Smiling Friends from Adult Swim is controlled insanity disbursed in 15-minute bits. Out of all the shows currently streaming, there aren’t many as hysterical and visually terrifying as the latest from Adult Swim. The animated workplace comedy from Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack follows Charlie and Pim (played by them respectively), co-workers whose job is to make their clients smile despite any bizarre, and occasionally otherworldly, circumstances.
The show is yet another hilarious offering from the late-night television block, mixing a charming premise with an absurd and dark sense of humor. It’s stuffed with expressive displays of animation and a slew of guest stars that you’d never expect to hear, making for, already, one of the most surprising shows of the year and a welcome addition for adult animation.
While we wait for updates about season two, here’s a list of shows like Smiling Friends that are comedic, chaotic, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Probably.
YOLO: Crystal Fantasy
What better show to watch after Smiling Friends than another Adult Swim comedy from one of its creators. YOLO: Crystal Fantasy is an 8-episode miniseries from Michael Cusack that follows the wild misadventures of Sarah (Sarah Bishop) and Rachel (Todor Manojlovic), two Australian party girls who are looking for a good time in the wildest of places.
YOLO is a strange and emotional follow-up for anyone who wants to see more from Cusack. The show stealth-premiered on the block’s April Fool’s lineup in 2020 (coincidentally the same night the pilot for Smiling Friends aired) before making its actual premiere later that August, and both share his abilities for creating oddball characters with vivid expressions while also being a wonderful showcase for the eccentric range he has in comedy. It pokes fun at the Insta-culture of young people in today’s world with a tinge of absurdist (and regional) flair, all while having a surprisingly sweet center about two best friends at different points in their lives. If you ever wondered what happens to plus-ones at a party, or what a “Bushworld Adventure” is, then this is the show for you. You can watch YOLO: Crystal Fantasy on Hulu, HBO Max, and on Adult Swim’s website.
Close Enough
If you’re looking for adult animated comedies with a surprisingly sweet center, then Close Enough might be just for you. Created by J. G. Quintel of Regular Show fame, this animated sitcom follows Josh (Quintel) and Emily (Gabrielle Walsh), a couple in their early-thirties trying to figure out their lives while they take care of their daughter Candice (Jessica DiCicco).
If you enjoyed the sincerity and randomness of Regular Show, chances are you’ll probably like this follow-up series. It’s a more mature and personal series than this and Smiling Friends being that it’s about a pair of parents that struggle with domestic life, but it isn’t without zany and trippy episodes that still have a thing or two to say about growing up. It’s a good show that talks about maturity while also featuring a dog that acts a lot like Jim Carrey, and it’s certainly worth your time. The first two seasons of Close Enough are available to stream on HBO Max with the third season dropping sometime this year.
Superjail!
If exaggerated violence and baffling animation is what makes your world go round, chances are that you’ll dig Superjail! from Christy Karacas, Stephen Warbrick, and Ben Gruber. Another modern comedy from Adult Swim, Superjail! follows the unusual proceedings that take place in an atypical supermax prison, run by its eccentric warden and his even stranger staff as they seek to maintain order by any gory means necessary.
This show is what you get when you mix Gareth Evans-esque violence with the silliness of Willy Wonka. Its long sequences of cartoonish violence are treated with child-like joy from the prison warden (David Wain), who runs the jail in an extinct volcano that’s also inside an active volcano. It’s a ridiculous series that’s rife with highly detailed and fast-paced animation; sure to catch the attention of any Smiling Friends fan and keep them entertained with some beautifully disastrous American sakuga. All current seasons of Superjail! can be streamed on Hulu, HBO Max, and the Adult Swim website.
The Midnight Gospel
The Midnight Gospel, the follow-up series from Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward, is quite a trip, literally and figuratively. Co-created by Duncan Trussell, the animated comedy from Netflix revolves around Clancy Gilroy (voiced by Trussell), a “spacecaster” who flies around the colorful planets throughout the Chromatic Ribbon to interview guests for his show. The show and interviews are based on actual episodes from Trussell’s podcast, which are adapted into vivid adventures with a fantastical, psychedelic edge.
It’s an interesting approach for an animated show, with each episode walking a fine line between being derivative material for Trussell’s podcast and an engaging narrative about finding oneself. Some episodes feature guests like Stephen Root, Joey Diaz, and even Dr. Drew Pinsky as colorful characters that only add more to this bizarre fantasy world. While little has been said about a potential second season, the eight episode series tell some wonderful stories that’ll definitely suit well for Smiling Friends viewers.
Jellystone!
Jellystone!, in all aspects of the word, is a complete delight to watch. The HBO Max series from Chowder creator C. H. Greenblatt is a slice of life reimagining of classic Hanna-Barbera characters, and contextualizes characters like Yogi Bear (Jeff Bergman) and Snagglepuss (Dana Snyder) in ways that are both respectful to their legacy and appropriately slapstick.
The show is a childish and realized love letter to the Hanna-Barbera cast of characters, with each episode focusing on the diverse cast of citizens in Jellystone and the various shenanigans they get caught up in. While the show is mainly for children, it has an effective balance between kiddy antics and outlandish visual gags. If you ever wondered what an anime fight scene between Yogi and Boo Boo (Greenblatt) would look like, or if you’re nostalgic for some fun adventures with El Kabong (Bernardo de Paula), then Jellystone! is literally the show for you.
Moonbeam City
Possibly the most obscure show on this list, Moonbeam City was a comedic visual spectacle way ahead of its time. A mashup/parody of 80s cop dramas and neon soaked Patrick Nagel visuals, the series by Scott Gairdner starred Rob Lowe, Elizabeth Banks, Kate Mara and Will Forte as cops who investigate the strange crimes that populate the synth wave-filled city.
The show was canceled after one season in 2015, which is a shame considering that the show was a great mix of beautiful visuals that poked fun at serious cop shows like Miami Vice with Archer-esque banter. It’s a show where Rob Lowe falls in love with a dolphin called “Splasha”. How can you not watch that? All ten episodes of Moonbeam City are available to watch on Comedy Central’s website.
Ren & Stimpy
How can anyone watch a show like Smiling Friends and not think of Ren & Stimpy? The Canadian cult classic from Nickelodeon aired for five seasons throughout the 90s, and despite it being a show for kids, still remains a staple for shocking and darkly silly animation. While the wild adventures of the titular cat and dog are no stranger to controversy (from its critically-appalled sequel series to virtually anything regarding the show’s creator John Kricfalusi), its influence on television and animation can still be found in shows today.
In many ways, Smiling Friends feels like a natural progression from Ren & Stimpy in many ways. Both shows make their intentions known from the moment their bouncy theme songs begin to play that what you’re about to see is some truly kooky stuff. They’re both full of highly expressionistic animation and hysterical performances, at times elevating themselves as more of an experience than a series. Plus, any show that’s got Billy West and Powdered Toast Man is more than worth watching. While you wait for the upcoming revival from Comedy Central, you can stream the original run of Ren & Stimpy on Paramount+.
Courage the Cowardly Dog
If Ren & Stimpy encompassed one half of what tonally makes up Smiling Friends, then Courage the Cowardly Dog would take up the other half. The other cult classic from Cartoon Network was created by John R. Dilworth, and sits high above other kids shows for being both one of the funniest and scariest shows that you’ll ever see. The show focused on the titular Courage (Marty Grabstein), an anxious dog that’s tasked with protecting his family in the middle of nowhere from all kinds of terrifying creatures.
Courage the Cowardly Dog is the television equivalent of aged fine wine. The Academy Award nominated series (yes, really) is filled with hilarious characters who can also be equally terrifying even today (see: Le Quack and thank me later). Like Smiling Friends, Courage also stood out from its peers by having immaculate sequences that incorporated creepy 3D models and other forms of media, effectively cementing the show’s legacy as a landmark in horror comedy. Despite the show ending in 2004, fans can still watch Courage’s terrifying antics on HBO Max.