Adult Swim has confirmed, or rather, not confirmed, that Season 4 of Rick and Morty is aaaaages off. It hasn’t been started yet and isn’t actually officially definitely happening. Ryan Ridley, a member of the show’s writing staff, has said that late 2019 is realistically the earliest fans can expect to see new episodes.
Late 2019. It’s currently early 2018. So that’s…. hang on… nearly two years away. That’s sooooo loooong. R&M fans are used to being kept waiting, but still, that’s a long old time.
Luckily there are plenty of great shows out there to keep you going in the meantime. Here are a thousand or so episodes of good-ass shows with at least a foot in what makes R&M the show it is. Plus, the Back to the Future trilogy is on Netflix now, which Rick and Morty couldn’t exist without, and you could do a lot worse than watching those three films on loop for 23 months or so.
'Futurama'
What is it? The story of Fry, a pizza delivery boy cryogenically frozen in the year 2000 and woken up in the year 3000. Co-created by The Simpsons’ Matt Groening, it’s laden with ridiculous jokes, horrible gelatinous blobs and mind-bendingly silly puns.
What does it have in common with R&M? Huge amounts of drunken belching, impossibly clever sci-fi ideas buried under loads of jokes, occasional quite brutal deaths.
How much of it is there? 140 episodes.
Where can I see it? iTunes, or you can find the DVDs in a lot of charity shops, and they single-handedly warrant still having a DVD player. The menus alone are Italian-chef-kissing-fingers good.
'Adventure Time'
What is it? The post-apocalyptic fairytale of a boy and his dog in a world of bubblegum princesses, ice kings and endless magic.
What does it have in common with R&M? Deceptively deep themes masked by bright colours, explosions, funny voices and slapstick.
How much of it is there? 274 episodes.
Where can I see it? Cartoon Network, plus Blu-Rays are available.
'Bojack Horseman'
What is it? The wacky-looking but deceptively bleak story of a washed-up horse actor.
What does it have in common with R&M? Parents could easily glance at it, think it seemed like perfectly appropriate viewing for their six-year-old and come back in half an hour to find their offspring completely traumatised, wondering what the point of life is.
How much of it is there? 49 episodes.
Where can I see it? Netflix.
'Aqua Teen Hunger Force'
What is it? The ridiculous, surreal adventures of sentient fast-food items Meatwad, Frylock and Master Shake in their suburban home.
What does it have in common with R&M? It’s made by the same channel, Adult Swim, and shares the more-is-more attitude to jokes and fuck-this attitude to continuity.
How much of it is there? 139 episodes.
Where can I see it? The DVDs are on Amazon, and episodes are purchasable from YouTube.
'Community'
What is it? A live-action sitcom about a community college class, but a hella-meta, insanely ambitious, occasionally surreal, occasionally heartbreaking sitcom.
What does it have in common with R&M? It was created by R&M co-creator Dan Harmon, and shares the same kind of dense, allusion-filled, no-such-thing-as-too-many-jokes approach to comedy, although in a more heartfelt, less nihilistic way.
How much of it is there? 110 episodes.
Where can I see it? Netflix.
'Family Guy'
What is it? It’s Family Guy. You’ve seen Family Guy.
What does it have in common with R&M? Joke, joke, joke, joke, impossibly dark bit involving child murder, joke, joke, fart, explosion, joke, joke, quite savage bit about the pointlessness of existence, joke, vomit.
How much of it is there? 298 episodes.
Where can I see it? On ITV2 approximately 18 hours a day.
'Archer'
What is it? The ridiculous adventures of Sterling Archer, an incompetent secret agent in a booze-soaked, anachronistic, James Bond-meets-Mad Men world that, in any given season, might take place in a completely different era.
What does it have in common with R&M? The vocal talents of Chris Parnell, a laissez-faire attitude towards continuity, ace running gags and lots of drink.
How much of it is there? 93 episodes.
Where can I see it? Netflix.
