TV SERIES · 2013–present · USA
Rick and Morty
- Created by
- Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland
- Network
- Adult Swim
- Seasons
- 9
- Episodes
- 91
- Studio
- Williams Street, Harmonious Claptrap, Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions
33 archived facts 5 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026
Follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on adventures across the universe.
33 Interesting Facts About Rick and Morty
Interesting Facts (1)
- #001
Dan Harmon created this show (along with Justin Roiland) during the time he was fired from his previous show, Community (2009).
Production Story (5)
- #002
On April 1st, 2018, Adult Swim aired a surprise Rick and Morty short called the Bushworld Adventures that has a much different take on the characters. The short was written and produced by youtuber Michael Cusack.
- #003
Rick's catchphrase "Wubba Lubba Dub-Dub" was accidentally conceived by series creator Justin Roiland, who also voices Rick. While doing a recording, a scene was described in the script where Rick would be spinning around on the floor and yelling "Woob woob woob woob woob" like Curly from The Three Stooges. Roiland, who is dyslexic, misinterpreted the line and blurted out "Wubba Lubba Dub-Dub". The makers liked "Wubba Lubba Dub-Dub" so much that it stuck with them. They later decided that it means "I am in great pain. Please help me".
- #004
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Justin Roiland largely abandoned the series after season 3, providing little to no creative input. In subsequent seasons, Roiland's contributions were limited to voice roles, which he often recorded himself at home with no direction. The article also revealed that Roiland's working relationship with Dan Harmon "had grown so acrimonious that the show brought in a mediator to try to salvage what was once an inspired partnership."
- #005
In regards to scenes shown during the different opening sequences for each season, only about half of the scenes showed are featured in episodes during that specific season. The only constant of the opening sequence is Rick ditching Morty through a porthole to escape attacking aliens and Rick, Morty, and Summer escaping an alien in pursuit of Rick's car.
- #006
Mr. Meeseeks was inspired by Scud: The Disposable Assassin, a comic book in which people can buy robot assassins that self-destruct immediately after killing a specified target. The comic was created by Rob Schrab, with several issues co-written by Dan Harmon, and the two have since collaborated on Community (2009) and Rick and Morty. Scud was also covered in one of Justin Roiland's original Doc and Mharti cartoons.
Behind the Scenes (2)
- #007
Any time a fake commercial appears, they are single audio takes of Justin Roiland improvising as he stutters and laughs throughout them.
- #008
Justin Roiland (co-creator of the show and the voice of both Rick and Morty) said in an interview that Chris Parnell, who plays Jerry Smith, nails his lines on his first takes. Due to normal voice recording precautions of animation, Parnell has to record at least thirty more takes. Even so, Roiland said that he almost always chooses Parnell's first takes.
Characters & Cast (2)
- #009
Rick only drools from his mouth when he's been drinking.
- #010
Sarah Chalke, the voice of Beth, can burp on command. Justin Roiland has been jealous of this because he plays Rick, a character that needs to constantly burp.
Easter Eggs & References (23)
- #011
In the season 8 title sequence, the "Tetris" pieces have five square blocks instead of four, except for the oblong yellow one, which has six.
- #012
Morty is generally accepted as being based on Marty from Back to the Future (1985). In "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind," one Rick has a Morty who looks like Eric Stoltz's character in the movie Mask. Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty in Back to the Future (1985).
- #013
On the shelf in Rick's garage workshop, there's a box labeled "TIME TRAVEL STUFF". Still, Justin Roiland has stated in panels that the show is not going to utilize time travel as a plot device. Multiple dimensions and space travel, yes, but no time travel.
- #014
"Unacceptable" and "the thing, the thing" have both made it into the show; both are lines from the Adventure Time (2010) character The Earl of Lemongrab, also voiced by Justin Roiland.
- #015
The picture of sunflowers in the Smith house is a parody of "Vase With Fifteen Sunflowers" by Vincent van Gogh.
- #016
In the episode "Big Trouble in Little Sanchez," the drawing Tiny Rick draws that says "HELP ME" has a drawing of "Doc" from "The Real Adventures of Doc and Mharti" above the writing.
- #017
In the pilot episode, when Rick and Morty are in line at intergalactic customs, a Ferengi from the Star Trek universe is in front of them.
- #018
Along with a rough version of Morty's caricature, a rough version of both Rick and Morty's voices can be heard in the second to last episode of "Mr. Sprinkles." Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland used the pseudonyms John Dreams and Larry Dune, respectively, for the two-minute eighth episode show. It was described by critics as "Heavy Handed."
- #019
The main universe in the show's story line, "C-137", might be a reference to Cesium-137, a byproduct of nuclear fission and the most problematic environmental hazard after nuclear reactor accidents. In at least one episode Rick uses cesium against a powerful enemy.
- #020
In an episode where Rick and Morty are playing Minecraft, they have to stop and go on an adventure. Morty asks, "What about Minecraft?" with Rick responding, "South Park did it 4 years ago." Morty follows by saying, "Wow! They're fast!" and Rick replies, "Yeah, or we're slow." This is a reference to the fact that episodes of South Park are made during the week before they air and episodes of Rick and Morty aren't aired until the entire season is complete.
- #021
The picture of a running horse with a horseman in the Smith house is a parody of "The Horse in Motion" by Eadweard Muybridge.
- #022
The vehicle driven by Jerry is the Wagon Queen Family Truckster from National Lampoon's Vacation (1983). Chevy Chase, the star of National Lampoon's Vacation, played a main role in the first four seasons of co-creator Dan Harmon's previous show, Community.
- #023
In season 2 episode 1, the fourth dimensional beings are a reference to the creatures from The Langoliers, a made for tv miniseries based on a Stephen King novella of the same name; in which the characters get caught outside of time and encounter bizarre creatures that devour reality after time has moved on.
- #024
When characters are confused or dumbfounded, their lips droop down their faces. This is an homage to The Ren and Stimpy Show, in which Ren would do the same thing.
- #025
The clock in Rick's Garage lab always shows two o'clock. Except Season 1 Episode 3 where it shows 3pm.
- #026
In the opening sequence where Rick, Morty and Summer run from a monster in a flying machine of Rick's, the monster is based on writer H. P. Lovecraft's famous creation Cthulhu. The reason they are running, as seen in the scene, is that they stole Cthulhu's child.
- #027
A strange-looking helmet can be seen on Rick's work bench in many episodes. He can even be seen fiddling with the helmet at the beginning of the episode Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender. The presence of said helmet has led to a dark new fan theory that is based around the urban legend of the suicide helmet, in which a troubled teenager builds a helmet rigged with shotgun shells that he uses to commit suicide. Rick's helmet contains several red tubes protruding from its surface that look unsettlingly like shotgun shells. Rick has had many close calls with death over the show's run, but given his unstable and often highly depressive mindset, it is believable yet very unfortunate that he would willingly build a device for such a purpose. Others have argued that the helmet looks a bit like the brainwave-analyzing helmet worn by Doc Brown in Back to the Future (1985) as he tries to read Marty's mind. Given that the show is based on Doc and Marty from Back to the Future, this theory isn't too far-fetched either (and the helmet seems to contain a set of goggles, which seems a bit unnecessary if its purpose is to kill the wearer).
- #028
The picture of the umbrella in the Smith house is a parody of "Hegel's Holiday" by René Magritte.
- #029
The scene with the "stripped down, Sundance, sci-fi bull****" is a parody, and a bit of a scolding criticism, of the Darren Aronofsky film The Fountain (2006).
- #030
Contains a major spoiler — show
In Season 2, Episode 3, at about 18:44, the show that Unity created for Rick is revealed to be an alien version of Community (2009), a show which Dan Harmon created along with being the co-creator of Rick and Morty (2013), with all the characters from that show making an appearance in this show: Jeff, Annie, Shirley, Pierce, Troy, Abed, and Britta. Rick's requests from Unity to "cancel it, then put it back on, then cancel it again" is also a reference to the ups and downs that the show had seen.
- #031
Contains a major spoiler — show
The viral outbreak that caused Cronenberg's outbreak in Season 1, Episode 6, titled "Rick Potion #9," is a reference to Canadian director David Cronenberg. The decision to use his name is likely due to the fact that Cronenberg is one of the originators of the "body horror" genre, a style of filmmaking which explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection.
- #032
Contains a major spoiler — show
It is suggested that this show takes place in the same universe (or multiverse) as Gravity Falls (2012), another popular cartoon, as items seen falling in a portal in the latter appear falling out in the former. Similarly, there can be seen Mabel and Dipper Morty's and an Old Man McGucket Rick.
- #033
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the episode 'Vindicators 3: The Return of World Ender' (S3E4), the countdown to Rick's first Saw challenge ends on 0:42. 42 is the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything in Douglas Adams's cult classic sci-fi comedy franchise, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Related pages
- Avengers: Doomsday — Rick and Morty comes up in the facts on that page
- Loki — Rick and Morty comes up in the facts on that page
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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