Post-2018 Turner Upfront, What Adult Swim Fans Have to Look Forward to, ‘Harvey Birdman’, ‘Three Busy Debras’ & More
We thought it was going to be a big day for Adult Swim fans, but it has been a bit of a bust. Sorry, kids.
Turner, the network’s parent company, held its big upfront presentation this morning. This is the meeting where they try to get media agencies excited about their properties and the things they have in the pipeline. In addition to Adult Swim, the event covers TBS, TNT, TruTV, Cartoon Network, Turner Sports and TCM.
Today’s presentation was festive and star-studded, it even featured a performance by Snoop Dog, but it lacked any new Adult Swim news. Nothing about the Eric Andre Show, Decker, or the Venture Bros.
However, over the last few weeks, the network has been sharing some of what’s on the horizon. What we do know is that Harvey Birdman is returning, a female-centric series produced by Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions has been ordered to pilot, a boatload of Rick and Morty is in the works, and the first ever Adult Swim Festival in launching in Los Angeles in the fall. Also, Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington are taking their On Cinema show on the road. So, while we were hoping for a bombshell today, there is in fact a lot for Adult Swim fans to be excited about.
The Return of Harvey Birdman, Attorney General
Off the radar for over a decade, Harvey Birdman returns with a half-hour animated special in the fall, Harvey Birdman, Attorney General. The show will feature the original voice cast from the animated series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, which aired on Adult Swim from 2000-2007. This includes Gary Cole as Harvey Birdman, Stephen Colbert as Phil Ken Sebben, John Michael Higgins as Mentok the Mindtaker, and Paget Brewster as Birdgirl. The special finds Phil Ken Sebben is now president and has named Harvey Birdman as his attorney general. As Sebben is a megalomaniac billionaire, Harvey needs to find a way to remove him from office. Jeff Sessions may want to take notes.
Three Busy Debras Gets Greenlight
As for the Amy Poehler-exec produced starter, Three Busy Debras is “a new absurdist half-hour comedy that follows three disturbed housewives and their fellow residents of an affluent Connecticut suburb that exists outside of reality as we know it.” It’s creators and stars include Sandy Honig, Mitra Jouhari and Alyssa Stonoha. The network was put on blast for not supporting projects by women, so hopefully more doors will be opening in this realm.
A Lot More Rick and Morty
Rick and Morty enthusiasts have much to look forward to, as the network entered into a deal with the show’s creators for 70 more episodes. Yes, you read right, 70. That should keep Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland busy for a while.
Adult Swim Festival Style
In March, Adult Swim announced its inaugural Adult Swim Festival. Slated to go down October 6-7 at Row DTLA, the event features music, comedy, previews of Adult Swim shows, exclusive merch, and games. Run the Jewels have already signed on and over 30 more acts are expected to perform. Early bird passes are available now over here.
Adult Swim on the Road: Adult Swim on the Green, Rickmobile & On Cinema LIVE!
For those that can’t make it to Los Angeles, a slice of Adult Swim may be coming to a town near you. The network is again hosting its free Adult Swim on the Green events in select cities, and the Rickmobile, the Rick and Morty mobile pop-up shop, is hitting the road with its first stop being Atlanta on May 17. Also, as mentioned above, Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington have shared details of a tour, On Cinema LIVE!. Modeled after their Adult Swim movie review series, this live multi-media production promises colorful disagreements and special guests. You can find details of where all these tours are going below.
There is one final leg to the Turner Upfront festivities, a party tonight at Terminal 5 featuring The Killers. The party, which in past years was owned by Adult Swim, was rebranded for 2018 to be the Turner Upfront Party. As it was stripped of its Adult Swim stripes, we highly doubt that the network will break any major news at the event.
Adult Swim on the Green
May 31 – Bayfront Park, Miami, FL
June 3 – Wakemed Cross Country Course, Raleigh, NC
June 7 – Riverfront Park, Charleston, SC
June 12 – World’s Fair Park – Performance Lawn, Knoxville, TN
June 17 – Water Town Park, Louisville, KY
June 19 – Canalside, Buffalo, NY
June 22 – Voinovich Bicentennial Park, Cleveland, OH
June 26 – Veterans Park, Milwaukee, WI
June 28 – Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
June 30 – The Commons, Minneapolis, MN
On Cinema LIVE!
June 9 – Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ
June 15 – Revolution Hall, Portland, OR
June 16 – Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA
September 25 – The Fillmore Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD
September 26 – The Fillmore Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
September 27 – The Wilbur, Boston, MA
September 28 – The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
September 29 – The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
Rickmobile
MAY 17 – New Realm Brewing, Atlanta, GA
MAY 20 – TBS! Comics, Pensacola, FL
MAY 21 – Port City Comics, Mobile, AL
MAY 24 – Baton Rouge, LA
MAY 26 – Shreveport, LA
MAY 27 – Tyler, TX
MAY 29 – Plano, TX
MAY 31 – Oklahoma City, OK
JUN 1 – Tulsa, OK
JUN 12 – Wichita, KS
JUN 13 – Topeka, KS
JUN 16 – Springfield, MO
JUN 17 – Joplin, MO
JUN 20 – Fayetteville, AR
JUN 22 – Waco, TX
JUN 23 – Abilene, TX
JUN 24 – Lubbock, TX
JUL 10 – Colorado Springs, CO
JUL 11 – Boulder, CO
JUL 13 – Fort Collins, CO
JUL 14 – Cheyenne, WY
JUL 18 – San Diego, CA
JUL 19 – San Diego, CA
JUL 20 – San Diego, CA
JUL 21 – San Diego, CA
JUL 22 – San Diego, CA
AUG 4 – Lincoln, NE
AUG 5 – Omaha, NE
AUG 7 – Sioux Falls, SD
AUG 10 – Minneapolis, MN
AUG 12 – Des Moines, IA
AUG 22 – Cedar Rapids, IA
AUG 24 – Madison, WI
AUG 25 – Milwaukee, WI
AUG 26 – Naperville, IL
AUG 28 – Peoria, IL
AUG 29 – St. Louis, MO
AUG 31 – Evansville, IN
SEP 11 – Fort Wayne, IN
SEP 12 – Grand Rapids, MI
SEP 14 – Lansing, MI
SEP 15 – Ann Arbor, MI
SEP 16 – Toldeo, OH
SEP 18 – Dayton, OH
SEP 21 – Akron, OH
SEP 22 – Erie, PA
SEP 23 – Buffalo, NY
OCT 6 – Birmingham, AL
OCT 7 – Tuscaloosa, AL
OCT 9 – Montgomery, AL
OCT 10 – Auburn, AL
OCT 12 – Columbus, GA
OCT 13 – Macon, GA
OCT 16 – Gainesville, FL
OCT 17 – Tampa, FL
OCT 20 – Tallahassee, FL