Tom Hanks goes to the dark side with Electric City

Tom Hanks is familiar to kids (and big kids) as the voice of Woody the friendly cowboy from 'Toy Story', but his new cartoon effort is slightly different.

'Electric City', which was produced by Hanks' Playtone company, is a dystopian series set in the aftermath of whopping great apocalypse. Buzz Lightyear, suffice to say, isn't involved.

[Related feature: Sinister movies based on kids stories]

Watch the first episode below. WARNING: Content may not be suitable for viewers under 16 years-of-age.

Hanks voices lead character Cleveland Carr, a mysterious operative in this nightmarish future. The series, created by the 'Saving Private Ryan' star, examines themes like freedom of information, crime and punishment and the energy crisis. It'll be violent and dark, a world away from the fare for which Hanks is known for.

Describing 'Electric City' to the New York Times back in 2010, he said it will be: "very gripping, almost film-noir, very serious look at a future that was not a dysfunctional dystopia, that an awful lot of the future things are.

"Without a doubt, everything has changed, but not necessarily for the worst. In fact, a good life and good world has been created out of the usual end-of-life scenarios. It hasn't degenerated into an Orwellian society — just the opposite."

All 20 episodes of 'Electric City' (the total running time comes in at a feature-length 90 minutes) will be shown exclusively on Yahoo!.

Head over to our dedicated Electric City site to watch more full episodes.