Rick and Morty

Lore & Background

The show originated from an animated short parody film of Back to the Future created by Justin Roiland for Channel 101, a short film festival co-founded by Dan Harmon. In 2012, after Harmon was briefly fired from Community, Adult Swim approached him; he contacted Roiland, who proposed using the Doc and Mharti characters, renamed Rick and Morty. The first draft was completed in six hours on the Paramount Pictures lot in Harmon's furnished Community office. Adult Swim initially placed a TV-14 rating on the program, and most episodes remain TV-14, with only a few later episodes receiving TV-MA ratings.

Reader's Guide

Rick and Morty has been critically acclaimed for its writing, originality, creativity, and humor. It has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, winning twice (2018 and 2020), and has received two Annie Awards. At times, it has been the most viewed television comedy for adults between 18 and 24. Its popularity has made it a merchandising and media franchise, with a film in development. In May 2018, a long-term deal with Cartoon Network ordered 70 new episodes; by November 2024, the series had been renewed through season twelve. The ninth season aired from May 24, 2026 to July 26, 2026. The show's writing staff is not unionized with the Writers Guild of America, though in 2022 production staff filed a petition for a union election.

Did You Know?

• Adult Swim cut ties with Justin Roiland in 2023 amid allegations of domestic abuse; Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden replaced him in season seven.
• The theme song by Ryan Elder was created specifically for Rick and Morty, not reused from another pilot.
• The first draft of the pilot was written in six hours on the Paramount Pictures lot in Dan Harmon's furnished Community office.

From Channel 101 to Adult Swim: The Show's Unlikely Genesis

The show's roots trace back to Channel 101, a non-profit monthly short film festival in Los Angeles that Dan Harmon co-founded. Justin Roiland, then working in reality TV production, began submitting shock-value pilots to the festival starting in 2004. Harmon recognized something in Roiland's dark humor and the two began collaborating. After Roiland was let go from a creatively stifling television job in 2006, he channeled his energy into an animated short parodying Back to the Future, featuring analogues of Doc Brown and Marty McFly. The audience's wild reaction led Roiland to create more episodes, and the characters gradually evolved beyond their original film-parody origins. In 2012, after Harmon's brief firing from Community, Adult Swim approached him for a prime-time hit. He called Roiland, who immediately suggested adapting the Doc and Mharti characters. Adult Swim pushed for a half-hour format, Harmon proposed building a family around the duo, and development executive Nick Weidenfeld suggested Rick be Morty's grandfather. Roiland, who had previously created three failed animated pilots for Fox and felt burned out with development, was initially resistant to outside notes on his pitch.

The Smith Household and the Multiverse Engine

The series centers on the Smith household in a suburb outside Seattle, Washington. The family includes parents Jerry and Beth, their children Summer and Morty, and Beth's father Rick Sanchez, who lives with them as a guest. The show's core tension comes from two conflicting scenarios: ordinary domestic family drama and a misanthropic grandfather dragging his grandson into interdimensional hijinks. Rick is an eccentric, alcoholic mad scientist who rejects conventional institutions like school, marriage, and family. His 14-year-old grandson Morty is kind-hearted but easily distressed, and his grounded moral compass serves as a counterpoint to Rick's Machiavellian ego. Summer, at 17, is a more conventional teenager focused on peer status. Beth is level-headed and assertive, though self-conscious about her career as a horse surgeon, and dissatisfied with her marriage to Jerry, a simple-minded and insecure man who disapproves of Rick's influence. The multiverse concept means different versions of these characters inhabit other dimensions, and their traits can vary from one reality to another. Rick identifies himself as Rick Sanchez of Earth Dimension C-137.

Critical Acclaim and a Decade of Renewals

Since its debut, Rick and Morty has earned consistent critical praise for its writing, originality, creativity, and humor. The series has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Animated Program category, taking home the trophy twice in 2018 and 2020. It has also collected two Annie Awards, further cementing its standing in the animation world. Beyond awards, the show has demonstrated strong audience appeal, at times ranking as the most viewed television comedy among adults aged 18 to 24. This combination of critical and popular success helped secure a long-term deal with Cartoon Network in May 2018, which ordered 70 new episodes. By November 2024, the series had been renewed through season twelve, a remarkable run for an animated sitcom. The ninth season began airing on May 24, 2026, and concluded on July 26, 2026. The show's sustained momentum across more than a decade of production speaks to its ability to maintain creative relevance while expanding its multiverse storytelling.

Franchise Growth and the Post-Roiland Era

Rick and Morty's popularity has grown it into a full merchandising and media franchise, with a feature film currently in development. The show's voice cast originally featured Justin Roiland voicing both Rick and Morty, alongside Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer, and Sarah Chalke for the rest of the Smith family. However, in 2023, Adult Swim severed ties with Roiland amid allegations of domestic abuse. Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden were brought in to recast his roles beginning with the seventh season, marking a significant shift in the production of a show that had been defined by Roiland's vocal performance for over a decade. Despite this disruption, the series continued its production schedule, with the ninth season airing in 2026. The franchise's ability to navigate such a major creative and personnel change while maintaining its renewal through season twelve underscores the strength of the show's underlying structure and the broader creative team behind it.