Being an animated send-up of genre conventions, it is surprising that Rick and Morty is now considered one of the best sci-fi TV shows of its time, if not all time. Perhaps, outside of its refreshingly complex plotting and clever references to many great sci-fi movies (and other classics of a wide variety), it is the grounding detail of relatable family drama from many of the best Rick and Morty episodes that has helped it achieve almost universal accessibility.
Adult Swim recently put out an anime version of Rick and Morty that is wildly different from the original series from creator Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland but, fortunately, there are plenty more TV shows with similar themes and tones that you can also “get schwifty” with as we wait for Rick and Morty Season 8 to premiere in 2025. The following are just a few series that remind me of this beloved animated TV show for one reason or another.
Inside Job (2021-2022)
Starring: Lizzy Caplan
What it's about: An anti-social technology expert named s having an especially difficult time helping maintain elaborate cover-ups of the world’s most damning secrets and concerning conspiracies at Cognito Inc..
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: If Rick and Morty was more of a workplace comedy, it might be something like the bizarre animated satire Inside Job, which is a TV show Netflix cancelled too soon from creators Shion Takeuchi and Alex Hirsch.
The Legend Of Vox Machina (2022-Present)
Starring: Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson
What it's about: A ragtag group of heroes for hire becomes the last hope for the survival of their enchanted realm.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: If Rick and Morty took place in a more traditional fantasy world, it might be something like Amazon Prime’s off-beat adventure comedy series, The Legend of Vox Machina, which is inspired by the creators’ own Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
What it's about: A young, emotionally shallow musician is forced to fight seven powerful enemies if he wants to have a relationship with the woman of his dreams.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s acclaimed graphic novel series and featuring the voice talents of the original Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie cast, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is another high-energy, fantastic animated comedy series that convinces you to root for a relatively unlikable protagonist, similar to how fans still have some affinity for the emotionally shallow, verbally abusive, hard-drinking Rick Sanchez.
How to watch Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Invader Zim (2001-2006)
Starring: Richard Steven Horvitz, Andy Berman
What it's about: In an attempt to secretly get rid of him, a species of aliens sends an overly ambitious member and a faulty robotic assistant to Earth with a mission to infiltrate and conquer it.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: For any Rick and Morty fan looking for something similar but more suitable to show younger viewers, Invader Zim is certainly a more kid-friendly sci-fi comedy but is also one of the darkest and absolute weirdest Nicktoons ever conceived, especially for the early 2000s.
Gravity Falls (2012-2016)
Starring: Jason Ritter, Kristen Schaal, Alex Hirsch
What it's about: Dipper and his twin sister, Mabel, are sent to live with their great uncle Stan in a town where there is more than meets the eye.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: Also created by Alex Hirsch Disney Channel’s Gravity Falls is also more family-friendly than Ricky and Morty but is also another multi-layered animated comedy fantasy with a legion of devoted fans that follows the adventures of a couple of kids and their eccentric relative.
Solar Opposites (2020-Present)
Starring: Dan Stevens, Thomas Middleditch
What it's about: A family of extraterrestrials struggles to make a stable living after crash landing on Earth.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: Before a domestic abuse charge led to his exit, Rick and Morty co-creator and former Rick and Morty actor Justin Roiland served as the voice of Korvo (now played by Dan Stevens) and co-creator (along with Michael McMahan) of another animated sci-fi family comedy called Solar Opposites, which some say surpasses Rick and Morty is a few areas.
Community (2009-2015)
Starring: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs
What it's about: A suspended lawyer is forced to attend a community college where he forms a close bond with his diverse study group.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: Before co-creating Rick and Morty, Dan Harmon hit it (pretty) big with a live-action comedy that seamlessly balances pop culture references, deconstructive self-awareness, and relatable social themes like Rick and Morty, as many of the best episodes of Community can prove.
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
Starring: Pedro Pascal
What it's about: An interplanetary bounty hunter becomes the protector of an abandoned creature of great power.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: An iconic duo one could compare Rick and Morty to is the testy Din Djarin and the endearingly innocent, yet sometimes troublesome, Grogu in The Mandalorian – Jon Favreau's Star Wars universe series that also crosses streams with other genre styles and sprinkles comic relief into its action-packed moments.
One Punch Man (2015-Present)
Starring: Makoto Furukawa, Max Mittelman
What it's about: A teenage vigilante whose unfailing ability to defeat any enemy with a single attack forces him into an existential crisis.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: A funny thing about Rick is that he is so knowledgeable and resourceful that he finds most dire threats merely tedious, which is similar to the title hero of the popular anime, One Punch Man, which is based on the manga by Yusuke Murata that pokes fun at the superhero lifestyle in some hilariously inventive ways.
Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorezno
What it's about: Aging, chainsaw-handed "Deadite" hunter Ash accidentally unleashes another wave of malevolent, possessive forces.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: Any Rick and Morty fan who wants to see more of its signature dark humor and graphic violence in a live-action setting should look no further than Ash vs. Evil Dead – a series continuation of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead movies which lasted three seasons of non-stop, explosive demon-busting action.
How to watch Ash vs. Evil Dead
- Stream Ash vs. Evil Dead on Starz
- Buy Ash vs. Evil Dead on Amazon
- Buy Ash vs. Evil Dead on Blu-ray on Amazon
Spaced (1999-2001)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes
What it's about: Two platonic friends must pose as a couple to live in an apartment building overrun with some odd characters in London.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: Pegg and Hynes teamed up with Edgar Wright to craft one of the best sitcoms of all time, Spaced, which is similar to Rick and Morty in the way it incorporates inventive references to pop culture iconography with relatable storylines of common human struggles.
Adventure Time (2010-2018)
Starring: Jeremy Shada, John DiMaggio
What it's about: The escapades of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog in a bizarre fantasy land.
Why it is a great TV show to watch if you are a fan of Rick and Morty: While not quite as plentiful with pop culture Easter Eggs and dark adult humor, Pendleton Ward’s Adventure Time is a ceaselessly witty and cleverly exciting animated fantasy series that will easily appeal to all ages.
- Stream Adventure Time on Hulu
- Stream Adventure Time on Max
- Buy Adventure Time on Amazon
- Buy Adventure Time on DVD on Amazon
What do you think? Would these movies and TV shows go well with a side of Szechuan sauce, or are they just the inferior copies of Rick and Morty you feel would be best if kept in the Citadel?
