Major Lazer (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The show was renewed for a second season but later canceled.
• Set in the future, Major Lazer is a Jamaican superhero with a laser gun for a right hand who fights against dystopian forces led by President Whitewall and his servant General Rubbish.

Production

The show took nearly five years to make before it finally aired. It was first developed for Adult Swim, with a pilot produced in 2011 by Williams Street and Titmouse, Inc., but that pilot never made it to television. The real-life musical group Major Lazer had already featured animated characters, including the show's main character. Ferry Gouw and John Pham were the art directors for this version. In 2014, Billboard reported the series would debut on Fox, and then in 2015, it was announced for FXX. Cat Power and Riff Raff were said to have worked on the soundtrack. Diplo felt the long production delay was worthwhile, saying it led to a tight show that would please both music and cartoon fans, and would appeal to anyone into hip-hop, electronic music, 1980s cartoons, or the culture behind Major Lazer's sound. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who plays the title character, compared the show's vibe to being high. J. K. Simmons voices President Whitewall, and guest stars include Aziz Ansari, Ezra Koenig, Riff Raff, Andy Samberg, and Charli XCX.

Broadcast and reception

The series debuted on April 16, 2015, following a special preview on FXX on October 27, 2014. The Major Lazer group's third album was initially planned for a similar release window but was pushed back to June 1. Critic Erik Adams from The A.V. Club gave the show a B, highlighting its animation style—reminiscent of "chunky outlines, washed-out colors, and fantastical content of '80s Saturday-morning fare"—and describing the writing as solid but familiar. In 2016, Teletoon at Night aired it in Canada at 11:15pm EST. From 2018 to 2020, ProSieben Fun in Germany broadcast it sporadically.