it'll be great to see how characters Jennie and Kara pair up and approach the crime in their own unique way. I'm also all for more representation of women in comedy whether it's stand-up, animation, or live-action.
"Bad Crimes" will air on Netflix but the release date has not been announced.