We may be mostly through Rick and Morty Season 9, but that doesn't mean the fun stops on the 2026 TV schedule. The President Curtis spinoff is on the way, and it looks like the series based on one of the flagship show's best side characters will differentiate itself by embracing the paranormal creatures of Earth. And, to put it quite simply, I'm pumped!

The latest trailer for the series, which can be seen above, shows lots of wild cryptids, including a werewolf, mothman and even Cthulu. I was initially worried about whether the fictional POTUS was up to handling these types of threats without Rick and his grandson along for the ride. However, it looks like he's doing just fine and carving out his own unique lane in the shared universe.

While Rick And Morty Deal With Space, President Curtis Seems To Lean More Into Cryptids And Earthbound Threats

While it's entirely possible that President Curtis will have feature a cosmic adventure or two, the trailer gives the impression that the titular politician and his agents will lean into tackling threats that are tied to Earth for the most part. Given that, I would expect we won't be seeing him hop between dimensions or planets, as they do on Rick and Morty.

I almost get X-Files vibes from the trailer, except for the fact that there's no Agent Scully frequently insisting the paranormal doesn't exist. Still, I'm really digging the vibes here, and the creative team should be lauded for taking things in a new direction for this show. I wouldn't be surprised if this writing staff has been around for Rick and Morty's best episodes, so I'm confident that they can produce some truly entertaining stories.

Do Rick And Morty Exist In President Curtis' Universe?

Given the uniqueness of this series and the copious amount of universes in Rick and Morty, though, I do wonder if President Curtis if that aforementioned duo even exists in this continuity. After all, fans now there are more than a few universes where Morty and Rick have died, one of which the current Rick and Morty reside in.

I think an interesting twist would be that President Curtis is set in a separate universe from that of the Rick and Morty series and fans will be treated to different versions of those two characters. I know we already get a ton of different Ricks and Mortys via the main show, but it'd be cool to see a couple stick around to do more than serve as the basis of a one-off joke.

Usually, I'd be a bit wary of a spinoff happening this deep into its parent show's run. However, with Rick and Morty delivering some of its best episodes in Season 9, it feels like the writing team has only scratched the surface of comedy for this franchise. Here's hoping the well is just as deep with President Curtis, and it becomes like American Dad is to Family Guy.

President Curtis premieres on Adult Swim on July 26th, with episodes becoming streamable the next day for those with an HBO Max subscription. We'll see if this spinoff lives up to the hype it's built so far, and if Adult Swim has yet another hit series on its hands.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Rick and Morty Season 9 episode "Rick Fu Hustle." Begin streaming the new season on June 16th with an HBO Max subscription, and read at your own risk!

Rick and Morty Season 9 is fantastic so far, with episodes dropping jokes about debates fans have had for years now. As we still try to figure out whether Beth or Space Beth is the original, the latest animated adventure hitting 2026 TV schedule made a joke that referenced the character uncertainty in the best way.

In the midst of settling a feud with a kung-fu master, Rick was hit with an "Amnesia Knuckle Punch." He woke up in a brief daze, having lost his memories, and said the following:

It's such a throwaway joke, but I'm sure it'll work some people up and remind them that we still don't know who the "real" Beth is. This joke only stirs the pot further, as Rick maintained when confronted by both that he wiped his own memory and has no idea who the original is. Was he lying then, or is this just a joke to mess with fans?

My Take On The Beth Or Space Beth Debate

Personally, I've maintained my stance that Space Beth is the clone, and there's a bit of evidence to back this up. To start, the mobile game Pocket Mortys accidentally uploaded her to the game as "Clone Beth" before later changing it to "Clone Beth?".

We've also reported on theorists who pointed out frames in which the two Beths have a slightly different look. Furthermore, the poster noted that "Earth Beth" looked closer in style to Rick and Morty's earlier seasons, making her the OG of the two.

This is just my opinion, however, which is to say I'm sure the actual answer is that it doesn't matter and even the Rick and Morty team doesn't know. End of the day, it's not even like the Beth that the show currently features is the original, just the one that's been in the series the longest.

Season 9 of Rick and Morty feels like the strongest the series has been in a long time, and may even end up being one of the top seasons of the run. In fact, I think at least one of these episodes, if not another, will end up on the list of best episodes of all time.

Rick and Morty continues with new episodes on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Anyone who isn't caught up and has the ability to do so should do that as soon as possible, because this season is so great.

Star Trek and Rick and Morty crossing over sounded like fantasy back when the latter's former showrunner, Mike McMahon, first wrote Lower Decks. Fast forward to now, and Dan Harmon confirmed to CinemaBlend that it would actually be pretty easy to make it happen, despite Lower Decks' ending.

While speaking to Harmon and showrunner Scott Marader ahead of Rick and Morty's Season 9 return on the 2026 TV schedule, I brought up Warner Bros. Discovery's pending merger with Paramount Skydance and how that would put both franchises under the same umbrella. I asked if it would be possible for an official crossover to happen, even with Lower Decks off the air, and Harmon confirmed it'd be easier than I even thought to make it happen:

He's right, and if Dan Harmon and crew say they want access to the Lower Decks assets for a crossover episode/special, is Paramount Skydance going to say no? If it were me, I wouldn't say no to one of the best animated series out there giving my legacy franchise some increased relevance.

And while Star Trek: Lower Decks and Rick and Morty have distinctly different styles in how their teams approach storytelling, Scott Marader confirmed there are people on staff who would be great for a crossover adventure. Beyond Lower Decks creator Mike McMahon serving as a previous showrunner for the series, Marader confirmed they have a former LD writer on staff:

Bernard, who contributed heavily to the first three seasons of Star Trek: Lower Decks, is now working on Rick and Morty, according to showrunner Scott Marader. He's not the only fan on staff who is a massive Trekkie as Dan Harmon is also a big fan of the franchise as well.

While Trekkies may worry Rick and Morty may lean too far into the "wtf" elements of The Next Generation or have Rick make Q look like a joke, I don't think that would be the case. If there's one thing I've learned from seasons of watching Rick and Morty, it's that the staff is loaded with people who love sci-fi. I wouldn't even hesitate at the thought of Lower Decks and Rick and Morty having a crossover, especially since the alternative is Lower Decks never returning to television.

My only hesitation would be that I'm not sure how the greater Rick and Morty fandom would react, and how they'd feel about a Trek-heavy episode or feature crossover. Not everyone may be as enthusiastic as I am about that happening, but with the series renewed through Season 12, maybe it doesn't matter? Surely we can spare one episode for the Trekkies, right?

Rick and Morty Season 9 airs on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Season 9 is off to a great start thus far, and as someone who had a chance to see the entire season in advance, I can safely assure fans the best is yet to come.

The most chaotic grandfather and grandson tag team is returning to the small screen, and who knows how many universes will be destroyed in the process? Rick and Morty is back for Season 9, and there's no turning back now, so read on to find out the easiest ways to watch new episodes from anywhere in the world, or use one of the links above.

How To Watch Rick And Morty Season 9 In The US

Rick and Morty's Season 9 premiere is set to air on Adult Swim on Sunday, May 24, at 11:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 p.m. CT. New episodes will air weekly every Sunday night until all ten episodes have come out.

For those living in the U.S., Adult Swim is available through just about any paid TV service, whether cable, satellite or streaming. Below is a list of TV providers to choose from.

• Subscribe to YouTube TV and save $15 a month for the first five months.
• Subscribe to DirecTV to save up to $500 over the next two years.
• Subscribe to one of Sling's various plans, including 1-3 day passes.
• Subscribe to Hulu + Live TV.

Any U.S. citizens who are out and about traveling elsewhere in the world can use NordVPN or another VPN service to log into the above platforms risk-free.

How To Watch Rick And Morty Season 9 In The UK And Australia

Whether you're an American traveling abroad, or just a Rick and Morty fan who already lives on the other side of the globe, Season 9 won't be a struggle to stream, although it may have to wait until the next day, depending on what service you're paying for.

In the UK and Australia, Rick and Morty's Seaosn 9 premiere will be available to stream via HBO Max subscription on Monday, May 25. If you don't already have an HBO Max account, but do have an Amazon Prime account, sign up now on Prime Video for the HBO Max add-on.

Anyone who is traveling and happens to be in a country where you find yourself unable to log in trouble-free, avoid those hassles by acceswsing your account safely through a VPN like NordVPN, which anyone can use to stream new HBO Max series or to log into one of the TV services noted above, all while save 76% in the process. Click below to get started!

More Details About Rick And Morty Season 9

Rick And Morty Season 9 Cast

• Ian Cardoni - Rick Sanchez
• Harry Belden - Morty Smith
• Chris Parnell - Jerry Smith
• Spencer Grammer - Summer Smith
• Sarah Chalke - Beth Smith
• Owen Wilson - TBA

Rick And Morty Season 9 Episode Titles And Airdates

• Episode 901: "There's Something About Morty" - Airing May 24
• Episode 902: "Ricks Days, Seven Nights" - Airing May 31
• Episode 903: "Rick Fu Hustle" - Airing June 7
• Episode 904: "A Ricker Runs Through It" - Airing June 14
• Episode 905: "Jer Bud" - Airing June 21
• Episode 906: "Erickerhead" - Airing June 28
• Episode 907: "MortGully: The Last Rickforest" - Airing July 5
• Episode 908: "Rickuiem Mort a Dream" - Airing July 12
• Episode 909: "Salute Your Morts" - Airing July 19
• Episode 910: "Field of Dreams" - Airing July 26

Watch Rick And Morty's Season 9 Trailer

A Rick and Morty movie is officially happening! Co-creator Dan Harmon confirmed the exciting news with CinemaBlend ahead of the show's Season 9 debut on the 2026 TV schedule. Not only that, but Harmon told us the previously rumored project will be helmed by series vet Jacob Hair. Keeping it in the family. Such is the Smith way.

I had a chance to speak to Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder about the wild and whimsical ninth season, which took place after a rumor hit the web seemingly confirming the film's existence. The Community mastermind was able to confirm on the record that, yes, a movie is on the way, but not before joking that he couldn't comment on it.

Now in charge of helming the upcoming movie, Jacob Hair has served as a supervising director for Rick and Morty for years. While he may not have the same name recognition as the Francis Ford Coppolas of the world, he's been with one of the best animated series of all time since Season 4, and per Scott Marder and Dan Harmon, he's the perfect fit for the job.

While we still have yet to learn if the movie is going to be in theaters or something exclusive to those with an HBO Max subscription, Marder talked about why Hair was the best choice for the movie. He pointed to the upcoming season as evidence of that, which I had a chance to view in its entirety ahead of the interview:

I already wrote my spoiler-free take of Rick and Morty Season 9, and will say, Marader has me very excited with his comment. I will say Season 9 felt like the best the series has been in a long time, and may ultimately stand on its own as one of the best seasons.

Dan Harmon continued his praise for Jacob Hair, saying the supervising director's name was immediately pulled as the choice for the Rick and Morty movie. He even compared him to former Community star Donald Glover, with the best compliment a creative can give:

While Warner Bros. Discovery executives might've preferred someone like Taika Waititi or Steven Spielberg, both Harmon and Marder are pretty thrilled they get someone with experience working on Rick and Morty to helm the movie.

Hopefully, with the impending merger between Paramount Skydance and WBD, this movie doesn't get lost in the mix. Additionally, we've seen how long it's taken the Community movie to get off the ground, though unlike that fandom, Rick and Morty fans have new episodes to enjoy in the meantime.

Rick and Morty is renewed up until Season 12, and will have its milestone Season 10 next year. It's an impressive achievement in the modern television climate, in which guaranteed seasons are less and less of a commodity. Suddenly, "100 years of Rick and Morty" doesn't sound so crazy, especially with this movie on the way.

We eagerly await more details on the Rick and Morty movie, with Season 9 set to premiere on Adult Swim on May 24th. I can't wait to see the widespread reaction to it, and have a feeling we'll see a lot of classic fans of the series back on board.

Rick and Morty Season 9 premieres on Adult Swim Sunday, May 24th, and if you're someone who isn't current, fire up that HBO Max subscription and get to it. I checked out the entire season ahead of its premiere for CinemaBlend, and the gist is it's one of the strongest seasons of the series, trumping even some of its best episodes.

I know a few friends who have let the animated series fall by the wayside in recent years, so I'm putting the call out now that Season 9 is the time to get back on board. Rick & Morty is back, and if it stays this good, the "hundred seasons" claim by Rick doesn't seem impossible. Here are the things I loved, keeping things spoiler-free for those still waiting for its arrival on the 2026 TV schedule.

Season 9 Features The Most Hilarious And Upsetting Rick And Morty Episodes I've Seen

Part of the thing that keeps me coming back to Rick and Morty is how delicately it walks the line from comedy to soul-crushingly sad. Plenty of popular movies and shows make comedy out of trauma, but pound for pound, the Adult Swim series continues to be the best, especially in Season 9.

I'll double down and say that I think the second episode of Season 9 might be the saddest that I've seen in the series. Yes, I remember how gut-wrenching the Season 7 finale was, but I still stand by my statement. This is the first season where I felt, without giving too much away, emotionally connected to the Smith family and the big developments that occur. I'll leave it at that, but this is an impactful season.

This Is A Star Studded Season

Rick and Morty has surprised me a few times with the names of celebrities they've pulled to appear on the series. I never would've guessed they'd get Hugh Jackman a couple of seasons back, and there are some equally big names that have guest-starring roles in Season 9 as well.

No spoilers of course, but I will say I bring up Jackman because a couple of these names I never would've guessed knew of Rick and Morty... let alone lent their voice to it. One of these cameos I'd put up there with James Gunn and Zack Snyder's episode, but with the exception that they're playing a character rather than a version of themselves. I'm eager to see how fans react.

We Get Resolution To Major Storylines

I think Rick and Morty Season 9 finally finds a way to appease both the serialized and episodic crowd, finding a way to effectively walk both tightropes in the latest batch of adventures. Speaking in broad strokes, the season kicks off with a major update to the greater lore of the show, and it seems as though that storyline is effectively put to bed.

New episodes move further away from old concepts the show leaned on, and I feel we get some new ideas that I think will be touched on in future seasons as well. It's difficult to talk about without directly mentioning anything that's a spoiler, but we'll see a lot of returning alien species from previous seasons.

I think what I love most about this season is that we see a few central characters go through some significant changes both in their lives and in their personalities. It feels as though the Smith family actually grows in Rick and Morty Season 9, and it opens the door to more stories going forward. I particularly like how this season frames the main duo's dynamic, and I look forward to what it'll mean as we reach Seasons 10 and beyond.

As mentioned, Rick and Morty Season 9 is coming back to Adult Swim on May 24th, and I'm hyped for fans to see it. Hopefully, some people who strayed away from the show will consider checking out the premiere and getting back on board with the series.

Rick and Morty is set to grace the 2026 TV schedule with its ninth season on May 24th, and mayhem is sure to ensue. On top of that, the shows show's creative team usually finds fun and kooky ways to inject cultural references into the series. With that in mind, Season 9's episode titles riff on everything from iconic Kevin Costner movies to '90s Nickelodeon shows. Now, I'm even more excited about what's to come, and I'm wondering how these titles reflect the actual stories being told.

"Salute Your Morts" activated the card-carrying '90s kid dormant inside of me, and I almost immediately started singing "Camp Anawanna" to myself while watching co-creator Dan Harmon and the cast reveal the Rick and Morty episode titles on X. And, just for any skeptics who don't believe this is a nod to Salute Your Shorts (one of the best Nickelodeon shows of the '90s), check out this pic of Spencer Grammer dressed as camp counselor Kevin "Ug" Lee:

Then there's the Season 9 finale, "Field of Dreams," which is notable for more reasons beyond it sharing the same name as one of the best sports movies of all time. A collection of storyboards for each episode was posted to YouTube and, for that episode, I didn't see Kevin Costner or baseball. Instead, fans can see Morty roaming around on his own with a portal gun, which I'm sure Rick wouldn't normally allow.

I also need to shout out "Jer Bud," (a play on Air Bud), which seems to hint that Rick and Morty Season 9 will have a Jerry-centric episode. I loved last season's story centered on him and appreciated that sly One Piece reference that was slid in there. Check out the rest of the season's titles below, listed in order:

• "There's Something About Morty"
• "Ricks Days, Seven Nights"
• "Rick Fu Hustle"
• "A Ricker Runs Through It"
• "Jer Bud"
• "Erickerhead"
• "MortGully: The Last Rickforest"
• "Rickuiem Mort a Dream"
• "Salute Your Morts"
• "Field of Dreams"

As has been the case in the past, these Rick and Morty titles may or may not have something to do with the movies or shows they're creating puns for. As an example, "One Crew over the Crewcoo's Morty" had nothing to do with Jack Nicholson's One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but it was about Rick's distaste of heist movies.

Having said that, these unfinished animated sequences may hold clues to what each episode will be about. Check it out:

I won't lie, I'm a little sad that "Jer Bud" doesn't seem to be Jerry being in some Air Bud situation based on that snippet, but there's always much more to the episodes beyond that. Aside from that, though, I'm just ready to grab an HBO Max subscription and stream each and every one of these installments.

In the meantime, I'm just wishing I had a portal gun to hop to a universe in which Rick and Morty Season 9 is already out, because I'm so ready for the premiere. I'm also telling myself to accept that there won't be an interdimensional cable episode this year, but I'm sure I'll be speculating on it happening before the season is over. All that aside, here's to a (hopefully) great season filled with pop culture-referencing episodes!

It took a long time, but Rick and Morty Season 8 is finally heading to streaming in September. I'm excited to let all my non-cable-having friends watch the latest episodes and give me their thoughts on everything from James Gunn and Zack Snyder's cameo to that wild episode of Jerry traveling through the different dimensions.

Fortunately, the wait to watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online is almost over. While I'm happy about that, the recent news about another Adult Swim series has me a little miffed. Smiling Friends Season 3 is coming to streaming a lot quicker than Rick and Morty did, and I feel some way about that.

Smiling Friends Season 3 Will Stream Episodes On HBO Max The Next Day

Smiling Friends Season 3 finally got a premiere date at Adult Swim, as well as some exciting news about when fans will be able to stream it with an HBO Max subscription. With the premiere set for Sunday, October 5th, new episodes will be released the following day on the streamer.

This is definitely great news for those who cut the cord, as they'll be able to join the buzz about new episodes with the rest of the fandom soon enough. Take a look at the announcement, along with a new image of the season below:

Not a ton to gather from that one picture that might tell us what to expect when Smiling Friends returns to the 2025 TV schedule, but it's great all the same to see anything new. So I definitely don't take issue with Smiling Friends getting good news here. It's more about not all shows enjoying that same rolloutl

Why's The Wait For Rick And Morty Season 8 To Hit Streaming So Long?

I'm a bit salty to see the preferential streaming plan for Smiling Friends Season 3. While the wait is almost over, Rick and Morty Season 8 will hit streaming on September 1st, over a month after the season ended on Adult Swim. If we're counting from the time it premiered, it's been about four months.

While fans may not be happy that Smiling Friends gets a more immediate move to streaming and Rick and Morty didn't, I'm sure there are reasons behind the scenes for why that happened. The latter is, without a doubt, more of a mainstream success, and therefore might have more viewers willing to DVR or even stay up late at night to watch new episodes on Adult Swim as they premiere. Linear viewing is still an important metric for a lot of networks, even with streaming also having its own place.

Not to generalize the Smiling Friends audience, but I feel their fandom may skew younger than the Rick and Morty crowd, and maybe toward a crowd that would much sooner stream than tune in to watch it on premiere night. There are probably number crunchers behind the scenes that figure all this out beforehand, though I still wish we could just get all Adult Swim shows on streaming the day after they stream.

Catch the Season 3 premiere of Smiling Friends on Sunday, October 5th. With just a few more days to wait until Rick and Morty Season 8 hits the streamer, now might be as good a time as any to revisit the best episodes of the series.

It feels like Rick and Morty Season 8 only just arrived on the 2025 TV schedule, and it's already time to say goodbye with the next episode. The season's mostly episodic run has ben solid, and I'm generally pleased with these wacky new adventures. I will admit, however, that I'm still waiting for the season finale to stick the landing, because if one particular character isn't in the mix, I'll be more than a little disappointed.

We've seen some pretty big returns in Season 8, which is par for the course for a show that has so many memorable side characters. We still have yet to see one character I've hoped would return, mainly because he's popping up in the intro each and every week.

I Will Be Bummed If Mr. Nimbus Doesn't Return In The Season 8 Finale

Rick and Morty introduced Mr. Nimbus in Season 5 as Rick's arch nemesis, and I've been dying for him to be a greater part of the story ever since. You'd think someone who "controls the police" would keep a lock on his arch-rival at all times, but the Season 8 intro seems to suggest why they aren't at odds these days, lending to speculation that they'll enter a full-blown romance. There's only place left for that romance to go, too.

Rick And Morty's Season 8 Intro Has Featured Lots Of Scenes That Did Appear In Episodes

Seasoned Rick and Morty fans will be quick to admonish me for assuming something that was shown in the intro will play out during a storyline, because there's a long history of some of those scenes meaning absolutely nothing in context to the rest of the series. That said, Season 8's intro has five clips, and two of them we've seen appear in Season 8.

If the scene of Mr. Nimbus relaxing with Rick in an underwater bedroom is in the season finale, I'll be a happy man. Far happier than I'd be if the scene of the family turning into Tetrominos or Beth and Space Beth wrestling as giant thumbs ends up being relevant. One hints at some serialized story rearing its head in a heavily episodic season, and the others tease more Rick and Morty randomness.

I'm not sure I'd put any episode form this season on the list of best Rick and Morty episodes, but I would argue this has been the strongest overall season of the Adult Swim series in recent memory, perhaps of all time. I can't readily say there was one bad episode thus far, and they even made a super-timely reference with James Gunn and Zack Snyder that capitalized on the popularity of Superman in theaters. Now, if they can just bring in Mr. Nimbus for the grand finale, I'll be fully satisfied.

Catch Rick and Morty's Season 8 finale on Adult Swim on Sunday, July 27th at 11:00 p.m. ET. I'm not exactly sure what to expect from this closer episode, given how this season has been all over the place, but I'm excited all the same!

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Rick and Morty episode "Nomortland." Stream it on September 1st with an HBO Max subscription and read at your own risk!

Rick and Morty Season 8 might just be the best the series has ever been, and I'm even more steadfast in that opinion after watching the latest episode reference a show I regularly enjoy with my Netflix subscription. At a time when I'm actively watching the anime and eagerly awaiting the live-action Season 2 of One Piece to arrive, leave it to my favorite comedy to nod at the beloved series.

"Nomortland" finally lets Jerry have some fun in the Multiverse as he meets a version of himself who found a way to travel through dimensions via a glitch in Beth's closet. During their travels on "The Road," they encounter a group of Jerrys who claim to own the passages, and then must run from them to successfully return Jerry to his own reality. During their adventures, a sign is shown in the "Bandana Jerrys" compound that pays a quick homage to One Piece. Take a look!

On a photo list of "banned Jerrys" is a photo of a Jerry with a straw hat and a giant scar resembling an "X" on his chest. While that may not be too similar to the Luffy portrayed by Iñaki Godoy, it bears a very close resemblance to the anime version, who gained the scar further down the line. He also has a scar under the eye, which is from where Luffy cut himself in the manga to prove he was brave enough to join Shanks' crew.

I was never on the lookout for One Piece references in Rick and Morty, but I'm certainly going to be more wary of trying to find aliens who resemble Chopper or other Straw Hat pirates. Granted, the show references pop culture a great deal, so this may just be the one reference we get for several seasons.

I love the implication, however, that there's a version of Jerry that exists that is either some version of One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy, or just a big fan of the anime. Knowing Jerry's general demeanor, I feel like the odds are higher that it'd be the latter, and he's just a huge fan of one of the best anime series for people to watch.

It's clear that there are some anime fans in the Rick and Morty fold, so I guess it shouldn't be surprising that it had an anime spinoff. Beyond the fact that Toonami (another popular programming block on Cartoon Network) played a pivotal role in exposing anime to an American audience, I guess it makes sense that the most popular animated series in the West would make a nod to such a popular anime series worldwide.

Rick and Morty airs Sundays on Adult Swim at 11:00 p.m. ET. As for One Piece, catch new episodes of the anime on Crunchyroll or Netflix while waiting for the live-action series to return in 2026.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Rick and Morty's latest episode on Adult Swim or with a Max subscription, so be warned!

Just when it looked like James Gunn’s presence in 2025 pop culture would be 100% tethered to the DCU’s Superman and endless Batman conversations, leave it to Rick and Morty to blow such expectations away, and with fellow superhero filmmaker Zack Snyder in the mix, no doubt. That’s right, the Adult Swim mainstay featured both directors for an excellent episode targeting mega-bloated Hollywood franchises and the brains behind them.

Just one week after introducing fellow A+ guest star Danny DeVito as Dr. Dogballs, Rick and Morty welcomed the aforementioned blockbuster directors to the episode “Ricker Than Fiction,” in which the titular characters addressed their frustrations and attempted to use technology to fix the awkward plotting of the “Maximum Velocitree” franchise. Though Gunn was the ep’s legitimate antagonist, Snyder landed my favorite line at the expense of fellow DC visionary Christopher Nolan. Let's take a closer look at these series-best guest spots that graced the 2025 TV schedule.

James Gunn And Zack Snyder's Rick And Morty Appearance Explains Viral Meet-Up

Fans may remember back in February 2025, James Gunn took to Instagram to share a pic of him and Zack Snyder palling around and looking like dear old friends. Before that, fans speculation revolved around whether the two filmmakers actually got along or not, with many people inferring levels of hostility between them, given that Gunn and Peter Safran taking over DC Studios was the co-CEO nail in the Snyder-verse's Kryptonite-lined coffin.

Beyond all the speculation about their possible friendship, the image also sparked theories about Snyder being utilized in some capacity for the DCU, with ideas ranging from something as simple as a consultant all the way to hopes that he'll direct the DCU's eventual Justice League team-up. Now we know that all the speculation was in vain, and the pic is actually a reference to their Rick and Morty work together. Which, to be fair, I don't think anyone saw coming.

James Gunn Is A Fantastic Self-Deprecating Guest Star

Having honed his filmmaking skills at Troma Entertainment and on features like Scooby-Doo and Slither — he also wrote the screenplay for Zack Snyder's 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake — James Gunn entered the upper echelon of zeitgeisty directors by taking on the offbeat Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and never lost his ability to connect with audiences, nor his sense of humor.

Which makes him kind of a perfect foil for a show like this, in an episode that essentially pokes fun at the "art" of making endless sequels for popular franchises, and how a tool like A.I. can be overhyped as a savior, despite only being as strong as the person using it. (In this case, it's Jerry, so draw your own conclusions...in crayon.)

Just in case anyone thinks The Suicide Squad helmer was forced into this role by his overlords at Warner Bros. (who also took a hilarious lashing-via-satire in the ep), take a look at his Instagram post:

Maybe it's just me, but I kinda feel like Gunn can maybe become a regular, recurring part of Rick and Morty's lore, popping up time and again when it makes sense, and also when it doesn't. He should direct a whole episode of Interdimensional Cable segments.

However, Zack Snyder Got The Biggest Laugh With His Christopher Nolan Joke

Yeah, it's undeniably nerdy to laugh scoffingly at a movie director lobbing a big, sloppy jab at another director's work in a way you can 100% tell the joke was written in earnest, but with enough self-awareness that it's couched in hyperbole. Though Zach Snyder only popped in for a single scene, he delivered the best example possible of the above concept, saying this after Gunn described Rick.

Ha! I'll go on record as being a huge fan of Interstellar, along with the bulk of Nolan's filmography. Despite that, however, I may remember friends and colleagues griping about the morse code and the bookshelf than I can recall what many of the scenes were actually about. (It's been a while, to be fair.) As such, it's fantastic that in Rick and Morty canon, the namesake scientist sought retribution by trapping the Dark Knight director in a giant bookcase. "Now I am become furniture, suspender of novels."

Let's take a quick look at some of the other top-tier lines from Snyder and Gunn's appearances.

• JAMES GUNN: “Hey! Bradley Cooper carved that desk!”
• ZACK SNYDER: "Do more shots of him punching. And here is a secret move: start the punch at regular speed, and then you’re gonna ramp it do-o-o-own."
• JAMES GUNN: "Zack, we’re not losing touch with the audience, are we? I mean, I gave notes on the goddamned Count Chocula movie this morning."
• JAMES GUNN: "I read that dinosaur book you wrote, Jerry. Really good stuff.... Well, I got the gist."
• JAMES GUNN: "Ooh, I love sundaes. [Gets shot.]"

I'll have to give it some more thought to decide whether or not "Ricker Than Fiction" belongs in the list of best Rick and Morty episodes ever, but I'll still be hoping for the rest of Season 8's episode to be even better, because why not? Isn't that what....Maximum...Velocitrees...would do? No really, would they?

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Rick and Morty episode "The CuRicksous Case of Bethjamin Button."

Rick and Morty Season 8 continues to crush it by delivering unexpected moments that I didn't expect to rock me to my core. For example, I echoed Rick's thoughts at the start of "The CuRicksous Case of Bethjamin Button" that no one wanted a Beth-centric episode, but I ended up getting emotional by how deep it ended up being.

To this point, the most invested in Beth I've been is wanting to find out which one is the clone between her and Space Beth. I hoped this episode might finally put that argument to rest. However, instead, I was wowed by a look into the character's younger self that made me empathize with her a lot more.

The Young Beths 'Calling Out' Rick Opened My Eyes To Her Rough Childhood

Thanks to Space Beth's advanced technology, Rick and Morty gave us a look at how Beth was in her childhood, and it was shockingly traumatic. As it turns out, she was an exceptionally violent and scheming child in her youth, as evidenced by her mutilating a possum and attempting to kill the Smith family neighbor, Gene.

Rick had to take an emergency trip back home to stop the twin young Beths from killing Gene, but had a good deal of difficulty pulling it off. They got the upper hand on him, and in the midst of beating up their father, started crying and talking about how he was never around when they were little.

It really opened my eyes to some of the reasons behind Beth's behavior in Rick and Morty, and how, despite Rick being there in her life now, she's had to live most of her life without him around. There's something profound about how similar she is to him, and yet, how her personality is likely shaped by not having him around to raise her. Beth is far more complex than I initially gave her credit for, and I would love the series to explore that aspect further.

I Also Understand Rick's Complicated Position As Beth's Father

I think what's most profound about this Rick and Morty scene, and it's pointed out by Rick, is that he was not responsible for what happened to Beth. As we learned, Rick C-137's wife and daughter were both murdered by other Ricks, so he never abandoned his actual Beth at all.

Rick is not unfeeling to Beth, but he's also not to blame for whatever version of him in a parallel universe did. He cries tears of joy that his daughters (both Beth/Space Beth) managed to get the drop on him, and there's a real sense of pride in his eyes. I like to think that this episode healed Beth in a major way and can help her let go of some of the issues she's had related to her father in the past. It probably won't be all of them, because let's face it, even if Rick isn't responsible for leaving his daughter, he's done some pretty awful things. However, I love to see them taking steps in the right direction.

Rick and Morty Season 8 airs on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Season 8 has been one of the series' best, so if you haven't watched it yet, I highly suggest you get on board soon!

Rick and Morty Season 8 is in full swing and, as I've already said, the latest episodes are further proof this series should air as long as possible. In hindsight, it's crazy to think that there was once a point where fans thought the show might be finished once Justin Roiland was fired, and the series had to recast the title roles voiced by the series' co-creator. Fortunately, Harry Belden and Ian Cardoni were more than up for the challenge, and they blew my mind when they shared two facts about working on the show.

Both voices actors sound as close as possible to Roiland's takes on Rick and Morty. However, there were some things that Roiland reportedly brought to the table that couldn't be replicated. Roiland was known for his improv, which he could work in seamlessly into conversations between his two characters. When I spoke to both Harry Belden and Ian Cardoni -- on behalf of CinemaBlend -- about how improv relates to their voice-acting work, Cardoni said that their ability to use it is limited:

While Justin Roiland was obviously part of the Rick and Morty writers' room, Ian Cardoni, and Harry Belden are not. So the pair didn't have a hand in penning some of R&M's best episodes and focus their attention on voicing the two lead characters. The good news is they do have some say in the creative decisions that go into the actual voice work.

Ian Cardoni, who ultimately landed the job for Morty over another voice actor the internet rallied behind, added more to the explanation and threw me for a loop. As I learned, not only is the "improv" I thought I was hearing all part of the script, but both of these actors record their interactions in separate locations:

It's truly mind-blowing to me that Rick and Morty can have such great chemistry as characters when Harry Belden and Ian Cardoni are not even in the same room. That said, per multiple reports, the voice actors became fast friends after meeting, which may play into the natural chemistry they have as a duo. Then again, a more organic relationship would be if Cardoni was a terrible grandfather of Belden, but I prefer them just being friends.

The chemistry the two stars share is even more prevalent in Season 8 of Rick and Morty, which won't stream for those with a Max subscription until September. Even so, the first two episodes, which aired on Adult Swim, have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that these two should be the ones to carry the series far into the future, which seems to be the plan for now.

On that note, Dan Harmon told CinemaBlend there's no plan to end the series at this time. The popular meme of "a hundred years of Rick and Morty" could very well come to pass, as the show hopes to eclipse the runs of many iconic animated shows that are still running. Season 8 shows it's on a good path to do so, based on the first handful of episodes. Here's hoping I still feel that way by the end of the season and that Harry Belden and Ian Cardoni's chemistry only continues to flourish.

Catch new episodes of Rick and Morty on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET on Adult Swim amid the 2025 TV schedule. I can't wait to see what other adventures the family will get into, and how these episodes set the stage for Seasons 9 and 10.

If there's one thing that Rick and Morty loves to do, it's riff on pop culture. Some of the best episodes of the Adult Swim series are based on iconic sci-fi movies or other things happening in our world. It feels like that's a trend Season 8 will lean into heavily, as Dan Harmon recently confirmed to CinemaBlend there's no end in sight for the comedy. So, how do they figure out which things to parody and which to leave alone? Surprisingly, South Park factors into their decision-making.

I spoke to Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder ahead of Rick and Morty's arrival on the 2025 TV schedule, and I asked about how they decide what's relevant for the show to riff on, especially when they're writing seasons of the series a couple of years before they air on television. Harmon explained the process behind pitches in the writers' room, and how they use South Park as a measuring stick to what they should and shouldn't be going after:

I love that Rick and Morty uses South Park as a measuring stick, and think it's very useful. It also reminds me of one of the best South Park episodes in which Butters was frustrated because The Simpsons had already done most of the things he wanted to do.

That being said, Dan Harmon is wise in acknowledging that South Park can be much faster and better when it comes to parodying timely events. Rick and Morty thrives on making episodes based around Alien or other pop culture events that have a longer staying power. To illustrate that point, he brought up one joke the series likely would never be able to make:

Right now, the world is obsessed with covering the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively situation, to the point that Taylor Swift is allegedly even involved. Rick and Morty is in a situation that's working far out in advance, so even if Season 8 is only just premiering now, it was written long before those two actors ever did a movie together.

Scott Marder added to the conversation and noted just how long it could take for a joke made today to make it to air. Again, we're watching Rick and Morty Season 8, but they're working on episodes we won't see for quite some time:

I can't imagine the amount of pressure not just creating a joke that'll hit for audiences two years from now, but presumably be good enough that people who watch it even further out with a Max subscription will still laugh too.

Fortunately, Rick and Morty is as good as its ever been in Season 8, to the point that I'm no longer concerned there's no endgame for the series. I'm ready for 100 years of the show just like Rick Sanchez promised, and it seems like the team is committed to making that happen for the time being.

Rick and Morty Season 8 airs on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Tune in for what, I believe, is the best season of the series yet, and it will get any fan excited for more episodes in the years to come.

Watch Rick and Morty Season 8

Watch Rick And Morty Season 7: Preview

Misanthropic genius Rick and his frazzled grandson Morty are back with more outlandishly entertaining adventures through space. And, just as they’ve survived many a bug-eyed alien horde, the series returns having weathered its own storm: the departure of Justin Roiland in 2023 following domestic abuse allegations. Fans can breathe a sigh of relief, then, knowing that it’s been greenlit for another four seasons. Read on below where we explain how to watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online and from anywhere in the world with a VPN.

After Roiland’s exit, the future of this Emmy-winning franchise looked uncertain, given that he'd also voiced the titular twosome from the very beginning. Thankfully, soundalikes Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden took over with nary a raised eyebrow, seamlessly portraying Rick and Morty as of Season 7. Now, they're a part of the Smith family furniture.

And last season’s sci-fi shenanigans were as reliably wild as before. Morty and his sister Summer (Spencer Grammer) became a mutant hybrid in a Total Recall-inspired moment; Rick entered Valhalla to steal the afterlife’s energy source (as you do), which ended with the Pope trapped in a Poké ball; and the Smiths learned the hard way about a planet whose dead citizens turn into spaghetti. Needless to say, having an unhinged scientist in the family caused no small amount of disharmony in everyone’s domestic lives.

Not much is known about the upcoming season. That it’ll deliver cynically witty comedy with bonkers plots that swing for the high-concept sci-fi fences is a given at this point. Judging from the trailers, though, we can expect Space Beth (Sarah Chalke) to make a comeback, while a gaggle of gun-toting cowboys kidnap the entire Morty population from the Citadel of Ricks. Plus, it’s possible that Evil Morty will make another appearance, having last been seen stealing off with the incredibly dangerous Omega device.

Now…ready to get schwifty? Then keep reading for how to watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online with our guide below, and stream every episode no matter where you’re located.

How to watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online in the US

Those in the US can watch Rick and Morty Season 8 via Adult Swim on Cartoon Network from Sunday, May 25, with episodes airing weekly at 11pm ET/PT. Don’t have cable? No problem! There are multiple streaming options for cord cutters:

A Hulu + Live TV plan also comes with Cartoon Network programming. If you haven’t previously been a member, you can try its 3-day free trial first, after which the monthly cost starts from $82.99.

And, if you missed the live premiere, you can stream episodes with Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, available the following day (Mondays), with subscriptions available from $9.99 a month.

Temporarily traveling outside the US? Connect to your usual service and stream Rick and Morty Season 8 as usual with the help of a quality VPN.

How to watch Rick and Morty online from anywhere

If you're a US citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online just as you would at home.

While services like Sling TV and Fubo block access from IP addresses outside of the US, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN that can change your IP address to make it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.

For example, US citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a US-based server and access their subscription from anywhere in the world, just like they would back home.

Step-by-step of using a VPN to unblock:

1. Choose your ideal VPN and install – our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN, costing from $3.99 a month with its 2-year plan

2. Connect to a server – for Sling or Hulu, for example, you'll want to connect to a server based in the US

3. Go to the stream you wish to access - for Rick and Morty Season 8, head to the appropriate streaming service (e.g. Sling TV)

How to watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online in Canada

Canadians can watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online with streaming package StackTV, which grants access to programming from Global Television, the Disney Channel, National Geographic, Showcase, W Network, and the all important Adult Swim.

The easiest way to get access to StackTV is through Amazon Prime Video. You’ll need a Prime membership first ($9.99 a month after your 30-day free trial), while signing up to StackTV costs $14.99 a month, though new subscribers can take its 7-day free trial for a spin before paying anything.

Rick and Morty Season 8 will be broadcast on the same schedule as the US.

From there, you can then watch on all the usual devices through which you'd normally watch Prime Video. So that's on web browsers, app for Android and iOS, Fire TV and a variety of other devices including PS4, PS5, Xbox, Roku and select Smart TVs.

Traveling outside Canada? Download a VPN and watch Rick and Morty Season 8 from anywhere, just like you normally would.

Can I watch Rick And Morty Season 7 online in the UK?

Rick and Morty Season 8 will be broadcast on E4 in the UK! The animated sci-fi usually airs on a few days after its debut on Adult Swim in the States, and it has been scheduled for a Sunday, June 1 release date at 9PM BST.

The E4 channel is available for FREE via on-demand service Channel 4, which you can access on desktop and through a number of devices via its app. While watching any live TV in the UK requires a TV licence, you won't need one for watching on catch-up.

It's free to sign up to stream Channel 4. All you need is an email address, a UK postcode (e.g. SW1P 2TX) and a valid TV licence.

NB: If you’re currently abroad but want to watch Rick and Morty Season 8 purchasing a VPN will let you stream your favorite shows no matter where you are in the world.

How to watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online in Australia

Aussies have it made! Max, recently launched Down Under, is the place to watch Rick and Morty Season 8 online, with episodes arriving on a weekly basis beginning from Monday, May 26.

A Basic with Ads plan is available from AU$11.99 a month. You can upgrade to Standard and get two streams plus offline downloads at AU$15.99. Alternatively, opt for Premium for AU$21.99 a month and stream on even more devices with 4K Ultra HD video quality available. You can also select annual memberships on all plans, which offer 12 months access for the price of 10.

An Aussie abroad trying to access your Max stream? Get a VPN to access Rick and Morty on Max while overseas.

Rick and Morty Season 8 Trailer

Rick and Morty Season 8 Episode Release Schedule

• Episode 1 – “Summer of All Fears”: Sunday, May 25
• Episode 2 – “Valkyrick”: Sunday, June 1
• Episode 3 – “The Rick, The Mort, & The Ugly”: Sunday, June 8
• Episode 4 – “The Last Temptation of Jerry”: Sunday, June 15
• Episode 5 – “Cryo Mort a Rickver”: Sunday, June 22
• Episode 6 – “The Curicksous Case of Bethjamin Button”: Sunday, June 29
• Episode 7 – “Ricker than Fiction”: Sunday, July 6
• Episode 8 – “Nomortland”: Sunday, July 13
• Episode 9 – “Morty Daddy”: Sunday, July 20
• Episode 10 – “Hot Rick”: Sunday, July 27

Rick and Morty Season 8 Cast

• Ian Cardoni as Rick Sanchez
• Harry Belden as Morty Smith
• Chris Parnell as Jerry Smith
• Spencer Grammer as Summer Smith
• Sarah Chalke as Beth Smith / Space Beth

There is a famous saying that claims, “Comedy is tragedy plus time,” and it appears that some artists like to put an extra emphasis on the more tragic element of that equation. Some of the all-time funniest movies and best TV sitcoms boast a plot that would normally be found in a serious drama if it were not for their more absurd or quirky tones. Hopefully, you have never felt too guilty for laughing at any of these darkly humorous classics of the big and small screen.

Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964)

A film by Stanley Kubrick about a group of politicians and military personnel desperately struggling to find a solution to an imminent nuclear catastrophe sounds like an intense thriller. In truth, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, based on author Peter George's Red Alert, is a blistering, gut-busting satire, brilliantly led by Peter Sellers in three distinct roles.

Barry (2018–2023)

Just about the best thing starring former Saturday Night Live actor Bill Hader, which he also co-created with Alec Berg, is Barry, which follows a hitman struggling to put his past behind him when he takes up an interest in acting. The HBO series starts off as a clever comedy with effective moments of intense drama before slowly evolving into an intense drama with moments of clever comedy.

The Hangover (2009)

Most films set in Las Vegas, no matter the genre, fixate on the more glamorous aspects of the Entertainment Capital of the World, but not The Hangover. As seen through the eyes of three groomsmen (played by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis) desperate to find the groom (played by Justin Bartha) after a bachelor party they can't remember, Todd Phillips' hilariously unhinged blockbuster boldly embraces the "sin" in Sin City.

Beef (2023)

Road rage is already nothing to joke about, but even an incident that small can evolve into a conflict of uproariously disastrous proportions. This is demonstrated brilliantly in Netflix's Emmy-winning A24-produced TV show, Beef, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as two sides of a feud that slowly spirals out of control.

After Hours (1985)

Martin Scorsese is most definitely not a filmmaker who is commonly associated with comedy, but he has a few funny flicks on his resume, such as After Hours. The relatively overlooked '80s movie, in which an unassuming New Yorker (played by Griffin Dunne) becomes embroiled in a series of dangerous situations over the course of one night, actually does sound like an on-brand effort for the Goodfellas director based purely on its plot description.

BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)

BoJack Horseman is one of Netflix's darkest original series, depicting the life of a self-destructive, narcissistic, washed-up actor and the negative effect he has on the people he encounters. The series might not be as funny if it were not animated and the title character (voiced by Will Arnett) was not an anthropomorphic horse.

Evil Dead II (1987)

Even on a shoestring budget, writer and director Sam Raimi achieved "the ultimate experience in grueling terror" with the first installment of his Evil Dead movies. However, the second chapter, following Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) and his fight against possessive spirits, is one of cinema's most perfect blends of horror with comedy of a most nonsensically cartoonish degree.

Rick And Morty (2013–present)

The fate of the world, and even other worlds, often rests in the hands of the titular duo from Rick and Morty: an alcoholic scientist and his anxious teenage grandson. In fact, even some of the bizarre situations they find themselves in, while undeniably threatening, are pretty ridiculous, such as when an alien race challenged Earth to an intergalactic singing competition in one of the best Rick and Morty episodes, "Get Schwifty."

In Bruges (2008)

In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two Irish hitmen who are forced to take a holiday in a mundane Belgian vacation spot after a job goes horribly wrong. Only a storyteller with a sense of humor as bleak as writer and director Martin McDonagh could construct such a witty romp out of an increasingly dark plot such as this.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-Present)

Perhaps the most definitive example of cringeworthy comedy on television is FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The dim-witted gang of bar owners (played by Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito) often get themselves into situations that are certainly infantile, but also deeply hazardous.

Fargo (1996)

In retrospect, it's a good thing Joel and Ethan Coen's Oscar-winning satirization of midwestern culture, Fargo, is not based on fact, as they claimed, because audiences might feel guilty for laughing at a story of an insurance scheme gone violently awry. Creator Noah Hawley's spin-off series would honor that same tone by telling new, seasonal stories set in similar rural locations and with the same quirky tone.

Succession (2018–2023)

Sibling rivalry of even the most immature kind can last long into adulthood. Exhibit A: the Roy Family from HBO's Succession, a wealthy patriarch (played by Brian Cox) suffers a stroke that sparks a war over his corporate empire between his three youngest children.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

The life of a vampire, which involves committing murder to satisfy their insatiable bloodlust, is a horrifying concept. However, the beloved horror-comedy movie What We Do In the Shadows (which begat an equally hilarious spin-off series on FX) offers a documentary-style glimpse into that sort of existence that is somewhat relatable and even charmingly funny.

Only Murders In The Building (2021-Present)

A TV show about two elderly men and a young woman teaming up to produce a podcast documenting their investigations of mysterious deaths that occur in their New York apartment complex does not sound very funny. However, with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez in the lead roles and scripts boasting a razor-sharp wit, Only Murders in the Building is a comical delight.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Anyone familiar with the work of Martin McDonagh should have been able to expect that Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri would not hold back on its heartbreaking material. However, the story of a grieving mother (played by Frances McDormand) at odds with local law enforcement regarding her teenage daughter's unsolved murder, creates a light aura of false security early on with its bold use of humor.

Killing Eve (2018–2022)

Creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Killing Eve is a wildly acclaimed series chronicling the intense cat-and-mouse game between a spy (played by Sandra Oh) and a skilled assassin (played by Jodie Comer). The thriller is renowned for its unique blend of high-wire suspense with absurdism.

Death At A Funeral (2007)

In director Frank Oz's English comedy, Death at a Funeral, anything that could go wrong at a gathering for a deceased loved one does go wrong, and then some. Daniel (Matthew McFadyen) deals with issues that include the wrong body being delivered to his childhood home, a guest going berserk after unwittingly taking a hallucinogen, and a stranger (played by Peter Dinklage) appearing to reveal a secret about his father's past.

Shameless (2011–2021)

One of the best American TV shows based on a U.K. series is the hit Showtime original, Shameless. Developed by John Wells, the series follows the Gallaghers – a large family from Chicago facing extreme poverty and other various, debilitating struggles, with little to no help from their patriarch (played by William H. Macy).

The Menu (2022)

At first glance, The Menu seems like the kind of delicious food movie that fine dining enthusiasts could get a nice laugh out of. Indeed, director Mark Mylod's acclaimed hit starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult is funny, but Ralph Fiennes' Chef Slowik has something planned for his carefully selected guests that proves to be truly "to die for."

Weeds (2005-2012)

Mary Louise Parker received three Emmy nominations for her performance on creator Jenji Kohan's dramedy, Weeds, as a widowed suburban mother who relies on drug dealing to make ends meet. It is easy to understand why Vince Gilligan was accused of ripping off the Showtime original when he proposed the idea for Breaking Bad (which he revealed at the Paley Center for Media), but anyone would agree that this show is much funnier.

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

Save a few notably fanciful moments (especially at the end), Beau is Afraid is regarded as a relatively authentic representation of what it is like to live with anxiety. Writer and director Ari Aster – known for his more earnest A24 horror movies, Hereditary and Midsommar – achieves this feeling by exaggerating every inconvenience our eponymous hero (played by Joaquin Phoenix) faces to the most absurd degree.

Bad Monkey (2024-Present)

How do you make a complex murder mystery funny? Well, for one, Carl Hiaasen's 2013 novel that inspired the Apple TV+ original series, Bad Monkey, already boasted a satirical tone. However, Vince Vaughn's performance as the hero, sarcastic former detective Andrew Yancy, especially brings the humor to the surface.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Former SNL writer and Anchorman director Adam McKay started to gain newfound respect with his humorous approach to more earnest topics in Oscar-winning movies The Big Short and Vice. He would follow those with an even darker satire, Don't Look Up, in which two astronomers (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) struggle to warn humanity about Earth's impending doom.

After Life (2019-2022)

Creator Ricky Gervais stars in the Netflix comedy series After Life as a man grieving his wife's death, but does nothing to make the process any easier for him. Tony goes as far as adopting an off-putting, devil-may-care attitude to push away anyone who offers solace or assistance.

The Death Of Stalin (2017)

Some of the best movies about politics offer a farcical take on even the darkest days in history. Case in point, Armando Iannucci's star-studded satire, The Death of Stalin, which is a hilarious and surprisingly accurate depiction of the aftermath of the notorious Soviet dictator's demise. Though some liberties are taken with the actual history.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)

Not every TV show about zombies needs to be as stone-cold serious as The Walking Dead, especially if you change the rules of reanimation, like in Santa Clarita Diet. The unfairly cancelled Netflix original series stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as married real estate agents forced to turn to murder when Barrymore's role mysteriously becomes a walking corpse who thrives on raw human flesh.

World's Greatest Dad (2009)

Robin Williams stars in writer and director Bobcat Goldthwait's pitch black comedy, World's Greatest Dad, as dissatisfied teacher Lance, who begins to attract overwhelming attention following the news that his teenage son, Kyle (Daryl Sabara), has taken his own life. However, in truth, the insufferably rude Kyle's death was an accident of embarrassing proportions, which Lance has covered up with a phony suicide note in order to take advantage of the subsequent fame.

Dead To Me (2019–2022)

The phrase "misery loves company" serves as the essential hook for creator Liz Feldman's darkly comic Netflix original TV show, Dead To Me. Christina Applegate stars as the recently widowed Jen Harding, who crosses paths with the also grieving Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini). What starts off as the friendly bond that each of them desperately needs son evolves into a complicated grouping that sparks trouble for both.

Burn After Reading (2008)

One of the Coen Brothers' most overlooked dark comedies is Burn After Reading, which imagines what happens when investigative intelligence crosses paths with a severe lack of intelligence. It follows a pair of gym employees (played by Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) who find a disc holding classified information left by a retired CIA agent and attempt to profit from the discovery.

Search Party (2016-2022)

Search Party stars Alia Shawkat as a young woman who decides to take it upon herself to find her missing past acquaintance. Of course, bizarre hijinks ensue, causing it to evolve into a far crazier situation for her and her friends over time.

Better Off Dead (1985)

One of John Cusack's earliest romantic comedies boasts a premise that would be a challenge to get made in modern times. He stars in the coming-of-age film as a young man who repeatedly tries and fails to take his own life.

Sweetpea (2024)

Ella Purnell earns laughs and screams leading the Starz original series, Sweetpea, as a lonely young woman who adopts a penchant for murder.

It feels like we've been waiting forever for the return of Rick and Morty for Season 8, and every reveal makes that May release date on the 2025 TV schedule look further away. So far, we've seen hints that the show will address the recasting of the main characters and maybe even do another interdimensional cable episode. Now, we have confirmation that more Ricks will appear after the Council of Ricks were slaughtered, and I think HBO's Westworld may be a key influence for that episode.

With The Citadel's destruction, it was assumed that the vast majority of the alternate versions of Rick, with a good chunk of Mortys also dead. Now, those assumptions are up in the air after a quick moment shown in the latest Season 8 trailer, which shows a bunch of western-themed Ricks all congregating in one space. Take a look at the full video below, in addition to some other very intriguing moments:

I think it's fair to assume that some Ricks and Mortys survived the mass destruction of The Citadel, but then why are they all dressed in old-West attire? That, combined with the futuristic cityscape in the background, reminds me of Westworld. After going down that route I'm forced to wonder if these Ricks are actually real at all, or just life-like androids like in the HBO series.

I feel as though I'm treading into deeply speculative territory here, but notice the Ricks are in control of Morty's, previously freed from oppression when Evil Morty took control of The Citadel. What if this is some Westworld resort where Mortys who miss their Ricks pay to get roped into the awful antics their grandpa used to put them through?

It's an out-there theory, but let's remember that Rick and Morty loves to parody other sci-fi when it can. We've seen this show tackle Men In Black, Blade, and all other sorts of movies during its run. It doesn't seem like a big stretch that they'd try to mimic Westworld, even if it was canceled after four seasons and then booted from HBO entirely.

Bringing back a multitude of Ricks would revive the story of Evil Morty, who is currently relaxing in his own little Rick-free paradise after he believed he was content in his mission of finally being free from his counterpart. Will this bring him back?

I think a more likely scenario is that this is a one-off Rick and Morty episode with limited relevance to the main story. With all that being said, none of the episode titles in Season 8 make a direct reference to Westworld, so I could be way off the mark here. What else could this episode be referencing, though, I wonder, and why are there so many Ricks dressed up in Old West attire?

We don't have to wait much longer for answers, as Rick and Morty Season 8 premieres on May 25th at 11:00 p.m. ET on Adult Swim. Whether my theory pans out or not, I'm excited for new episodes this summer and eager to see what surprises are in store for fans.

Rick and Morty Season 8 is on the way in late May, and I think the show just gave us the perfect tease to help make the remaining weeks until its arrival absolutely unbearable. I already had this marked as a must-watch show on the 2025 TV schedule, but I'm especially excited after seeing that we may be getting a third Interdimensional Cable episode!

I was already thrilled because Season 8 will seemingly parody the show's own headline-making re-casting its main characters after co-creator Justin Roiland was fired a few years ago. Now, I'm extra jazzed after Adult Swim shared an animatic video that not only revealed new episode titles along, but also visual clues. So, how does this tie into Interdimensional Cable? Take a look at the screenshot below for "Ricker Than Fiction," and continue on below:

The duo watching strange creatures in an action-packed TV series screams "Interdimensional Cable" to me, and it's not like it would be SO surprising if the ep format returned. "Rixty Minutes," the Season 1 episode that kicked it all off, remains one of the best Rick and Morty episodes ever, to the point where the Season 3 installment "Morty's Mind Blowers" joked that it was replacing the cable TV motifc.

Fans were teased with its return in Season 7 when we saw the Mr. Stabby talk show, which featured a host who violently stabbed members of his audience to death. It was a funny bit that technically involved the Interdimensional Cable box, but wasn't a full-length assortment of random and seemingly improvised premises that made the first two iterations so special. Here's hoping that Season 8 can scratch the itch that I felt robbed of in the previous season.

Of course, Dan Harmon and the crew of the acclaimed series are likely aware that fans are desperate for a new Interdimensional Cable episode. I wouldn't put it past them to intentionally show that scene as a way of building up hype, only to entirely subvert expectations and deliver something equally entertaining.

Even if we are being trolled, there's still enough in this video that's teased that I can't wait to see the whole premise of. Check out the full video below, and ask yourself what could be happening in "Hot Rick":

Beyond the obvious Interdimensional Cable tease, I'm most psyched about the season finale, which features Rick hooking Jerry up to some sort of machine. I won't even guess where it's headed, but I generally love it when Jerry and Rick are forced to interact for a full adventure. It's almost always traumatic for the former, but it's not like anyone has ever accused Rick Sanchez of being a good guy.

Strap in and charge that portal device because Rick and Morty is headed back to Adult Swim on Sunday, May 25th, at 11:00 p.m. ET. I'll be staying up past my bedtime to watch the premiere for sure, so I'm hoping this season is as great as past ones.

It feels like it wasn't that long ago that Adult Swim announced a massive renewal for Rick and Morty, but we're far closer to the end of deal than its beginning. As fans wonder whether or not Season 10 will be the final season, Dan Harmon is citing his reasoning behind Season 7's ending, and it's a two-fold answer that presumably speaks to the animated hit's future.

Harmon recently spoke to Variety about many things, including the Season 7 finale. The episode ended up being an emotional favorite of CinemaBlend's Nick Venable but has garnered criticism elsewhere feeling like a reset after so many consequential events happened in previous Season 7 episodes. The co-creator spoke of the necessity of a reset being tied to the behind-the-scenes drama with Justin Roiland's firing, with the hopes of giving Rick and Morty Season 8 a chance to start fresh without shedding viewers. In his words:

Rather than wait until the end of the season, Rick and Morty delivered its most jaw-dropping canon moments midway through the season, particularly when Rick C-137 finally killed his nemesis Rick Prime. The season-capping "Fear No Mort" was relatively tame in comparison, feeling more like a standard series adventure with no long-term consequences outside of perhaps Morty's catharsis. I would imagine the episode would have received more universal acclaim had it not been the season finale, but I can understand Harmon's reason for ending with it. 

And I grasp that impetus to end things that way even more so after reading Dan Harmson's second reason, which points to the future of Rick and Morty. The co-creator has worked on a lot of TV in his career, and noted the importance of what a Season 7 story reset sets up for future installments.

While Dan Harmon can't say anything with certainty about Season 11 and beyond, it sounds like he's expecting Rick and Morty to score another renewal down the line, presumably with Adult Swim. I'm not exactly surprised, considering the series remains very popular and has landed in the conversation for the best animated shows of all time, on top of being one of TV's most merchandised series. Provided Harmon & Co. are willing to keep the series going, it seems like a no-brainer for network execs to keep the door open.

As part of the reset, Rick and Morty did make one big change that I'm hoping will be addressed in the near future. Mr. Poopybutthole used a stolen portal gun to murder a version of himself in another universe so that he could have his wife and son back. This dark path for the beloved character could result in a serialized arc told across sporadic references in one or more eps each season. That's part of the fun of Rick and Morty; I can never quite tell where things are headed!

Rick and Morty Season 8 isn't premiering on Adult Swim until 2025, though with the upcoming anime spinoff bringing surprising characters into its first season, I'm good with waiting on that to see what this new series has to offer. 

Rick and Morty Season 8 isn't coming until 2025, and while that update was a definite bummer, there's a fantastic silver lining. Adult Swim greenlit an anime adaptation of the series based on those badass shorts that fans love, and it's set to debut before the upcoming season of the flagship series. I was already excited, though the latest look showcases an unexpected Smith family surprise that has me even more thrilled for Rick and Morty: The Anime to arrive.

In its newest clip, this spinoff of one of the best animated shows of all time shows off the Smith family protecting their home from suit-wearing invaders. While Jerry in superhero mode was pretty cool, I was more shocked and excited to see Space Beth protecting the fam by firing away at the goons. Take a look: 

You gotta love it when anime series cut to such high-quality visuals during scenes' big moments. Unfortunately, the updated visuals still make it a toss-up whether she's the real Beth or her clone, despite some fans asserting online that they already know. More importantly, her presence makes me optimistic for one aspect I wasn't expecting from the anime.

Space Beth Didn't Appear In Rick And Morty Until Season 4

Space Beth doesn't officially appear in the original Rick and Morty until the Season 4 finale. Her existence came to be because Rick cloned Beth to allow her to live a more adventurous life than the one we're all familiar with. Those who keep up with the show know she eventually moved in with the family and entered a weird, throuple-esque situation with Beth and Jerry.

As of Season 7, now available to stream with a Max subscription, she still lives in the house with the Smiths, though we're still learning the details of how this arrangement works and whether or not Season 7 deserves the accolade of being the first season in years without incest driving a plotline or three.

Why Space Beth Being In The Smith Family Has Me Even More Excited For The Anime

Space Beth's appearance in Rick and Morty: The Anime was a surprise for me, but a welcome one. I guess I had assumed since its an anime version of the O.G. series that the characters would be starting from square one. This is to say, I expected the story to pick up similar to how it did at the start of the American series, and guessed we'd have to wait on appearances from the Adult Swim series' best side characters. 

Based on this latest look, however, characters who appeared later in the series, like Mr. Poopybutthole, Jerry's parents, and Rick's nemesis, Mr. Nimbus, could all appear. It's great to see this spinoff will potentially be able to utilize all those major characters from the jump, rather than relying on the source material to dictate how things work.

I also appreciate that because it now gives me the impression Rick and Morty: The Anime should be seen as an extension of the original series rather than just a retelling of the same stories with new visuals. That said, if the new series gives audiences an anime take on "interdimensional cable," it may just become one of the best animated episodes of the year.

Rick and Morty: The Anime is slated to debut on Adult Swim and Max in late 2024. As mentioned, my interest in the series has shot up drastically, and it was already pretty high in the first place. Here's hoping it lives up to the hype and gives other fans of the characters a reason to tune in. 

Have you ever stopped to think about how your favorite characters in screen media do not realize they exist in a movie or TV show? Well, that covers most characters, while a chosen few actually are aware of their fictional parameters, and even address it to their viewers in a fun trope referred to as “breaking the fourth wall.” The following are some of the most iconic, or even underrated, characters from cinema and television that often like to get meta. 

Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

Matthew Broderick's mischievous title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off has one central goal: to take it easy. He demonstrates his secrets to master-level trouble-making directly to the audience — whom he also urges to head home in an iconic post-credits sequence — in John Hughes' celebrated high school movie classic from 1986.

Malcolm (Malcolm In The Middle)

Despite being the last-billed main actor, the Malcolm in the Middle cast was led by Frankie Muniz in the title role. The unusually intelligent youngster would profess his own life's dissatisfactions through the TV screen on a regular basis.

Rob Gordon (High Fidelity)

Director Stephen Frears' adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel, High Fidelity, stars John Cusack as Chicago record store owner Rob Gordon. The only thing that infatuates him more than music is the women who broke his heart,  the stories of which he recalls directly to the audience.

Deadpool (The Deadpool Movies)

In Marvel Comics, Wade "Deadpool" Wilson is driven so mad by his appearance post-mutation that, in addition to hearing voices, he becomes aware of the fact that he is a comic book character. While the voices do not make a sound in star and producer Ryan Reynolds' cinematic adaptations, the Merc with a Mouth is still perfectly self-aware of his fictional existence and goes so far as pointing out flaws in the writing and poking fun at the actor who plays him when turning his head to the camera.

Fleabag (Fleabag)

The title character of multi-Emmy-winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge's hit British comedy series, Fleabag, could be described as a free spirit, if not for her bouts of anger and confusion when struggling to navigate adulthood. The audience has unrestricted access to her most cynical inner thoughts, which she frequently shares when speaking directly to her viewers.

Jordan Belfort (The Wolf Of Wall Street)

One of the few examples of a fourth wall-breaking character based on a real person is Leonardo DiCaprio's Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street. Not only does he narrate director Martin Scorsese's adaptation of the former stockbroker's memoir (also one of the best Margot Robbie movies), he opens the film describing the dangerously wild nature of his daily routine directly to the audience.

Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes)

Breaking the fourth wall is pretty much a tradition in Looney Tunes shorts, but the art is absolutely perfected by the characters' de facto leader, Bugs Bunny. With his sly remarks and literal winks to the camera, he lets the audience feel like they are in on the joke with him, creating a welcoming atmosphere that makes the rascally rabbit truly one-of-a-kind. 

Zack Morris (Saved By The Bell)

Talking to the camera was not the only meta characteristic possessed by Mark-Paul Gosselaar's scheming character on the hit coming-of-age sitcom, Saved by the Bell. Zack Morris also had the ability to manipulate time, as demonstrated when he paused the surrounding action for his own soliloquy whenever he felt like it.

Jared Vennett (The Big Short)

There are actually several characters from Adam McKay's Oscar-winning adaptation of Michael Lewis' non-fiction book, The Big Short, who break the fourth wall. However, it is Ryan Gosling as Deutsche Bank salesman Jared Vennett who spends most of the film directly addressing the audience, sometimes introducing celebrities like Margot Robbie to explain financial jargon to the viewers. 

Stanley “The Mask” Ipkiss (The Mask)

Nigh-omniscience (the state of knowing all, including the audience observing you) is something that often comes with being a cartoon character, which is essentially what Stanley Ipkiss becomes when he puts on a mystical vizard. In one of the funniest scenes in 1994’s The Mask, Jim Carrey’s green, grinning anti-hero fakes his death with a speech that literally earns him an award, prompting the appearance of an applauding audience that even the criminals who tried to kill him react to.

Dora Márquez (Dora The Explorer)

Even with Boots, Backpack, Manny, and her other adventurous comrades by her side, Dora the Explorer still needs help navigating her adventures from the youngsters watching her on Nick Jr. She even politely gives her viewers time to answer when asking them about their favorite part of the journey at the end of each episode.

Wayne Campbell And Garth Algar (Wayne's World)

Breaking the fourth wall helps one of Mike Myers’ greatest creations make a seamless transition from TV to the big screen in one of the best Saturday Night Live movies, Wayne’s World. Even when they are not filming their cable access TV show, Wayne Campbell (Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) keep their running commentary on pop culture, their own lives going, and the state of their own movie by speaking to the metaphysical camera in front of them.

Claire Underwood (House Of Cards)

It was not until Season 4 of House of Cards that Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) revealed that, like her ruthless politician husband, Frank (Kevin Spacey), she was aware of the Netflix subscribers observing their every move. After she is widowed, Claire becomes the central character and the audience’s sole metaphysical companion.

Garfield (Garfield And Friends)

Just like in the comic strip he originated from, Garfield addresses the audience in his many screen adaptations, such as the popular animated series, Garfield and Friends. The hungry, lazy cat appears to have a telepathic link with the viewers since his mouth never actually moves when he delivers commentary.

Garry Shandling (It's Garry Shandling's Show)

The whole conceit of It's Garry Shandling's Show is that the late comedian (who also co-created the series) is aware he is the star of his own sitcom and his interactions with the studio audience play a role in the plot of each episode. Running for four seasons in the late 1980s and earning four Primetime Emmy nominations, the comedy was a hilariously unique and uproariously meta experiment for its time.

Clarissa Darling (Clarissa Explains It All)

Before she played the eponymous role of ABC’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Melissa Joan Hart played the eponymous role of Nickelodeon's Clarissa Explains It All. Just as the title of the '90s sitcom suggests, the outspoken teen comments on her relationships with her friends and family and common aspects of teenage life in general, sometimes even through clever fantasy segments.

Peter Griffin (Family Guy)

While Family Guy is often branded as a rip-off of The Simpsons, Fox’s adult animated comedy from creator Matt Groening does not dabble in meta absurdity nearly as much or ever as overtly as Fox’s adult animated comedy from Seth MacFarlane. Actually, just about every Family Guy character is aware they are on a cartoon series, but Peter Griffin (voiced by MacFarlane) acknowledges the audience most often… maybe even too often?

The Colonel (Monty Python's Flying Circus)

Sometimes, if an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus would get too silly (which was every episode, if we are being honest), a military colonel played by Graham Chapman show up. He would then bring the sketches to a halt and urge the cast and crew to move on to something that better matches his own personal humorous preferences.

Will Smith (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air indulged in poking fun at itself numerous times during its six-season run on NBC in the ‘90s, such as references to the major cast shake-up of Daphne Maxwell Reid replacing Janet Hubert as Vivian Banks. However, the central character Will Smith (played by the Oscar winner of the same name) was the one who did most of the talking to the camera and, in one episode, even went beyond breaking the fourth wall and broke the ceiling, acknowledging the set lighting above them.

Austin Powers (The Austin Powers Movies)

Breaking the fourth wall is actually a staple of many of Mike Myers’ characters, including groovy secret agent Austin Powers, who likes to thank the audience for laughing at his puns and double-entendres and even commenting on the mechanics of his spy movie spoof trilogy. For instance, in the third installment, 2002’s Austin Powers in Goldmember, he actually relies on the subtitles to converse with a Japanese businessman, only to misunderstand him when some of the white text blends into something of the same color in the background.

Billy Ray Valentine (Trading Places)

For a while in the 1980s, you could expect someone to break the fourth wall in an Eddie Murphy movie, including the comedian himself, and one of the funniest examples comes from Trading Places. When the Dukes Brothers are explaining commodities to Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy), Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) uses the BLT as an example of where he might find bacon, prompting him to hilariously express his annoyance with a silent, perfectly timed glance at the camera.

Rick Sanchez (Rick And Morty)

On one of the all-time best animated series, Rick and Morty, Rick Sanchez is one of the few characters who address the fact that the bizarre and absurd adventures he and his grandson, Morty, endure, are all part of a television show. We suppose that sort of heightened awareness comes from being the smartest person in the universe.

The Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

In Ron Howard’s live-action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas — one of the best Dr. Seuss movies — the titular, holiday-hating curmudgeon (Jim Carrey) proves that he has more than just his dog, Max, to keep him company whenever he speaks to the camera. He even interacts with the narrator (voiced by Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins), asking him to speak with “a little more stealth” as he breaks into Cindy Lou Who’s home.

Augustus Hill (Oz)

Harold Perrineau’s character on Oz, Augustus Hill, is unlike any other inmate at the eponymous Oswald State Correctional Facility, serving as the series’ narrator. He opens and closes each episode of the gritty HBO drama by addressing the audience with a monologue discussing the philosophies of the prison lifestyle.

Lemony Snicket (A Series Of Unfortunate Events)

As Lemony Snicket, Patrick Warburton speaks through the screen when recalling the treacherous adventures of the Baudelaire Orphans on Netflix’s series adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Just like in the original YA book series, the author is more than just the series' narrator, as he also exists within the world of the show.

Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk: Attorney At Law)

Deadpool is not the only fourth-wall-breaking hero in the Marvel Universe, but the first character to go meta in the MCU was Bruce Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), who explains to the audience how she became “She-Hulk” in the first episode of her self-titled Disney+ miniseries. The final episode sees her actually leap out of her own show and into the streaming platform’s menu and enter Marvel Studios: Assembled so she can have a talk with “Kevin” about crafting a better ending.

Robin Of Loxley (Robin Hood: Men In Tights)

In one of Mel Brooks’ best movies, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, the famed archer (Cary Elwes) acknowledges a couple of times, even in just a quick glance. However, every character in the medieval spoof is aware they are in a movie, as shown in the moment Robin and others actually pull out the script to ensure he gets another shot in the archery contest at the end.

George (George Of The Jungle)

The fourth wall is kept open for just about the entirety of Disney's cartoonish live-action adaptation of the animated series, George of the Jungle. Brendan Fraser's absent-minded, Tarzan-esque hero makes frequent nods to the camera and sometimes interacts with the narrator, and is not the only character to do so either.

Eloise (Eloise At The Plaza)

The eponymous star of Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's popular illustrated children's books made her screen debut in ABC's 2003 made-for-TV movie, Eloise at the Plaza. Played by Sofia Vassilieva, the precocious child provides details about her residency in a New York City penthouse, her relationship with her nanny (Julie Andrews), and gives other spur-of-the-moment commentaries to the audience.

Basil Exposition (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me)

In 1999's Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, as the titular groovy sleuth (Mike Myers) is about to travel back to 1969, he is compelled to ask a few very complicated questions about the science behind this trip. Basil Exposition (Michael York) recommends not worrying about such things and just enjoying the ride before suggesting the same to the people watching.

Robin "Rob" Brooks (High Fidelity)

Hulu's 2020 series adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel, High Fidelity, reimagines record store owner Rob Gordon as a woman, played by Zoë Kravitz. However, like the original protagonist, Rob Brooks is also a neurotic music obsessive who shares her deepest insecurities, particularly in the realm of romance, to the audience.

Zack Greenburg (The Zack Files)

Without explanation, Zack Greenburg (Robert Clark) has attracted the attention of aliens, suddenly developed psychic abilities, receives a phone call from his own conscience, and more strange phenomena. If things could not get weirder for the teen, he sometimes directly acknowledges the viewers of his own early 2000s Canadian show based on Dan Greenburg's book series, The Zack Files.

Have you ever taken inspiration from these fourth-wall-breaking characters and professed your own witty commentary out loud to an imaginary camera, or is that just us?

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the finale of Rick And Morty Season 7. If you have not yet watched the episode, continue at your own risk!

While it has nothing to do with Evil Morty (who will eventually return) or Rick's complicated backstory, the end of Rick And Morty Season 7 offers a major development for the beloved Adult Swim show. By entering The Fear Hole, Morty is (albeit in circuitous fashion) forced to confront his greatest anxiety: that his existence means nothing to his grandfather and that should he die, he'll just be replaced by another Morty from another universe. Because of this terrifying therapy session, the dynamic between Morty and Rick has been altered, and series co-creator Dan Harmon says that it will impact stories going forward.

Variety recently spoke with Harmon about "Fear No Mort," the latest Rick And Morty season finale. Discussing where the episode leaves the titular characters at the end of the story, he explained,

"I think the biggest fetish for me was making sure that it felt like a symmetrical inversion of Morty becoming indoctrinated into absolute nihilism by burying his body. That’s why we wanted to do the same needle drop, because this Rick is now just as lost in an emotional sense as Morty was in a philosophical sense at that moment."

For those who are a bit rusty on their Rick And Morty history, Dan Harmon is referring back to the consequential sixth episode of the show: "Rick Potion #9." Fans will remember that as the episode where the "heroes" managed to turn everyone in the world into "Cronenberg" monsters, they and had to leave their universe and take up residence in another. The only way to accomplish this switch was to replace a multiverse variant of the duo that had died, and Morty has long been traumatized from his experience burying his own body.

While Rick from Universe C-137 is the Rickest Rick Of Them All, Morty has long known at the back of his mind that there are infinite Mortys from the multiverse who could immediately start sidekicking for his grandfather should he be left behind. Now that Morty has a full recognition of that fear, it's going to impact his relationship with his grandfather. Harmon continued,

"What we’re assuming with this story is this concept that we’ve fallen back on many times where Rick considers Morty replaceable. So, this is kind of a final step in turning them into a partnership. It’s certainly not an equal partnership in every way, but they’re friends, they’re roommates — they’re kind of like Ernie and Bert."

Along with the escalating mayhem being instigated by Mr. Poopybutthole, it will be fascinating to see how things develop from this point forward, and the wait is now on for Rick And Morty Season 8. The next run of episodes unfortunately doesn't have a release date yet, but fans can distract themselves from the wait by getting a Max subscription and rewatching the existing seven seasons.

Animation is one of the earlier moving art forms, and has provided countless artists the means to bring their stories to life, be it through the black-and-white hues of Bosco the Talk-Ink Kid or the multicolored bliss of Fantasia. Toons can be as simple as the Oscar-winning “The Dot and the Line” from legends Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble, or they can be as endlessly complex as Wallace and Gromit’s stop-motion universe. Television has provided audiences with 80 years of memorable projects –- including some forgotten Saturday morning gems — with new shows debuting at a rapid pace, and we’re here to celebrate the very best animated series of all time.

From classic characters like Mickey Mouse and Fred Flintstone to modern favorites like Monkey D. Luffy and the Belcher family, CinemaBlend’s staff is saluting them all. So join us in paying tribute to the funniest, coolest, smartest, and most moving animated series that have graced our TV screens over the decades.

75. The Jetsons

Despite being the first show ABC ever broadcast in color, The Jetsons was canceled after a single season and only 24 total episodes. It just couldn’t find the right audience, at least until the reruns started airing on Saturday mornings and an entire generation of kids fell in love with the futuristic setting and zany plotlines. George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, Astro and Rosey eventually became so popular in syndication that more than 20 years after its cancellation, a further fifty-one episodes were produced, as well as a movie. It’s an unconventional success story but perhaps one fitting for a show filled with futuristic tech that hilariously never works as intended.

74. Aqua Teen Hunger Force

When Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block premiered in September 2001, Aqua Teen Hunger Force was one of its surreal cornerstones, and it’s pretty much stayed that way ever since. The long-running series follows three anthropomorphic fast food items – Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad – who get into all kinds of trouble with their neighbor(s), locals, and interdimensional beings. ATHF helped usher in a new era for adult animation at the turn of the century, and it's remained just as hilarious and timeless during that historic run. But for as wild and nonsensical as it gets, there’s a certain charm that makes it not just one of the funniest shows on Adult Swim, but in all of TV animation.

73. Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends

Though not lauded quite as high as animation giants such as Walt Disney or Hanna-Barbera, Jay Ward delivered many of the medium’s most lasting creations, with The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle at the center of his zany, intelligent, and meta-before-meta-was-cool storytelling skills. The titular moose and squirrel’s serialized rivalry with the devious Boris and Natasha can never be forgotten, while the history-adoring side characters Sherman and his pup Mr. Peabody became a pop culture magnet unto themselves over the years. Now if only we could get a Fractured Fairy Tales spinoff for the 21st century…

72. What If...?

Upon its launch, part of the reason why a Disney+ subscription was so appealing involved the streaming service's new content directly connected to major IPs like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while we’ve been treated to a number of live-action shows, the studio also took a major risk with the multiversal animated series What If…? The comic book anthology series offers alternate realities to the MCU characters and events we know and love, and shows how the entire franchise could be radically altered if just one character's arc differed. Additionally, the voice cast of What…If? features many Marvel favorites reprising their roles to tell these ambitious stories that could never be produced in live-action.

71. The Proud Family

The Proud Family was all about Penny Proud and her wild, yet relatable, journey through high school. While the premise was simple, this show’s fabulous crew of characters is what made it iconic, and its depiction of the day-to-day lives of an African American family is what made it groundbreaking. From our lead Penny to her father Oscar, her besties Dijonay, Zoey, LaCienega and Sticky Webb — and of course Sugar Mama — this family is the best, and we’ll adore them forever.

70. Beavis and Butt-Head

Besides The Simpsons, arguably no animated series from the 1990s sparked a bigger array of multi-generational reactions around the country than Beavis and Butthead. As soon as it premiered on MTV in March 1993, Mike Judge’s groundbreaking, edgy, and unsavory cartoon became a national sensation while following two objectively moronic teenagers barely navigating school, life, nachos, and a carousel of music video commentary. Video games, movies, tons of merchandising (both official and bootleg) flooded the market in the years that followed, and there's a reason revivals keep happening: it's a great show, dammit. Mm-heh-heh.

69. Schoolhouse Rock!

Schoolhouse Rock! is an animated gem that has been passed down from generation to generation for all the right reasons. Originally debuting on TV back in 1973, the show's approach to combining educational programming with toon-filled songs cemented it as a true classic with more lasting value than most. From grammar-focused tunes like “Conjunction Junction" to the iconic intro-to-governmental-processes track “I’m Just a Bill” to even its Preamble song, Schoolhouse Rock! has had a lasting cultural impact, influencing many other shows, and even inspiring some spoofs along the way to its permanent place within pop culture.

68. Static Shock

The DC Animated Universe got a true shock to its system when Denys Cowan's Static Shock zapped onto TV screens in the early 2000s as a Saturday morning offering on Kids’ WB. Viewers were treated to some truly exciting, funny and heartfelt episodes that tracked the heroic exploits of teenager Virgil Hawkins in Dakota City. Thanks to late series creator Dwayne McDuffie and his talented team, Static Shock remains a dynamic piece of comic book fun, serving up some serious action mixed in with thoughtful social commentary on occasion. In short, this is a super-powered gem that’s rightfully still revered to this day.

67. Dexter's Laboratory

What child hasn't wished they had a secret location in their house that provided the means to do the most fantastic things their heart desires? Dexter’s Laboratory helped many youngins live vicariously through its titular brainiac, and the general hilarity of his meddling sister Dee Dee derailing it all helped make this one a definitive Cartoon Network classic. From the brain of the similarly brainy Genndy Tartakovsky, Dexter also boasted other animated shorts like Dial M For Monkey and The Justice Friends, which were all equally as enjoyable. To this day, I bet there are many who owe their ability to say “cheese omelet” in French to this wonderful series.

66. Kim Possible

“Call me, beep me, if you want to reach me,” because it’s time to talk about Kim Possible. Mixing a high-stakes spy drama with high school shenanigans appropriate for Disney Channel-aged audiences, this show is an action-packed good time. Largely centered on Kim’s missions to take down Dr. Drakken and Shego with the help (or more like attempted help) of her bestie Ron Stoppable and his naked molerat Rufus, Kim Possible defined many childhoods and taught generations of kids, and specifically girls, that anything is possible with the right mindset and gadgets.

65. Muppet Babies (1984)

How amazing are Jim Henson’s Muppets? The list goes on, but one key factor would be that Kermit and the gang brought to life what remains one of pop culture’s only genuinely great examples of “Your favorite characters, but they’re babies.” Trading TV studios and New York City exteriors for a Nanny-run nursery where the power of make-believe knows no bounds, Muppet Babies showed viewers of all ages that imagination is powered best when one is surrounded by friends to the end. Unfortunately for avid fans, the show’s abundant use of licensed TV, film, and music clips will likely keep it from ever hitting home media.

64. Family Guy

For one reason or 69 others — get it, Peter? — certain TV shows are able to get away with wildly edgy content without getting “canceled," either literally or figuratively. Granted, Seth MacFarlane's long-running fave Family Guy actually did actually get canceled by Fox back in 2002, but the '80s-adoring comedy was able to return from its shallow grave just two years later due to extraordinary DVD sales, a hit syndicated run, and the embrace of Adult Swim. and high ratings from reruns in syndication. Ever since that 2004 revival, viewers have followed the antics of Peter, Lois, Chris, Meg, Stewie and Brian along with all the ridiculous and often offensive cutaway flashbacks that fill their lives.

63. Robot Chicken 

Watching Robot Chicken calls to mind many chldhood memories of inventing scenarios with action figures modeled after classic movie and TV characters. That's essentially what Seth Green and Matthew Senreich’s stop-motion animated Adult Swim hit is: people playing with their toys. But with a bigger budget and more talented voice actors than any kids I ever played with. With boundary-pushing and insightful humor in the mix, the Emmy-winning Robot Chicken is sketch comedy at its most refreshingly unique, rebelliously raw, and deliciously nostalgic, and is not bogged down by the limitations that might come with a live-action production.

62. The Flintstones

For many people, The Flintstones is one of the first cartoons we remember watching on TV. This classic Hanna-Barbera series about a lovable caveman and his family navigating a prehistoric world field with outrageous stone-age variations of modern-day appliances and tools, is just as funny and attention-grabbing as it was upon its release more than 60 years ago, which is really saying something about its quality. On top of such indelible characters like Fred Flinstone, Barney Rubble, and the Great Gazoo, the show also has one of the most iconic opening themes of all time.

61. Freakazoid!

Though not the most marquee-ready superhero, Freakazoid!’s titular protagonist is the creation of Batman: The Animated Series legends Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, with Steven Spielberg and Tiny Toons vet Paul Ruegger leading the charge. So yeah, it’s a perfectly bonkers mix of comic book mythos mixed with slapstick and fourth-wall-breaking comedy, complete with a mini-universe of B-tier heroes and villains such as Candle Jack (but don’t say his name). Lasting two seasons from 1995-1997, Freakazoid! ss a joy for viewers of all ages, anchored by the stellar voice work of stars Paul Rugg and Ed Asner.

60. Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers

Long before the series was reimagined as a hilarious Disney+ movie starring John Mulaney and Andy Sandberg, Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers started out as a tremendous and timeless action-adventure toon about a pair of chipmunks fronting a crew of anthropomorphic animals. Thanks in part to that earworm theme, it never gets old watching Chip, Dale, Gadget Hackwrench, Monterey Jack, and Zipper solve all manner of crimes (both big and small, really small) and save the day before the end of each episode, and the show can still hold the attention of our kids all these years later.

59. Teen Titans

Some viewers probably weren’t sure what to make of Teen Titans upon its debut, but the series eventually became a hit – and for good reason. The quirky superhero romp is the definition of cartoon greatness, as it skillfully blends action and comedy, ultimately using both to great effect. Yet, most importantly, so much heart is on display amidst the explosions and sheer wackiness as well. Because of that, Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven remain not only one of DC’s best TV super teams, but also one of its greatest familial units. And, yes, that theme song still slaps.

58. Gargoyles

The oft-underrated Saturday morning toon Gargoyles is one of those shows that manages to deliver more than the kind of action you’d expect from Disney's weekly animated fare. It’s a dark and complex drama series with dynamic characters, beautiful animation and stories that sometimes border on Greek tragedy. Many viewers understandably still have such reverence for the tales that EP Greg Weisman and his team told about the mighty Goliath and his clan of night guardians. It’s ironic that a group of beings that turn cold as stone are among some of the warmest heroes to ever grace a TV screen.

57. DuckTales

Having quite possibly the catchiest theme song on this list that's chock-full of them is probably enough reason to include DuckTales on this list, but of course, the show has so much more going for it. Scrooge McDuck and his nephews, previously only bit players in Disney cartoons, earned the star spotlight for a show that was about as close to an action/adventure cartoon as Disney had delivered at the time, making it something fresh new, and exciting. But it was still “Disney” and thus more accessible to younger viewers than other ‘80s cartoons looking to sell action figures, drawing from Carl Banks' timeless comic run.

56. Hey Arnold!

Amidst all of Nickelodeon's best chracters, perhaps no greater role model for younger viewers exists than the football-headed protagonist of Hey Arnold! In fact, Craig Bartlett’s series offered something very few animated programs have (then or since): a diverse ensemble whom kids could potentially relate to or aspire to be like. With a stunningly grounded urban aesthetic, even in its most peculiar momens, and a hefty set of valuable life lessons that often came out of dark situations, admittedly — not to mention an absolute banger of a jazz score — Hey Arnold! is a masterstroke for the medium.

55. The Real Ghostbusters

1984's Ghostbusters inspired an immediate sequel, but when live-action follow-ups stalled, Sony did the next best thing: created this magnificent riff on the beloved property. No, they couldn’t get BIll Murray and Dan Aykroyd together every three years, but they could animate Peter, Ray, Winston and Egon for a series of animated adventures around New York City, the world, and even realms beyond. The best part about The Real Ghostbusters is that it understood the irreverent tone of Ivan Reitman’s two movies, but split the difference to also appeal directly to kids who just wanted to see Slimer. When we really need a hit of that nostalgic rush, these are the Ghostbusters stories that most deserve revisiting.

54. Teen Titans Go

DC Comics adaptations often get knocked for being too serious, but that's not the case with Teen Titans Go, an effervescent, energetic, and rapid-fire funny series centered on Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire. The show embraced irreverent humor, leaning hard into its heroes' stereotypical behaviors, from Robin’s crippling need to be a leader to Raven’s broody Goth Girl energy and beyond. Without hinging on continuity or major cameos from A-list DC heroes (at least, not until Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, which was equally excellent), this slap-happy toon basically gave young kids a comic book portal where they could enjoy “waffles, waffles, waffles” without having to brood over anyone's parents getting gunned down in an alley.

53. The Powerpuff Girls

Sugar, spice, and everything nice wasn’t even half of what we got with The Powerpuff Girls. Like many other animated classics, it was a show made for kids that adults could easily also enjoy. The superpowered Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup deal with typical childhood troubles like sibling rivalry and bed wetting while also saving their town from a truly ingenious rogue’s gallery. These endearing kindergartners, their friends and foes (like arch nemesis Mojo Jojo, and Powerpuff wanna-be Princess Morbucks) provide us with laughs, lessons and intrigue, all wrapped in a parody and pop-culture focused package that doles out plenty of surprises.

52. Tiny Toon Adventures

Following in the footsteps of the iconic Looney Tunes squad was always going to be a tall order, but the Stephen Spielbeg-produced Tiny Toon Adventures understood the assignment. While the characters may have been inspired by those that came before, each one from Babs and Buster to Plucky and Hampton, was given just as much freedom to be entirely new characters, not simply the “new versions” of the classics. The humor was always on point, with plenty of gags for younger viewers, alongside references only the older “kids” watching would get.

51. Courage the Cowardly Dog

Making a cartoon for children that's as creepy as it is funny is no easy task, but Courage the Cowardly Dog found a way to execute that balance quite beautifully, relying mostly on overtly bizarre and/or paranormal villains. Courage protecting his owners, Eustace and Muriel, against everything from a cursed mummy to a duck with a mallet never gets old. It’s the most deserving Cartoon Network original that needs a revival, which could potentially still happen someday, considering Courage was part of a Scooby-Doo crossover movie released in 2021. Until that day comes, fans can revisit the entire series with a Max subscription.

50. Adventure Time

Most classic adventure cartoons engage in storytelling in a more earnest manner, but only a few effectively capture the joys of make-believe like Adventure Time — which for many is the absolute cream of the crop for Cartoon Network’s original programming. Creator Pendleton Ward’s fantasy-comedy follows Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) and Jake the Dog (John DiMaggio) as they navigate the weird and wonderful, post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, having a mathematical time along the way. With its charming animation, ingenious creatures, clever world-building, and a lighthearted tone that never abandons spellbinding excitement, the fun truly never ends.

49. Big Mouth

It’s not every day that audiences get a hilariously offensive animated show that actually provides accurate representation of growing up LGBTQ+. On the surface, Netflix's Big Mouth, which rocks an all-star cast led by co-creator Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, simply shows the trouble and turmoil of puberty, sexuality, hormones, and the everyday struggle that we call “life.” Lucky for viewers, it is also much, much more than that. The show follows a group of young people who tend to be accompanied by “hormone monsters” (who now have their own wacky spinoff series) who help guide them through the changes and struggles that come with growing up.

48. Arthur

Kids owe PBS for so many great animated series, but Arthur might be its crown jewel. For over 20 years, Marc Brown’s storybook aardvark, along with his friends and family, endeared themselves to the public. The author and the show’s writing staff, through their efforts, taught youngsters firm lessons in responsibility, community, empathy and much more. What’s particularly impressive is that the grade-school comedy managed to remain consistent in conveying such morals during its lengthy run. Of course, when the program wasn’t dropping vital nuggets of knowledge, it was simply exuding pure, imaginative fun. What we have here is a truly timeless show, and one that’s sure to delight audiences for generations to come.

47. Pokémon

Part of the reason Pokémon remains one of the top franchises worldwide is because the series can have a different meaning for every generation that consumes it. The kids of 2024 can watch the same show O.G. viewers watched in the late '90s and appreciate those characters in new ways, given there have been plenty of successive projects that have come loaded with over a thousand different Pokémon for children to latch onto and make their favorite. The show's awesome battles haven't quite held up when it comes to the franchise's many video games, but perhaps someday, Game Freak will give the people what they want.

46. Spider-Man

Spider-Man fandom has been known to grow from many sources, including the comics and multiple generations of live-action blockbusters, but the Spider-Man animated series from 1994 holds a special place in the hearts of millennials – as it should, because it is amazing (pun totally intended). In retrospect, the content censorship is ridiculous (this is a show where Spidey wasn’t even allowed to punch people), but the filmmakers still found ways to deliver exciting adaptations of comic book stories, and some episodes are even better than the source material. We have yet to see a better version of the Venom origin story than what was created here.

45. Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Thanks in large part to the success of Tim Burton’s Batman from 1989, it was at one point decided that the best version of the Caped Crusader is the dark and brooding version. That has now been the go-to mode for the superhero for decades – but at the very least Batman: The Brave And The Bold reminded us for a time just how much fun the Dark Knight can be. The deep voice and silly sensibilities of Diedrich Bader make him one of the best to ever play the hero, and every episode delivers a fun team-up opportunity. Every DC character is represented with love, but there’s an argument to be made that John DiMaggio's Aquaman is the all-time best version of the Atlantean king.

44. Doug

The entire Nicktoons library was a big deal for '90s kids, and who was more relatable than Doug Funnie on Doug? Through his journal entries and soaring imagination, the preteen opened up about the seemingly everyday events of his life, from getting a haircut to trying liver and onions, and we totally felt that. We understood the middle school awkwardness, the anguish of his crush on Patti Mayonnaise and just how good it felt to rock out to your favorite band (The Beets, of course! “Aw-wee-oo! Killer tofuuuuu!”). We wanted Skeeter to be our best friend and a dog as cool as Porkchop. Not to mention, the opening credits and theme song are pretty iconic.

43. Pinky and the Brain

Let’s be honest here: Pinky and the Brain was repetitive. In every episode, the two main characters did “the same thing we do every night, Pinky… try to take over the world!” But it was the way that the odd couple mice played off of each other — with Pinky being the doofus assistant to the Orson Welles-inspired mastermind mouse that is The Brain — that allowed this Animaniacs episode segment to thrive as its own standalone series. It's one we still quote to this day, using many of the cast members’ favorite jokes. Like everything in Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain benefitted from an “anything goes” approach to humor, meaning that stories would involve Brain’s archnemesis (a hamster named Snowball) or a bit where Pinky gets elected President of the United States. And it all worked because the creators understood how to be intelligent while also being goofy.

42. X-Men: The Animated Series

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe revitalized how big and connected comic book adaptations could be, few film and TV examples truly brought to live what people loved about the medium. X-Men: The Animated Series was one of the first, giving audiences comic book-accurate versions of the beloved mutants that felt like they jumped right off the page. The show offered long-term serializing storytelling just like the source material, something that was essentially unheard of for a Saturday morning cartoon. But whether one was an avid reader or not, these were (and perhaps still are) the definitive versions of the X-Men. It’s no wonder that decades later, the series was revived as X-Men '97.

41. Infinity Train

Created by Regular Show writer/artist Owen Dennis, the Cartoon Network-turned-Max series Infinity Train is the crown jewel of overlooked and under-discussed animated series. A highly imaginative coming-of-age sci-fi fantasy,  not the most common sub-genre, the series centers on a different interconnected story and character set in each of its four seasons, with everything taking place on a mysterious and impossibly long train where most cars present challenges for the characters to figure out and overcome. It’s an emotionally gripping and exciting tale that never goes off the rails, with a stacked cast of familiar voices.

40. Futurama

The second mega-hit series created in part by Matt Groening, Futurama has always been far more than just The Future Simpsons, thanks to its unforgettable cast of meme-ready nutjobs, egomaniacs, and bending-proficient robots. From Fry’s dopey optimism to The Professor’s absent-minded genius to Hermes’ ability to drop everything if a limbo stick comes around, the series balances its strong personalities with tons of space-faring, paradox-thwarting, time-traveling mayhem that never stops being fun. Both one of the smartest and silliest animated series of all time, and filled with some of the nerdiest jokes possible, Futurama has remained a beloved small-screen entity in part because the Planet Express crew has managed to survive multiple cancellations at Fox and Comedy Central, reaching its third lifeform at Hulu, presumably because the Hypnotoad demanded it so.

39. Mickey Mouse (Classic Disney Shorts)

There are few animated characters more famous than Mickey Mouse, and it’s safe to say the House of Mouse wouldn’t be everything it is today without Disney’s classic Mickey Mouse animated shorts that debuted in the 1920s. Smartly written and brimming with slapstick comedy, these quick hits of quirky fun introduced us to the loveable mouse — who displayed courage and strength but in a way that was achievable for any of us — along with the equally iconic Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto and Goofy. Included in this series is 1935’s “The Band Concert” — Disney’s first color cartoon, which quite literally paved the way for Disney animation for 100 years and counting. And while it may not be part of that exact era, give me Goofy bungling up ski lessons any day.

38. Dragon Ball Z

Though it wasn’t the first show in the franchise, Dragon Ball Z introduced countless kids and teenagers to iconic characters like Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Gohan throughout the ‘90s, especially after the anime series became a mainstay in Cartoon Network’s Toonami afternoon block. This intense cartoon about a group known as the Z Fighters who attempt to protect Earth (and later, other planets) from diabolical forces was something many of us ran home from school or off the bus to catch each weekday. The introduction of increasingly dangerous and destructive villains like Frieza, Cell, and Boo (each had their own saga) continued to raise the bar as the series went on, and make this still a gem worth revisiting.

37. Rocko's Modern Life

Is there a classic Nickelodeon show from the ‘90s that captures the spirit of the era more than Rocko’s Modern Life? This zany, surreal, and extraordinary animated series debuted in 1993 and quickly found an audience thanks to its unique style of humor that appealed to both children and adults. With characters like the neurotic titular wallaby, his best friends Heffer Wolfe and Filburt, and the various members of the Bighead family, there was so much to love about the show. It pushed the envelope with its humor and art direction and had a lot to say about the modern world, hence its name. The mammalian gang even returned to fans in 2019 with the special Static Cling.

36. Animaniacs

We still have no idea how Animaniacs creator Tom Ruegger got the greenlight to make everyone's childhood better with this hilarious, clever, but extremely inside-baseball showbiz comedy aimed at mature kids. Yes, on the surface, the Animaniacs works as a variety show, an evolution off The Muppet Show during which the hosts – the Warner siblings, one with a Liverpool accent – would set up individual cartoons. But in between, the banter and humor offered up in Animaniacs consisted of some of the funniest, most outrageous, and unpredictable jokes that would spoof Dolly Parton, Marilyn Monroe, and the idea of fingering Prince, as it were. Sometimes the show managed to be educational, but mostly it was pure lunacy, and we loved every second of it.

35. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Mysteries are the most entertaining genre of storytelling. What’s more satisfying than a tidy reveal at the end of a whodunit, and a villain exclaiming how they would have gotten away with it, if not for those meddling kids? Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? followed a very popular “monster of the week” format, but wasn’t afraid to push the envelope to freak out little kids who tuned into a cartoon and were terrified by haunted suits of armor, killer clowns, and more. From its unforgettable theme song to the vocal contributions of radio icon Casey Kasem as Shaggy, Scooby-Doo Where Are You? walked so that Goosebumps and Gravity Falls could run.

34. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated is a breath of fresh air within the long-running franchise birthed by Hanna-Barbera. For this particular production, the typical case-of-the-week format isn’t in play, as serialized storytelling is utilized. It’s a great approach that really fleshes out the meddling kids and the titular canine in a way that past incarnations don’t. The humor associated with this entertainment property is definitely employed in this iteration. However, what’s also exciting is how the writers and artists aim to deliver some truly scary monsters, all seemingly tied to the antagonist Mr. E. While it’s admirable that the show sticks to its predecessors’ roots in many ways, its goal to shake up the classic formula results in an overarching mystery that’s both compelling and creepy.

33. Archer

Creator Adam Reed’s singular vision and undying creativity turned Archer from a ribald spin on James Bond into one of the most well-rounded pieces of spy fiction in existence. H. Jon Benjamin’s unmistakable voice gives life to the booze-swilling agent’s snappy insults and TV-MA euphemisms alongside a downright stellar cast that also includes Aisha Tyler, Judy Greer, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell and more. The series is a testament to the importance of characters compared to plot, with Archer’s core group shifting from years of traditional storytelling to multiple side-mission seasons such as the Miami-set Vice, the subconscious-set Dreamland, the jungle-filled Danger Island and others. On a jokes-per-minute basis, it stands next to comedy giants like The Simpsons and Airplane!, and can drink them both under the table.

32. Batman Beyond

Debuting in 1999, Batman Beyond jumps decades forward into the future and showcases the story of a now-retired Bruce Wayne who is acting as a mentor to the next generation Dark Knight, Terry McGinnis, as voiced by the legend himself, Kevin Conroy. The show earned multiple award nominations, winning two Daytime Emmy Awards. Bruce and Terry have just enough similarities and frustrating differences to keep their dynamic captivating while still wholesome, which makes this particular animated series one of the most enjoyable to watch in the franchise. Terry is forced to work twice as hard in order to balance out both his personal life and his crime-fighting side persona, as he both learns from and teaches his mentor as they both work to stand up for what they both clearly believe in.

31. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

While a lot is owed to Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars, the animated side of George Lucas’ sci-fi universe truly took off in 2008 with the launch of Cartoon Network's Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The series is, in large part, what it is due to franchise guru Dave Filoni, who thought his hiring was a prank. Filoni’s respect for Lucas’ work permeates the entire CGI show, but there are also some cool elements that he himself adds to the canon, including the now-beloved Jedi Ahsoka Tano. With incredible storylines, sweet animation and strong voice acting, this show works well on its own but also stands firmly alongside the films it builds upon.

30. Bob's Burgers

One of the many things to love about Bob’s Burgers is just how close, loving, and, well, lovingly strange the main characters at the center of the show are. The Belcher family is (mostly) committed to keeping their small, family-run burger shop up and running, but their kooky adventures usually take the whole family away from the restaurant. Exasperated pessimist Bob, his happy-go-lucky wife Linda and their kids, Tina, Gene and Louise get into a number of hilariously weird scrapes that, honestly, most of us only wish we could have to make life more intriguing. Add to that Louise’s near-constant scheming, Tina’s awkwardness, and how the whole family interacts with a town full of endearing oddballs, and you have yourself a wonderfully weird winner. Tell 'em Teddy sent ya.

29. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the perfect show for a perfect moment in time. It combined outrageous and over the top late 80s imagery with some of the first mainstream depictions of skater culture and added ninjas, an outrageous backstory and a steady stream of cheesy catchphrases. Deep in the sewer of our hearts, amidst roundhouse kicks and impossibly yellow April O’Neil jumpsuits, they carved out a place for themselves, and more than thirty years later, their ooze still remains in the form of reimagined shows, new movies and billions of dollars worth of merchandise. And despite all the success, they're still just heroes in a half-shell, and they're green. (Hey, get a grip.)

28. SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-Present)

In 1999, if you told someone a silly gap-toothed sponge would one day be as recognizable to the children of the world as Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny, they would’ve laughed. And yet, SpongeBob SquarePants continues to entertain the children of today, and has been lovingly embraced by the Millenials and Gen-Z who grew up with it as well. The internet is loaded with memes dedicated to the franchise, and there’s still plenty of debate as to what is in a Krabby Patty. With plenty of episodes and even some spinoffs, it feels like SpongeBob and friends will be entertaining children for many years to come.

27. Rugrats (1991)

Rugrats premiered in 1991 on Nickelodeon as one of the first three Nicktoons, aimed at a younger audience than Doug and The Ren & Stimpy Show. It was a staple for kids throughout the ‘90s and into the early 2000s, with nine seasons about the adventures of babies Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, and Lil, with regular appearances from characters like the parents, Angelica, and (eventually) Dil. The show could swing from silly to serious, with memorable episodes that ranged from covering the grief of losing a parent to the spectacular Reptar On Ice, with a dinosaur love song that still rings in the hearts of plenty of ‘90s kids. There’s a reason why this Nicktoon show went on to inspire Rugrats movies and a 2021 reboot.

26. Harley Quinn

What happens when you blend DC Comics mythology with the kind of crass adult comedy you find in shows like Family Guy and South Park? You get Harley Quinn, which follows Kaley Cuoco’s version of The Joker’s former squeeze going on adventures with Lake Bell’s Poison Ivy, her best-friend-turned-girlfriend, and getting into hijinks with fellow supervillains and superheroes alike. One doesn’t need to be a hardcore DC fan to appreciate Harley Quinn, although that definitely helps with catching the deep-cut references and Easter eggs. As long as you're in the mood for clever writing and all the edgy, not-safe-for-kids humor you could ask for, Harley Quinn is a must-[censored]-watch.

25. Gravity Falls

With hands on our bible of beasts, baubles and bafflement — Journal 3, naturally — we can solemnly swear that Gravity Falls is the weirdest, wildest and gobblewonkiest project that’s ever come out of Disney, bursting through the castle doors like rainbows from a gnome’s mouth. Created by Alex Hirsch, the mystery-hinged funfest centers on a pair of siblings, Jason Ritter’s Dipper and Kristen Schaal’s Mabel, living with their kooky and perhaps unstable great uncle, Grunkle Stan (voiced by Hirsch). And for anyone who loves codes, hidden messages, deep lore, crytozoology, conspiracies, and everything sharing that fringe space, Gravity Falls is the holy grail of animated shows. (And that grail is filled with Pitt Cola.)

Despite nearly universal love and acclaim, Disney cut Gravity Falls’ run short at just two seasons, although the actual supplementary Journal 3 (which Hirsch co-wrote) is expansive and unique enough of an experience to at least count as a one-off special. There’s still hope that fans will one day go on more adventures in the Mystery Shack with Soos, assuming Bill Cipher doesn’t muck anything up, but even if these 40 episodes are all that ever get produced, it was perfection.

24. The Boondocks

Aaron McGruder’s adaptation of his own comic strip, The Boondocks, is a must-watch for those trying to better understand racial relations, culture, and racism in the United States. With the help of some voice acting from Regina King, Riley and his brother Huey navigate the Black experience of living in a predominantly white suburb.

The Boondocks thrived on taking hot-button issues and forcing the viewer to think about not just the issue but their own reaction and perspective of that issue. The Boondocks deserves applause for how it pushed the envelope in its four seasons and offered thoughtful commentary in a way few other animated shows can.

23. Justice League

Superheroes joining forces in the DC Animated Universe wasn’t anything new prior to 2001 thanks to special pairings in Superman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond’s “The Call” two-parter, but Justice League placed teamwork front and center. Viewers watched Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl vanquish terrestrial, alien and magical threats together, and it was a blast.

Justice League continues to be appreciated for its crisp animation, mature storytelling and stellar character development, as well as for transforming John Stewart from a B-list character to the definitive Green Lantern for a generation. Justice League makes an effective crash course for those wanting to dive into DC lore without having read any of the comics.

22. Star Trek: Lower Decks

Being such a well known and praised franchise for decades, die-hard fans were quite surprised when it was announced back in 2019 that the Star Trek franchise would be taking a shot at an adult comedy with a brand new animated show, Star Trek: Lower Decks. Written by Rick and Morty’s Mike McMahan, the show takes place in the 24th century and instead of focusing on the high-ranking officers on the Bridge Crew, it gives viewers a glimpse into the “lower deck” officers with the more humble jobs that keep the ship running…smoothly? The show often references the rest of the Star Trek earlier entries and breaks down sci-fi tropes, often in a very NSFW way, and should delight both seasoned and new fans alike.

21. Sailor Moon

If you’re of a certain age, Sailor Moon may be the first anime you ever saw in your entire life. It’s one of those ‘90s anime that was sandwiched between Fist of the North Star in the ‘80s, and the explosion that was Dragon Ball Z, and Pokemon in the later ‘90s. Even so, Sailor Moon still managed to stand out, and it still stands out today. It may be because Serena (or Usagi, if you prefer sub over dub) is so dang loveable. As is her relationship with Darien (AKA, Tuxedo Mask).

And of course, we can’t forget the many other Sailor Scouts, as they all have their own unique personalities and inner worlds. In truth, Sailor Moon is the kind of cartoon that appeals to both young girls, but also grown men in their ‘30s and ‘40s, and really, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

20. One Piece

Shows like One Piece don’t come along often, and really, we’re not sure there is any other show on television that’s like it. It’s one thing to have an astronomically high episode count, but quite another for that story to be serialized and tell a great story of a pirate adventure that’s been wowing viewers for over two decades. The character development and growth of the Straw Hat Pirates and the world-building it boasts makes this an easy choice for top-tier anime, and it’s great that Netflix finally took notice and made an equally enjoyable live-action series.

It’s a modern-day epic story equatable to Gilgamesh or Beowulf, and feels like a lived-in universe more than any other anime out there. It’s totally worth the time investment for those who feel overwhelmed by tackling the 1000+ episodes of this ongoing series.

19. The Critic

The Critic, which revolves around New York film critic, Jay Sherman (voiced by A League of Their Own’s Jon Lovitz) sometimes hits way too close to home. What we mean is, with many of us being critics ourselves, a lot of Jay’s fussy qualms about movies seem super spot on, such as the eye roll he gave to the made-up movie, Beverly Hills RoboCanine Cop and a Half 2 (Starring Clint Eastwood!).

But that’s just the beauty of The Critic, because even though Jay was often fed up with having to review so many mediocre movies, he still loved his job, and stayed a movie fan to his core. Which, again, hits very close to home. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the series had The Simpsons writers, Al Jean and Mike Reiss as showrunners. It stinks!...that we don’t have any new episodes of The Critic to watch these days.

18. Daria

Daria once described herself to a therapist as actively working to make people dislike her. She’s not wrong. Daria's main character is, at times, deeply unlikeable. She speaks as if she’s a detached observer into her own life, making callous observations in a dry, dispassionate voice. She’s like a real life narrator, condescendingly commenting on the world around her as everyone else plays volleyball and talks about who they’re going to prom with.

Despite all her efforts, however, it’s impossible to hate Daria because she’s really funny and also not wrong most of the time. High school is often pretty stupid and populated with try-hards who don’t know themselves or have any idea where they’re going. Listening to Daria judge them feels like therapy, even if, deep down, we know she’s just as lost as they are.

17. Over The Garden Wall

What’s most impressive about Over The Garden Wall is just how effectively it slips under your skin and rattles you. The familiar sibling dynamic between Wirt (Elijah Wood) and his little brother Greg (Collin Dean) is disarming, as are the fantasy elements and talking animals… but never forgotten is the terror that comes from the show’s central premise: two boys getting lost in the woods and trying to find their way home. Each chapter starts with a light touch, but ends up gripping you by the throat and invading your nightmares.

The episodes brim with fantastic and horrific imagination - from the shadowy beasts that lead souls astray to the disturbing Auntie Whispers (voiced brilliantly by John Cleese). There are only 10 episodes and none of them run over 12 minutes, but Over The Wall leaves a deep impression, and it’s wonderful to revisit annually during Spooky Season.

16. King of the Hill

I tell you what, it’s hard to get better than King of the Hill. The long-running hit (which has a Mike Judge-led revival coming to Hulu soon), focused on Hank, Peggy and their son Bobby Hill, and their day to day life in the small town of Arlen, Texas. This slice-of-life animated show used something a lot of people probably take for granted - the absurdities of relationships, work, growing up, marriage and other aspects of daily life - turned them up to 11 and made every episode across 13 seasons feel like we were laughing at our own friends and family.

Don’t we all know at least one person obsessed with lawn care? Or one boy who ain’t right? If not, you’ll certainly wish you knew the residents of Rainey Street and could call them neighbors, because mundane, working class life has never looked like so much looney fun.

15. Mickey Mouse (2013 shorts)

Mickey Mouse is one of the most iconic characters in the history of animation. He’s been everywhere and done everything. What made the new series of shorts that began in 2013 and ended in 2023 special wasn’t that they did anything differently, (though certainly the visual style was completely new for the character) it was that they went back to the beginning and let Mickey be the Mickey he was always designed to be.

The modern run of shorts, simple called Mickey Mouse, let the big-eared protagonist be the hero, but they also let him be silly, angry, surprising, and ridiculous. They pack more gags into a five-minute short than would seem possible. The shorts were new, but also served as throwbacks to earlier Mickey eras when the character had more creative freedom before he became the icon we know. They were a breath of fresh air after decades of a stagnant and sterilized mouse.

14. The Legend Of Korra

There is sometimes debate on whether Avatar: The Last Airbender or its follow-up series, The Legend of Korra, is the better cartoon. But, when it comes to us, all we have to say is, why not both? Because honestly, you can’t lose with either series. That said, The Legend of Korra definitely is special in its own right. This is a more grown-up take on the world of Avatar, where each season introduces a new threat to our heroine, Korra (Voiced by the magnificent Janet Varney).

With each season, however, we see Korra adapt and change in ways that Aang never got to do, which is enhanced by Korra’s fantastic Team Avatar of Bolin, Mako, and of course, Asami. Oh, and speaking of Asami, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how groundbreaking this show was, as Korrasami is still one of our favorite TV couples of all time.

13. South Park

Possibly the most controversial animated show of all time, South Park. With 26 seasons under their belt, Trey Parker and Matt Stones’ on Comedy Central follows the story of four young boys and the typically pop-culture chaos that surrounds them. The show’s intro blatantly states that the show “...should not be viewed by anyone.” South Park pulls no punches and gives no f’s. T

The creators have pulled some crazy stunts in the past, like attending the 2000 Oscars while being nominated, wearing dresses, and high on LSD. They have also attempted to get their own show canceled, been banned in China, as well as hitting a television milestone by going “bleep-free” with the use of the “f-bomb” live on air. It’s a show that could not be launched today, but since it has such huge weight in the zeitgeist, expect to see some more offensive Colorado antics for some time.

12. Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars Rebels picked up the action set in the galaxy far, far away after The Clone Wars ended, and the animated series ran from 2014-2018 on Disney XD to expand on the era ahead of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with a found family of original characters. Not only did the show prove that Star Wars doesn’t need to rely on legacy characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to tell a fantastic story and deliver arguably one of the best deaths in the franchise’s history, but it set up some stellar stories that are being expanded in live-action with Ahsoka.

There was no certainty that Rebels would succeed back in the beginning despite the popularity of The Clone Wars, but the story was solid during its original run and stands the test of time for first-time watchers and re-watchers alike. And its characters, ships and plots have remained core to the universe even beyond its conclusion.

11. Invincible

Invincible was released for those with an Amazon Prime subscription during the height of superhero mania. Despite concerns about superhero fatigue, the animated series carved stands out within the genre. Namely by being the animated answer to The Boys, and being an R-rated and wildly violent cartoon show. Invincible focuses on the title character aka Mark Grayson who is a young person coming into his own as a wildly popular hero who boasts the same powers, if not the same prowess, as his father Omni- Man, who is revealed to be something quite a bit more dangerous than anyone readily expected.

Adapted rather faithfully from Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker's comic book, the story is emotional, the action sequences are bloody and brutal, and Invincible’s voice cast is led by A-list talent like Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, and more. And the show is so popular that Omni-Man spawned a character in Mortal Kombat 1.

10. Justice League Unlimited

Everything that was great about Justice League got ratcheted up a notch with Justice League Unlimited. Thanks to the team’s founding heroes expanding its ranks — minus Hawkgirl, who returned later in Season 1 — this continuation allowed the DC Animated Universe to shine the spotlight on even lesser-known heroes, from Green Arrow and The Question to Booster Gold and Huntress. Like its predecessor, the show wholeheartedly embraced its printed page while also putting unique spins on its starring protagonists and antagonists.

Although there were various standalone episodes peppered throughout Justice League Unlimited, the show was at its best when delving into its serialized stories that built off plot threads from the previous DC Animated Universe shows, namely the Cadmus and Secret Society arcs. That makes Unlimited arguably feel like the most comic book-y entry in this shared continuity. While the DCAU would be revisited a handful of other times following the show’s conclusion, Unlimited definitely marked the end of an era, and it stuck the landing wonderfully.

9. Phineas and Ferb

The concept of two brothers spending their summer vacation trying to figure out a way to spend it comes with endless possibilities, and Phineas and Ferb explored them creatively and expertly. Following a formula where every episode the titular characters are always finding an over-the-top thing to do or build. Meanwhile, their sister Candace tries to bust them while their pet platypus Perry goes on a mission to stop his nemesis Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his latest -enator.

Over the years, Phineas and Ferb mastered its formula and had a blast with it. Watching the brothers build a roller-coaster, create a backyard beach, get their parents' favorite band back together and oh so much more was not only fun but creatively invigorating. Not to mention, many episodes also featured incredible original music – like the Emmy-nominated song “Ain’t Got Rhythm” – meaning you’ll be humming along and thinking about this show long after the episode ends.

8. Looney Tunes

To describe Looney Tunes as a classic is completely appropriate, and yet, somehow not quite enough. This collection of animated shorts (produced from 1930 to 1969 and then revived in the late 1970s) has provided generations of audiences with wacky adventures featuring some of the most recognizable and quotable cartoon characters ever created. Even if you’ve only seen a handful of the many, many cartoons made by Warner Bros., you likely know that Bugs Bunny usually outsmarts everyone, Sylvester and Tweety are hilarious adversaries, Daffy Duck is at his funniest when he’s angry or on the losing end of anything, and that Roadrunner is way more trouble than it’s worth to Wile E. Coyote.

Looney Tunes is yet another example of how something could, technically, be pleasantly silly enough for kids, but just mature enough to get and keep the attention of adults. (Who doesn’t know what it’s like to repeatedly miss your target like Elmer Fudd?) When you watch one of these belly-laugh inducing entries, the only thing stopping you from watching another (and another) will be a power outage… That’s a joke, son!

7. Rick and Morty

A decade ago, if you asked us to name our Top Five most thoroughly inventive, consistently thrilling, amusingly thought-provoking, and deeply moving science-fiction series, we would have never guessed an Adult Swim original comedy would make the cut. Nevertheless, Rick and Morty — co-created by the now-fired Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon — has risen above its crude animation, and even cruder humor, to be widely remembered as, not just one of the funniest sci-fi TV shows, but among the genre’s all-time finest.

It is no surprise the series was bred from a Back to the Future parody short, as the pairing of alcoholic scientist Rick Sanchez with his grandson, Morty Smith, feels like a more volatile Marty and Doc situation, which is also just one of the many ways the series brilliantly pokes fun at and pays homage to pop culture. However, the best Rick and Morty episodes — in addition to introducing eye-popping, otherworldly, and downright absurd concepts — honor the series’ more relatable themes, such as family and existential dread, which cleverly sneak up on you while you experience the duo's latest crazy adventure through time and space.

6. Attack On Titan

There’s a lot of great anime out there, from wholesome shows like Spy X Family to much more action-heavy series like Demon Slayer and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. But when it comes to anime that just generally rivals some of the greatest television shows of all-time, then look no further than Attack on Titan, which we once called the best under-the-radar show on television. Because no show swerved like Attack on Titan did, and it all falls upon its protagonist/antagonist, Eren Yeager, who the audience is firmly behind…until we aren’t.

That’s right, Attack on Titan initially seems very simple in premise — Titans bad, people good — but soon changes dramatically to the point where we wonder if we may have had it all wrong the entire time. Are the titans were the ones who were misunderstood, and the humans were the bad guys. Plus, this is the rare exception where the anime may be superior to the manga, and if you know anything about manga, that is no small feat. This is an anime for the ages.

5. Bluey

Bluey has simply become must-watch programming for families, and don’t be surprised when Mom and Dad find themselves just as entertained as the little ones. The infectious theme song ropes you in as it introduces Mum (Chilli), Dad (Bandit), little sister Bingo and big sister Bluey, but it’s the heart-filled interactions between the Blue Heelers that have kept people coming back. Some episodes are laugh-out-loud funny — “I slipped on my beans!” — and others will hit you right in the feels and cause tears to flow freely.

Parents have become endeared to Bluey because it inspires us to be better. It encourages us to play with our kids and gives us permission to act silly in public. Why care what strangers think if you can make your kids laugh, right? But Bluey also shows the harder moments. Sometimes Bandit and Chilli don’t have time to play. Sometimes they don’t know what to say or just need some peace and quiet after partying too hard on New Year’s Eve. We need permission to want those things in real life, too.

4. The Simpsons

The Simpsons is the most popular and successful animated show in history because it’s hilarious in so many different ways. No matter what your sense of humor is, there’s almost certainly a Simpsons character that’s funny in the exact way you’re looking for. From highbrow literary references thrown out as asides to people falling over and getting injured in embarrassing or gruesome ways, and everything in between, each episode is jam-packed with jokes intended to do very different things and to appeal to very different people.

If it happened in a lesser show, it might feel like pandering, but with The Simpsons, the "whatever sticks" approach always felt like layers and variance. That’s a testament to the quality of the writing. Most shows that try to do too much are overtly better at one of the things they’re trying to do, which makes the rest seem less than or out of place. Not The Simpsons. Thanks to fantastic, complicated leads and the funniest supporting network of side characters in TV history, the writers can be funny in so many unique, challenging, satirical, irreverent and sometimes prophetic ways, and they have for more than 750 delightful episodes.

3. Avatar: The Last Airbender

From scathing commentary about imperialism to discussions of spirituality, trauma and extinction, Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender packs deep philosophical meaning into its animated stories. This universe, centered around people boasting the ability to bend elements, follows Avatar Aang on his journey to master the elements and defeat the Fire Lord. This series from Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko is a masterful classic, filled with fun side-quests like the trio’s journey to Omashu, as well as complex politics surrounding the Royal Fire Nation family, sassy characters (we’re of course talking about Sokka and Toph), insanely well-developed story arcs like Zuko’s, and it's all taied together with mind-boggling action,

Like the Avatar, ATLA gets stronger with time, and as Aang mastered the elements, the series grew with him. No matter how old you are, this series hits hard, and the more you watch it the better it gets. Avatar: The Last Airbender seems destined to always feel timeless, and like the Avatar’s powers, this show will likely continue to be passed down through generations for years to come.

2. BoJack Horseman

It’s understandable if you watch the first episode of BoJack Horseman and don’t quite click with it. It’s a show that throws you headfirst into its world  – providing a deep inside look at Hollywood and celebrity in a reality where humans coexist with humanoid animals. That being said, as one of the first Netflix original creations, it’s a series that greatly benefited from the streamer’s binge model, as to dig deeper into the show is to fall in love with it and everything it has to say.

All six seasons of BoJack Horseman are witty, clever, and hilarious, with countless background gags that make it incredibly rewarding on rewatch – but what makes it special is just how real it is. The aesthetic may be silly, but the characters are all ultimately broken people and there is an unflinching and powerful examination of their individual damage over the course of the show. The penultimate episode of every season manages to be as emotionally devastating as anything that Hollywood has ever produced for the small screen, and each one is both shocking and mesmerizing.

1. Batman: The Animated Series

Unquestionably one of the best examples of any animated TV show appealing to both kids and adults, Batman: The Animated Series continues to stand as perhaps the greatest triumph in the media history of DC Comics’ Caped Crusader. BTAS, and by extension The New Batman Adventures, followed in the footsteps of the Tim Burton Batman movies by bringing the character back to his darker roots and inserting viewers into an anachronistic Gotham City dripping with noir flavor. Here we have a Batman who strikes fear into the hearts of criminals just as easily as he inspires the innocent.

Anchored by the late Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne, Batman: The Animated Series effectively walked the line of honoring the source material while also putting unique spins on characters like The Joker, Mr. Freeze and Two-Face, while also launching neo-icons like Harley Quinn, Renee Montoya and a handful of others who’ve become mythos mainstays. Even ignoring that BTAS launched the beloved DC Animated Universe, Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski's show serves for many as the gold(black) standard by which all other Batman adaptations are judged. 1992 may be a long time ago, but BTAS still feels wonderfully timeless.

Hopefully the next 80 years of animated series can stand up to the classic eras that have already come and gone, as well as everything happening currently. But for anyone who hasn't yet watched everything listed above, now you know the assignment, mmk?

Rick and Morty Season 7 featured one massive curveball, as a character that fans expected to be in the series for the long haul met a sudden end. Dan Harmon told viewers not to worry after the show killed off Rick Prime, and that there was more story to tell. We now have an idea of how the canonical storylines may continue after the confirmation that Evil Morty will be in the mix in future seasons. 

Evil Morty helped Rick-C137 defeat Rick Prime, and when they parted ways, he returned to his part of the universe free from Rick's influence. Given the way the scene was shown, it seemed his story was done, but showrunner Scott Marder told Variety that isn't the case: 

"We can expect to see him in the future. We certainly have plans and grand designs with him, for sure."

As a Rick and Morty fan tracking all we know about Season 8, this is fascinating to me. When Evil Morty left, he took with him the knowledge of the Omega Device, which gave him the ability to kill every Rick in existence across the multiverse. The villain said that doing so would be more of a headache than just returning to his peaceful pocket of the universe, but he warned both heroes not to try to bother him or he might reconsider.

I've rewatched Season 7 with my Max subscription, and truthfully, I suspected Evil Morty would eventually make his way back into the story. With Rick Prime gone, Rick-C137 seemed directionless in what he would do next after completing the mission he had been on for years. Rick, in the early seasons, wouldn't allow anyone to have an edge on him, especially someone he knows is a threat.

What I'm saying is that if Evil Morty is back in the picture, I'd imagine it's because Rick poked the bear, needing to find a purpose after Rick Prime. Then again, I could be completely off base, and the villain is back in the mix after Mr. Poopybutthole's meddling in the timeline. Rick and Morty has proven it's good at keeping viewers on their toes, so maybe it's best not to assume anything about future seasons.

In addition to the return of Evil Morty, the showrunners also revealed episodic adventures will still be in the mix of seasons as well. I know I would love to see more stories that dive into Rick's past or maybe a crossover with the upcoming anime spinoff. Even if that stuff doesn't happen, I can at least feel comfort in knowing the show is still going strong after the massive shakeups headed into Season 7. 

As mentioned, those wishing to re-watch Rick and Morty Season 7 can now do so over on Max. I would highly recommend doing that, as there were quite a few things that I missed the first time around, probably because I'm fighting sleep staying up to watch new episodes during the season. 

Rick Sanchez was born as a drunken, psychotic parody of Dr. Emmett Brown from Back To The Future, but over the course of seven excellent seasons of Rick And Morty (available to stream with a Max subscription), he has become a far more complex character. He’s a god-level genius who can create any product his vast imagination conceives, and he holds an understanding of the universe that nobody else can even partially grasp… but that understanding has also crippled him emotionally and poisons every relationship he has. 

Both because of his intelligence and deep issues, Rick is someone who can be described as being closed-off… but that being said, fans have learned some fascinating things about his backstory over the years. So who is Rick Sanchez, and how did he become the person we meet in the first episode of Rick & Morty? 

We’ve put this feature together in an attempt to help answer that question and highlight key events that have been revealed about his past. Despite this conversation being about a comedy show, we’ll end up going to some pretty dark places, but before we go there, let’s start on a lighter note.

Rick Used To Live In A House That Looks Exactly Like The Whites' House From Breaking Bad

In the Season 3 premiere "The Rickshank Rickdemption," certain revealed information about Rick Sanchez’s life is embellished or falsified, but it turns out that one weird-but-true detail in the episode is the look of the house where Rick raised his family. Fans of Breaking Bad will note that the Sanchez home in the animated show is modeled on the house where Walter White and his wife and kids reside for the majority of the beloved AMC series (one of Rick And Morty’s many excellent subtle and inside jokes). 

It’s an odd thing, but viewers will find that the architectural design introduced in Season 3 remains consistent in the Season 5 finale "Rickmurai Jack, " which is where Morty finally learns concrete facts about his grandfather’s life (with viewers getting an education as well).

Rick Was Married To A Woman Named Diane, Who Was Murdered Along With His Daughter By Rick Prime

Rick was always smart and a clever inventor, but he wasn’t always the hollowed-out cynic whom audiences have gotten to know since the Rick and Morty pilot. At one point, he was a content family man living in Dimension C-137 with a wife named Diane, and it was with her that he had his daughter, Beth. While out in his garage one day trying to invent a portal gun, he was approached by an evil version of himself who would eventually be known as Rick Prime. The stranger told him about interdimensional travel and invited him to explore infinity, but Rick turned him down.

In a petty act of vengeance for the refusal, Rick Prime later drops a bomb through a portal into the garage, and though Rick is saved because he's sitting in his car, Diane and Beth are both murdered. Rick spirals into a depression, but he digs himself out of it by finding purpose.

It Was Because Of Rick’s Family Being Murdered That He Invented Portal Technology And Spent Years Trying To Get Revenge

Contradicting what’s shown in "The Rickshank Rickdemption," "Rickmurai Jack" reveals that Rick didn’t instantly invent interdimensional travel after Diane and Beth died, but that event is what eventually motivated him to reach his breakthrough. His one mission in life became finding and killing Rick Prime, and the first step in the chase was finding a way to make his portal gun work.

After he left Dimension C-137, Rick began his hunt around the multiverse. He desperately searched for Rick Prime (with help of a photo created with the scan of his own memory), and while he found and killed many alternate versions of himself, he consistently failed to track down his actual target.

Rick Was Part Of An Intergalactic Rebellion Alongside Birdperson And Squanchy

It was amid Rick’s hunt for vengeance that he got the attention of the Galactic Federation – and not in a good way. Though Rick is in no way what one would describe as a “joiner,” his hate of authority figures and contempt for anyone trying to prevent him from doing what he wants led him to become part of the intergalactic rebellion. In this endeavor, he is joined by two of the only people in his life to whom he gets particularly close.

As revealed in Season 5’s "Rickternal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort," Rick met Birdperson at a music festival where he was dealing drugs, and they formed a band with Birdperson’s friend Squanchy on drums. Birdperson helped Rick on his vengeance mission, and the three pals had a lot of fun together, but they also fought side-by-side in battle, and it was in part because of their efforts that the rebels won a decisive victory at the Battle Of Blood Ridge. When the fighting stopped, Rick invited Birdperson to travel with him across realities, but it was an offer that his friend refused.

Rick Helped Create The Citadel Of Ricks Before Abandoning It

Crippled by loneliness and in a constant state of depression and intoxication, Rick focused his entire life on finding Rick Prime, and it essentially ignited a war between the Rick And Morty protagonist and every other Rick across the multiverse. Rick of Dimension C-137 was able to annihilate all would-be assassins and even went as far as to firebomb an assembly of Ricks organizing an offensive against him. Eventually there was a surrender and peace talks.

Rick negotiated with the Council of Ricks until it was agreed that they would create the Citadel Of Ricks (which we first got to see in Season 1’s "Close Rick-Counters Of The Rick Kind"). Once this peace was created, Rick decided that he wanted no active part in it – again, he’s not a joiner – and he left.

After Years Of Fighting, Rick Moved To Rick Prime’s Universe Be With That Universe’s Version Of His Family And Await Rick Prime

With his rebellion days behind him and the existing detente with all other Ricks, Rick decided to take a different strategy in his hunt for Rick Prime: the passive approach. It’s revealed in "Solaricks" (the Season 6 premiere) that Rick traveled to the Prime universe to wait for Rick Prime to return so that he could then murder him. 

The eponymous Morty in Rick And Morty is Morty Prime, and it was the Prime versions of Beth, Jerry, and Summer who were introduced in the show’s pilot. That universe was eventually Cronenberged (see: Season 1’s "Rick Potion #9"), and all of the versions of the principal characters with the exception of Morty are now dead. (Womp, womp.)

Season 7 concluded in December 2023, and while we don’t yet know when we are going to see the premiere of Rick and Morty Season 8, it’s in the works and on the way to a likely 2025 release. After that, there are still two more guaranteed runs of the hit Adult Swim show thanks to the 70-episode deal that was signed back in May 2018. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more news and updates about the series as well as more in-depth analysis of its wonderful characters.

It is one of the most classic TV formulas there is: on most shows centered mostly around a particular family, the husband is an overzealous, absent-minded, scheming ignoramus and the wife is the one who holds the relationship together by bringing her spouse down to earth… and even to justice. The following are some of the most iconic TV wives who have earned a special place in our hearts for never backing down from reminding the men in their lives who the boss really is.

Debra Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)

The show may be called Everybody Loves Raymond, but the titular sports writer (played by comedian Ray Romano) was seen constantly sparring with his wife, Debra Barone (two-time Emmy winner Patricia Heaton), over his frequent immaturity and ill-advised decisions. At least they could bond over their mutual dysfunctional relationship with Ray’s parents (played by Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts)

Jill Taylor (Home Improvement)

Home Improvement has a double meaning, referring to the attempts of Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (Tim Allen) to keep up the morale in his household, as well as maintain it with repairs and renovations. Either of those attempts has been known to prove disastrous on many occasions, as Tim’s wife (and the Taylor home’s main voice of reason), Jill (Patricia Richardson), is quick to point out to him.

Carla Turk (Scrubs)

In the second episode of Scrubs, surgeon Christopher Turk (Donald Faison) and registered nurse Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes) start a relationship that leads to marriage in Season 3. It’s a mostly idyllic romance that does come with its conflicts, which are predominantly related to Turk’s friendship with J.D. (Zach Braff) — one of the most iconic pop culture bromances — which often teeters toward something deeper.

Cheryl Mabel (According To Jim)

One of the greatest mysteries in sitcom history is how Jim Mabel (Jim Belushi) manages to stay married to Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith) for so long, or at all for that matter, in According to Jim. The mother of three is constantly forced to contend with the contractor’s countless lies and schemes and severely one-sided philosophies on gender dynamics.

Angie Lopez (George Lopez)

Between George Lopez’s titular blue-collar worker (played by comedian and co-creator George Lopez) and his wife, Angie (Constance Marie), she could be considered the more naive of the two, but is definitely far more level-headed. Not to mention, Angie is way out of her husband’s league in terms of looks, if we are being honest.

Claire Dunphy (Modern Family)

None of the relationships on Modern Family are necessarily perfect, but Claire (Julie Bowen) and Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) really could not be more different in terms of temperament. She is easily the one who wears the pants in the household and has to bring her slightly dim-witted husband down to earth time and time again.

Louise Jefferson (The Jeffersons)

One of the things that makes The Jeffersons a spin-off as good as its parent series, All in the Family, is the conflict-heavy, yet loving, dynamic of its titular couple. There are very few things that do not get George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) burning with rage, but that is where his wife, Louise (a.k.a. "Weezy), played by Isabel Sanford, comes in to calm him down.

Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)

Arguably, the ultimate example of a TV wife forced to put up with an infantile husband just might be Marge, voiced by Julie Kavner on The Simpsons. The amount of mishaps and outright disasters that Homer (Dan Castellaneta) is directly responsible for is astounding and the fact that Matt Groening’s cultural phenomenon is the longest-running animated program of all time does not lessen this aspect of the couple’s relationship.

Skyler White (Breaking Bad)

Out of all the characters in the Breaking Bad universe — including even cold-blooded murderers like Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) — Skyler White (Emmy winner Anna Gunn) is one of the most hated among fans, which we find baffling. One might assume that audiences would have more sympathy for a woman after she discovers that her husband, Walter (Bryan Cranston) is a criminal, even if some of her subsequent decisions are certainly not ideal either.

Gina Waters-Payne (Martin)

In one of the best Tisha Campbell TV shows, Martin, the actor plays Gina Waters — the girlfriend-turned-wife of the title character, played by comedian Martin Lawrence. The businesswoman was always the radio and TV personality’s strongest supporter, but would also be the first to bring him back down to earth when need be.

Peggy Bundy (Married… With Children)

Admittedly, Katey Segal's Married... with Children character, Peggy Bundy, is, just about, the quintessential example of the ditzy sitcom wife. However, even she had a wit that made her a perfect match for her husband, Al (Ed O'Neill), and his cynical, insulting manner.

Carrie Heffernan (The King of Queens)

Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini) from The King of Queens are the kind of couple who bring out the best in each other by seeing past their respective shortcomings. That being said, Carrie would never shy away from pointing out when her mail carrier husband's shortcomings got the best of him.

Lily Munster (The Munsters)

The vampiric Lily (Yvonne DeCarlo) spends so much time on The Munsters snapping at her husband, Herman (Fred Gwynne), for his bumbling antics, it practically becomes one of her most essential characteristics. Of course, in Herman's defense, he does have a second-hand brain.

Alice Kramden (The Honeymooners)

The main selling point of The Honeymooners was Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) and his get-rich-quick schemes, something his wife, Alice (Audrey Meadows) always tries to warn him about. The bus driver would typically ignore her advice and go through with his plans, only to learn that he should have listened to her in the first place.

Trudy Proud (The Proud Family)

We have a fun idea for a game someone could play while watching either classic episodes of The Proud Family or Disney+’s reboot, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. The goal is to tally how many times Trudy Proud (Paula Jai Parker) calls out “Oscar!” when her husband (voiced by Tommy Davidson) makes an overzealous judgment or misbehaves in general on the animated series.

Amy Farrah Fowler (The Big Bang Theory)

When Mayim Bialik joined The Big Bang Theory cast as Amy Farrah Fowler, she bore many similarities to her love interest-turned-husband — the monotone and rudely forward Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). However, further down the road — and after becoming friends with Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) — she becomes the voice of reason in their relationship and, ultimately, makes him a better person.

Audrey Bingham (Rules Of Engagement)

Patrick Warburton's Jeff Bingham claimed to be the one who knew all the eponymous Rules of Engagement in this CBS sitcom. Of course, his wife, Audrey (Megyn Price) was truly the more level-headed and sensible one between them.

Kitty Forman (That '70s Show)

The often forcibly optimistic Kitty Forman (Debra Jo Rupp) usually tries to ignore or downplay the cynicism and overt rudeness that Red (Kurtwood Smith) directs toward her or the rest of the That ’70s Show cast. However, she has been known to totally fly off the handle and leave her normally outspoken husband speechless and history would certainly repeat itself in the Netflix sequel series, That ‘90s Show.

Rainbow Johnson (Black-ish)

On Black-ish, Anthony Anderson’s Andre “Dre” Johnson is certainly the more strict parent than his wife, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) to their five children. This is among the reasons why Rainbow often boldly plays offense with her husband, in addition to when she believes his actions or ideas are completely absurd.

Jamie Buchman (Mad About You)

The title of Mad About You has two meanings. Not only does it refer to how madly in love with each other Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt) are, but it also references how, literally, "mad" they tend to get at each other — especially Jamie for her husband's typically innocent mistakes.

Lois Griffin (Family Guy)

Peter Griffin (voiced by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane) is lazy, infantile, and problematic to a cartoonish degree (which, admittedly, is fitting, given that he is a cartoon). Of course, this leaves his wife, Lois (Alex Borstein), to hold things together, which often involves doing her best to keep Peter from making an even bigger fool of himself.

Estelle Costanza (Seinfeld)

It becomes clear how George Costanza (Jason Alexander) turned out to be the most neurotic of all the Seinfeld characters when you meet his parents. All Frank (Jerry Stiller) and Estelle (Estelle Harris) do is keep each other in check — or, more accurately, heinously scold each other — but most might agree that Frank often deserves it more.

Jordan Sullivan (Scrubs)

In reality, Jordan Sullivan (Christa Miller) is never actually married to Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) during the duration of Scrubs because it is learned they divorced before Season 1. However, the bulk of their post-marriage, romantic relationship could be described as an intense quarrel of dry, mean-spirited sarcastic wit that makes them a perfect match for one another.

Lois (Malcolm In The Middle)

Hal — Bryan Cranston’s role in Malcolm in the Middle — is an undeniably loving and devoted father, but he is also an accident-prone nervous nelly. So, it is a good thing that he and their four (and later five) sons have Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) to keep things afloat, if not with a little tough love.

Jay Kyle (My Wife And Kids)

Even the best TV wives have their shortcomings, such as Janet “Jay” Kyle (Tisha Campbell) from My Wife and Kids, who was always quick to put on the defense whenever her family criticized her naiveté. Well, two can play that game and Jay is a fierce participant, especially when her husband, Michael (co-creator Damon Wayans), lets his childish ego run wild or takes his strict parenting style too far. 

Beth Smith (Rick And Morty)

Much like her scientist father, Rick Sanchez (formerly voiced by co-creator Justin Roiland and replaced by Ian Cardoni), Beth Smith (Sarah Charlke) is smart and independent, but also brutally honest when it comes to criticizing her loved ones. As far as we are concerned, these qualities make her a perfect match for Jerry (Chris Parnell), who is often in need of being told when he has made, or is about to make, a huge, potentially life-threatening mistake.

Wilma Flintstone (The Flintstones)

The qualities that make Wilma Flintstone (originally voiced by Jane Vander Pyl in the early 1950s and 1960s) one of the all-time greatest TV wives are, essentially, the same qualities that earn Alice Kramden the same honor. Fans have been saying for decades that The Flintstones is, essentially, a pre-historic, animated reimagining of The Honeymooners — complete with her constant badgering of Fred (most notably played by Alan Reed) for his half-baked schemes.

Claire Huxtable (The Cosby Show)

At the time The Cosby Show was the most popular series on TV in the mid-to-late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the Huxtables were seen as having the ideal family dynamic, with parents Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Claire (Phylicia Rashad) typically knowing the right thing to say to their kids when in need. That being said, the many times Cliff would, instead, resort to facetiousness and tomfoolery was often shut down or rebuffed by Claire as soon as she had the chance.

Penny Hofstadter (The Big Bang Theory)

Between the two main romantic leads of The Big Bang Theory, experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) is clearly the more book-smart one. However, his eventual wife, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), is definitely the one with the street smarts, which she uses to help him realize whenever he may have made a miscalculation.

Molly Flynn (Mike & Molly)

Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell) from Mike & Molly is, just about, one of the smartest, kindest, and most level-headed TV husbands in sitcom history. Of course, that does not mean the Chicago police officer is never prone to a flub, and his wife, Molly (Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy), is always quick to call him out.

Judy Miller (Still Standing)

Bill (Mark Addy) and Judy Miller (Jami Gertz) from CBS’ Still Standing are among the few TV couples who both indulge in crazy schemes, sometimes in collaboration. However, Judy typically only joins in on her husband’s plans in an effort to make them more efficient after pointing out their flaws and absurdities.

Wanda McCullough (The Bernie Mac Show)

On The Bernie Mac Show, when the titular comedian (starring as himself) is made the guardian of his nephew and two nieces, he has no parental instincts to latch onto outside his own industrial strength opinions. Luckily, his wife, Wanda McCullough (Kellita Smith), provided more suitable, nurturing guidance for the children and her boisterous husband in check with her unmatchable sass.

With how many doting and reserved TV wives there have been, it always refreshing to see a strong, independent woman telling her husband like it is.

It wasn't that long ago when it seemed we wouldn't experience an extended wait for the premiere of Rick and Morty Season 8. Actress Sarah Chalke had encouraging updates that led to assumptions the premiere date wasn't far off. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, but there is something positive to look forward to in the meantime, and I'm absolutely stoked about it after seeing the latest look at Rick and Morty: The Anime.

As Rick and Morty Season 7 arrives for those with a Max subscription, new updates have arrived about the upcoming season and the anticipated spinoff. While there is a bit of bad news, I think the good part is just too great to ignore.

Season 8 Of Rick And Morty Will Premiere In 2025

Rick and Morty was on a solid streak of consistent yearly releases, but that will end with Season 8. THR reported that the new season will arrive in 2025, meaning there will be a full year before new episodes arrive. While past information from writers about delays made it seem like they would be a thing of the past for the Adult Swim show, the trend has reared its ugly head once more. 

If there is any upside to this news, the delay came as a result of the five-month Writers' Guild strikes. This is to say that the delay is not a result of co-creator Justin Roiland's firing or the myriad of behind-the-scenes changes that the series went through, so this news shouldn't inspires worries about the overall health of the show. 

And now for the great news!

The Latest Trailer For Rick And Morty's New Anime Has Me Pumped

The latest glimpse at Rick and Morty: The Anime, seen in the video above, really opened my eyes to what this spinoff can be. At its core, the original show has always been a mix of irreverent and crude humor that occasionally dives into very philosophical insights. We've seen enough to understand the formula executed from an American perspective, but how does that vision translate over in Japan? 

It's a question I wondered while watching the spinoff's Rick Sanchez deliver a very sage-like and deep monologue. It's a vibe that, frankly, the original series could never pull off, and it's cool to see it executed in such an effective way in this short clip. I was initially on the fence about Rick and Morty: The Anime because it felt unnecessary, but this could end up being something cool. 

And while we'll have to wait for a new season of Rick and Morty, Adult Swim has confirmed that the spinoff will arrive later in 2024. Perhaps this is for the best so audiences can experience the anime fresh and without comparing the new series to some of the series' past adventures and best side characters. I'll look forward to it, especially since I have no choice with Season 8 coming in 2025. 

As mentioned, Season 7 of Rick and Morty is available to stream right now on Max. The latest episodes are among my favorite in the franchise, so anyone who hasn't had a chance to watch yet should certainly make it a priority to do so. 

Adult Swim granted Rick and Morty a massive renewal a long time ago, so we've known Season 8 was coming for a while. That's reason enough to be excited, but we also know a few things about the upcoming episodes that make the wait to find out more about this universe following a massive Season 7 that much easier. 

Because there's only so many times one can binge Rick and Morty with their Max subscription, here's some info about Season 8 to pore over while waiting for new episodes. While there's still a lot to learn, we can lean on these facts in the meantime to ease the struggle of waiting. 

What Is The Rick And Morty Season 8 Premiere Date?

Rick and Morty Season 8 does not have an official premiere date at this time, but there's reason to believe that it could arrive as soon as late 2024. Beth voice actress Sarah Chalke gave a positive update that the season was fully written and that they don't receive the scripts until shortly before they record. 

I would say that once we start to hear about the voice actors heading into the studio to record, it shouldn't be too much longer until a release date is announced. That's pure speculation, however, and we'll have to continue to wait on definitive word on the premiere date. 

The Main Cast Is Expected To Return For Season 8

Given that Rick and Morty Season 7 ended with Rick, Morty, and most every other major character still alive, it stands to reason that the main cast of voice actors will reprise their roles for Season 8. That's a fairly sizable group since the series brought on a slew of new actors after firing co-creator Justin Roiland, and it's maybe even opened up the series to trying some new things. 

As an example, Season 7 made history for the series when it aired "Rise Of The Numbericons: The Movie." This was the first episode in the series' history in which Rick Sanchez did not appear. With the title characters no longer being voiced by the same voice actor, one has to wonder if we'll see more solo adventures where Morty goes off without Rick, and vice versa. 

Season 8 Was Confirmed To Be Fully Written In 2023

As previously mentioned, we don't know exactly when Rick and Morty Season 8 will premiere. With that said, there's reason to be optimistic it might show up sometime later in 2024, based on what we know about when the scripts were completed. According to an interview with Premiere in June of 2023, executive producer Steve Levy said that Season 8 of the Adult Swim series was "totally written." 

If the season was totally written, it's possible that animation for Season 8 was well underway before the start of 2024. If so, then after the voice work, all that's presumably left to do is for Adult Swim to schedule a date for the series to drop. Again, we can only speculate on when Rick and Morty Season 8 may debut, but if the scripts were finished that early, the odds of it arriving later in 2024 seem much more believable than not. 

Season 8 Will Follow Up Season 7's Game-Changing Moments

Rick and Morty Season 8 will have a lot to address, thanks to some big moments that happened in Season 7. Fans were blindsided with a surprise midseason: Rick had not only confronted Rick Prime but killed him as well. The twist closed out a storyline many figured would stretch to the series' endgame, though the top brass of the series has assured fans that there's still somewhere for the story to go and not to worry after the game-changing reveal. 

Season 7 left a few places for the series to pick up on in Season 8, like the big character change for Mr. Poopybutthole. It appears that one of Rick and Morty's beloved side characters is headed down a dark path, and one would think that will be addressed at a later date. With that said, I would expect the major overall arc of Season 8 to be something much larger. 

Dan Harmon Revealed Rick And Morty Season 8 Is A Return To Form

Dan Harmon spoke a bit about Season 8 in an interview with The Verge and likened it to what viewers saw in the latest episodes. Harmon called Season 7 " another brick in the road" and said that the upcoming season will feature that feeling but more. Season 8 will be a "return to form," in his words, which sounds mostly positive. 

And, while Rick and Morty fans may not have felt a derailment of any kind, Harmon pointed to the many struggles happening behind the scenes in previous seasons. Aside from the casting shakeups and controversy with Justin Roiland, the series also wrestled with constantly being over-budget and late with the schedule, other changes behind the scenes midseason, and the untimely passing of line producer J. Michael Mendel. Now that things have settled down a bit, viewers may see more of what the show can be when its staff isn't constantly balancing plates and trying to account for unforeseen circumstances. 

Rick And Morty Is Already Returning For Season 9 And 10

As mentioned earlier, Adult Swim granted Rick and Morty a massive renewal back in 2018. The deal allowed for the series to make seventy more episodes, and after Season 7, they've officially run forty of that number. Assuming Season 8 and beyond continues to keep the count of ten episodes a season, we won't have to worry about getting a new season until after Season 10. 

The upside of such a massive renewal is it granted Rick and Morty the creative freedom to plan and set up long-term storytelling, knowing there would be time to tell that story. Given all the advance writing happening, I would wager that the next few seasons will be loaded with some wild stories with a big payoff, but for now, let's just hope that there are some exciting things in store for Season 8. 

Rick and Morty Season 8 is still a ways away, but fans can binge previous seasons right now over on Max. I'm ready to see the next chapter of what's coming for Rick Sanchez after defeating Rick Prime, and what that big development means for the rest of the Smith family, as well. 

Rick and Morty Season 7 wrapped up with an emotional hole-filled finale, and while Sarah Chalke's promising update about Season 8 may have fans already looking ahead, others are still looking back at the show's first batch of eps without fired co-creator Justin Roiland. Such fan-alysing has spotlighted an unexpected and ew-worthy milestone that quite a few viewers have been celebrating: Rick and Morty went an entire season without any storylines dedicated to incestuous plots. I really hate that it's something that deserves acknowledging, but here we are. 

Season 7 featured the lethal, game-changing defeat of Rick Prime along with the return of Evil Morty, and plenty of other narratives that didn't force viewers to endure uncomfortable moments involving family members' sexual escapades. Considering the Adult Swim series previously delivered Summer and Morty's giant incest baby Naruto, it was seemingly a direct choice to avoid such taboo material, and that choice was celebrated by fans on Reddit, with eddie_fitzgerald joking that the Season 7 finale even contained the "ultimate anti-incest" message. As they put it:

Those who watch Rick and Morty regularly already know the show has featured an arguably uncomfortable run by way of incest-related humor. Personally, I admittedly didn't notice the all-around lack of that trend while Season 7 was airing, but others like TheElocutionist certainly did. They joked that the upcoming season will make up for what was absent this time around, saying: 

It wouldn't be the internet without some questionably healthy debates, so of course there are people who wonder if Rick and Morty Season 7 can truly be considered free of all incest stories if Space Beth is still a prevalent part of the clan. The character's return in Season 5 has done more than spark theories about who the real Beth is, even if some think they've figured it out. As ResplendentShade noted, her presence adds a kink into the mix, and not even that kind of kink.

It's a valid question, and one I'm not sure I know the answer to. Is self-love via clone something that falls under the category of incest? I guess if we were to look at the pure definition of the word, in that it's sexual intercourse by two people too closely related to each other, clone sex might even be worse than incest, morally speaking. Others might take the perspective that it's more self-masturbatory than anything. 

I think making any definitive ruling is above my expertise as an entertainment writer without any clones of his own, so I'll leave readers to debate amongst themselves while sharing the same sentiment as Optimal_Ad6274, who chimed in with:

For those who may be a little bummed about the lack of such questionable material,  there are plenty of classic Rick and Morty moments to look back on via a Max subscription. And hey, let's not forget that Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon is also available on streaming over on that platform, so anyone who really needs to scratch that itch can do so. That probably won't be the tagline WBD will run for the streamer anytime soon, especially as rumored negotiations with a merger with Paramount continue.

All that aside, the company and writers deserve a pat on the back for any involvement it might've had with squashing incest in Rick and Morty. This fan didn't even wait until the end of the season to share praise.

The fact I've spent even this long writing about incest in Rick and Morty sort of squashes the achievement of not thinking about it all that much during Season 7, but it's worth it if it encourages the show's creative team to continue avoiding it going forward. Sure, this is a show loaded with irreverence, but does it always have to give us THE grossest moments? It's okay for an episode's most mindblowing detail to be some deeply philosophical truth, as opposed to DNA atrocities, or at least that's my take. 

Rick and Morty Season 7 has wrapped at Adult Swim, but as mentioned, Season 8 is on the way. Fans will have a lot to ponder as we wait for the upcoming season, especially now that Rick doesn't have an explicit direction to head in after he's defeated his chief rival. Will he set his sights on another enemy in the next batch of episodes? I can't wait to find out. 

Season 7 of Rick and Morty was quite a transformative experience for many characters, for reasons beyond Justin Roiland's firing forcing recasts of voice actors. Rick Sanchez went through some changes after completing his long mission to exact vengeance on Rick Prime, and Morty slowly became less reliant on Rick and even had a solo intergalactic adventure. There was also a big change for another beloved character, and an executive producer's thoughts on Mr. Poopybutthole's latest development have me stoked for the character's future. 

Weird name aside, Mr. Poopybutthole's heartwarming backstory and the various theories surrounding his existence and place in the universe won over the Rick and Morty fandom. It seemed like Mr. Poopybutthole was back on the right path after his intervention in the Season 7 premiere, but the final scene showed it wasn't as effective as the characters involved may have thought. However, as his story continues, I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Rick And Morty Put Mr. Poopybutthole On A Dark Path

Mr. Poopybutthole appeared in the post-credits scene of Rick and Morty Season 7, much like he has in previous seasons. As one of Rick and Morty's best side characters, it was a thrill to see him right up until the wild thing he did that shifted my perspective of the character permanently. 

The character revealed he stole Rick's Portal Gun, and we witnessed him swapping places with another Mr. Poopybutthole and tossing him through the portal. In this reality, this character's family was still together and hadn't left him after his life fell apart. 

The scene closed with Mr. Poopybutthole getting a beer from his wife from another dimension, though she was seemingly aware that something had changed about her husband. Executive producer Steve Levy talked about the moment to TVLine, and he gave some insight behind the scene in question as well as what it means for the character:

It seems as though Mr. Poopybutthole needs some help, and rather than try to resolve his issues with addiction and do some self-healing, he finds another way to cope. Time will tell if he's ultimately able to fool his new family, though it seems like the wife is already aware that something is amiss. What will happen once she finds out, and what does this mean for the future of the series? I can't wait to find out!

Why This Is Great For Rick And Morty

The Season 7 finale that gutted CinemaBlend's Nick Venable just got even more tragic for me. At the same time though, I love the idea of Mr. Poopybutthole transitioning into villain territory. Given the fact his other self was tossed back through the portal, there's an opportunity for Rick and Morty to revisit this storyline in Season 8. 

Unfortunately, there's a chance that this doesn't get revisited in Season 8. Sarah Chalke already revealed the upcoming Rick and Morty season was written. So, if Steve Levy didn't know where the plot was headed, then it likely isn't a big part of the new episodes. That's not entirely surprising if true, though he could also be playing coy to hide the upcoming plot. 

Whatever the case may be, it's good to see a secondary character like Mr. Poopybutthole get some strong character development that could be revisited at a later date. 

I also like how his actions are similar to what Rick did when he first infiltrated the Smith family of Rick Prime, minus the fact that there's no revenge plot in mind. Could this force Rick to view his past actions in a different light? How will he feel about the rest of the family and his stance that "every version is more or less the same" as the previous one? I hope these questions are addressed in Season 8.

We will have to wait for answers, obviously, and continue to watch Rick and Morty with a Max subscription while the team works on new episodes. I'm eager to see how the story moves forward in Season 8 and beyond, and if Mr. Poopybutthole ends up becoming the next big bad of the show's universe. 

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched Rick and Morty’s Season 7 finale, so be warned!

For all the turmoil and conversational debates that surrounded Rick and Morty ahead of its seventh season arrival — largely centered on Justin Roiland’s firing and the pair of replacement voice actors — it was another fairly stellar year of familial strife, science fiction shenanigans, and bursts of nihilistic surrealism. And while I certainly expected the finale to be a big one, especially after episodes that featured Rick’s preconceived death by Bigfoot and Rick Prime’s Succession-esque shocker, I didn’t expect it to be such an emotional gut-thrashing. 

“Fear No Mort” wasn’t exactly a canon-expanding installment, while also straying far from being an adventure-of-the-week narrative. Rather than worrying about the larger whole, as it were, this seasonal conclusion instead offered up a slice of a character study centered almost entirely within Morty’s unaddressed fears, and thus felt all the more important as a standalone. From the unsettling humor to the emotional trauma, it’s a Top 3 episode through and through, and will possibly take over the highest spot as my favorite of them all. 

Rick And Morty's Fear Hole Is An A+ Spin On The Twilight Zone 

From the jump, Rick and Morty set its Season 7 finale up to stand out, eschewing the usual cold open to start off with the credit sequence. Less than a minute later, they were already being measuredly accosted by a mysterious Rod Serling-esque weirdo voiced by Liev Schreiber, who introduces them to a place where they could tap into real fears beyond what any theme park gimmick might inspire: a Hole in the floor of a Denny’s bathroom stall.

Like some of the best Rick and Morty episodes, “Fear No Mort” builds up a particularly disturbing storyline and then pulls the rug out from under viewers with unexpected reveals, which recalls many classic Twilight Zone episode formats. In this case, Morty attempts to lock down the root of his deepest fear, which is made all the more complicated by the Hole’s reality-bending functionality. 

In the end, which follows a larger series of Hole-based fakeouts, it’s revealed that the fear-conquering experience wasn’t shared. Rather, the mentally taxing and time-bending journey was solely Morty’s, a twist that made the entire episode worth rewatching, with new contextual layers for each of the scenes with Rick within his grandson’s mind. Though maybe we shouldn’t think too hard about the gaunt nudity. 

Diane's "Return" Was A Heartbreaker

With each new nugget of truth revealed about Rick’s late wife Diane, from the details about her death to the sordid ways he tried to rectify that tragedy, Rick and Morty looks to be setting up a super-tragic endgame down the line. I admittedly thought that “Fear No Mort” would end up being a pillar of catharsis for the sadistic widower, and that he might make it through the Hole having fully come to terms with his grief. But was possibly more intrigued by it all being part of Morty’s mindframe. 

For one, it allowed the creative team to give (a version of) Diane a lot of screen time without her return being mired in time-travel hijinks and/or loads of interdimensional travel. And even though the reveal meant that that woman we witnessed wasn’t an honest representation, since everything about her was all presumably based on the teenager’s second-hand knowledge of his grandmother, this take on Diane was still vital for giving viewers a rare peek into Morty’s perspective on that span of family history.

In a similar vein, even though it wasn’t technically real, the Diane moments also gave viewers a Rick that had shed much of his sardonic thorniness and was (albeit reluctantly) closing back in on happiness, even at the cost of his own liveliness. I like to think that one of Morty’s smaller fears was Rick being lulled into falling for a false version of Diane, too. 

"Fear No Mort" Was Rick And Morty At Its Introspective Best

This deep into Rick and Morty’s run, there’s something to be said about its 71st episode avoiding any giant, canon-cracking arcs to instead put all of its focus on the terrified hamster spinning around in its wheel within Morty’s skull. It certainly makes the timing of Rick Prime’s midseason death more understandable, knowing that the goal was to wrap the season up by drilling as deep as possible into its youngest character’s inner workings. 

For me, Rick and Morty works best when the plots and jokes are character-driven, as opposed to putting all the attention on battling newly doomed alien races and the like. While also knowing that all the adventures help to inform Morty’s mental state and emotional depths, to be sure. To that end, “Fear No Mort” wouldn’t have worked nearly as well as a finale in the first few seasons, since the biggest jolts come from how familiar and lived-in the characters are at this point. I shared Morty's fears because I care about him. 

What's more, the writers even seemed to call back to earlier emotional montages from this very season, particularly through the "Morty getting older" sequence, which hilariously upended its wistful nature with the punchline that Morty's lifelong fear was turning into Jerry. To be fair, though, that's everyone's nightmare.

Now, I was also dealing with the death of a loved one in the hours leading up to Rick and Morty's last ep of the season, so I was probably already primed for emotional rawness and vicarious grieving. But regardless of why I think it's a great episode, "Fear No Mort" is a damned fine cup of coffee, er, 30 minutes of television. 

The Season 7 finale and everything that came before it is available to stream with a Max subscription. Knowing that Rick and Morty Season 8 is coming should help during the months-long hiatus until new episodes arrive in 2024.

Rick and Morty had a lot riding on Season 7, but I think it's proven in spades there is a future for this series after co-creator Justin Roiland was fired. Between the hilarious nod to their Space Jam cameo and the major game-changing reveals, I wouldn't be surprised if people are wondering about Season 8's arrival before Season 7 even ends on the 2023 TV schedule. Fortunately, we have a positive update on the progress of the next season, thanks to Beth's voice actress, Sarah Chalke. 

While the minds behind Rick and Morty assure fans that there's nothing to worry about following that game-changing story in Season 7, Sarah Chalke offered an update on how far along work is on Season 8. She said the following during an interview with Screen Rant, and made it seem like it's possible the wait for Season 8 won't be that long: 

The Rick and Morty voice actors haven't seen the scripts for Season 8, but Sarah Chalke says they are written, and she added that schedules are being worked out for when to record it. There's nothing mentioned about the progress made on the animation front, so it is hard to say definitively when the new season will be here. 

With that being said, some progress is better than no progress, and it wouldn't be surprising for me if we eventually learn that Rick and Morty Season 8 will arrive around this time on the 2024 TV schedule or perhaps in early 2025. Assuming that's accurate, I can spend the time in between re-watching the show with my Max subscription, and further theorizing what's next for the show after some of Season 7's wild reveals. 

The biggest question Season 8 of Rick and Morty will have to address is what is next for Rick C-137 now that he's completed his mission of killing Rick Prime. The season has featured Rick being kind of reckless and seemingly hoping for death (one episode even hilariously predicted his death by Bigfoot), and we've even gotten a standalone Morty episode. What is Rick's next goal now that he's completed what he set out to do, and how does he move on from the trauma tied to that event? Hopefully, Season 8 will answer those questions.

From a fan perspective, it will be interesting to see how Rick and Morty further evolves after finding voice actors to serve as Justin Roiland's replacements. I had feared the new voices may change the series for me, but I quickly realized the recasting wasn't as big a deal as I thought. Provided that Season 8 maintains the same quality as Season 7, I think I'll be a happy camper whenever it arrives. 

Before we get to speculating too much more about Rick and Morty Season 8, we need to see the Season 7 finale. Tune in Sunday, December 17th at 11:00 p.m. ET on Adult Swim, for the final episode of the season and for potentially another big reveal that will make the wait for Season 8, however long it may be, more agonizing. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Rick and Morty Season 7 episode "Mort: Ragnarick." Read at your own risk!

Rick and Morty Season 7 is already almost over, but the surprises still keep on coming, thnks to Rick's death-via-Bigfood it "Mort: Ragnarick." After thinking the titular duo topped themselves by way of self-murder with the hilariously harsh reference to Space Jam, this was clearly a bigger shock. I was shocked to discover the Adult Swim show set up an awesome easter egg earlier in the season foreshadowing Rick's fate that may have flown over the heads of many at the time.

For those wondering how they could've missed what sounds like an obvious foreshadowing, the prediction was sneakily put into "Air Force Wong" in what seemed to be a throwaway gag. Rick went to visit the President and was introduced to the team that he was supposed to be teaming up with, but he ultimately declined. Before he left, Fleeflak, an alien the government believed could have the power to tell the future, handed Rick a picture. Take a look at the picture, which can be found below: 

It looks like Fleeflak can tell the future, as the alien handed Rick a rough drawing of him getting murdered by Bigfoot long before it happened. It's kind of hilarious in hindsight, considering there was the much bigger game-changing Season 7 moment that Fleeflak could've spoiled, but apparently, he only saw the murder by Bigfoot. 

In terms of what this means for Rick and Morty in the long term, that's a great question. Was it essential for the show to establish Fleeflak as someone who can predict the future so that he will appear again later to tease another event? That's kind of what I'm hoping, and that we'll get some post-credit scene where he'll be seen drawing some wild reveal that's coming in a future season of the series. 

With that said, Rick and Morty's best side characters have struggled to get a spotlight over the course of the series. As such, it's entirely possible, and maybe even likely we'll never see Fleeflak again, and this was just a setup for an in-season joke that fans will appreciate now and rewatching years to come should they stream it with a Max subscription.

Season 7 of Rick and Morty has included everything from an appearance from Hugh Jackman with an uncomfortable reference to the death of a character some might've assumed was being held for the series' endgame. With the Season 7 finale just around the corner, I can't imagine what is next. It's possible we're in for a finale that ranks among the best Rick and Morty episodes of all time, but for now, I'm just thrilled at the quality we've seen of the season overall so far. I'm ready for Season 8 and, hopefully, many more seasons after. 

Rick and Morty airs on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Season 7 is about to bow, so be sure to tune in and prepare for the final episode for a little while and see what's set up for the title characters ahead of Season 8. 

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! I hope that all of you are preparing yourselves for a lovely day full of family, friends, and food – but just because this is a holiday doesn’t mean that the week was deprived of news and fun from the world of Stephen King. There is still plenty to be collected for this week’s edition of The King Beat.

From The Life Of Chuck wrapping principal photography, to Rick And Morty’s latest episode featuring not just one but two Stephen King references, there is a lot of fun stuff to reflect on, so let’s dig in!

Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck Has Wrapped Production, And The Writer/Director Has A Lot Of People To Thank

At present, the slate of Stephen King adaptations for 2024 is a bit unclear. In the last six months, Constant Readers have seen the release of two new movies – The Boogeyman and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines – but there are no films that presently have a release date set for next year, and there aren’t any set plans yet for TV or streaming projects either. What gives us plenty of hope that 2024 won’t be completely without King on-screen, however, is the in-limbo status of Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot and that Mike Flanagan has completed production on The Life Of Chuck.

It was in my column less than two months ago that I noted The Life Of Chuck was gearing up for production in Alabama, and now, the writer/director behind the new Stephen King movie has announced that principal photography has come to an end. On Friday, November 17, Flanagan took to his personal Twitter account to both announce that filming on The Life Of Chuck had ended and send a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who was involved in making it. The filmmaker wrote,

We first learned about The Life Of Chuck in early May of this year when it was announced that the independent project was going to be shopped at the Cannes film market. At that time, the cast only included Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill, but the ensemble cast grew considerably when production was gearing up in October. In addition to Hamill (who had a brilliant supporting role on the Netflix series The Fall Of The House Of Usher), the movie features a number of performers who have past experience working with Mike Flanagan, including Annalise Basso, Matt Biedel, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Rahul Kohli, Heather Langenkamp, Carl Lumbly, Violet McGraw, Molly C. Quinn, Sauriyan Sapkota, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, and Michael Trucco.

In a follow-up post, Mike Flanagan shared deep gratitude to all of the people with whom he collaborated on The Life Of Chuck, and added that this is a project for which he feels immense pride:

The Life Of Chuck is based on the Stephen King novella of the same name, which was first published in the 2020 collection If It Bleeds. The dramatic narrative plays out in reverse chronological order, beginning with the eponymous Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) dying from a brain tumor and proceeding back through his time on Earth. In an interview with Hiddleston that CinemaBlend published earlier this month, the Loki actor made comparisons between the film and The Shawshank Redemption.

The Shawshank Redemption, of course, is the perfect title to highlight when explaining that Stephen King is not simply a writer of horror stories – but Mike Flanagan still expects an uphill battle when it comes to explaining that his King adaptation follow-up to Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep is not a scary movie. The writer/director concluded his thread writing,

The Life Of Chuck does not currently have a release date (hoping for one of the 52 weekends in 2024 doesn’t seem unreasonable), but you can be sure that we’ll have the news about its distribution plans for you as soon as they become available.

Rick And Morty Season 7 Drops A Pair Of Terrific Stephen King References In A Single Episode

Those who watch Rick And Morty know that the excellent animated series has previously demonstrated a fanship for Stephen King. The Season 1 episode “Something Ricked This Way Comes” riffs on the excellent novel Needful Things; Season 2’s “A Rickle in Time” introduces an interdimensional being that looks a whole lot like the creatures in the novella “The Langoliers;” and Season 3’s "The Ricklantis Mixup" has a Stand By Me-esque B-plot. These kind of references pop up regularly – but the most recent episode is worth highlighting because it delivers a two-for-one special by featuring nods to both Maximum Overdrive (based on the short story “Trucks”) and Pet Sematary.

In Season 7’s “Rickfending Your Mort” (a play on the Albert Brooks film Defending Your Life), Rick and Morty end up inviting a geode-looking interdimensional being called The Observer to their house, and to settle an argument between the two protagonists, it shows clips from some of their past adventures. Among the earliest is what’s literally described as “Maximum Overdrive with clothes” – and it’s exactly what you think. Instead of trucks and electronics coming to life and rebelling against humans, it’s instead everybody’s shirts and pants. Looking on the bright side, Rick is happy that they’re not dealing with cars, but his opinion changes as he watches a sentient hoodie rip off a woman’s face and try to wear it. The bit is quick, but excellent.

Later in the episode, another flashback reveals that the show’s eponymous duo once did a bit of experimenting in a Pet Sematary. While trying to bring Ben Franklin back from the dead (for undisclosed reasons), they are disappointed when he comes back evil – but the failure inspires experimentation. They know that after a certain amount of time, a dead person buried in the Pet Sematary will make a disturbing return from the grave… but what about a dead car? What about half of a dead kangaroo? And will wrapping a body in tinfoil perhaps ameliorate the whole “evil” thing? As scientists, Rick and Morty get to the bottom of it with disgusting, horrifying, and hilarious results.

Excellent Stephen King references and Easter eggs can be found just about everywhere in popular culture, and I’ll continue to highlight new and great ones like these in this column.

Tales From The Darkside: The Movie’s “The Cat From Hell” Has Never Looked Better Than It Does On The 4K UHD From Scream Factory

If you’re a Stephen King fan who is also into collecting physical media, this fall has been a stellar season. Hardcover copies of the new novel Holly arrived in stores in early September, and as for adaptations, both The Mist and Cujo made their debuts in 4K UHD, and The Boogeyman is now available on Blu-ray. All of these releases may have put a bit of a hole in your pocket over the last few months, but if you’re building the Ultimate Stephen King Collection, allow me to suggest another must-buy for your shelves: Scream Factory’s new 4K UHD of Tales From The Darkside: The Movie.

News that the anthology horror film was getting an ultra-high-def re-release first came out in September (at which time I highlighted it in The King Beat), and my pre-order arrived this past week. As soon as I could, I made a point of comparing the new look of the film to the Collector’s Edition that Scream Factory first released on Blu-ray in August 2020, and I am beyond impressed with what the boutique home video distributor has accomplished. The release features a new 4K transfer of the movie from the original camera negative, and the adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Cat From Hell” that it includes has never looked better. You can see the improvements for yourself in the side-by-side shots below (the shots from the new transfer are on the left).

As you can see, the washed out look is no more, and David Johansen and William Hickey now have skin tones that appear much more human. You’ll also note that the colors and patterns in the characters’ suits look much richer.

In addition to looking great, the Collector’s Edition of Tales From The Darkside: The Movie includes all of the special features that were included in the Blu-ray, and there is also a brand new feature-length commentary track recorded by film critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy… but also be sure to make some room on your shelf for the upcoming 4K releases of Silver Bullet, The Dead Zone, and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.

Recommendation Of The Week: “The Jaunt”

With the arrival of Thanksgiving in America, we are now in the early thralls of holiday season. For a lot of people, that means family, food, and gifts, and for many, it also means travel. This week, cars, trains and planes have been packed with people moving across towns, state lines and the entire country to be with the people we love. Taking this thought in what is possibly the darkest direction ever, I’ve decided to celebrate this annual activity by making my recommendation of the week “The Jaunt.”

First published in a 1981 issue of The Twilight Zone Magazine before being collected in Stephen King's 1985 omnibus Skeleton Crew, "The Jaunt" centers on the Oates family, who live in a distant future where teleportation technology has allowed colonization of the entire solar system. While Mark Oates, his wife, and their two children await a trip to Mars, Mark recounts the story of how the Jaunt was first created and used – but he decides not to explain what happens to a person if they experience the teleportation in a conscious state. This turns out to be a horrifying mistake, as the father fails to account for the curiosity of one of his sons, and what results is pure terror.

“The Jaunt” is one of the best short stories that Stephen King has written, and it sports one of the author’s best endings – with the last few paragraphs amounting to a true nightmare. If you’re a King fan and haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favor – even if it means introducing a bit of darkness to the general holiday season cheer.

That wraps up this special Thanksgiving edition of The King Beat, but be sure to head back here to CinemaBlend next Thursday for my latest column, and in the meantime, you can check out my Adapting Stephen King series diving into the long history of King’s work being adapted for film and television.

Spoilers below for Rick and Morty’s latest Season 7 adventure, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

After tapping into some canon-changing HBO vibes with Season 7’s “Unmortricken,” Rick and Morty settled back into a familiar groove with “Rickfending Your Mort,” which introduced a race of geode-esque Observers who are prone to witnessing others’ worst and/or most sinful moments. Which, naturally, allowed room for the show’s creative team to put the duo’s notorious Space Jam: A New Legacy cameo on blast, and also introduced the instantly adoration-worthy new character (and possible nemesis) Churry. Now get in the ship so we can celebrate these highlights, Morty. 

No Love For That Space Jam: A New Legacy Cameo

It’s somehow only been less than three years since Space Jam: A New Legacy hit the big screen with all kinds of wild Warner Bros. tie-ins that didn’t exactly win audiences over. Amidst all the Looney Tunes characters mixing it up with references to DC heroes, Game of Thrones characters and more, Rick and Morty’s central duo made their shocking arrival in the PG movie to drop off the Tasmanian Devil. It was fine enough, though the barbed joke made in Season 7’s latest ep will probably be a more memorable pop culture moment in the long run. 

As they were being held captive while facing trial on the Observers’ home planet, Rick and Morty attempted to prove themselves non-malicious entities, saying they’d never purposefully hurt other people. Which is obviously the hottest of bullshit where Rick is concerned, and there are no doubt plenty of moments the aliens could have introduced to the (basketball) court here, but what did they show? The day when Rick popped through the portal with two professionally wrapped corpses of different sizes, and had this exchange with his grandson:

• Rick: I did it, Morty! I killed the versions of us that were in Space Jam! Help me with the bodies.
• Morty: Wow! How'd you do it, Rick?
• Rick: It was easy, Morty. The welcomed death! They wanted out, Morty!

The show's creative team not only pulled off a funny moment there, but they also seemed to solidify that the Rick and Morty who made their presence known in Space Jam: A New Legacy were not the Morty Prime or Rick C-137 that we're most familiar with. (Get yourself some new canon, LeBron James!) While it's certainly no surprise that the Adult Swim show would take such shots, it's almost surprising that the Powers that Be at Warner Bros. were cool with the animated comedy delivering that lethal roast. I guess this is one of those "bad publicity is still publicity" situations.

I Heart Churry

Like many other Rick and Morty fans, I am a total sucker for every instance where an adorable new character is introduced under the best of circumstances, only for their existences to quickly give way to torment, trauma and other dismal fates. Sadly but surely, that was also the case for Churry, a normal churro forced into sentience entirely so that Morty would have someone to hang out with, only to be fooled and abandoned once their day-venture was over. Heartbreaking!

Or at least it might have been if Churry was weak and frail-willed and felt sorry for itself. But no, this is the Churry that reeled in a whopper of a catch while out at sea, and the Churry who rode the amusement park’s big slide without fear, and the one who found the fireman to save Morty from suffocating to death inside the crane game. And thus, it is now also the former snack food that will serve as a presumably minor and rarely seen nemesis for Morty going forward.

After being dropped off on a planet under the guise of meeting its "real" family — a bunch of non-sentient churros sticking out of the ground — Churry declared its vengeful motivations in a way that hints at future appearances. In its cinammon-dusted words:

While it's obviously hard to know if or when Rick and Morty will ever bring Churry back to get his revenge, the post-credits scene already confirmed a few questionable details. The churro somehow found its way off of that barren planet, traveled back to Earth, learned where Morty when to school, made its way into the school unseen (while holding a bag of brown sugar), found out how to break open a locker, set up the "Soon" message, and left. So obviously we need it to come back so we can learn how all that shit happened. And maybe see Churry partner up with one “Leg Ri-i-i-i-i-ick” or the other.

Rick and Morty has three episodes left in Season 7, which air Sunday nights on Adult Swim at 11:30, and are available to stream with a Max subscription. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Rick and Morty episode "Unmortricken." Read at your own risk!

There was a promise that Rick and Morty Season 7 would pick up after a slow start, and hot damn, that promise was fulfilled. After Season 6 revealed that Rick-C137 was on a vengeful hunt for Rick Prime over the death of his wife, it seemed like the Adult Swim series was setting up an eventual endgame that would wrap up years later. Little did we know that Rick, with the help of Evil Morty, would capture his nemesis and kill him midway through Season 7. Fans may worry about what could possibly come next after such a big moment, but co-creator Dan Harmon recently explained why he isn't concerned about delivering a game-changing moment so early. 

Harmon had a lot to say about the future of Rick and Morty in a recent interview with Variety, and of course, the wild Succession-esque twist of killing Rick Prime randomly midway through Season 7. It felt like the end of a major canonical arc that could've gone on for seasons, so to see it end so abruptly may give some fans pause. The co-creator explained he wasn't worried about the early reveal impacting the show too heavily or for it to run out of ideas anytime soon:

Rick and Morty has overcome a lot, and yes, it's impressive the series weathered the storm of co-creator Justin Roiland's firing so well in Season 7 that I don't even think about the voice recasting. With that said, was the decision to end the Rick Prime story so early a mistake, given it now has to find additional content or a great decision by a series that has always strived to shake things up? 

Ultimately, that will be up for fans to decide in the future, but it sounds like Rick and Morty is certainly headed in an interesting direction post-Rick Prime. Dan Harmon talked about where the journey has gone on so far and what this latest event sets up for the scientist going forward:

Rick's defeat of Rick Prime ended a journey that he started long before the series officially began, and it seemed like the character wasn't satisfied after completing his mission. No doubt Rick likely hoped to find some measure of solace in exacting revenge for his wife and daughter's death, and if he didn't get that, his response is understandable. Now that the journey is over, what does he do now?

In addition to that question, we'll have to see how Rick can reconcile no longer being the strongest person in the multiverse. Evil Morty used Rick Prime's tech to create a device that granted him the power to take out anyone and anything if he willed it. 

Evil Morty told the heroes he had no intention of ever using it, assuming he was left alone in his space beyond Rick's influence. Can Rick handle being told what not to do, or will he eventually make a move to take out the eye-patched version of his grandson? 

These questions alone show that Rick and Morty still have a lot of ways it can go in future seasons. Sure, future generations will be in for a shock when watching with their Max subscription, and Rick unexpectedly pounds the main villain's face to a mashed mess, but perhaps by then, there will be something even more shocking in a future season to look forward to. For now, though, what a bonkers twist, and given what we know about Season 7, it could get even wilder. 

Rick and Morty airs new episodes on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. There are only a handful of episodes left in the season, so strap in for what could be a very unexpected ending to the latest season.

Major spoilers below for the latest episode of Rick and Morty Season 7, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

Just when you thought it was safe to to continue making comparative references between Rick C-137 and Moby Dick’s Captain Ahab, Rick and Morty dove back into canon-heavy waters with “Unmortricken” and shockingly gave its most vengeful character the means and opportunity to brutally take down his white(haired) whale, Rick Prime. Coupled with the return of Evil Morty, this midseason installment seemingly capped off one of the series’ biggest plotlines, drawing comparative lines between it and HBO hits Succession and The Wire. 

Co-creator Dan Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder knew they were dropping a doozy on fans already with this ep’s conflict, and that the surprise would be even more palpable in the middle of everything, as opposed to “Unmortricken” serving as a finale. (Adult Swim’s president teased major canon dropping midseason, but I hadn’t expected this.) In that way, the episode’s timing was on the same wavelength as the jaw-dropping fourth episode of Succession’s final season, even though it was conceived and in the works ahead of that ep’s airing on HBO. Here’s how Marder explained it to Variety: 

It has to be a unique jab to a TV writer's brain when an idea they have ends up getting utilized by another series (or movie) sooner than the writer's own project can. Not that anyone would have assumed Rick and Morty snipped its ideas from Succession, considering the Season 7 scripts all pre-date the lengthy animation process and post-production duties. But seeing any another series pulling off a giant story-flipping death in the middle of its yearly cycle, much less one that can be streamed with the same Max subscription, definitely deserves a "Damn!" reaction, if not a stronger one. 

At least Rick and Morty can say it had the more violent and depraved midseason death, amirite?

Just so all fans are clear: Rick Prime's death doesn't mean the show is coming to a halt anytime soon, since there are still multiple seasons left to go in Adult Swim's giant 7-season order. Plus, Evil Morty now has the Omega device that could feasibly kill off every character fans have grown to love and/or hate over the hears. (Or in Jerry's case, a gross concoction of both feelings.)

Speaking of Evil Morty, having him return in the same episode as Rick Prime took this episode into blockbuster territory, even if the eyepatch-wearing foe quasi-teamed up with the protagonists instead of serving as another threat. But that was part of the point, with Dan Harmon comparing it to the layered social structure at the heart of The Wire's more dangerous neighborhoods. In his words:

In the end, Evil Morty aided in Rick Prime's demise, but with the rest of humanity potentially paying the cost, now that the emotionally stunted villain has more power than ever. Expect that power to loom large again in, say, 9 or 10 episodes.

Will "Unrickmorten" enter into the annals of the best Rick and Morty episodes? That somber ending alone makes me think it will, and remembering Rick Prime getting the snot beat out of him only bolsters that confidence. But now let's see how Rick handles himself in the more standalone episodes, knowing that his arch nemesis has been eradicated. 

Now that we’re four episodes into Rick and Morty’s seventh season, it almost feels quaint to look back at all the worries about how the Adult Swim mega-hit would survive losing and recasting co-creator Justin Roiland. The new episodes kicked off with multiple new voice actors in Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden, who portray the respective titular characters, and despite some of the fandom falling back on disappointed hot takes, the relatively smooth transition has been embraced (or at least tolerated) on the whole. And even though Dan Harmon has taught himself not to seek out audience reactions online, he shared his thoughts on the recasting feedback he’s been privy to.

Speaking with Gizmodo about the Season 7 journey so far, Harmon seemed pleased to see that fans have by and large given Rick and Morty’s creative team the benefit of the doubt when it comes to recasting the various characters that needed voices in the aftermath of Justin Roiland’s firing in January 2023. He’s definitely aware of those with more hyperbolically negative takes, but isn’t allowing those voices to rise to the top of the slush pile. In his words:

The Internet has never been known as a place for subtlety, and Dan Harmon is on the money with his assessment of fans who think that Rick's voice being slightly off every so often means that all of the jokes, sci-fi plotting, and other actors' efforts are all pointless, and why don't we all just go dive into a wood chipper because nothing can get worse than an adult-animated comedy!! Ahem. Those who adhere to such viewpoints presumably aren't all that educated on how TV shows are made. 

Those kinds of overdramatized takes keep Harmon away from a lot of the more positive critiques and reactions to Rick and Morty, in the way that one bad apple can spoil an entire orchard. Here's how he put it:

Thankfully for his sanity, Harmon's friends and colleagues do reach out and send him examples of viewer praise and similarly pumped-up reactions from the fandom. So, for instance, he's been told that fans were loving this season's fourth installment, which featured the darkest spaghetti dinners known to mankind and beyond. (Check out what writer Heather Anne Campbell shared about the episode's deep origins.) Plus, the Community creator also praised the Rick and Morty subreddit for being a bastion of sanity and level-headed conversations amidst the cacophony of social media. 

Rick and Morty airs every Sunday night on Adult Swim at 11:30 p.m. ET, and is available to stream with a Max subscription.

Spoilers below for the latest episode of Rick and Morty, so be warned if you haven’t yet had a taste of this scrumptiousness. 

For all that Rick and Morty may have been light on lore-building narratives in the first half of Season 7, (with more directly canonical adventures promised by Adult Swim’s boss, the show certainly hasn’t dropped the (meat)ball on delivering moments that are as thought-provoking as they are bile-provoking. The hyper-dark episode “That’s Amorte” delved into cannibalism, food ethics, suicide, and interplanetary empathy, making for quite the surprisingly buffet of emotional and physical responses. The ep’s stellar writer Heather Anne Campbell explained the idea behind the spaghetti dinner story, which will no doubt be bouncing around the ol’ noodle for days to come.. 

In “That’s Amorte,” the Smith family’s enjoyment of Rick’s non-Italian entree is mostly reversed by the gutsy reveal that the so-called spaghetti and sauce actually come from the corpses of a near-human alien race whose innards turn into an edible delight when they take their own life. And that’s just the opening gambit, with the story taking unexpected turns while ramping up the shrewd chaos. Speaking to Variety, Campbell explained the impetus behind putting the Rick and Morty microscope on where the things we adore come from. In her words:

That capsule of an idea would be an interesting one to see adapted by an assortment of TV shows, but I can’t imagine any of them would deliver the message in the quite same sharp and horrifying ways as Rick and Morty did. And not just because it would be harder for live-action series to pull off giant blood-soaked colanders awaiting jumpers in the waters beneath bridges. 

R&M’s co-executive producer Heather Anne Campbell, who also co-hosts the excellent video game podcast Get Played, also addressed the inspiration for the genuinely emotional and poignant memory montage that finally convinced Morty to stop eating the spaghetti. 

The character’s life-before-his-eyes montage certainly wasn’t a highlight reel in the traditional sense, as it told a story of young love that evolved and survived a lifetime, though not all in one swoop, with fighting, death, other relationships and more as obstacles in their path. It was easily one of the sci-fi comedy’s biggest heart-tuggers, and that emotional spin could be enough to put “That’s Amorte” in the annals of Rick and Morty’s best episodes ever. And if it inspires an actual line of Morty-branded canned spaghetti, that can only help. Or wait, did I mean hurt? One of those.

It doesn’t take the transmogrified brains of an alien species to understand how to watch and stream Rick and Morty, with new episodes airing Sunday nights on Adult Swim at 11:30 p.m. ET, and streaming with a Max subscription. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the Rick and Morty Season 7 episode "Air Force Wong." Read at your own risk!

Rick and Morty Season 7 is in progress, and fans will surely be pumped after this slow start in regard to the big stories that are to come. However, Episode 3 surely made some smile after it brought back one of the show's best gags. While it might've seemed like interdimensional cable bit might be ousted after Justin Roiland was fired by Adult Swim, a scene from the show's latest installment has me optimistic we'll see it more often. 

Interdimensional cable had a chance to shine once again during "Air Force Wong," which showed Morty and his grandfather, Rick, watching the family TV. On the tube was Mr. Stabby, a talk show on which the eponymous host had a relatively popular program often derailed when he took questions from the audience. Rick asked why people continued to attend the show if the risk of being accidentally stabbed to death was so high, and Morty chalked it up to society's obsession with fame. Mr Stabby was later shown in a post-credits scene and confirmed in an interview that over 58,000 people have died watching his show. Check out the character below: 

Longtime Rick and Morty fans are likely familiar with "Interdimensional Cable." These were the show's one-off episodes, in which the family gathered to watch cable from around the multiverse and riffed on how wild it was. Typically, these were mainly short nonsensical bits that sounded heavily improvised by the voice actors. (And said skill was also a strength of since-ousted series co-creator Justin Roiland.)

The show featured a couple of Interdimensional Cable-centered episodes during Seasons 1 and 2, and the gag was sporadically referenced or mentioned in subsequent seasons. After Justin Roiland was booted from the show, however, one had to wonder if the random goofiness the show's been known for would fade along with his absence. 

The Mr. Stabby sketch feels like a subtle suggestion by Rick and Morty's creative team that the Interdimensional Cable bits will continue, though it remains to be seen whether or not we'll ever get another full episode that highlights them. Perhaps the first two seasons set up unrealistic expectations that this would be an annual tradition, similar to The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" specials. While that didn't come to be, it's great that the TV-centric joke seemingly hasn't been totally forsaken.

And on some level, I get why the series hasn't tried to do a lot of Interdimensional episodes. CinemaBlend lists the original, "Rixty Minutes," as the best Rick and Morty episode made so far, which is high praise given how great that first season is. That's certainly a high standard and following that up with annual installments just like it could be a tall order.

All in all, the recent season premiere helped me realize one thing about Justin Roiland's recasting, and it's that this series can and will continue to thrive without him. The use of a quality cable gag -- that he hypothetically had no hand in making -- helps to solidfy that notion. I'm hopeful that this is far from the last time we see this beloved gag employed during an episode. Though if it is, I can always use my Max subscription to rewatch past installments, I suppose.

Rick and Morty airs on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET as part of the 2023 TV schedule. Tune in for more ridiculousness as Season 7 marches on!

Rick and Morty's seventh season arrived on Adult Swim in the aftermath of Justin Roiland's firing and some major voice cast changes, and while a lot of attention went to the vocal performances, there were also some complaints about the episodes' adventure-of-the-week approach. I can understand why that might be the case after Season 6 ended on some pretty big reveals about Rick's origin, and without those events getting mentioned in Season 7's opening episodes. But regardless of what we've seen so far, there's good news to be celebrated about what's coming around the animated corner, at least according to Adult Swim's top brass. 

Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen talked up Rick and Morty at New York Comic-Con not long before the official premiere date of Season 7. During the official Adult Swim panel (via Comicbook.com), Ouweleen confirmed that the show will soon jump head(s)first into the canon and even made a big reveal for what to expect during the midseason. In his words:

The first two episodes of Rick and Morty Season 7 were largely one-off standalone adventures even with Memory Rick involved, but rest assured that episodes on the way are set to advance the plot. Apparently, there will be new characters and worlds we've never seen before, and I know I'm hoping that neighbor Gene will be around to meet and visit them, respectively. Which could mean more adventures in uncharted territory that take the titular drunkard closer to his Rick Prime adversary, as well as introductions to some new creatures and people who weren't formerly voiced by Justin Roiland.

Michael Ouweleen said enough in the Adult Swim panel to more or less confirm that Rick and Morty Season 7 will continue its balance between story-driven and episodic formats. Part of the reasoning for the episodic adventures is to continue to serve the past characters that were created and give the fans more adventures with those oddball personalities. Hey, maybe if we're lucky one could even end up getting a spinoff. 

Mr. Poopybutthole's intervention episode would be a great example of a fun but overall low-stakes adventure because it featured not only his return, but also those of Bird Person, and Squanchy. Of course, more serialized adventures could always incorporate these characters as well, but those adventures probably wouldn't be as much fun as learning Mr. Poopybutthole's wife left him for a Predator. That was painful, though maybe not as bad as the unintentional cameo that Hugh Jackman probably wished wasn't in there in hindsight. 

There are ten episodes planned for Rick and Morty Season 7, so the series is not that far off from the midseason and some unexpected reveals.  In the meantime, there might be a couple more one-off episodes, and for me personally, that's okay. Some of the best Rick and Morty episodes were one-off romps, and there's still plenty of time for this season to do another showdown between Ricks.  

Rick and Morty airs on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Tune in live, or set that DVR if you can't stay up late. Either way, this season is worth a watch, even for those that were on the fence about the show changing too much in Justin Roiland's absence. 

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the entirety of Rick and Morty’s latest Season 7 episode, so be warned!

Usually when Rick and Morty episodes hinge on one or more direct pop culture references destined to be spun around and turned inside-out, the concepts are morphed well beyond what their sources of inspiration were. That sorta happened with the second Season 7 episode, “The Jerrick Trap,” whose title is a send-up of the classic Hayley Mills body-swapping comedy The Parent Trap, and whose dialogue makes multiple references to that other most famous high-concept family film, Freaky Friday. And even though the animated sci-fi shenanigans obviously take things over the top — with lots of corpses, gunshots and impalings — I think the episode presents a unique enough twist to the switch-em-up trope that it could be replicated in part for the long-awaited and occasionally teased sequel to Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis’ 2003 FF remake.  

How Rick And Morty's "The Jerrick Trap" Played Out

In its cold open, Rick and Morty set up a total nightmare body-swap scenario, with Rick getting offended over having to check his brain privilege, and attempting to impart the struggles of his intelligence to Jerry. Only that went about as well as it would have if Jerry himself had designed it all, and led to a garage covered in their brain matter and other viscera. Thankfully, Rick’s consistently put-upon A.I. stepped in (as it were) to save the day, only without fully separating all the splattered bits. 

• RELATED: 15 Best Rick And Morty Episodes, Ranked
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As such, the reconstituted versions of the two characters weren’t fully enveloped by one brain/mind or the other other, but rather a combination of their polar opposite personalities. Granted, Rick’s total alpha persona still basically steered the ship in both respects, but not without some grounded input and instincts from his son-in-law, which helped further develop the forever-frayed bond that exists between just about all versions of Rick and Jerry. And while their specific relationship isn’t one that can easily be ported into other pop culture touchstones, the general concept of evenly distributed consciousnesses within a body-swap comedy is ripe for exploration in a live-action respect.

Why Freaky Friday's Sequel Should Use Rick And Morty As Inspiration

I can easily understand why Disney hasn’t tried to fart out a Freaky Friday sequel to the 2003 hit, even despite producing a wholly different remake as a Disney Channel Original in 2018. (And also not counting the 2020 horror comedy Freaky, which was produced by Universal and Blumhouse.) Because for all intents and purposes, body-swap projects don’t tend to have a whole lot of wiggle room where the main narrative is concerned, and the main differences from one comedy to the next tend to involve the specific character relationships, with Big, Vice Versa, Like Father Like Son and many others as examples.

But Rick and Morty’s twisteroo would allow for quite an interesting dynamic for a second swap between Lohan’s Anna Coleman and her mother Tess, with the former now a fully grown adult presumably with a whole new set of ups and downs to deal with. Rather than adhering to a child-centric plot, Freaky Friday’s follow-up could instead continue focusing on the mother-daughter relationship that fueled the first film, and in emotionally mature ways that speak to how families change over time. And instead of Tess and Anna once again being complete opposites in different bodies, their switch could meld both of their personalities together, so that both women are entirely capable of grasping where the other is coming from.

In R&M, that dynamic was obviously played for weirdness and laughs, with Jerry and Rick both deciding that a life of madcap criminal enterprising, combined with fruit-covered shirts, was more ideal than sticking around the family. Which in some ways was probably more comfortable for Beth. And even that gag could get utilized in a fun way for a Freaky Friday sequel, with Mark Harmon’s Ryan having to deal with temporarily being married to both his wife and his step-daughter. (Not that any Disney movie would dig too deeply into that aspect, and it’s almost bizarre that the Adult Swim comedy didn’t dive deeper into such sludgy topics.)

To be sure, I totally get that Freaky Friday doesn’t even have a confirmed sequel in the works or anything, for all that fans have wanted to see it happen over the years. More talk has come about in 2023 than usual due to it being 20 years since Mark Waters’ film hit theaters, and by all means, it seems like Jamie Lee Curtis is interested, as she told fans it’s happening in 2024. Plus, the Halloween franchise vet still keeps in touch with Lindsay Lohan, and one would think if there was any indication the Mean Girls star was uninterested in returning, Curtis probably wouldn’t bring it up.

I doubt anyone out there in Sequel Greenlighting Land is listening at the moment, but just in case: Make that movie happen! And now, take a look at the preview for Season 7’s third episode below. 

Considering most of the conversations surrounding Rick and Morty Season 7 thus far have been wholly dedicated to opinions about the recast voice actors and the writing in the aftermath of Justin Roiland being fired earlier this year, Freaky Friday sequels might not be at the forefront of anyone else's brain but my own. At least I assume it's mine...

Rick and Morty airs Sunday nights on Adult Swim at 11:30 p.m. ET, with episodes available to stream with a Max subscription.

Rick and Morty Season 7 has finally premiered, and I say "finally" because it feels like it's been a topic of discussion for some time. That's thanks in no small part to the fact the series had to sever ties with co-creator and voice actor Justin Roiland, who faced legal charges and allegations of domestic violence. The call was easy for the Adult Swim series, but as other shows Roiland worked on found ways around him, fans wondered how he'd be erased from this show that made him such a big name. 

After all, Justin Roiland voiced both Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. Replacing both title characters, in addition to the other minor recurring characters he voiced, was going to be a tall order. It was also one that Solar Opposites, another series where Roiland voiced a major character, sidestepped completely by hiring Dan Stevens, who sounded nothing like him. Rick and Morty decided to go with soundalike actors, which I appreciated, but accepted it would come with one major hurdle that would make or break my enjoyment of the series when it returned. 

I Assumed It Would Take Time To Adjust To Justin Roiland's Replacements

Justin Roiland has a voice that's difficult to replicate, so much so that the Rick and Morty team needed multiple voice actors to fill the roles that he played. So when I saw the premiere episode featured Rick, Morty and Mr. Poopybutthole, I let out a sigh. Hearing three iconic characters in one episode was going to be a true test of how similar the three replacements sounded and if it would be a distraction. 

I told myself that even if the voices sounded different, I would stick with it and Rick and Morty Season 7 a a whole. I wanted to believe that something as superficial as the voice wouldn't be enough to turn me off a show I watched for six seasons, but I'll admit the fear was still there when the time came to tune in. Was Justin Roiland some magic voice the show just couldn't live without? Fortunately, my fear melted away once I got into the episode, and soon realized the voice changes weren't a big deal at all. 

I Had Completely Forgotten The Changed Voices During The Episode

Once Rick and Morty's premiere episode started, I was in. It wasn't until towards the end of the episode I openly recognized I hadn't thought about the voice changes at all, nor the controversy with Justin Roiland that dominated conversation all throughout the offseason. This was thanks in part to the wild cameo by Hugh Jackman, which made the premiere an instant classic. 

Outside of that, though, I came to the realization that the success of Rick and Morty didn't rest on Justin Roiland's ramblings he did as Rick, Morty and other characters. It's the wild moments with big names, the goofy sci-fi fun and the litany of characters with seasons of established lore like Bird Person and Squanchy that make this show great. Suffice it to say that I'm not worried about the rest of the season, and I'm excited to enjoy the rest of this season with that out of my mind. 

Rick and Morty airs new episodes on Adult Swim on Sundays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Those wanting to watch old episodes can do so with a Max subscription and compare the new and old as they watch Season 7. 

Mild spoilers below for anyone who didn’t watch Rick and Morty Season 7’s premiere, so be warned!

As much as Rick and Morty season premieres are always as highly anticipated as can be for an Adult Swim drop, the fervor hit a different pitch ahead of Season 7, with the installment “How Poopy Got His Poop Back” being the first to air without its co-creator and former star Justin Roiland, who was fired in January over previous charges of domestic violence and a string of sexual misconduct accusations from various females. Dan Harmon and current showrunner Scott Marder had to then make some difficult decisions about the animated comedy’s future, which led to the replacement casting of not just two new leads — Ian Cardoni as Rick and Harry Belden as Morty — but also another new voice actor as the fan-favorite Mr. Poopybutthole. 

In an interview with THR, the creative pair’s first to fully address the behind-the-scenes changes, Harmon and Marder talked out the ups and downs of having to replace such a core part of a hit series at a point when the writers are already deep into breaking stories for Season 9. When asked whether the original plan was to fill out the Roiland-voiced characters with separate actors for each, the showrunner confirmed that was indeed the goal, with the idea of not wanting to run new cast members ragged. In his words:

A completely understandable decision to make for someone in a position of authority. Roiland was as prolific a voice actor as could be within the world of Rick and Morty, not to mention his video games and other series, and is known for going off on improvised tangents, not always to the pleasure of the writers whose scripts reportedly weren’t being adhered to. In any case, those familiar with how much time Roiland spent on the mic were the most suited to figure out how best to delegate the roles and duties. In the end, having two different talents in the parts made the most sense considering what would be expected from them.

For the most part, Dan Harmon backed away from the recasting process, as he’d previously shared it was difficult as someone whose friendship with Roiland soured due to the show itself, with the series also reportedly used by the fired star as a way to personally connect with younger fans. As far as the general replacement ideas went, the Community creator spoke to the notion that publicly playing up the casting reveals would have been a disservice to fans being able to suspend disbelief concerning behind-the-curtain issues. As he put it: 

It’s not too hard to imagine that the Rick and Morty team might have wondered how hard it would be to make it all the way to the Season 7 premiere without ever letting fans hear what Cardoni and Belden sounded like as the grandfather and grandson. In the end, Adult Swim did release a wacky trailer with the new voices, which fans obviously had opinions on from the very first millisecond of footage. Merder & Co. did achieve the goal of not releasing the new actors’ names ahead of the premiere, as a way of further dampening the kayfabe, as it were. 

Were Major Celebrities Considered To Take Over For Rick And Morty?

Though the booze-fueled chicanery throughout the seventh season premiere was bolstered by a surprise guest-starring role from Hugh Jackman (awkward wedding photo reference and all), it sounds like there wasn’t ever a real chance of Rick and Morty following along in Solar Opposites’ footsteps by casting a well-known actor or two. (Dan Stevens replaced Roiland as the Hulu series’ Korvo.) After Dan Harmon joked about Elijah Wood rabidly attempting to woo his way into the Morty role, he and Marder agreed that landing a household name wasn’t nearly as important as finding actors who could bridge the gap while drawing as little audible attention to the switch-up as possible. According to the showrunner:

Even as a Solar Opposites fan who still enjoyed the heck out of Dan Stevens’ arrival in Season 4, I can attest to that show’s premise more naturally allowing for a character’s voice to completely change, while it would have been far more of an ear-sore for R&M, especially when it comes to repeats airing out of order. So even though the premiere’s audience was split over how successful the new actors were, that balance might have been far more one-sided with stunt casting involved.

Check out Harmon and Marder talking plot points for the premiere in the BTS video below.

Rick and Morty airs Sunday nights on Adult Swim at 11:30 p.m. ET, and can be streamed with a Max subscription. 

Spoilers below for any TV viewers who didn’t watch Rick and Morty’s Season 7 premiere, so be warned!

Few Rick and Morty premiere eps have been anticipated in quite the same way as the opener for the seventh season, as all eyes and ears were on the Adult Swim animated hit in regards to former star and co-creator Justin Roiland being fired and replaced for the titular roles and beyond. Wisely, showrunner Scott Marder & Co. gave viewers another noteworthy voice to pay attention to, as past and future Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman joined the drunken festivities taking place in “How Poopy Got His Poop Back.” It was a total hoot to have the Koala Man co-star back in animated form, though this time playing himself, even though the ill timing of things made for a very awkward animated reference and joke made directly about Jackman’s marriage.

As many fans may already be aware, Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness announced in September that they’re now separated after 27 years as a married couple. It’s clearly a difficult time for the actor, even if close friends indicate that the split was a natural fit, and he’s already set to put his thoughts about that matter on paper for an upcoming bombshell-filled memoir. And so it was quite shocking when the middle of Rick and Morty’s first Season 7 episode featured a scene in Jackman’s home, where a wedding photo was prominently displayed hanging on the wall.  

It’s clear that the animators used real pics from Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness’ wedding day when designing the illustrated photograph. From the Music Man star’s glasses to the bride’s hair and neck, the details line up with the actual event that took place in April 1996. Had this cameo and reference cropped up in any of the previous six seasons, it likely would have seemed like a genuinely sweet detail from a show that often skews sour. But now the wedding pic sight has to feel like the unhappiest of reminders, and one has to wonder if Jackman even remembers recording that scene, or if he ever watched the finalized ep after the animation was completed. 

All that said, the jokey dialogue between Jackman and Mr. Poopybutthole in the moment does kind of feel like it’s poking fun at the marriage breaking down, with a joke that no doubt felt far more randomly meaningless when it was written. 

• Jackman: The best bloody day of my life.
• Mr. Poopybutthole: My wedding was pretty great, too.
• Jackman: I was talking about the Tony award.

At which point he tossed the Tony up in the air as a skeet substitute, and it was shot to bits. So if he’s feeling that kind of way about a treasured award, just imagine the alternative.

The rest of the art adorning animated Hugh Jackman’s walls is a bit less intense than more wedding pics. Much of it, in fact, is directly referencing his career-defining role as Wolverine throughout the various X-Men trilogies and standalone features. One of the posters for Jack-Men just puts the actor playing every mutant role. It’s probably too expensive to actually make that happen in live-action, but maybe SNL can put something together around the time Deadpool 3’s release date arrives. 

Fans can watch and stream new Rick and Morty episodes every Sunday night on Adult Swim at 11:30 p.m. ET, while a Max subscription is the best way to check out new eps the next day. 

How To Watch Rick And Morty Season 7

Watch Rick And Morty Season 7: Preview

Wubba lubba dub dub! The eponymous Rick and Morty are back for a ten-episode Season 7, with a whole lot more multi-dimensional madness to enjoy almost a decade after the airing of its pilot. Can't wait to watch? We explain how to stream Ricky and Morty Season 7 online from anywhere below.

Over its previous six seasons, Rick and Morty has joined the pantheon of other animated modern greats, such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama and Adult Swim's own Aqua Teen Hunger Force. And it's time for the nutty professor and his grandson to once again jump in the Space Cruiser and embark on a new set of anarchic (mis)adventures.

Although Rick and Morty will still look the same as ever, it's set to sound very slightly different for Season 7 and beyond. The lead-up to this year's run has been dogged by off-screen scandal, with co-creator and voice actor of the two titular characters Justin Roiland embroiled in accusations of domestic violence and abuse. He was subsequently dismissed by Adult Swim, meaning that they've had to resort to using a soundalike for these new episodes.

But we very much doubt that will change the tumultuous travails of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. Keep reading to find out about how to watch Ricky and Morty Season 7 online and stream every new episode from where you are when they drop – with free stream options available.

How to watch Rick And Morty Season 7 online in the US

Adult Swim on Cartoon Network remains the home of Rick and Morty, with Season 7 going out on Sundays at 11pm ET/PT on Cartoon Network following its premiere on October 15.

If you're a cord cutter, you still have plenty of options to watch Rick and Morty. FuboTV is an excellent cable replacement. Its entry-level Pro Plan comes with a lineup of well over 100 channels at $74.99 a month. But, if you’re new to the service, you can test the waters before paying anything thanks to its 7-day FREE trial.

A more affordable option is available with a Sling TV subscription. You can select either of its Orange or Blue plans, which usually cost $40 a month but are currently half price for your first month.

Alternatively, Hulu + Live TV plan starts from $69.99 a month and includes 85+ premium TV channels, all Hulu content on catch-up, as well as access to Disney+ and sports specialist ESPN+ if you pay just a $1 more.

Like the first six seasons, we'd also expect the latest run of Rick and Morty to land on HBO's Max streaming service, too. But for now, there's no announcement of when that will be.

How to watch Rick And Morty Season 7 from anywhere

US citizen on vacation? Or perhaps you're working overseas and still want to stream Rick and Morty on a streaming service as if you were back home. Unfortunately, in some markets you'll be stopped from doing so due to geo-blocking.

But with a VPN you can change your IP address and make your computer, smartphone, tablet or other streaming device think its right back in the US.

That means US citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a US-based server and access their subscription no matter where you are in the world, just as if you were in the comfort of your own home.

How to use a VPN to unblock streaming services:

1. Choose your ideal VPN and install - as we say, ExpressVPN is the total package when it comes to great streaming VPNs

2. Connect to a server - most good VPNs make it super simple to connect to a server in the US or whatever country you require

3. Stream away! - login to your chosen streaming service and stream like you were in your home country

Watch Rick And Morty Season 7 for FREE in the UK

Ricky and Morty fans in the UK are among the luckiest in the world, as Season 7 will be shown on free-to-air TV. New episodes will be shown on Tuesdays on E4 at 10pm BST having premiered on October 17.

If you prefer to watch online or aren't able to see episodes as they go out, then you can watch Ricky and Morty Season 7 on the network's on-demand service now simply called Channel 4, which you can access on desktop and through a number of devices via its app. While watching any live TV in the UK requires a TV licence, you won't need one for watching on catch-up.

It's free to sign up to stream Channel 4. All you need is an email address, a UK postcode (e.g. SW1P 2TX) and a valid TV licence.

Away from the UK while Rick and Morty is on? Use a VPN using the instructions above to access Channel 4 like you would at home

Watch Rick And Morty Season 7 in Canada

To watch Adult Swim shows in Canada, you'll need access to subscription video streaming package StackTV or, for those with cable login details, through the Global TV app.

Probably the easiest way to get access to StackTV is through Amazon Prime Video. If you already have Prime, signing up to StackTV costs $12.99 a month after you've enjoyed the 14-day free trial.

From there, you can then watch on all the usual devices through which you'd normally watch Prime Video. So that's on web browsers, app for Android and iOS, Fire TV and a variety of other devices including PS4, PS5, Xbox, Roku and select Smart TVs.

Canadians can also watch StackTV shows by subscribing through Rogers Ignite or FuboTV.

Found yourself north of the border? Use a VPN to access your streaming service at home.

Watch Rick And Morty Season 7 in Australia

Netflix has the rights to show Rick and Morty Down Under, with Season 7 epsiodes landing on the platform the day after they arrive in the US. So Netflix subscribers can expect to be able to watch weekly from Monday, October 16.

The streaming giant is of course available to stream on pretty much every device going and currently starts from $6.99 a month, or $16.99 if you want to ditch all ads and download episodes to watch offline.

An Aussie abroad looking for your blocked Netflix stream? Get a VPN to access Netflix exclusives 4 while overseas.

Rick And Morty Season 7 Trailer

Rick And Morty Season 7 episodes schedule

• Episode 1, "How Poopy Got His Poop Back" - October 15
• Episode 2, "The Jerrick Trap" - October 22
• Episode 3, "Air Force Wong" - October 29
• Episode 4, "That's Amorte" - November 5
• Episode 5, "Unmortricken" - November 12
• Episode 6, "Rickfending Your Mort" - November 19
• Episode 7, "Wet Kuat Amortican Summer" - November 26
• Episode 8, "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie" - December 3
• Episode 9, "Mort: Ragnarick" - December 10
• Episode 10, "Fear no Mort" - December 17

10 years ago, Rick & Morty premiered on Adult Swim, and all this time later, it remains one of the Cartoon Network programming block’s most popular shows, with Rick & Morty Season 7 just days away from premiering. As things currently stand, the animated series is guaranteed another three seasons of 10 episodes each, and there’s also been talk over the years about bringing these characters to the big screen. According to series co-creator Dan Harmon, Zack Snyder wants to help make a Rick & Morty movie happen, and while Harmon’s idea for the filmmaker’s involvement may be jokey, I’d still be up for such a collaboration.

While speaking with THR, Harmon recalled how Zack Snyder, the director of movies like 300, Man of Steel and Army of the Dead once set up a meeting with him at Warner Bros. to discuss the potential of a Rick & Morty movie. However, the showrunner clarified that Snyder didn’t want to sit in the director’s chair on such a project, but merely wanting to provide assistance in making it happen. As Harmon explained, and then joked about how a Snyder-helmed Rick & Morty movie would look:

Dan Harmon’s obviously having some good fun over the idea of a Rick & Morty movie being realized through the kind of lens that saw Zack Snyder’s Justice League being released to Max subscribers in 2021, and a black-and-white cut following not long after. Exaggeration aside though, a Snyder-directed Rick & Morty movie sounds intriguing to me. Granted, it couldn’t be as serious as his usual cinematic fare, but with Harmon by his side ensuring the trademark Rick & Morty vibe remained intact, this could make for a cool feature-length event.

While Zack Snyder isn’t willing to actually direct a Rick & Morty movie, it’s still good to know he’s ready to pull whatever strings are at his disposal should the day come that Dan Harmon wants to make it a reality. In fact, he also said in this THR piece that he had a conversation with Warner Bros. executives about a project where, as he put it, “it felt like maybe it was time to get the ball rolling.” There’s no outline or script for a Rick & Morty movie yet, but Harmon walked away from the meeting feeling like those in attendance were all in agreement about the “right conceit” for it.

If/when the day comes that a Rick & Morty movie is officially announced, we’ll let you know about it. Until then, Rick & Morty Season 7 will premiere Sunday, October 15 on the 2023 TV schedule. The first six seasons of the show can be streamed on both Max and Hulu. Zack Snyder’s next movie, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire, premieres to Netflix subscribers on December 22, and Part Two: The Scargiver will follow on April 19, 2024.

Dan Harmon spent a chunk of his career as one of TV’s more outspoken creators and showrunners, but reversed course in recent years after past transgressions (and particularly icky and offensive online sketches) came back to haunt him. And as his merchandising monolith co-creation Rick and Morty grew in popularity, it was his comedy collaborator Justin Roiland whose behavior in and out of the workplace made headlines, culminating in domestic violence charges and a host of sexual assault accusations coming to light in 2023. As the Adult Swim hit readies its Season 7 premiere with new voice actors replacing the since-fired Roiland, Harmon has broken his silence about it all.

• Rick And Morty Season 7: Release Date And Everything Else We Know

For his first all-encompassing public profile in several years, Dan Harmon spoke with THR about his current situation as it compares to where he was at a decade prior while still in the throes of being rehired on Community, and reflected on the calamitous early seasons on Rick and Morty that led to his falling out with Roiland.

Dan Harmon On Recasting Justin Roiland For Rick And Morty

Though Justin Roiland’s felony charges were later dropped over insufficient evidence, the animator and video game developer had already been ousted from Adult Swim, and was also fired from his other TV and streaming series. The studio revealed that the sci-fi comedy would be recasting for the various roles that Roiland voiced, following a point when it seemed like the powers that be could actually renege on the massive episode order from years ago. Fans were finally able to hear the new (and currently unidentified) stars when the Season 7 trailer was released, and reactions have been largely positive.

Dan Harmon says he chose not to be actively involved with seeking out a Roiland soundalike for the casting process, saying it was a matter of denial, due to the conflicting goals involved. In his words:

Having to listen to a variety of voice actors come in and mimic Justin Roiland’s Rick and Morty performances (among other characters) apparently didn’t seem like a positive mental experience for Harmon. Giving due honor to a co-creator’s instantly recognizable character voices while also dismissing his presence and impact in most other ways is not a situation that brings many comparisons to mind from elsewhere in the pop culture sphere. It’s complicated, and it only makes sense for someone like Harmon to have complicated feelings about it. 

Dan Harmon Addresses Falling Out With Justin Roiland, And The Accusations

Despite all the ups and downs behind the scenes of Rick and Morty — which centered partly on Justin Roiland taking an affront to Dan Harmon bringing Community writers to the show in its second season — things were reportedly hunky dory once more after Adult Swim set up its 70-episode order in mid-2018. But the happy days soured anew, and the two men essentially ceased communication in 2019, with their personal relationship capping off with a harsh text message exchange that the former Harmontown host addressed, saying:

Fans may never know the specifics of what led to Harmon and Roiland’s seemingly permanent rift, unless they’d somehow reunite and both choose to address the falling-out publicly. After that point, Harmon largely avoided speaking much about Roiland in interviews regarding Rick and Morty, which remained the case through early 2023 after the Solar Opposites co-creator’s charges were filed, and after the initial sexual assault accusations were spread.

But while Harmon maintained that choice for the initial THR interview, he was contacted again days later, following the release of a new report that further detailed past and new allegations from women claiming they were groomed and/or assaulted by Roiland (which his lawyer denied in full soon after), who is said to have used his Rick and Morty clout to attract the accusers. In response to the resurfaced claims, Harmon had this to share:

Several Rick and Morty staff members have spoken out about Justin Roiland's alleged lack of input on the show in later seasons, claiming he largely just wanted to record lines alone without dealing with writers and oversight. Which obviously plays into the specific humor that's been at the heart of the show's central characters since the beginning. So one has to wonder if and how that will change going forward, with new voice actors who will likely be relying far more on scripts than Roiland supposedly did. 

For those who haven't heard the new actors in action yet, check out the trailer below.

Rick and Morty Season 7 will arrive on Adult Swim with its new voices in tow on Sunday, October 15, with eps available to stream with a Max subscription. 

Ever since Justin Roiland was fired from Rick & Morty early into 2023, fans of the Adult Swim animated series have waited to hear how the replacements for the title roles will sound. Well, the wait finally ended Monday with the release of the Rick & Morty Season 7 trailer, and yet, we still don’t actually know who is now voicing the mad scientist and his hapless grandson. Now an Adult Swim insider has explained why such secrecy is in effect.

As you’ll see in the below statement to THR, it was clarified that two different are now voicing Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, as opposed to another actor being hired to handle both characters like Roiland did for six seasons, among many other roles. As for why the identities of these actors are being kept under wraps, this unnamed individual shared:

Given that Rick & Morty Season 7 premieres in mid-October, fans won’t have too wait too much longer to learn who these actors are, but the powers-that-be at Adult Swim are insistent that this new aspect of the show not be divulged ahead of time. They want the public to judge these new voices based purely on their merit without knowing any addition information. As our own Mick Joest pointed out, while the new Morty is practically indistinguishable from the old Morty, there is a slightly noticeable different between the new Rick and old Rick, so it’ll be interesting to hear how the two actors sound speaking normally once we know who they are.

The debut of these Rick & Morty voices follows a few months after Solar Opposites debuted Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens as the replacement for Roiland’s character Korvo. In that instance though, the animated series available to Hulu subscribers leaned into Stevens’ British accent rather than have him mimic the way Roiland delivered his lines. It was also revealed earlier this month that Jinkx Monsoon has taken over Roiland’s role of Lemongrab for Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, but it still hasn’t been revealed who’s replacing him as Chad Wagon on Hulu’s Koala Man.

Justin Roiland was let go from Rick & Morty and various other shows after facing charges of domestic violence, although the court case against him was ultimately dismissed in March. Although its news leads stars are shrouded in secrecy, Season 7 will still include the vocal talents of Sarah Chalke, Chris Parnell and Spencer Grammer. Dan Harmon, who co-created Rick & Morty with Roiland, remains as the sole showrunner.

Rick & Morty Season 7 premieres Sunday, October 15 at 11 pm ET, and you can stream the previous six seasons either on Hulu or with a Max subscription. If you’re curious about what other shows are debuting or returning soon, the 2023 TV schedule is packed with that information.

Adult Swim has been promoting Rick and Morty Season 7 like crazy, but there's been one notable omission in every piece of footage showcased thus far. Among other details about Rick and Morty Season 7, fans wanted to know what the new voice actors for the title characters would sound like. The latest trailer revealed just that, and while there's certainly a difference between old Rick and new Rick, Morty is almost a dead ringer. 

Just when it seemed like we wouldn't hear the new voices until the Season 7 premiere, Rick and Morty revealed both voices in the official trailer. My gut reaction is that if any fans were living under a rock and had no idea Adult Swim fired Justin Roiland following domestic violence charges against him and other controversies related to sexual misconduct, they wouldn't know anything is different. Most of the changes to the voices are negligible, and if I didn't know there was a change, I probably wouldn't initially suspect anything. 

I will say that while Morty sounds just like the Morty we've known in the previous six seasons, Rick does come off as just a bit different. Online commentary noted this version sounds a bit raspier than the original Rick voice, but overall, the overall consensus was positive. The moment that stuck out to me was when he yelled about "Rick's famous spaghetti" and I could tell it was a new actor doing the voice. 

The important takeaway, for me anyway, is that these voices aren't so different that they distract from the series. It gives me confidence that I'll be able to enjoy watching Rick and Morty Season 7 with my Max subscription and not worry about adjusting to a sudden new voice for a character like I did with Solar Opposites. With the worry about voices out of the way, I can now return to my wilder theories about Season 7 bringing back dead characters or the return of Evil Morty. 

For readers wondering why I haven't mentioned the new voice actors by name at this point, it's because we have no idea who is voicing the roles. Per THR, Adult Swim is keeping the names of the two new voice actors portraying the title characters secret until the night of the premiere. At that point, we'll likely see their names in the end credits, and there might be a more official announcement released on social media. I'm curious to see if voice actor Sean Kelly is doing the voice of Morty because many fans pushed for him after his viral TikTok impersonations. 

Whoever is voicing Morty did a helluva job, and I'd love to see them step in for Justin Roiland's other voice roles if needed. Different projects have had different strategies so far, for example, and I don't know exactly how these contracts work. All will likely be revealed in time!

Rick and Morty will premiere on Adult Swim on Sunday, October 15, at 11:00 p.m. ET. Stay up that night to see what the first Roiland-free adventure will be and if Rick C-137 will get any closer to defeating his rival, Rick Prime.