Adult Swim’s Tuca & Bertie is finally getting the respect it deserves. Today, Variety reported that the animated series took home its first-ever Writers Guild Award for Best Animated Screenplay–a category that has been overwhelmingly dominated by the Fox network. Tuca & Bertie defied the odds by defeating Fox juggernauts Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Bob’s Burgers. The win literally defied the odds considering both The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers were nominated twice. Also, Tuca & Bertie was undeniably the youngest show among the Best Animated Screenplay nominees.
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Tuca & Bertie: A Real Underdog Story
The Writers Guild award is the second award for the cartoon and the absolute first for the show’s creator Lisa Hanawalt (and Cartoon Network). The Best Animated Screenplay award was appointed to Hanawalt for her work on the episode Planteau, a season 2 episode in which Tuca and Bertie attend a bachelorette party. The animated series has developed quite the following. Many young women find the show’s relatable themes to be a breath of fresh air.
Tuca & Bertie has come a long way since its premiere in 2019. In 2020, the show was surprisingly dropped by Netflix after only one season, despite its popularity. However, the show experienced a turn of the tide when they were picked up by Adult Swim a year later. According to Deadline, Adult Swim shared that Tuca & Bertie’s Season 2 increased both teen viewers and young female viewers for the network.
Securing a prestigious award usually comes with an influx of fame and popularity, so acquiring this Writers Guild Award could open a lot of doors for the Adult Swim series. The show seems to be picking up momentum just in time for its 2022 season 3 premiere (official date TBD). Tuca & Bertie joins the rankings of Futurama, BoJack Horseman, and The Simpsons, all of whom are previous Writers Guild Award winners. Congrats to Lisa Hanawalt and Cartoon Network on their win and triumphant underdog story.