Where can you stream the Garfield and Friends animated series? 

The Garfield Movie hits theaters on Friday, May 24, and it welcomes fans of the animated series and newcomers alike! That said, being familiar with the comics or original cartoon, Garfield and Friends, is not necessary to enjoy the movie. But just because you don’t need to, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it anyway. In fact, you may actually prefer the series over the film.

In The Garfield Movie, Chris Pratt stars as the voice of our favorite orange tabby cat. Was Pratt a good choice as the titular character? Absolutely not, in my humble opinion. The animated series, Garfield and Friends, gives us a monotone and sarcastic Garfield, which is what fans expected to get in the movie. Simply put, Pratt’s voice is too lively for a cat who hates Mondays. I mean, tell me Nick Offerman wouldn’t have made the best Garfield! I can also see Leslie David Baker (The Office) as the lasagna-loving feline. Alas, it is done and it can’t be changed. 

I went into the theater with an open mind and really wanted to love the movie. Unfortunately, I did not. And no, it's not only because of Pratt. The Garfield Movie plays it too safe. So safe that it’s just lazy, uninteresting writing. Most kids will enjoy the movie, though, I recommend it to kids over six years old and under 12. But all the movie will do for adults is make us want to stream the Garfield and Friends cartoon to remind us who Garfield truly is. If you’re feeling the same after you watch The Garfield Movie this weekend. Yes, you can stream the cartoons! 

Stream the Garfield and Friends animated series on Peacock 

Garfield and Friends premiered in 1988 and is based on the comic strips and books by Jim Davis. The late Lorenzo Music voiced Garfield in the cartoons, including the movie specials. The animated series ran for seven seasons, ending in 1994 after 121 episodes – and they are all streaming on Peacock. 

The Garfield Movie is in theaters Friday, May 24, with select locations hosting screenings as early as Thursday evening (May 23). My advice? Skip the big screen debut and wait until the movie goes to streaming. Since it is a Sony Pictures production, The Garfield Movie will more than likely stream on Netflix sometime this fall. In the meantime, I’d watch the animated series for the nostalgia. And just as a heads-up, Netflix has its own CGI-animated Garfield series, but we don't talk about that one, it's just not great.

Peacock has other animated series available to stream, including The new Woody Woodpecker Show, Almost Naked Animals, and Dreamworks Dragons.