“Community” (Complete 6 seasons on Hulu, originally aired on NBC and Yahoo! Screen)
How it’s like Rick and Morty: Pop culture references, internal conflicts, created by Dan Harmon.
“Rick and Morty” is a hit for Adult Swim, but it wouldn’t exist without “Community,” a show that struggled on network TV for years and made Dan Harmon a minor celebrity for creating it.
Ostensibly about a misfit community college study group, that premise was more of an excuse to roll out excellent pop culture parodies and riffs, which included episodes that took on zombies, alternate realities, and most famously, action films by the way of multiple, campus-wide paintball games.
It also has an acute understanding of the basic mechanics built into any televisions series, which it used to tell typical sitcom stories in new ways. But there was a beating heart beneath all this. Community was interested in dealing with the bitterness and resentment that can undermine any relationship, even those between the closest of friends, and how those people can work through them to form a stable bond. It’s one of the great sitcoms of its era.
“Gravity Falls” (Complete 2 seasons on Hulu, originally aired on Disney and Disney XD)
How it’s like “Rick and Morty:” Reinvents science-fiction stories in clever ways, Justin Roiland’s unmistakable voice acting
Although the shows have hinted towards a shared universe, what really unites “Gravity Falls” with “Rick and Morty” is a shared sensibility. Even though it aired first, “Gravity Falls” acts as a kid version of the Adult Swim show, complete with its own G-rated Rick in Grunkle Stan (it’s a lot better than that sounds).
Set in a small town that’s a magnet for the paranormal, the series follows twins Dipper and Mabel as they stumble into familiar sci-fi situations that defy formula, and uncover a vast conspiracy tying all the weirdness together. Don’t let its Disney origins fool you, “Gravity Falls” is a hilarious show packed with numerous colorful characters, and it isn’t afraid to get existential (albeit in brief bursts.)
“Moral Orel” (Complete 3 seasons on Hulu, originally aired on Adult Swim)
How it’s like “Rick and Morty:” Existentialism, bad marriages, “Mor” being present in the title
If you find “Rick and Morty”‘s world view to be too bright, then say hello to “Moral Orel”, a show that became so bleak during its run that Adult Swim had to cancel it.
What began as an absurdist Claymation parody of religious kids cartoons (its first episode is about the innocent, God-loving Orel, raising the dead through a Satanic text) Moral Orel eventually evolved into a harsh examination of the toxicity, selfishness and abuse occupying many households, the crushing sadness that pops up through life in general, and how Orel strives to keep his faith without falling into the darkness surrounding him.
At times, during its final season, Moral Orel doesn’t even attempt to make light of the situations that befall its characters, instead taking an unflinching gaze at the void that all life empties into, hoping something good might pop through.
“Channel 101” (Various web shows, most are on Youtube)
How it’s like “Rick and Morty:” Unabashed weirdness, the shows from the episode “Rixty Minutes”
Before Dan Harmon found success on television, he utilized the power of the internet to establish his voice, as well as many others. “Channel 101” was a website prominent in the mid-2000’s, co-created by Harmon, that hosted a variety of web series based on audience votes for renewal. It attracted comedic talents that would later break out (including parody rap trio The Lonely Island), and even got a TV adaptation as VH1’s “Acceptable.TV.”
Although it can’t be said they’re enjoyable because they’re good, the “Channel 101” shows contain a central strangeness that is essential to what “Rick and Morty” is. Especially recommended is the Jack Black-starring “Computerman,” with Black as the titular computer brought to life, and the Justin Roiland-created “House of Cosbys,” an animated show about a guy who clones Bill Cosby several times over.
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