Garfield and Friends ran for seven seasons on CBS from September 17, 1988 to December 10, 1994, and it still plays like a show built to fill space. The series is a collection of short cartoons rather than a single story, and that structure defines everything about it.
The Setup
Each episode opens with a Garfield segment, moves to a second Garfield segment, then cuts to a U.S. Acres segment starring Orson the Pig and his animal friends on the farm. The whole package closes with a quickie — a short, throwaway gag that wraps things up fast.
That running order shows the show’s limits. There is no throughline across episodes, and the segments rarely connect to one another beyond sharing the same world. What holds the show together is the tone: jokes about food, laziness, and the occasional bit of mild mischief.
Garfield’s World
Garfield the cat is the main character, voiced by Lorenzo Music, who had been doing the role since Here Comes Garfield in 1982. Odie the dog, voiced by Gregg Berger, is his constant foil, chasing him around the house and getting tangled in his schemes.
Jon Arbuckle, Garfield’s owner, is voiced by Thom Huge, and he rounds out the core trio. The show adds characters from U.S. Acres — Orson Pig, Roy Rooster, and others — giving viewers a second set of stories to follow.
The U.S. Acres Segments
The farm segments are the show’s weaker link. They lack the personality of the Garfield shorts and feel like filler. Still, they give the series a broader canvas, and some of the farm jokes land.
Julie Payne voices Dr. Liz and Lanolin, and Desiree Goyette voices Nermal. Frank Welker voices Bo, Booker, and Sheldon. Howard Morris voices Wade. The voice cast is deep, and the show draws on talent that would later become known for work outside animation.
The Quickies
The quickies are the show’s most memorable feature. These short, self-contained gags often involve a twist ending or a visual joke that pays off quickly. They are the closest the show gets to a consistent payoff, and they are worth seeking out on repeat viewing.
What Works
The humor stays simple. Garfield’s complaints about food and his love of sleep are consistent, and the show rarely tries to push past those basics. That consistency is a strength — the show knows what it is and delivers it without fuss.
The animation is serviceable. It is not striking, but it is clear and readable, which matters for a show aimed at children.
What Doesn’t Work
The farm segments drag. Without the same sharpness found in the Garfield shorts, they feel like padding rather than essential content. Some episodes lean too heavily on them, and the pacing suffers.
The show’s structure can also frustrate viewers looking for a full story. Each episode is a series of fragments, and the lack of continuity means there is little reason to watch back-to-back episodes in a row.
The Legacy
All 121 episodes have been released on five DVD sets by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The rights now sit with Paramount Skydance, which took control of the series following its acquisition of Paws, Inc. on August 6, 2019. 9 Story Media Group distributes the show under license from Paramount.
| Episode Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Garfield segment | 2 per episode |
| U.S. Acres segment | 1 per episode |
| Quickie | 1 per episode |
Final Word
Garfield and Friends is a solid, if uneven, entry in the Garfield canon. Its best moments — the quickies, the sharp Garfield shorts — stand up to repeated viewings. Its weakest moments — the farm segments, the filler episodes — are easy to forget.
The show is not a masterpiece, but it is a reliable one. It delivers what it promises: funny, accessible cartoons for kids, and it does so without pretense.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
