Adult Swim has remained a major mover and shaker within the world of cable television for years at this point. While tried-and-true franchises like Rick and Morty and Robot Chicken keep chugging along, numerous other beloved animated series haven’t had as much longevity. Metalocalypse, The Venture Bros., and The Boondocks are just a few examples of shows that ended, creating a need for new series to fill the vacuum. Luckily, a newcomer has come along to address the gap, though the Smiling Friends almost didn’t get their shot at cable television notoriety.
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In an interview to discuss the surreal animated series, creator and producer Max Simonet spilled the beans on how the Smiling Friends almost didn’t happen. Here’s what Simonet had to say in a past interview when it came to Pim and Charlie’s first adventure and the circumstances that brought it to Adult Swim, “There’s a chance it might not have been greenlit. I feel like part of it is because we went a little long on April Fool’s, and we needed another show.” The producer also confirmed that the direct response to Smiling Friends is what leveraged it into being the powerhouse it is today, sitting pretty with three seasons to its name: “I will say, I think they were more willing to give the show a shot after they saw the fan response to it, and I don’t think they anticipated that.”
The End of Smiling Friends?
While Smiling Friends is in the midst of its third season, Adult Swim announced earlier this year that it would be returning for seasons four and five. The future might seem bright for Charlie, Pim, and their surreal friends, but this doesn’t mean the series will go on forever. Over the summer, series creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel confirmed that they don’t plan to have the show be an unending affair. Cusack stated,
“[Michael Cusack] and I decided very early on we didn’t want the show to overstay its welcome or get stale, and we intend to stick by that. I don’t know how long we’ll go on for, but I’m really proud of what we’ve created, and I’m excited for everyone to see what’s in store for this season. Big thanks to our hardworking creative team who work tirelessly to make the show as good as it can be, the network for allowing us to make the show we want to make, and everyone out there for even watching this slop in the first place.”
For Smiling Friends’ current season, we’ve witnessed four episodes that have seen Pim and Charlie experience some wildly hilarious moments. Luckily, the third season is set to air ten episodes in total, so we’re a little under halfway through before we saw goodbye to the Adult Swim series once again. Whenever Smiling Friends ultimately does end, its impact on Cartoon Network won’t soon be forgotten.
What do you think of Smiling Friends almost not making its way to Adult Swim? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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