Adult Swim and 'Rick and Morty' Just Played the Best April Fools' Day Joke on All of Us
Updated April 1 2021, 7:32 p.m. ET
Almost every year, Adult Swim teams up with the creators of Rick and Morty to debut a special April Fools’ Day joke for viewers, and this year was no exception. While in the past, the network has surprised fans with a new episode or release date, this year, showrunners tried a different approach.
On March 31, fans of the series received a YouTube link that was scheduled to premiere at midnight, which we later learned was a trailer for a “new” Rick and Morty spinoff series, Rick and Morty Babies. Fans also noticed that the network changed its YouTube name to Adult Swim Junior, leading fans to wonder what was coming next.
Adult Swim Junior was never a thing — and neither was ‘Rick and Morty Babies.’
Putting aside the obvious fact that a baby can’t actually have a grandson, it was clear to viewers that the Muppet Babies-inspired show teaser was just a prank — but a good one, nonetheless.
Along with the newly released trailer for the non-existent series, Adult Swim also aired an edited version of Season 2’s “Total Rickall.” In the episode, which aired at midnight, the show’s regulars were replaced with child actors, and Mr. Poopy Butthole’s name was changed to “Mr. Poopy Butt Butt.”
On social media, viewers were impressed by Adult Swim’s ongoing dedication to the spirit of April Fools’ Day, even in the midst of a global pandemic.
One fan wrote in a comment, “I thought this was recommended to me by an actual channel called Adult Swim Junior. My dumb--s realized it after reading the comments. Brilliant.” Someone else said, “Adult Swim hit a new level of commitment and loyalty.”
In 2020, Rick and Morty showrunners released the trailer and premiere date for the back half of Season 4, and in 2018, a spoof by digital creator and YouTuber Michael Cusack premiered on the show’s website on April 1.
But ultimately, we think we’re all kind of hoping showrunners kept the same energy they had in 2017 when they released a full episode of the show for April Fools’ Day. Speaking of season premieres, many fans have been waiting on Season 5 updates since last May. So, when does Ricky and Morty come back?
The release date for Season 5 of 'Rick and Morty' has finally been announced.
On March 30, Adult Swim released the horror movie-esque trailer for Season 5 of Rick and Morty on YouTube. The video was captioned, “Now you can start asking us about Season 6."
Along with dropping a few hints about what to expect in the upcoming season, showrunners also generously revealed a release date. Season 5 will premiere on June 20, which has officially been dubbed Rick and Morty Day, at 11 p.m. ET on Adult Swim.
A fan of the show wrote on Twitter, “Rick and Morty Season 5 leaning into more plots with the family together is exactly what we need. Hope we get more interesting combinations like another Rick and Jerry plot.”