Not all penguins like the cold! Penguin Town is a hilarious and insightful Netflix series that follows an extraordinary colony of African Penguins as they descend on the balmy seaside resort of Simon’s Town in South Africa in order to nest.
Over one summer season, they raise their young, while also mingling with beach goers, holding up traffic, destroying picnics and tripping over buckets and spades!
'The takeover begins every November as penguins arrive in waves,' explains Patton Oswalt, from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fame, who narrates. 'Numbers are declining, though, and they have six months to complete their most important mission —choose a partner, stake a claim to some territory and make more penguins.'
Here’s our guide to the colourful series of Penguin Town on Netflix and its adorable stars…
Penguin Town on Netflix release date
Netflix series Penguin Town begins on Netflix on Wednesday June 16 when all eight of the 25-minute episodes are available to watch.
Penguin Town stars — The Bougainvilleas
This perfect pair are around 12 years old, middle aged for penguins, and they’ve been together most of their lives, even raising 12 chicks in Simon’s Town under the same bush.
'They’re the poster penguins for monogamy,' says Patton. 'They know how to build the colony better than anyone and they’ve learned a secret that in Simon’s Town the closer to humans, the safer the nest, because humans scare predators away. Their bush is one of the coolest spots in the neighbourhood, which is crucial in the African heat.'
The Bougainvilleas are also filmed waddling down to the ocean in order to fish, which is crucial because laying eggs and raising chicks takes a lot of energy.
'The penguins goal is to get as fat as they can as fast as they can,' says Patton. 'They may be awkward on land but out in the ocean they’re sleek, sophisticated hunters, and they’ll swim ten miles on an average day in search of their favourite food of sardines.'
Is there a Penguin Town trailer?
Yes there's a fun Penguin Town trailer which shows quite a lot of the mischief the penguins cause in the show. Enjoy it right here...
Penguin Town stars — Mr and Mrs Culvert
Newlyweds the Culverts have only just got together this year and are inexperienced when it comes to finding the perfect nest, but there’s no time to waste...
"More than a thousand penguin couples settle in Simon’s Town each mating season and competition for the perfect place gets ugly — almost no spot is off limits," says Patton.
"So there’s no time for a honeymoon for this pair because they need to find a nest fast. Picking a safe spot to lay eggs will determine their success as parents, but as first timers they don’t have a clue!"
Meet Junior the misfit
Junior has just survived more than a year alone at sea, but half of all penguin youngsters don’t reach adulthood. Some are vulnerable to attack from Cape Fur seals, which kill 150 penguins every year in Simon’s Town.
"Junior’s first order of business is he has to moult," says Patton. "Every year penguins replace their old feathers with a brand new waterproof coat, which is an arduous three week fast that burns through half their bodyweight.
"It’s Junior’s first adult moult where he finally trades his juvenile brown for the signature black and white. But his struggles at sea have left him weak and skinny. He’s lost a dangerous amount of weight and if his fat reserves run out he won’t survive the summer."
Who is narrator Patton Oswalt?
American stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt starred as Spence Olchin in the C4 sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007) and guest starred as Eric Koenig on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014–2020).
After making his debut in Seinfeld, Patton has gone on to star in Parks and Recreation, Two and a Half Men, Will & Grace, Veep and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He narrates the sitcom The Goldbergs and voiced Remy in the 2007 film Ratatouille.
Penguin Town — all about African penguins
African penguins, also called jackass penguins because of their donkey-like bray, are found in South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Gabon and Mozambique, and have bare skin on their legs and above their eyes to keep them cool. The flightless birds are believed to be one of the first penguins discovered by humans. But sadly they’re also endangered, with numbers declining by 60 percent in the last 28 years, thanks to over-fishing, habitat loss and coastal development.
