Kiff (TV Series)

''Kiff'' is an animated musical comedy television series created by Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal and produced by Disney Television Animation in association with Titmouse, Inc. It follows the lives of two friends, Kiff Chatterley, an anthropomorphic orange squirrel, and Barry Buns, an anthropomorphic blue rabbit, who find themselves in various shenanigans around the fictional city of Table Town. The series debuted on March 10, 2023, on Disney Channel, and received positive reviews from critics for its humor and animation.

The show was renewed for a second season, which premiered on March 15, 2025, The show was renewed for a third season in February 2025, ahead of the second season's premiere.

Synopsis

Set in Table Town, a mountainous island surrounded by animals and magical creatures, the series centers on the adventures of a young, optimistic, and happy-go-lucky anthropomorphic squirrel named Kiff, whose best intentions often lead to complete chaos, and her best friend Barry, a sweet and mellow rabbit. The two take the island by storm with their endless adventures and zest for life.

Characters

Main

* Kiff Chatterley (voiced by Kimiko Glenn) is a young and optimistic squirrel who is the protagonist of the series. She tends sometimes to be reckless but is thankfully never afraid of being responsible and standing up for what she believes in. Her internet alias is 'Kifftastic4' over on TableToob. In "Nicknames," it is revealed that "Kiff" is just her nickname. Her real name, however, has yet to be revealed. However, in season 2, Barry refers to Kiff multiple times as "Kifferson", implying that may be her real name. Her design closely resembles an American red squirrel.
* Barry Buns (voiced by H. Michael Croner) is a sweet and mellow rabbit who is Kiff's best friend and sidekick. His full name is Barrington Augustus Buns III; when he first met Kiff, she asked if she could call him "Barry." Barry has since gone by the latter name.

Recurring

Kiff's family

* Martin Chatterley (voiced by James Monroe Iglehart) is Kiff's absent-minded father who loves popcorn and orange juice. His internet alias is 'SmartyPrance116' over on TableToob. He secretly wanted to be an ice skater during his youth. "No Dad Ideas" reveals that he works as a less-than-successful inventor.
* Beryl Chatterley (voiced by Lauren Ash) is Kiff's mother and Martin's wife, who works as a college professor.
* Pat Chatterley (voiced by Andy Merrill) is Kiff's paternal uncle who lives in a condo, rides a motorcycle and works as a cruise director.

Barry's family

* Mary Buns (voiced by Rachel House) is Barry's warm and kind New Zealand-accented mother.
* Harry Buns (known professionally as DJ 11:30) (voiced by Josh Johnson) is Barry's somewhat cynical older teenage brother and an aspiring DJ.
* Terri Buns (known professionally as Terri Two-Bowls) (voiced by Nichole Sakura) is Barry's older sister and Harry's younger sister, who is a social media influencer and has a job as a pizza deliverywoman.
* Kristophe Buns is Barry's one-eared baby brother, who is usually seen with Farley, a toy robot that once belonged to Harry. He is the youngest in the Buns family.

Kiff's crew

* Reggie Racona (voiced by Eric Bauza) is a nerdy but loyal gray, black, and white raccoon in Kiff and Barry's class. In "Fresh Outta Grandmas," he is revealed to have two moms who both have two moms who are both divorced. He aspires to be a video game programmer, as shown in "Weird Delivery." He is also a member of a secret society that congregates in a cave alongside Glarbin, Liz K., and a gerbil, as shown in "Harry's Maturity Crisis".
* Renée du Bedat (voiced by Mary Mack) is a raspy-voiced female brown warthog in Kiff and Barry's class.
* Candle Fox (voiced by Vella Lovell) is a popular and rich female red fox in Kiff and Barry's class, Roy's daughter, and Kiff's frenemy. In "Two Truths and a Bunny," Candle is revealed to be the leader of her own group called the "Abras" (a pun on candelabra). Her parents are also divorced, as revealed in "Fresh Outta Grandmas."
* Trevor Angstrom (voiced by Tom Kenny) is a socially deprived brown and tan hedgehog in Kiff and Barry's class, whose desire for friendship makes him antagonistic in certain episodes. He becomes friends with Candle in "Friendship in the Time of Cheese Caves."

Table Town Middle School staff

* Principal Secretary (voiced by Nic Smal) is a South African-accented secretary bird who is the principal at Kiff and Barry's school. He aspired to be a principal ever since he was in high school. He, Glarbin Gloobin, Sweepy Steve, and Ms. Moufflé have their own group called "The Table Town Riddler's Society."
* Helen (voiced by Lucy Heavens) is an eccentric, selfish, and egotistical 712-year-old witch who is Kiff and Barry's drama teacher.
* Miss Deer Teacher (voiced by Deedee Magno Hall) is a 33-year-old fallow deer who is Kiff and Barry's teacher. She used to be a stand-up comedian before she became a teacher. She still unironically plays with dolls and stuffed animals whenever she's at home.
* Mr. Ri-Peppa (voiced by Eric Bauza) is a somewhat unprincipled striped skunk and teacher. When not teaching a class, he serves as an announcer in sporting events held at the school.
* Miss Tulane (voiced by Lucy Heavens) is a German-accented unicorn who is the school's art teacher. She wears white boots and a pink scarf.
* Sweepy Steve (voiced by Kent Osborne) performs janitorial duties at Table Town Middle School. At the beginning of each episode, he is pasting an advertisement on the same billboard as the episode title. He is a member of "The Table Town Riddler's Society" and has been shown to have a love for musical theater. In "Life on the Inside," he is seen running detention. He is prone to suddenly falling asleep under sunbeams. He is always seen accompanied by a broom.
* Secretary Prince (voiced by Eugene Cordero) is a satyr who works as the secretary to Principal Secretary.

Other Table Town Middle School students

* Billiam (voiced by Eric Bauza) is a young male blue Billy goat wearing a jacket in Kiff and Barry's class, who is best friends with Candle.
* Patty (voiced by Sophie Kim) is a young female light yellow parakeet with glasses in Kiff and Barry's class.
* Gareth (voiced by Tom Kenny) is a stoic grey hyrax wearing a black T-shirt and one of Kiff's classmates
* Darryn Gherkinheim (voiced by Tom Kenny) is a neurotic yellow and brown reticulated giraffe in Kiff's class
* Snekole is a green viper with a blue baseball cap in Kiff and Barry's class; unlike the others, he doesn't talk and is mostly silent, although he has yet to have a voice actor.

Other recurring and some minor characters

* Roy Fox (voiced by Eric Bauza) is Candle's father who is the president of Foxhole Productions, as well as a TV producer for reality TV shows such as "Table Town Has Talent," "Table Town's Cringiest Wannabes," "The 5 Jerks", and "Dancing on the Tables".
* Miss Moufflé (voiced by Aparna Nancherla) is a giraffe librarian who runs the local library in Table Town. She takes her duties as a librarian seriously, particularly when it comes to maintaining silence in the library. She regularly shushes noisy library patrons, and considers the library's soundproof "hush room" to be her "happy place". She, Principal Secretary, Glarbin Gloobin, and Sweepy Steve have their own group called "The Table Town Riddler's Society."
* Pawva Mugg (voiced by Katie Crown) is a mink who is the town's barista.
* Trollie (voiced by Rhys Darby) is a troll who lives under the town's bridge. He speaks with a New Zealand accent.
* Glarbin Gloobin (voiced by Steve Little) is a frog who is the de facto mayor of Table Town and runs the city’s lost and found. He values doing a lot of paperwork before applying an action. He, Principal Secretary, Sweepy Steve, and Miss Moufflé have their own group called "The Table Town Riddler's Society."
* The Pone (voiced by Eugene Cordero) is an alpaca who lives next door to the Chatterleys. Martin claims to like him despite often shooing him away from certain affairs.
* Cherry Berry (voiced by Eric Bauza) is the operator for the town's old aerial tram that the crew get trapped in. Before she can restart the tram and get the kids to safety, the Pone asks her out on a date. The two later get married in "Here Comes the Wedding Episode."
* Gordon (voiced by H. Michael Croner) is a sphynx cat who offers free samples to grocery shoppers. He used to be ageist, refusing to serve children. However, his perspective on children changes when he is struck by Helen's spell, which was originally intended for Beryl. Despite his small stature, Gordon is quite strong; he once single-handedly carried a delinquent hare twice his size, who was trying to eat all his samples. Besides offering free samples, Gordon is also a cashier.
* The Wall of Goat (voiced by Nic Smal) are a herd of ancient, white mountain goats with brown and grey horns who possess telepathic abilities and live on a wall in the Outskorts of Table Town. The Wall make themselves available to anyone seeking answers or advice regarding any matter; they also have a son named Little Louis, who once visited Kiff's school but left to fulfill his career as an airplane designer.
* Dr. Lyon (voiced by Kent Osborne) is a lion who is Table Town's resident doctor.
* Michaela Oats (voiced by Mary Mack) is a teenage horse and a student at Table Town High School.
* Rat (voiced by H. Michael Croner) is a grey rat (as his name applies) who runs a store that sells hats and mattresses. He wears a patterned wizard hat, a bowtie, and two mats on his feet.
* Ghost Wolf (voiced by H. Michael Croner) is a white wolf with an eerie-looking ghostly form who is seemingly scary but is actually revealed to be a bit protective and has a passion for painting. He resides in a cave.
* Flam Bingo (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams) is a flamingo and Table Town's preeminent brunch DJ agent who becomes interested in Harry as a potential client.
* Nick Namé (voiced by Danny Pudi) is the manager of the Table Town Mall Cinema.
* Beverly (voiced by Lauren Ash) is an Irish-accented pigeon who left Table Town after disappointing her neighbors with her home decorations that did not conform to the Halfway There Day tradition. She returned after Centaur Claus corrected the citizens on what the holiday was really about. She is fond of elegance and is skilled in volleyball.

Guests

* Kim Popularé (voiced by Vella Lovell) is a ring-tailed lemur who is Candle's friend. She used to study at Tuft Pierre, a private school mostly attended by affluent and insolent pupils, before transferring to Table Town Middle School. She, at first, spoke with a Swedish accent and went by the pseudonym Kennedy. But after Barry beats her in a game of identifying facts and lies, she disclosed her true name, and began speaking in an American accent.
* Scarm Scaremly (voiced by Andy Daly) is a candy-loving demon who Barry accidentally summons from a book after accepting a dare from Kyle Lyon, Michaela Oats, and Nick Namé.
* Mav (voiced by Kent Osborne) is a sheep in a black jacket and one of a few students sent to the detention room for delinquency. Kiff met him when she was sent to detention for standing in class trying to keep her classmates in their seats. When Kiff helps him and the other delinquents escape, they reform and become committed to their schooling.
* Roo (voiced by Shirley Henderson) is the leader of a colony of highly intelligent biting mushrooms, which also includes her father Cedric. As an invasive species, the biting mushrooms roam Table Town in search of new spaces to invade.
* Banana (voiced by Michaela Dietz) is a living banana who escapes from Helen's apartment and tries to keep Kiff to herself.
* Rhonda (voiced by Judy Greer) is the manager of the Cocina Island resort who accused her best friend of melting ice sculptures before realizing they all just melted due to heat.

Episodes

Production

Development

In 2017, creators Nic Smal and Lucy Heavens first met each-other when they were animators for Triggerfish Animation Studios, as the duo claimed that they 'spoke the same comedy language'. Conception for the series began in December 2017, and was eventually optioned by Disney five months later. On June 17, 2021, during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, it was announced that Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal were developing the series, originally entitled ''Donk'' (later entitled ''Kiff''). According to the duo, the series is inspired by their experiences growing up in Cape Town, while Heavens described it as a series "about a kid who lives with her parents and goes to school" whose comedy focuses on the world and characters featured. Senior vice-president for Disney Channel's animation Meredith Roberts said, "Lucy and Nic are a brilliant creative team who produced a fresh and funny series with vibrant visuals that help bring the friendship between a squirrel and a bunny to life in a unique way". The series is produced by Disney Television Animation and Titmouse, Inc., with Kent Osborne serving as co-producer and story editor, and Winnie Chaffee producing. It consists of 22-minute episodes, composed of two 11-minute segments. Edward Mejia, a Disney executive, oversees the series.

On June 13, 2023, Disney Television Animation announced that the series was renewed for a second season. In June 2024, a third season was announced but officially confirmed by February 2025, ahead of the second season's premiere.

Music

The series features one original musical number per episode.

Animation

In addition to co-producing, Titmouse, Inc. also provides the animation for the series (with its overseas animation being provided by Yearim).

Release

''Kiff'' premiered simultaneously on Disney Channel and Disney XD on March 10, 2023, with the show's first six episodes releasing on Disney+ a day later. In June 2022, it was announced that the first season of the series would have 30 22-minute episodes.

Reception

Critical response

Scott Tobias of ''The New York Times'' said that ''Kiff'' serves as a gateway to the gentle irreverence and surrealism found in animated favorites like ''Adventure Time'' and ''Phineas and Ferb''. They described ''Kiff'' as a unique series that could appeal equally to parents and their young children. Joel Keller of ''Decider'' found ''Kiff'' to be a well-crafted buddy comedy. They noted that the humor in the series is character-driven and extends beyond typical children's comedy, while saying that the show also touches on relatable themes, such as Kiff's lack of understanding of family sharing. Keller appreciated the world-building in ''Kiff'', and concluded that the series is enjoyable for both kids and parents, saying it offers surreal fun and smart humor that makes it a worthwhile watch.

Kristin Smith of ''Plugged In'' stated that ''Kiff'' effectively showcases themes of friendship, kindness, silliness, sacrifice, and love. They concluded that the series, while earning its rating for some angst and off-putting comments, is appreciated for its witty writing and ability to emphasize the value of childhood friendship. Tony Betti of ''LaughingPlace.com'' rated ''Kiff'' 4 out of 5 and asserted that it carries a nostalgic 90s tone, reminiscent of shows like ''Rocko’s Modern Life'', with subversive humor that might go over the heads of younger viewers but resonate with adults. Betti found that the show’s bright, vivid visuals and simple shapes are eye-catching, while saying its witty storylines and relatable characters ensure lasting appeal. The inclusion of fictitious sponsors from Table Town during the title cards of each episode was also praised.

Tessa Smith of ''Mama's Geeky'' gave ''Kiff'' a score of four out of five and found it to be a good choice for a family-friendly show, delivering humor that resonates with both adults and children, praising the series for its fun, quirky style and distinctive animation. Smith asserted that while ''Kiff'' is less adult-oriented than ''Adventure Time'' and ''Regular Show'', it still provides humor that entertains viewers of all ages, and also includes subtle life lessons about family, friendship, and honesty, integrated in a way that is not overly preachy. Ashley Moulton of ''Common Sense Media'' gave the series a grade of four out of five stars, praised the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing the presence of characters demonstrating kindness, and said, "Quirky buddy comedy celebrates kid friendships".

Accolades

In other media

Browser games

* ''Kiff: Reel Good Time''.

Notes

References

External links

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{{Subject bar, portal1=Disney, portal2=Animation, portal3=Television, portal4=Cartoon, portal5=United States

2020s American animated comedy television series
2020s American musical comedy television series
2023 American television series debuts
2023 animated television series debuts
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated comedy television series
American children's animated fantasy television series
American children's animated musical television series
Animated television series about children
Animated television series about squirrels
Disney Channel original programming
American English-language television shows
Television series by Disney Television Animation
2020s South African television series
South African animated television series
Culture of South Africa