Animal Control full season 1 guide: everything we know about the sitcom

Joel McHale and Michael Rowland in Animal Control
Joel McHale and Michael Rowland in Animal Control (Image credit: Bettina Strauss/FOX)

Joel McHale is back leading a network TV show, as Animal Control is an all-new series airing on Fox. Though he has been in numerous shows and movies over the last decade-plus, this is only his second network TV show since Community (the other being The Great Indoors).

Animal Control was created by Rob Greenberg, Bob Fisher and Dan Sterling. Greenberg and Fisher together have written the movies Overboard and The Valet. Fisher also wrote We're the Millers and Wedding Crashers. Sterling, meanwhile, has previously penned the comedies Long Shot and The Interview.

Joining the Fox lineup in the middle of the season, here is everything you need to know about Animal Control.

When is the next Animal Control episode?

The Animal Control season finale airs on Fox Thursday, May 4, at 9 pm ET/PT. The episode is titled "Unicorns and Mountain Lions." Here is the synopsis:

"When the precinct’s beloved mountain lion C-38 dies, Frank takes it especially hard. Shred tries to break up with Camilla before he ruins his chances with Emily."

There's no info to date on when or if the sitcom will be available to watch in the UK.

Animal Control plot

Get ready for a different kind of workplace comedy, where its characters not only have to deal with each other, but also with the various animals they get called to manage. Here is the official synopsis of the show:

"[Animal Control] will follow a group of local Animal Control workers whose lives are complicated by the fact that animals are simple, but humans are not."

Animal Control cast

Joel McHale stars in Animal Control as Frank, an opinionated, eccentric Animal Control officer and former cop who has become cynical after being fired from the force for trying to report corruption, but he has a special ability to understand animals; humans less so. In addition to starring in Community for years, McHale also is known for The Soup, Ted and The Bear.

McHale's co-stars in Animal Control include comedian Michael Rowland as Fred "Shred" Taylor, an optimistic rookie paired with Frank; Grace Palmer (Good Grief) as Victoria Sands, the hedonistic free spirit of the Animal Control officers; Gerry Dee (The Moodys) as Templeton Dudge, an Animal Control officer from a neighboring precinct; Kelli Ogmundson (Family Law) as Dolores Stubb, the Animal Control receptionist; Alvina August (Nancy Drew) as Dr. Summers, the Animal Control veterinarian; Ravi Patel (The Valet) as Amit Patel, another Animal Control officer; and Vella Lovell (Mr. Mayor) as Emily Price, the boss at the Animal Control precinct.

Animal Control trailer

See some of what’s in store with the official Animal Control trailer right here: 

How to watch Animal Control

Animal Control airs on Fox, which means that it is available on any traditional cable/pay-TV provider. Viewers who subscribe to live TV streaming services can also tune in to watch episodes on FOX. The network is a part of platforms like FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

To watch the show on-demand, the latest episodes are going to be available the day after they air on Hulu or, if you subscribe to a pay-TV service with FOX, on FOX.com.

Is there going to be an Animal Control season 2?

As of May 4, Fox has not made a decision on whether or not Animal Control is going to have a season 2 or if the comedy is going to be cancelled.

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.