Rick's famous catchphrase "Wubba Lubba Dub-Dub" was born from a mistake by the series' creator and Rick's voice actor, Justin Roiland. During recording, there was a scene in the script where Rick was supposed to roll on the ground and shout "Woob woob woob woob woob." Roiland, who is dyslexic, misread the line and blurted out "Wubba Lubba Dub-Dub." The producers liked the phrase so much that it stayed; they later decided its meaning was "I am in great pain, please help me."
On May 10, 2018, during the gap between Seasons 3 and 4, Adult Swim renewed Rick and Morty for 70 more episodes. With 10 episodes per season starting from Season 2, that meant 7 more seasons to reach a total of 10 seasons. It was then announced that the series would end with Season 12. This matches Rick's line in the first episode of Season 3 (The Rickshank Rickdemption, 2017): "There's like nine more seasons until I get that Szechuan sauce!"
On a shelf in Rick's garage there is a box labeled "TIME TRAVEL STUFF." But Justin Roiland has stated at panels that the series will not use time travel as a plot device. There are multiple universes and space travel, but no time travel.
In 2013, Justin Roiland confirmed that his three biggest influences on the series were Beavis and Butt-head, Ren and Stimpy and South Park.
Dan Harmon created this series (together with Justin Roiland) during the period when he was fired from his previous series Community (2009).
The series' main characters are based on the protagonists of Justin Roiland's animated short film "The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti."
On April 1, 2018, Adult Swim aired a surprise Rick and Morty short, Bushworld Adventures. Offering a very different interpretation of the characters, the short was written and made by YouTuber Michael Cusack.
Mr. Meeseeks was inspired by the comic book Scud: The Disposable Assassin, in which people can buy robot assassins that self-destruct after killing a specific target. The comic was created by Rob Schrab, several issues of which were co-written with Dan Harmon; the pair later collaborated on Community (2009) and Rick and Morty as well. Scud also appeared in one of Justin Roiland's original Doc and Mharti cartoons.
Although the series often mocks Marvel, four of its writers worked on Marvel projects: Michael Waldron (Loki 2021 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 2022), Tom Kauffman (Loki 2021), Jessica Gao (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law 2022) and Jeff Loveness (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania 2023).
Although the series has received critical acclaim, it is famous for its extremely toxic fan base. There have been several incidents that went beyond the usual rude online comments; for example, when McDonald's brought back Szechuan sauce as a nod to the series, the sauce sold out so quickly that fans across the United States verbally and physically attacked restaurant employees when they couldn't get it.
Unlike most animated series, Rick and Morty's seasons are not made concurrently. Seasons are announced after they are finished and usually air two years apart. Other post-2010 animated series tend to release seasons a few months apart.
Zack Snyder has stated that he is interested in directing a Rick and Morty feature film.
Along with a crude caricature of Morty, a crude version of Rick and Morty's voices can be heard in the penultimate episode of "Mr. Sprinkles." Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland used the pseudonyms John Dreams and Larry Dune, respectively, in the two-minute eighth episode. Critics described the episode as "Heavy Handed."