Top 10 Shows for Rick and Morty Fans
You won't need interdimensional cable to check out some of these. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Shows for Rick and Morty Fans.
For this list, we'll be looking at both animated and live-action TV programs that fans of the Adult Swim hit “Rick and Morty” might find appealing, and a source of entertainment to take the edge off while we wait for the next season.
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#10: “South Park” (1997-)
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“South Park” has evolved from an animated short of base-level gags, to an edgy and beloved show which offers some of the most biting satire on TV. Due to its simple animation style, series’ creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker (along with their team) can write, animate, and produce an episode in about a week, meaning the current events satirized and lampooned truly are contemporary. At the heart of the show are Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, four boys who regularly either misunderstand the actions of the incompetent adults around them, or take advantage of that incompetence. Through clever writing, the show regularly pokes fun certain systems, ideas, or habits while highlighting the absurdity of modern life.
#9: “Big Mouth” (2017-)
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While there are many shows that delve into the emotional changes brought on by puberty, “Big Mouth” takes a long hard look at the physical changes as well, and reminds us that puberty is not only awkward and embarrassing; it can be downright disgusting too. While it seems like just a series of dick jokes and crude humor at first, the show is surprisingly sex positive, and an honest reminder of how depraved that time of life can seem. Never truly undermining the male or female characters, it’s a smart show that is not above good old fashion toilet humor.
#8: “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005-)
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These people deserve each other. Each member of “The Gang” is selfish, lazy, petty, and self-serving as they regularly try to screw one another over. As terrible as their antics are, there is something just so entertaining about watching a bunch of narcissists continually manipulating one another. Great performances from Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day (and others) seal the deal. Whether they’re seducing a priest, considering questionable cuisine, engaging in illegal activities, or just pushing the limits of terrible social behavior, you’ll be laughing.
#7: “Archer” (2009-)
This show follows super spy Sterling Archer and his co-workers, whose antics and talents range from incompetent to highly skilled. On the surface, the series is just a debauched send-up of the spy genre. Archer is an alcoholic misogynist with some pretty serious mother issues. However, the more episodes watched, the more moments of real character development and nuances the audience is treated to. After 8 seasons and a couple of fun genre-shifts, “Archer” still manages to be entertaining, and its many one-liners and catchphrases having permeated modern lingo more than non-viewers would ever realize.
#6: “Gravity Falls” (2012-16)
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While a show for children might not seem like an obvious choice at first, this Disney outing has frequently been regarded as a sort of “Rick and Morty” for younger viewers. Not that there isn’t lots for adults to enjoy, or that the plots are the same, but the fast-paced, clever writing, and zany family setting feels very familiar. It also deals with inter-dimensional travel and weirdness (paranormal rather than alien, mostly) cropping up in every episode. Also, as Justin Roiland and Alec Hirsch are friends, there are TONS of cross-over Easter eggs; with everything from characters popping up, to literal doorways between the two universes.
#5: “Adventure Time” (2010-)
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“The Regular Show” and “Steven Universe” both have their charms, but to leave this one out would be unacceptable. Like the previous entry, any given episode of “Adventure Time” will have a decidedly more family friendly tone than anything in the chronicled adventures of Morty Smith and his alcoholic, genius grandfather. Together Finn the Human and his adoptive brother Jake, a shape-shifting bulldog, go on crazy, magical adventure that push not only the boundaries of reality but (most importantly) imagination. It is that imaginativeness that makes it so appealing to fans of R&M. Just like how anything can happen between infinite realities, so too does it seem anything is possible in the Land of Ooo.
#4: “Futurama” (1999-2013)
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From the creator of “The Simpsons,” this has a similar network television/adult humor vibe. Like in “Rick and Morty” science fiction is the backbone of the show, with the crew of the Planet Express traversing all across the galaxy in order to fulfill often pointless or questionable tasks. Set in the future, it sees Earth co-inhabited by alien races as well as humans, and multiple intergalactic governments and systems, although the lead characters don’t seem to mind this as much as Rick. Making excellent use of its setting, the show also offers some truly touching moments (seriously, anyone who tells you the ending of “Jurassic Bark” didn’t leave them a little teary is lying to you).
#3: “BoJack Horseman” (2014-)
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So, you like self-destructive alcoholics with high-functioning depression? Because we've got the show for you! Following BoJack, a washed-up actor – who is also a Horse-Man – on the cusp of a comeback, the show is much more thoughtful than it would first appear. In some ways the anti-Rick, BoJack is constantly trying to find meaning in his sad existence, but is always let down one way or another. The humor in this one does not come from the characters’ unhappy, privileged lives, but rather in spite of it.
#2: “Community” (2009-15)
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Created, produced and written R&M co-creator Dan Harmon, the show plays with genre and tropes within each episode. The series begins in an overtly cliché manner, setting up certain characters to the point that it feels familiar and you think you can guess where it is all going – until Abed points out their tropes, effectively beginning the Meta storytelling. By season two, there are post-apocalyptic paint ball wars, ultimate speeches, a Claymation Christmas sequence, an entire episode that is just D&D, a PBS-style documentary pillow fight, and an actual zombie outbreak. Responsible for coining "the darkest timeline" – a phrase that has become a useful descriptor since 2016 – “Community” keeps you guessing, thinking, and laughing. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Robot Chicken” (2005-) “Bob's Burgers” (2011-) “Superjail!” (2008-14)
#1: “The Venture Bros.” (2004-)
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Like “Rick and Morty,” this incredible Adult Swim classic uses comedy to explore some pretty heavy themes. Dean and Hank Venture are boy adventurers, ala Johnny Quest or the Hardy Boys. Or at least they want to be, just like their "super scientist" father, Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture, was. However, the grown-up Rusty is a mess, and his life of boy adventuring has left him a depressed, anti-social narcissist always trying to live up to the legacy of his actually brilliant (and deceased) father, Jonas Venture. With bureaucratic supervillains and YEARS between seasons, you would think it would have lost its charm, but this hilarious send-up of superheroes and adventure stories-of-old has fans perpetually clamoring for more.
