Adult Swim has been known for introducing fans of animation to some of the strange examples of television shows to ever hit basic cable, with the likes of Rick and Morty, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Venture Bros being just a few examples of critically acclaimed series, and it seems as if another big hit is on the way with the order of Smiling Friends. The series, which landed with a pilot episode in 2019, follows the “Smiling Friends” who attempt to bring smiles to the faces of characters that are surreal, to say the least.
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Since hitting the cable channel two years back, Smiling Friends was also placed on the official Adult Swim website and, surprisingly, has garnered the most views of any television episode on the site. Garnering around 1.3 million views, it has clearly shown that there is an audience for this strange new tale. Following the adventures of Charlie and Pim, the pilot episode sees them attempting to save the life of a suicidal man who is ultimately saved, but shows Pim that the world is far more morose than he had originally thought as the trio walk through a variety of strange scenarios.
Adult Swim confirmed that they had ordered Smiling Friends to series, informing fans that their pleas to turn this into a series did not fall on deaf ears, though the details regarding how many episodes will land and when they will arrive on the small screen are still anyone’s guess:
Around 378 million of you told us to make Smiling Friends. So we’re making Smiling Friends with @MichaelRCusack and @psychicpebble and it’s coming this year. Yay! pic.twitter.com/ksLfQi7VkY
— adult swim (@adultswim) May 19, 2021
Recently, during Warner Bros Upfronts, the company revealed that new movies were being made for some of Adult Swim’s biggest franchises, including the likes of Metalocalypse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Venture Bros. On top of these announcements, Adult Swim will also be creating a spin-off series for Rick and Morty that will follow the adventures of the Vindicators, the superhero team that met their end thanks to a drunken night of debauchery by Rick Sanchez himself.
Are you hyped for the arrival of the Smiling Friends? What other Adult Swim pilots would you love to see receive a series? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of surreal animation.
