Jump to content

Rick and Morty

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Rick And Morty)

Rick and Morty
Genre
Created by
Showrunners
Voices of
ComposerRyan Elder
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons7
No. of episodes71 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Dan Harmon
  • Justin Roiland (seasons 1–7)
  • James A. Fino (seasons 1–2)
  • Joe Russo II (seasons 1–2)
  • Mike McMahan (season 4)
  • Scott Marder (season 5–present)
  • Steve Levy (season 7–present)
  • Albro Lundy (season 7–present)
  • James Siciliano (season 7–present)
Producers
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAdult Swim
ReleaseDecember 2, 2013 (2013-12-02) –
present

Rick and Morty is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series follows the misadventures of Rick Sanchez, a cynical mad scientist, and his good-hearted but fretful grandson Morty Smith, who split their time between domestic life and interdimensional adventures that take place across an infinite number of realities, often traveling to other planets and dimensions through portals and on Rick's flying saucer. The general concept of Rick and Morty relies on two conflicting scenarios: domestic family drama and a misanthropic grandfather dragging his grandson into hijinks.

Roiland voiced both Rick and Morty, with Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden taking over from him since the seventh season. Chris Parnell as Jerry, Spencer Grammer as Summer and Sarah Chalke as Beth also star. The series originated from an animated short parody film of Back to the Future created by Roiland for Channel 101, a short film festival Harmon co-founded. A seventh season was confirmed as part of a long-term deal with Cartoon Network that ordered 70 new episodes, which renewed the series through to a tenth season. It was also announced that the series had been renewed through to a twelfth season in 2024. Adult Swim cut ties with Roiland in 2023 amid allegations of domestic abuse and recast his roles with soundalike actors in the seventh season which premiered on October 15, 2023. The eighth season is slated for 2025.

Since its debut, the series has received critical acclaim for its writing, originality, creativity, and humor. It has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program and won the award in 2018 and 2020. The series has also received two Annie Awards. At times, the series has been the most viewed television comedy for adults between 18 and 24. The popularity of Rick and Morty has made it a hundred-million dollar merchandising and media franchise.

Premise and main characters

The show revolves around the adventures of the members of the Smith household, which consists of parents Jerry and Beth, their children Summer and Morty, and Beth's father, Rick Sanchez, who lives with them as a guest. The family lives in a suburb outside of Seattle, Washington,[6] with the characters traveling to other planets and dimensions through portals and Rick's flying saucer.[7]

Rick is an eccentric and alcoholic mad scientist, who eschews many ordinary conventions such as school, marriage, love, and family. He frequently goes on adventures with his 14-year-old grandson, Morty, a kind-hearted but easily distressed boy, whose naïve but grounded moral compass plays counterpoint to Rick's Machiavellian ego.[8][9] Morty's 17-year-old sister, Summer, is a more conventional teenager who worries about improving her status among her peers and sometimes follows Rick and Morty on their adventures.[10] The kids' mother, Beth, is a generally level-headed person and assertive force in the household, though self-conscious about her professional role as a horse surgeon. She is dissatisfied with her marriage to Jerry, a simple-minded and insecure person, who disapproves of Rick's influence over his family.[11]

Different versions of the characters inhabit other dimensions throughout the show's multiverse and their personal characteristics can vary from one reality to another.[12] The show's original Rick identifies himself as "Rick Sanchez of Earth Dimension C-137", in reference to his original universe, but this does not apply to any other member of the Smith household.[13] For instance, in the first-season episode "Rick Potion #9", after turning the entire world population into monsters, Rick and Morty move to a different dimension, leaving the original Summer, Beth and Jerry behind.[14]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
111December 2, 2013 (2013-12-02)April 14, 2014 (2014-04-14)
210July 26, 2015 (2015-07-26)October 4, 2015 (2015-10-04)
310April 1, 2017 (2017-04-01)[a]October 1, 2017 (2017-10-01)
410November 10, 2019 (2019-11-10)May 31, 2020 (2020-05-31)
510June 20, 2021 (2021-06-20)September 5, 2021 (2021-09-05)
610September 4, 2022 (2022-09-04)December 11, 2022 (2022-12-11)
710October 15, 2023 (2023-10-15)December 17, 2023 (2023-12-17)

Production

Development

Creators Dan Harmon (left) and Justin Roiland (right)

Rick and Morty was created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon. The duo first met at Channel 101, a non-profit monthly short film festival in Los Angeles co-founded by Harmon.[16] At Channel 101, participants submit a short film in the format of a pilot, and a live audience decides which pilots continue as a series. Roiland, then a producer on reality programming, began submitting content to the festival a year after its launch, in 2004. His pilots typically consisted of shock value—"sick and twisted" elements that received a confused reaction from the audience.[16] Nevertheless, Harmon took a liking to his humor and the two began collaborating. In 2006, Roiland was fired from working on a television series he regarded as creatively stifling, and funneled his creative energies into creating a webisode for Channel 101. The result was The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti, an animated short starring parodies of Doc Brown and Marty McFly, characters from the Back to the Future film trilogy.[17] In the short, which Harmon would dub "a bastardization, a pornographic vandalization", Doc Smith urges Mharti to perform oral sex on him in order to go back in time.[18] The audience reacted to it wildly, and Roiland began creating more shorts involving the characters, which soon evolved beyond his original intentions and their obvious origin within the film from which it was culled.[18][19] Harmon would later create and produce Community, an NBC sitcom,[20] while Roiland would work primarily in voice acting for Disney's Fish Hooks and Cartoon Network's Adventure Time.[21]

In 2012, Harmon was briefly fired from Community. Adult Swim, searching for a more prime-time, "hit" show,[22] shortly afterward approached Harmon, who initially viewed the channel as unfit for his style. He was also unfamiliar with animation and his process for creating television focused more heavily on dialogue, characters, and story.[19] Instead, he phoned Roiland to inquire if he had any ideas for an animated series. Roiland immediately brought up the idea of using the Doc and Mharti characters, renamed Rick and Morty.[18] At first, Roiland wanted the show's run time to consist of one eleven-minute segment, but Adult Swim pushed for a half-hour program.[22] Harmon felt the best way to extend the voices into a program would be to build a family around the characters, while Adult Swim development executive Nick Weidenfeld suggested that Rick be Morty's grandfather. Having pitched multiple television programs that did not get off the ground, Roiland was initially very unreceptive to others attempting to give notes on his pitch.[18] Prior to developing Rick and Morty, he had created three failed animated pilots for Fox, and he had begun to feel "burned out" with developing television.[19]

The first draft was completed in six hours on the Paramount Pictures lot in Dan Harmon's unfurnished Community office.[23] The duo had worked out the basics of the story that day, sold the pilot, and then sat down to write.[19][24] Roiland, while acknowledging a tendency for procrastination, encouraged Harmon to stay and write the entire first draft.[23] "We were sitting on the floor, cross-legged with laptops and I was about to get up and go home and he said, 'Wait, if you go home, it might take us three months to write this thing. Stay here right now and we can write it in six hours.' He just had a premonition about that," recalled Harmon.[19] In the beginning, Adult Swim was unsure of Roiland doing both voices, partially due to the undeveloped nature of the character of Morty. Harmon wrote four short premises in which Morty took a more assertive role and sent it to Mike Lazzo.[23] For the first season, Adult Swim placed a tamer-than-usual TV-14 rating on the program, which was initially met with reluctance from the show's staff. The network's reason behind the rating was that it would soon begin broadcasting in prime-time, competing with major programs.[19] Many later episodes have received TV-MA ratings, with the first being the episode "Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate" in season 2.

The theme song for Rick and Morty by Ryan Elder was originally used in a rejected Cartoon Network pilot Roiland made called "Dog World", which was referenced in the episode "Lawnmower Dog".[25]

Writing

Mike McMahan at 2019 San Diego Comic-Con

Harmon has noted that the writers' room at the show's studio bears a striking resemblance to the one used for Community.[19] In comparing the two, he noted that the writing staff of Rick and Morty was significantly smaller, and more "rough and tumble verbally".[19] The first season writing staff consisted of Roiland, Harmon, Tom Kauffman, Ryan Ridley, Wade Randolph, and Eric Acosta, while writer's assistant Mike McMahan was also given writing credit. Described as a "very, very tiny little writers' room with a lot of heavy lifting from everybody," the show's writing staff, like many Adult Swim productions, is not unionized with the Writers Guild of America,[26] though in 2022 production staff at Rick & Morty filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board in a bid to join The Animation Guild.[27] The writing staff first meets and discusses ideas, which evolve into a story.[16] Discussions often include anecdotes from personal life as well as thoughts on the science fiction genre.[19] After breaking the story—which consists of developing its consistency and logical beginning, middle, and conclusion—a writer is assigned to create an outline. Roiland and Harmon do a "pass" on the outline, and from there the episode undergoes several more drafts. The final draft of the script is last approved by either of the co-creators.[16] Harmon has admitted that his perfectionism can sometimes be disruptive and cause writing schedule delays. For the most part, this was the reason why the third season of the show consisted of only 10 episodes instead of 14, as was initially intended.[28][29]

Many episodes are structured with use of a story circle, a Harmon creation based largely on Joseph Campbell's monomyth, or The Hero's Journey. Its two-act structure places the act break at an odd location in the stages of the monomyth: after The Meeting with the Goddess, instead of Atonement with the Father.[23] Roiland has stated his and Harmon's intentions for the series to lack traditional continuity, opting for discontinuous storylines "not bound by rules".[30] He has also confirmed that the writers avoid revisiting old tropes from the show's past, "in fear of that coming off as disingenuous fan service."[31] In producing the series' first season, episodes were occasionally written out of order. For example, "Rick Potion #9" was the second episode written for the series, but was instructed to be animated as the fifth, as it would make more sense within the series' continuity.[16]

Animation and voice recording

Animation for the show is done using Toon Boom Harmony, a vector-based 2D puppet software, which is a more economical option than traditional hand-drawn animation.[32] The post-production work is done in Adobe After Effects, and background art is done in Adobe Photoshop.[33] Production of animation was handled by Bardel Entertainment in Vancouver, Canada for the first six seasons, and by Lighthouse Studios in Kilkenny, Ireland since the seventh season.[34][35]

Roiland's cartooning style is heavily indebted to The Simpsons, a factor he acknowledged in a 2013 interview, while also comparing his style to that of Pendleton Ward (Adventure Time) and J. G. Quintel (Regular Show): "You'll notice mouths are kind of similar and teeth are similar, but I think that's also a stylistic thing that ... all of us are kind of the same age, and we're all inspired by The Simpsons and all these other shows we're kind of subconsciously tapping into."[26]

John Kricfalusi's The Ren & Stimpy Show was another strong influence for Rick and Morty, which is why, according to Roiland, the small "w-shaped mouths" that the characters occasionally make is a reference to a similar expression that Ren frequently makes.[36] Talking about the style guide the animators of the show have to follow, season three art director Jeffrey Thompson explained that the characters are often drawn with odd or asymmetrical features, in order to avoid looking "too normal to live in the Rick and Morty universe."[37] When recording dialogue, Roiland does a considerable amount of improvisation, in order to make the characters feel more natural.[38]

Roiland's firing

In January 2023, it was reported that Roiland was charged with felony domestic battery and false imprisonment in Orange County, California, in connection with an alleged incident in January 2020 toward an unnamed woman he was reportedly dating at the time. A hearing was scheduled for April 27, 2023.[39][40] Following the public revelation of the indictment, allegations against Roiland's personal conduct regarding his behavior to minors on social media were made.[41] The same month, Adult Swim announced that they had cut ties with Roiland and fired him from the show stating that the seventh season's production would continue and that his roles would be recast.[42][43] In March 2023, the Orange County District Attorney's office dropped all criminal charges against Roiland due to insufficient evidence.[44] During San Diego Comic-Con 2023, producer Steve Levy stated that Roiland's voice work will be replaced by "soundalikes" but there will otherwise be no changes in the characters.[45] Adult Swim revealed the new voices of Rick and Morty with its seventh season trailer in September 2023, but the new actors were not announced until the season’s premiere in October.[46] When the seventh season premiered on October 15, 2023, it was revealed that the new actors were Ian Cardoni as Rick and Harry Belden as Morty.[47]

Themes and analysis

Comedic style

The general formula of Rick and Morty consists of the juxtaposition of an extremely selfish, alcoholic grandfather dragging his grandson along for interdimensional adventures, intercut with domestic family drama.[18][22] Co-creator Dan Harmon has described the series as a cross between Matt Groening's two shows The Simpsons and Futurama, balancing family life with heavy science fiction.[26] Comparisons have been drawn to House of Cosbys, a show created by Justin Roiland, for having similar bits such as characters announcing themselves (Mr. Meeseeks/Curiosity Cosby).[48] The series is inspired by British-style storytelling, as opposed to traditional American family TV stories.[16] Harmon has stated that his inspiration behind much of the concept and humor for the series comes from various British television series, such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who. He figures that the audience will only understand developments from Morty's point of view, but stated "we don't want to be the companions. We want to hang out with the Doctor, we idolize the Doctor, but we don't think like him, and that's really interesting."[49]

Occasionally, characters will acknowledge an episode's narrative or hint at the presence of a fourth wall, suggesting that they are aware of the fact that they are characters of a TV show. Thereunder, Troy Patterson of The New Yorker notes that Rick and Morty "supplies an artful answer to the question of what follows postmodernism: a decadent regurgitation of all its tropes, all at once, leavened by some humanistic wistfulness."[50] Sean Sebastian of Junkee says that the show can be both hilarious and deeply disturbing at the same time as it excels at the "intersection between big ideas, flippancy and wit."[51]

Philosophy

The series addresses the insignificance of human existence as compared to the size of the universe, with no recognizable divine presence, as described by Lovecraft's philosophy of cosmicism.[52] The characters of the show deal with cosmic horror and existential dread, either by asserting the utility of science over magic or by choosing a life in ignorant bliss.[53] However, as Joachim Heijndermans of Geeks notes, none of them appear able to handle the absurd and chaotic nature of the universe, as Jerry gets by through denial, and Rick is a "depressed, substance-addicted, suicidal mess".[54]

Harmon describes Rick as a self-interested anarchist, who does not like being told what to do.[55] He believes that the character's life on a larger scale has caused him mental illness,[49] and opines that "the knowledge that nothing matters—while accurate—gets you nowhere".[56] Mental illness is a theme that is drawn on several times throughout the show, one scene in particular has Rick's therapist deliver a fiery explanation of his fundamental immaturity.[57][58] Matthew Bulger of The Humanist notes that the creators of the series are trying to communicate the message that we need to focus on human relationships and not preoccupy our minds with unanswerable questions, in order to find a sense of purpose and live a better life.[59] Eric Armstrong of The New Republic notes that Morty represents the audience, as he is "mostly there to react to Rick's deranged schemes". The character is transformed by the truths he discovers during his interdimensional adventures with his grandfather. Rather than sinking into depression, Morty accepts these truths that empower him to value his own life.[60]

Release

Rick and Morty is distributed internationally by Warner Bros. Television.

Broadcast

In May 2012, Adult Swim unveiled its development slate that included a Rick and Morty pilot from Harmon and Roiland,[61] which was eventually picked up to series in October 2012, as one of the network's first primetime original shows.[62] The first season premiered in December 2013 and concluded in April 2014. It comprised eleven episodes (including the pilot), and aired Mondays at 10:30 pm ET/PT.[63]

Two months earlier, in February 2014, the show had been renewed for a second season, with the press release noting that Rick and Morty consistently outperformed direct competition in its time slot.[64] Season two aired Sundays at 11:30 pm ET/PT, from July to October 2015, and comprised ten episodes.[65] In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Roiland said that Rick and Morty will remain "a big priority above anything else" for him in the future, and expressed his intention to keep the show growing.[66]

Adult Swim renewed Rick and Morty for a third season in August 2015, shortly after a successful second-season premiere.[67] The two co-creators and executive producers expressed their delight at the series' popularity.[68] The season premiered unannounced on April 1, 2017, as part of an April Fools' Day prank. The remaining episodes began airing weekly almost four months later, continuing in the same time slot from season two, and the initial airing concluded in October 2017.[69] Although it was originally intended for the season to consist of fourteen episodes, as a result of production delays it eventually comprised only ten.[70]

Following the conclusion of the show's third season, co-creators Harmon and Roiland wanted to have assurance that there would be many more seasons of Rick and Morty in the future, so that they would be able to focus on the show and minimize their involvement in other projects.[71] Additionally, Harmon had expressed his wish for the upcoming fourth season to consist of more than ten episodes.[72] In May 2018, after prolonged contract negotiations, Adult Swim announced a long-term deal with the creators, ordering 70 new episodes over an unspecified number of seasons.[73][74] Roiland was confident that this big renewal deal would allow the creators to minimize the gaps between seasons to no more than a year,[75] as they would be able to schedule their time around the show and "keep the machine going."[76] In January 2023, it was confirmed that the long-term deal had renewed the series through to a tenth season.[77] In January 2024, it was revealed that due to the recent Writers Guild stirke, production was delayed and thus made it so the eighth season of the regular series would not be released until 2025, though an anime series would in 2024.[78] At a New York Comic Con panel in 2024, it was announced that the series had been renewed for an additional two seasons, through a 12th season.[79]

In May 2019, the fourth season of Rick and Morty was announced to debut in November 2019.[80] The fourth season consisted of ten episodes split across two airings.[81] The first five episodes began airing on November 10, 2019,[82] while the remaining five episodes began airing on May 3, 2020.[83] The sixth season premiered on September 4, 2022.[84]

Streaming service and home media

The show is available to watch in its entirety on Netflix in a number of countries including Australia, while the first four seasons are available to stream in the United States on both Hulu and HBO Max.[85] Following the conclusion of the show's third season, Adult Swim made a livestream marathon of Rick and Morty available to watch on its official website in select regions,[86] hoping to dissuade viewers from watching other illegal livestreams.[87]

In the United Kingdom, public-service broadcaster Channel 4 outbid Netflix and began airing the series with season 4, which represents its first pickup by an international television channel.[88] Season 4 was originally scheduled to premiere on Channel 4 in January 2020; viewer complaints resulted in the broadcaster moving the first episode forward to November 20 on E4.[89]

In Canada, the series initially premiered on Adult Swim on January 10, 2016.[90] In Quebec, it premiered on Télétoon's Télétoon la nuit block on May 18, 2018.[91]

The 10-episode third season, was released on DVD (2-disc set) and Blu-ray (single BD-50 disc) on May 15, 2018. Special features include exclusive commentary and animatics for every episode, "inside the episode", the origins of Rick and Morty, and an exclusive "inside the recording booth" session.[92]

Uncensored versions of the show are also available to purchase on various digital platforms, including iTunes and Amazon, with the digital releases of each season containing bonus material.[85]

Reception

Critical response

Critical response of Rick and Morty
SeasonRotten TomatoesMetacritic
197% (29 reviews)[93]85 (8 reviews)[94]
291% (117 reviews)[95]
396% (175 reviews)[96]
496% (107 reviews)[97]84 (5 reviews)[98]
586% (100 reviews)[99]86 (5 reviews)[100]
691% (62 reviews)[101]86 (4 reviews)[102]
777% (13 reviews)[103]73 (6 reviews)[104]

Rick and Morty has been met with critical acclaim. It holds an average approval rating of 90% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes for the entire series.[105] David Weigand of San Francisco Chronicle described it as "offbeat and occasionally coarse... the take-away here is that it works". He praised the animation direction by James McDermott for being "fresh, colorful and as wacky as the script", and states that the series possesses "shades of Futurama, South Park and even Beetlejuice", ultimately opining that its humor felt "entirely original".[106] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times praised the series and stated that it was "Grandparenting at its unhinged finest."[107] In a review shortly after the second-season premiere, Sean Sebastian of Junkee said that although the crude animation and over-the-top voice acting might have discouraged some viewers from continuing to watch, Rick and Morty is "exceptionally well-made" and that "the more you dissect it, the more you find it has to say."[51]

Todd Spangler of Variety gave the series a lukewarm review; saying that though it "often seems … frenetic at the expense of being witty", it represents "a welcome attempt to dream just a little bigger".[108] David Sims of The A.V. Club gave the series an "A−". In reviewing the first two episodes, he praised its "clean, simple style" of animation, and said the series has "a dark, sick sensibility". He praised its "effort to give each character a little bit of depth", and applauded Roiland's voice talent.[109]

Ratings

Rick and Morty has been a ratings hit since season one,[110] with viewership doubling and tripling over their first six episodes.[111] The third season ended with the best ratings in Adult Swim history,[112] an 81 percent increase in overall viewers over the second season.[113] According to a Nielsen poll, the third season was the most watched television comedy of adults between the ages of 18 and 24.[114][115] The president of Adult Swim said that Rick and Morty "goes beyond just appealing to millennials," with statistics suggesting that people of every age tune in to the show.[113]

The fourth season started relatively strong, with its premiere reaching 2.33 million viewers (the show's average is 2.51 million).[116] However, interest soon appeared to taper off after the network decided to split the season in half causing a steep drop in the season's second half—about a 40% drop in viewership from the third season.[117] The fourth episode of the fourth season saw 1.62 million viewers, which was noted to not be impressive in its own right, but in that it showed consistent viewership especially when competing against shows like The Walking Dead in the same time slot.[118] The season five premier episode was posted on YouTube and had 1.7 million views within the first 12 hours.[119] The television premier saw 1.9 million views.[120]

The premier of season six was shown on September 4, 2022, and saw the highest ratings in telecast for women age 18 to 24 and 18 to 34 and non-sports telecast for male viewers age 18 to 24 and 18 to 34. The episode was also the number two most-viewed non-sports program overall for viewers age 18 to 49.[121]

Industry impact

Several former Rick and Morty storyboard artists and crew members proceeded to develop their own shows or work on major new productions. Creator Justin Roiland and showrunner Mike McMahan have gone on to co-create Solar Opposites, an animated sci-fi sitcom that has been frequently compared to Rick and Morty.[122][123] McMahan also went on to create Star Trek: Lower Decks. Writer Michael Waldron would go on to write for Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars and has said that he and his colleagues are "cashing in on our 'Rick and Morty' street cred."[123] Show alumnus Jeff Loveness became a writer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.[123] Erica Hayes, the show's storyboard writer and director,[124] went on to work for Netflix's Big Mouth.[125][126] Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch, who worked on the episode "Big Trouble in Little Sanchez", would become an executive producer of Inside Job, another show that has had comparisons drawn to Rick and Morty for being similarly themed. Pete Michels, director of over twenty Rick and Morty episodes, was also a director of two episodes of Inside Job.[127][better source needed]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2014 IGN Awards Best TV Animated Series Rick and Morty Nominated [128]
2015 Annie Awards Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production Nominated [129]
IGN Awards Best Animated Series Won [130]
2017 Teen Choice Awards Choice Animated TV Show Nominated [131]
IGN Awards TV series of the year Nominated [132]
Best TV Episode "The Ricklantis Mixup" Nominated [133]
Best Animated Series Rick and Morty Won [134]
Best Comedy Series Nominated [135]
Best Comedic TV Performance Justin Roiland Won [136]
2018 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Animated Series Rick and Morty Won [137]
Annie Awards Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production "Pickle Rick" Won [138]
Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production Ryan Ridley and Dan Guterman (for "The Ricklantis Mixup") Won
Golden Reel Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Animation Short Form Hunter Curra, Kailand Reily, Andrew Twite, Joy Elett, Jeff Halbert, and Konrad Pinon (for "Pickle Rick") Nominated [139]
Saturn Awards Best Animated Series or Film on Television Rick and Morty Nominated [140]
Teen Choice Awards Choice Animated TV Show Nominated [141]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland, Delna Bhesania, Barry Ward, Keith Crofford, Mike Lazzo, Ryan Ridley, Dan Guterman, Mike McMahan, Tom Kauffman, Ollie Green, J. Michael Mendel, Jessica Gao, Wes Archer, Anthony Chun, and Nathan Litz (for "Pickle Rick") Won [142]
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within a Scripted Program "Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality" Nominated
2020 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland, Mike McMahan, Scott Marder, Keith Crofford, Rick Mischel, Richard Grieve, Mike Lazzo, Rob Schrab, James Siciliano, Wes Archer, Michael Waldron, Nick Rutherford, Lee Harting, Ollie Green, Sydney Ryan, J. Michael Mendel, Jacob Hair, Nathan Litz, Jeff Loveness, and Albro Lundy (for "The Vat of Acid Episode") Won
2021 Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Animated Series Rick and Morty Nominated [143]
Best Voice Actor in an Animated Series Justin Roiland Nominated
Annie Awards Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production Rick and Morty (for "The Vat of Acid Episode") Nominated [144]
American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Animation (Non-Theatrical) Lee Harting (for "Rattlestar Ricklactica") Won [145]
Saturn Awards Best Animated Series on Television Rick and Morty Nominated [146]
2022
American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Animation (Non-Theatrical) Lee Harting (for "Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion") Nominated [147]
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Broadcast Network or Cable Animated Series or Television Movie Rick and Morty Won [148]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland, Scott Marder, Keith Crofford, Ollie Green, Walter Newman, Richard Grieve, Rob Schrab, James Siciliano, Jeff Loveness, Sydney Ryan, J. Michael Mendel, Anne Lane, Albro Lundy, Nick Rutherford, Steve Levy, Lee Harting, David Marshall, Jacob Hair, Nathan Litz, and Wes Archer (for "Mort Dinner Rick Andre") Nominated [149]
Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Animated Series Ruth Lambert and Robert McGee Nominated [150]
2023
Annie Awards Best Mature Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production "Night Family" Nominated [151]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland, Scott Marder, Ollie Green, Walter Newman, Heather Anne Campbell, Steve Levy, Albro Lundy, Alex Rubens, Nick Rutherford, James Siciliano, Rob Schrab, Sydney Ryan, Anne Lane, Deirdre Brenner, Lee Harting, Jonathan Roig, Monica Mitchell, Jacob Hair, Nathan Litz, and Wes Archer (for "Night Family") Nominated [152]
The Astra Creative Arts TV Awards Best Broadcast Network or Cable Animated Series or Television Movie Rick and Morty Nominated [153]
2024
Golden Reel Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Broadcast Animation Hunter Curra, James A. Moore, Corbin Bumeter, and Ricardo Watson (for "Unmortricken") Nominated [154]
2025
Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Animated Program for Television Robert McGee, Ruth Lambert, Sara Jane Sherman Pending [155]

Other media and products

Rick and Morty is part of a wider merchandising franchise.[156]

Possible feature film

Show creator Justin Roiland said in 2019 that he would love to make an R-rated Rick and Morty feature film.[157] In June 2021, producer Scott Marder confirmed that the creators and crew hope to eventually produce a feature film, with Roiland stating that it is more a question of "when", rather than "if".[158] In 2022, American filmmaker Zack Snyder expressed interest in directing a Rick and Morty science fiction movie.[159]

Spin-off series

On May 20, 2021, Adult Swim announced a short spin-off series centred on the Vindicators team (Supernova, Vance Maxiumus, Alan Rails, Crocubot and Noob Noob) previously seen on the episode, "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender" to be in development, alongside spin-offs from other Adult Swim shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, and Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell. The 10-episode series, Vindicators 2 was released in July 2022.[160][161]

On May 18, 2022, Adult Swim announced there would be a full spin-off series based on the anime shorts, Rick and Morty: The Anime, directed by Takashi Sano.[162]

Cameos

Film

Rick and Morty, both voiced by Roiland, have a cameo in 2021's Space Jam: A New Legacy, as they claim to have experimented on the Tasmanian Devil but say they were disgusted by the results; thus, they voluntarily give him back to LeBron James and the Looney Tunes by dropping him on their rocket's windshield.[163]

Television

Rick and Morty were featured in the couch gag at the beginning of "Mathlete's Feat", the final episode of the twenty-sixth season of The Simpsons. Said opening involved Rick accidentally killing the family when he crash-lands into their living room causing Morty to go on a mission to bring them back to life.[164]

Comics

On April 1, 2015, a Rick and Morty comic book adaptation debuted with its first monthly issue, entitled "BAM!"[165] The series was initially written by Zac Gorman and illustrated by CJ Cannon.[166] Artist Tom Fowler wrote a multi-issue story arc that began in March 2016.[167] Using the television series' established premise of alternate timelines, the first two volumes of the comic book expressly features the Rick and Morty (and supporting cast) of a different timeline, allowing the comics to tell stories without conflicting with the canon of the show.[168] From the third volume onwards, with the departure of Gorman as writer and his replacement with Kyle Starks, the series switched focus to display the off-screen adventures of the specific Rick and Morty of the television series, keeping in the canon of the show, with the Ricks and Mortys of different timelines forming the basis for backup stories.[169]

On August 29, 2018, a four-issue crossover comic with the fantasy tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons was released. The series titled Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons is co-written by Jim Zub and Patrick Rothfuss, and art by Troy Little.[170] A sequel mini-series, titled Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons: Chapter II: Painscape, was published in September 2018.[171] It was written by Jim Zub and Sarah Stern with art by Troy Little.[172] The Rick and Morty vs Dungeons and Dragons Deluxe Edition, by Rothfuss, Zub, and Little, was nominated for the 2022 "Best Graphic Album—Reprint" Eisner Award.[173]

McDonald's chicken nuggets and original szechuan sauce

Product tie-ins

McDonald's Szechuan Sauce returned to their menu nearly twenty years later after being referenced numerous times in "The Rickshank Rickdemption", the Season 3 premiere.[174] The sauce was announced to return to all McDonald's stores on February 26, 2018 due to popular demand from Rick and Morty fans.[175] On March 31, 2022, it once again returned to stores, featured as an app-only exclusive until April 4.[176][177]

Adult Swim and Wendy's have collaborated to create commercials featuring the titular duo.[178][179] They have also created Morty themed food trucks and restaurants.[180][181] In 2022, Wendy's offered Rick and Morty-inspired combo meals exclusively on Uber Eats and brought back their "Portal Time Lemon Lime" soft drink to promote the series' sixth season.[182] The promotion also featured a giveaway of Rick and Morty merchandise.[183]

Adult Swim released a promotional video advertising Death Stranding. The ad involves Rick and Morty traversing the world of Death Stranding to deliver packages to stations in order to rebuild human civilization while trying to avoid being harmed by hostiles.[184]

Notes

  1. ^ The third season of Rick and Morty premiered unannounced on April 1, 2017. The remaining episodes began airing weekly on July 30, 2017.[15]

References

  1. ^ Chand, Neeraj (January 27, 2023). "Why Rick and Morty Needs to Either End or Have Major Changes". movieweb.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Herman, Alison (October 16, 2023). "'Rick and Morty' Season 7 Proves the Show Works Just Fine Without Justin Roiland". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Jones, Marcus (October 13, 2022). "What Exactly Made 'Rick and Morty' One of Hollywood's Most Influential Writers Rooms". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Chitwood, Adam (August 31, 2022). "'Rick and Morty' Could Go on 'Forever,' Say Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon: 'We'll Be Doing a Season a Year Now'". TheWrap. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  5. ^ "Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland: "F*** the union"". CartoonBrew.com. September 15, 2014. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  6. ^ Roiland, Justin [@JustinRoiland] (September 3, 2016). "Washington state- outside of Seattle" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "Rick and Morty series five review – proof that Elon Musk must be stopped!". the Guardian. June 21, 2021. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (September 3, 2021). "Rick and Morty…This Is Heavy". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  9. ^ Cameron, Charles (January 12, 2022). "Rick & Morty: Why Season 2's Cob Planet Was So Terrifying To Rick". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Lebovitz, David L. (November 19, 2020). "How Rick And Morty's Summer Changed Because Of Spencer Grammer - Exclusive". Looper. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  11. ^ Plante, Corey (December 28, 2020). "'Rick and Morty's scene-stealing new character will stick around in Season 5". Inverse. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  12. ^ Jung, E. Alex (September 12, 2017). "Here's What We Know About Rick and Morty's Evil Morty". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  13. ^ Puchko, Kristy (September 5, 2022). "'Rick and Morty' Season 6 premiere explainer: All your mind-blower questions answered". Mashable. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  14. ^ "Rick And Morty: "Rick Potion #9"". The A.V. Club. January 28, 2014. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  15. ^ Cavna, Michael (June 30, 2017). "Adult Swim's new 'Rick and Morty' trailer reveals good news: The show will (finally) return in July". Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Cohen, Ivan (January 24, 2014). "Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland on Rick and Morty, How Community Is Like Star Trek, and Puberty". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 6, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  17. ^ Czajkowski, Elise (November 12, 2013). "Dan Harmon's Rick and Morty Premieres on Adult Swim on Dec. 2". Splitsider. The Awl. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  18. ^ a b c d e Sepinwall, Alan (March 24, 2014). "Mega Dan Harmon interview, part 3: 'Rick and Morty'". HitFix. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i Villarreal, Yvonne (March 5, 2014). "Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland talk bringing absurd to 'Rick and Morty'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 5, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  20. ^ Rose, Lacey (July 17, 2013). "'Community's' Dan Harmon Reveals the Wild Story Behind His Firing and Rehiring". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 8, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  21. ^ Goldman, Eric (December 2, 2013). "Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland on the Inspiration Behind Rick and Morty, the New Adult Swim Animated Series". IGN. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  22. ^ a b c Topel, Fred (December 2, 2013). "Exclusive Interview: Dan Harmon & Justin Roiland on 'Rick and Morty'". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  23. ^ a b c d Harmon, Dan (2014). Commentary for the episode "Pilot". Rick and Morty season 1 (Blu-ray Disc). Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
  24. ^ Roiland, Justin (2014). Commentary for the episode "Pilot". Rick and Morty season 1 (Blu-ray Disc). Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
  25. ^ Ryan Elder (August 1, 2017). How One Guy Scored 'Rick and Morty', TV's Weirdest Cartoon (YouTube). Great Big Story. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  26. ^ a b c Evans, Bradford (December 2, 2013). "Talking to Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland About Their New Adult Swim Show, 'Rick and Morty'". Splitsider. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  27. ^ Kilkenny, Katie (February 23, 2022). "'Rick and Morty,' 'Solar Opposites' Production Workers File to Unionize With Animation Guild". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  28. ^ Staff (February 7, 2017). "Rick and Morty Creators Give Season 3 Update: They're Drawing It". The Interrobang. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  29. ^ Cabin, Chris (June 24, 2017). "'Rick and Morty' Season 3: Dan Harmon Explains Delay". Collider. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  30. ^ Abarca, Justin (November 22, 2013). "8 Fun Facts About Dan Harmon's New Animated Show "Rick And Morty"". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on November 25, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  31. ^ Hibberd, James (July 17, 2019). "'Rick and Morty' creators give first season 4 interview: 'It will never be this long again'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  32. ^ Wit, Alex Dudok de (September 17, 2021). "Why The Animation On 'Rick And Morty' Needs To Change". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  33. ^ Burke, Mathew (June 7, 2017). "Rickdiculous Rick and Morty facts". Factinate. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  34. ^ Rosario, Alexandra Del (October 5, 2021). "'Moon Lake': Heavy Metal Developing TV Adaptation Of Dan Fogler Graphic Novel Series, 'Rick And Morty' Studio Bardel Entertainment To Animate & Co-Produce". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  35. ^ "Why Rick And Morty S7 Credits Thanks The Irish Government". January 30, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  36. ^ Justin Roiland (July 31, 2014). Rick and Morty Panel SDCC 2014 (YouTube). Adult Swim. Event occurs at 20:43. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  37. ^ Jeffrey Thompson (October 3, 2018). Rick and Morty Style Guide (YouTube). Adult Swim. Archived from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  38. ^ Lai, Kristin (March 22, 2017). "How Much of Frantic 'Rick & Morty,' Does Creator Justin Roiland Improv?". Movie Pilot. Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  39. ^ Tenbarge, Kat; Kingkade, Tyler (January 12, 2023). "'Rick and Morty' co-creator Justin Roiland faces felony domestic violence charges". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023.
  40. ^ Shanfield, Ethan (January 12, 2023). "'Rick and Morty' Co-Creator Justin Roiland Facing Domestic Violence Charges". Variety. Archived from the original on January 12, 2023.
  41. ^ Dressler, Jacob (January 24, 2023). "'Rick And Morty' Creator Justin Roiland Alleged DM's Reveal Disturbing Conversation With Minor". ScreenGeek. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  42. ^ Kilkenie, Katie (January 24, 2023). "Adult Swim Cuts Ties With Justin Roiland Following Domestic Abuse Charges". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  43. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 24, 2023). "Adult Swim Severs Ties With 'Rick And Morty' Co-Creator Justin Roiland After Domestic Violence Charges Against Him Became Public". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  44. ^ Patten, Dominic (March 22, 2023). "Rick And Morty' Co-Creator Justin Roiland's Domestic Violence Charges Dropped By D.A.; EP Rails Against "Embittered Ex" & Being "Cancelled"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  45. ^ Bart, Kayti (July 21, 2023). "Rick and Morty season 7 will replace Justin Roiland's characters with 'soundalikes'". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  46. ^ Hibberd, James (September 25, 2023). "'Rick and Morty' Season 7 Trailer Reveals New Voice Actors". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  47. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (October 16, 2023). "How 'Rick and Morty' Cast Its New Voice Stars". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  48. ^ Adams, Erik (June 22, 2015). "The path to Rick And Morty leads through House Of Cosbys". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  49. ^ a b Schwartz, Terri (November 25, 2013). "Dan Harmon: Rick and Morty will be the Doctor Who of Adult Swim cartoons". From Inside the Box. Zap2it. Archived from the original on November 30, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  50. ^ Patterson, Troy (October 18, 2017). ""Rick and Morty" Is Just the Show We Need for the American Apocalypse". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  51. ^ a b Sebastian, Sean (July 28, 2015). "The Mad Genius of Adult Swim's 'Rick And Morty'". Junkee. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  52. ^ Gandolfo, Federica (February 4, 2021). "Rick and Morty | The absurd balance between tragedy and miracle of life". Hypercritic. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  53. ^ Alexander, Julia (October 2, 2017). "Rick and Morty season 3 finale review: hitting the reset button". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  54. ^ Heijndermans, Joachim (April 12, 2017). "The Meaning (or Lack Thereof) of Life with "Rick and Morty"". Geeks. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
  55. ^ Pearl, Mike (July 19, 2017). "A Very Psychedelic Conversation with the Creators of 'Rick and Morty'". VICE. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  56. ^ Dan Harmon (June 23, 2017). The Search For Meaning (YouTube). Adult Swim. Archived from the original on November 23, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  57. ^ Thielman, Sam (February 7, 2023). "The case for Rick and Morty". Vox. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  58. ^ Plante, Corey (July 18, 2018). "'Rick and Morty' reminds us to care for our mental health in "Pickle Rick"". Inverse. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  59. ^ Bulger, Matthew (September 1, 2015). "The Sad and Silly World of Rick and Morty". TheHumanist.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  60. ^ Armstrong, Eric (March 17, 2017). "The Existential Hokiness of Rick & Morty". The New Republic. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  61. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 15, 2012). "Adult Swim Puts Animated 'Harold & Kumar' In Development, Greenlights Seven Pilots". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  62. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 29, 2012). "Adult Swim Picks Up Dan Harmon's Animated Comedy 'Rick & Morty' To Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  63. ^ Fischer, Russ (November 27, 2013). "Here's the First Episode of Dan Harmon's Animated 'Rick and Morty'". Slash Film. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  64. ^ Trumbore, Dave (February 12, 2014). "'Rick and Morty' Renewed for Second Season". Collider. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  65. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (July 24, 2015). "'Rick and Morty' Creators on "More Chaotic" Season 2, 'Community' Movie's Status". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  66. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (October 3, 2015). "'Rick and Morty' Co-Creators on Finale's Challenges, Hiring Female Writers, 'Community' Lessons". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  67. ^ Petski, Denise (August 12, 2015). "'Rick And Morty' Renewed For Season 3 By Adult Swim". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  68. ^ Collis, Clark (August 12, 2015). "'Rick and Morty' renewed for season 3". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  69. ^ Velocci, Carli (July 31, 2017). "How 'Rick and Morty' April Fools' Prank Helped It Hit a 'Critical Mass'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  70. ^ Plante, Corey (July 17, 2019). "'Rick and Morty' Season 4: Six Big Reveals From Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland". Inverse. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  71. ^ O'Neal, Sean (May 10, 2018). "Rick and Morty Renewed for Season 4: Dan Harmon Tells Us All About It". GQ. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  72. ^ Hibberd, James (September 26, 2017). "'Rick and Morty' Co-Creator Answers Our Burning Season 3 Questions". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  73. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 10, 2018). "'Rick And Morty' Gets Massive 70-Episode Renewal By Adult Swim; Creators Dan Harmon & Justin Roiland Ink New Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  74. ^ Hermanns, Grant (August 19, 2022). "Rick & Morty Future After 70-Episode Order Addressed By Creator". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  75. ^ Spry, Jeff (September 10, 2022). "Here's exactly when you can watch 'Rick and Morty' Season 6 Episode 2 on Adult Swim". Inverse. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  76. ^ Alexander, Julia (June 14, 2018). "'Rick and Morty' co-creator promises no more big gaps between seasons". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  77. ^ Kilkenny, Katie (January 24, 2023). "Adult Swim Cuts Ties With Justin Roiland Following Domestic Abuse Charges". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  78. ^ Hibberd, James (January 22, 2024). "'Rick and Morty' Season 8 Coming in 2025, Anime Series Reveals New Footage". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  79. ^ Ethan, Shanfield (October 17, 2024). "'Rick and Morty' Renewed Through Season 12 at Adult Swim". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  80. ^ Macy, Seth (May 15, 2019). "Rick and Morty Season 4 Coming November 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  81. ^ Hibberd, James (July 17, 2019). "Rick and Morty creators give first season 4 interview". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  82. ^ Anderton, Ethan (October 7, 2019). "'Rick and Morty' Season 4 Trailer: The Disastrous Duo Returns with New Episodes in November". /Film. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  83. ^ Goldberg, Matt (April 1, 2020). "'Rick and Morty' Trailer Teases the Final Five Episodes of the New Season". Collider. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  84. ^ Evans, Greg (July 27, 2022). "'Rick And Morty' Season 6 Gets September Premiere Date On Adult Swim". Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  85. ^ a b Plante, Corey (April 14, 2017). "Here's When 'Rick and Morty' Is Probably Coming to Netflix". Inverse. Archived from the original on December 26, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  86. ^ "Adult Swim Streams — Rick and Morty". Adult Swim. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  87. ^ Alexander, Julia (October 25, 2017). "Adult Swim's Rick and Morty marathon calls out illegal YouTube livestreams". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  88. ^ Johnston, Rich (January 14, 2019). "Channel 4 Takes Rick And Morty From Netflix in the UK, Will Air and Stream Season 4 Exclusively". bleedingcool.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  89. ^ Kanter, Jake (November 11, 2019). "Channel 4 Pulls Forward 'Rick & Morty' UK Premiere After Complaints From Fans". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  90. ^ "Rick and Morty - Now in Your Dimension". Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  91. ^ "Rick and Morty s'amène enfin sur nos écrans à Télétoon la nuit !". May 19, 2018. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  92. ^ Trumbore, Dave (February 14, 2018). "'Rick and Morty' Season 3 Blu-ray Details Reveal When You Can Bring Pickle Rick Home". Collider. Archived from the original on February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  93. ^ "Rick and Morty: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  94. ^ "Rick and Morty: Season 1". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  95. ^ "Rick and Morty: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  96. ^ "Rick and Morty: Season 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  97. ^ "Rick and Morty: Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  98. ^ "Rick and Morty: Season 4". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  99. ^ "Rick and Morty: Season 5". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  100. ^ "Rick & Morty - Season 5". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  101. ^ "Rick and Morty: Season 6". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  102. ^ "Rick & Morty - Season 6". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  103. ^ "Rick and Morty (2023)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  104. ^ "Rick & Morty season 7". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  105. ^ "Rick and Morty". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  106. ^ Weigand, David (November 26, 2013). "Rick and Morty review: Funny and edgy". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  107. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (December 1, 2013). "A Warm and Fuzzy Grandpa? Well, Not Exactly: 'Rick and Morty' on Adult Swim". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  108. ^ Spangler, Todd (December 1, 2013). "TV Review: Rick and Morty". Variety. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  109. ^ Sims, David (December 2, 2013). "Dan Harmon's new series is a warped take on the Doc Brown/Marty McFly dynamic". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  110. ^ Adalian, Josef (January 28, 2014). "Dan Harmon's Rick and Morty Is a Ratings Hit". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  111. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (February 12, 2014). "Dan Harmon's 'Rick and Morty' Renewed for Second Season". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  112. ^ McLennan, Cindy (October 5, 2017). "Rick and Morty; Season Three: Animated Series Sets Ratings Records for Adult Swim". TV Series Finale. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  113. ^ a b Tom Huddleston Jr. (October 1, 2017). "Millennials' Favorite TV Show Is Adult Swim's 'Rick and Morty'". Fortune. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  114. ^ Adalian, Josef (October 4, 2017). "Rick and Morty Is Now the No. 1 TV Comedy Among Millennials". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  115. ^ Gaudette, Emily (September 29, 2017). "How 'Rick and Morty' became TV's #1 comedy". Newsweek. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  116. ^ Porter, Rick (November 12, 2019). "'Rick and Morty' Returns to Healthy Ratings, People's Choice Awards Improve". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  117. ^ Schwarz, John (July 16, 2020). "Ratings Report: Analyzing Rick and Morty's Fourth Season Which Averaged It's [sic] Lowest-Rated Season In History". Bubbleblabber. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  118. ^ Venable, Nick (December 13, 2019). "How Rick And Morty Season 4 Is Doing In The Ratings". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  119. ^ Hibberd, James (June 21, 2021). "'Rick and Morty' Puts Entire Uncensored Season 5 Premiere Online". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  120. ^ Valentine, Evan (September 9, 2021). "Rick and Morty Season 5 Finale Ratings Are In". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  121. ^ "'Rick and Morty' Premiere #1 Most-Viewed Cable Program with Young Viewers". The Futon Critic. September 7, 2022. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  122. ^ "Solar Opposites boss responds to Rick and Morty comparisons". Digital Spy. May 31, 2020. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  123. ^ a b c Jones, Marcus (October 13, 2022). "What Exactly Made 'Rick and Morty' One of Hollywood's Most Influential Writers Rooms". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  124. ^ Plante, Corey (November 6, 2019). "'Rick and Morty' director Erica Hayes wants you in the workplace revolution". Inverse. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  125. ^ Colangelo, B. J. (October 25, 2022). "Netflix Axes Mike Judge Adult Animated Comedy Series Bad Crimes Mid-Production". /Film. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  126. ^ White, Peter (January 18, 2022). "Nicole Byer & Lauren Lapkus To Star In Netflix Animated Comedy Series 'Bad Crimes' From Nicole Silverberg, Greg Daniels & Mike Judge". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  127. ^ Lerner, Jamie (November 4, 2021). "People Think 'Inside Job' and 'Rick and Morty' Are Related... They're Not Entirely Wrong". Distractify. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  128. ^ "Best TV Animated Series — Best of 2014: Television". IGN. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  129. ^ Staff. "42nd annual Annie Awards categories and nominees". annieawards.org. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  130. ^ "Best Animated Series — IGN's Best of 2015 - IGN". IGN. December 11, 2015. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  131. ^ Vulpo, Mike (August 13, 2017). "Teen Choice Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List". E!. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  132. ^ "TV Series of the Year — Best of 2017 Awards — IGN". IGN. December 2017. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  133. ^ "Best TV Episode — Best of 2017 Awards — IGN". IGN. December 2017. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  134. ^ "Best Animated Series — Best of 2017 Awards — IGN". IGN. December 2017. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  135. ^ "Best Comedy Series — Best of 2017 Awards — IGN". IGN. December 2017. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  136. ^ "Best Comedic TV Performance — Best of 2017 Awards — IGN". IGN. December 2017. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  137. ^ Sheehan, Paul (January 11, 2018). "2018 Critics' Choice Awards: Full winners list in the 25 film and 22 TV categories". GoldDerby. Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  138. ^ Pedersen, Erik; Haithman, Diane (February 4, 2018). "'Coco' Dominates Annies; 'Rick And Morty' Tops TV: Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  139. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (February 18, 2018). "Golden Reel Awards: Oscar Nominees 'Blade Runner 2049,' 'Dunkirk' Among Sound Editor Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  140. ^ For the award nominations, see McNary, Dave (March 15, 2018). "'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
    For the award winner, see Hammond, Pete (June 28, 2018). "'Black Panther' Tops 44th Saturn Awards With Five; 'Blade Runner 2049', 'Shape Of Water', 'Get Out' Also Score". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  141. ^ Johnson, Zach (August 12, 2018). "Teen Choice Awards 2018 Winners: The Complete List". E!. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  142. ^ "Rick and Morty - Awards & Nominations". Television Academy. Archived from the original on October 19, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  143. ^ Kit, Borys (November 19, 2020). "Palm Springs,' 'Lovecraft Country' Lead Nominations for Inaugural Critics Choice Super Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  144. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (March 3, 2021). "'Soul,' 'Wolfwalkers' Lead Annie Awards Animated Feature Noms". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  145. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (March 11, 2021). "'Minari,' 'Trial of the Chicago 7' Among American Cinema Editors' Eddie Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  146. ^ Hipes, Patrick (March 4, 2021). "Saturn Awards Nominations: 'Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker', 'Tenet', 'Walking Dead', 'Outlander' Lead List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  147. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 27, 2022). "'Belfast,' 'King Richard,' No Time To Die' Among American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  148. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (July 7, 2022). "'This Is Us,' 'Succession,' 'Severance' Lead 2022 HCA TV Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  149. ^ Moreau, Jordan (July 12, 2022). "Emmys 2022: Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  150. ^ Jones, Marcus (October 17, 2022). "Netflix and HBO/HBO Max Lead TV Nominations for Casting Society's 2023 Artios Awards". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  151. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (February 26, 2023). "'Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio' Wins Five Trophies Including the Top Prize at the 50th Annie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  152. ^ "75th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  153. ^ Anderson, Erik (July 11, 2023). "'The Boys', 'Yellowjackets', 'Abbott Elementary' lead 2023 HCA TV Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  154. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (January 16, 2024). "Oppenheimer Dominates Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  155. ^ Rice, Lynette (November 1, 2024). "Artios Awards Nominees Revealed: Netflix Leads With 17 Nominations, HBO/Max With 6". Deadline. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  156. ^ Schneider, Michael (June 17, 2021). "As 'Rick and Morty' Returns for Season 5, So Does the Adult Swim Hit's Merchandise Juggernaut". Variety. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  157. ^ Millican, Josh (June 13, 2019). "RICK AND MORTY Creator Says He'd Love to Make an R-Rated Feature Film". Dread Central. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  158. ^ Deloss, John (June 8, 2021). "Rick & Morty Movie Will Happen Says Show Producer". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  159. ^ Valdez, Nick (June 21, 2021). "Zack Snyder Would Direct a Rick and Morty Movie". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  160. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (May 19, 2021). "Rick & Morty and Three Other Adult Swim Shows are Getting Spin-Off Digital Shorts". IGN. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  161. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 19, 2021). "'Rick and Morty' Spinoff Set at Adult Swim". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  162. ^ "'Rick and Morty' Anime Spinoff Announced by Adult Swim". The Hollywood Reporter. May 18, 2022. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  163. ^ "Space Jam 2: The 10 Best Pop Culture References". ScreenRant. July 18, 2021. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  164. ^ Couch, Aaron (May 14, 2015). "'The Simpsons': Matt Groening Dissects 'Rick and Morty' Opening Credits Crossover". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  165. ^ "Rick and Morty (2015) - #1". Comicbookdb. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  166. ^ Steinbeiser, Andrew (January 22, 2015). "Rick and Morty Comic Book Preview Revealed". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  167. ^ Thompson, Barry (January 20, 2016). "Exclusive: Incoming Rick and Morty Comic Writer Tom Fowler Takes Series to Sad, Absurd Extremes". Paste. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  168. ^ Venable, Nick (May 27, 2020). "Rick and Morty Star Shares Thoughts on Character's Sexuality Flip in Comic Storyline". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  169. ^ Johnston, Rich (September 23, 2019). "The Rick and Morty Comic Series to End With #60". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  170. ^ Plante, Corey (August 28, 2018). "'Rick and Morty vs. D&D' Review: Totally Nails the 'D&D' Newb Experience". Inverse. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  171. ^ Lanier, Liz (May 17, 2019). "'Rick and Morty' Getting a D&D Tabletop Game This Fall". Variety. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  172. ^ "Rick and Morty D&D Chapter 2 Comic Unveiled at D&D Live 2019". bleedingcool.com. May 17, 2019. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  173. ^ MacDonald, Heidi (May 18, 2022). "2022 Eisner Awards Nominations Announced, led by DC and Image". The Beat. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  174. ^ Alexander, Julia (August 7, 2017). "Rick and Morty fans are bidding more than $4,500 on Szechuan sauce (update)". Polygon. 14 August 2017. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  175. ^ Smith, Aaron (October 9, 2017). "McDonald's vows to reboot Szechuan Sauce for spurned 'Rick and Morty' fans". CNN Money. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  176. ^ Castrodale, Jelisa (March 22, 2022). "McDonald's Is Bringing Back One of Its Most Popular McNugget Sauces for Very Limited Time — Here's How to Order It". Food & Wine. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  177. ^ Rosario, Nicole Del (April 1, 2022). "McDonald's is bringing back its viral Szechuan Sauce for a limited time". WSLS. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  178. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (June 22, 2021). "Rick and Morty Throws Down with Wendy's Breakfast Favs in New Ad". Comicbook.Com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  179. ^ Valdez, Nick (May 4, 2020). "Rick and Morty Debuts Hilarious Wendy's Promo". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  180. ^ Lussier, Germain (November 11, 2021). "Rick and Morty Has Forsaken McDonald's, Now Worships Wendy's". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  181. ^ Cahillane, Mollie (June 15, 2021). "Rick and Morty Get Wendy's Drink Flavors, Pop-Up Restaurant". Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  182. ^ Burke, Sammi (September 10, 2022). "Wendy's Launches Limited-Time 'Rick & Morty'-Inspired Meals and Drinks". Yahoo! Life. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  183. ^ Vines, Maia (September 6, 2022). "'Rick and Morty' and Wendy's reunite for the show's 6th season". Ad Age. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  184. ^ Brayson, Johnny (November 6, 2019). "Rick And Morty Meets Death Stranding In Hilarious Crossover Video". Looper.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.