Clone High

Rick and Morty Creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland on Their Surreal New Series

Like most Adult Swim fare, there's a manic quality to Rick and Morty, but co-creator Dan Harmon instills an oddly emotional realism to it, helping it stand out amongst the crowd. The series follows Rick, an alcoholic mad scientist, as he drags his slightly dimwitted grandson Morty on a series of adventures across time and space. While Rick has no qualms roping Morty into his own self-serving schemes and even knocking off a few of his classmates along the way, there's a thrilling freedom to watching Rick indulge in his bad tendencies.  As Harmon explains toTVGuide.com, part of Rick's appeal is the fantasy fulfillment of "wanting to be the smartest [person]  in the room and telling everyone else that none of their problems matter ... and just burping and walking away." Though over time, Harmon says, people will start to understand Rick is the way he is because he "has seen a lot of things that would challenge a normal person's ability to continue thinking that certain things are sacred."