Posted in: Adult Swim, TV | Tagged: Adult Swim, april fools day

Adult Swim: April Fool's Day Countdown: Yes? No? Maybe? Our Preview!

What does Adult Swim have planned for April Fool's Day 2026? We don't have a clue - but we DO have a countdown preview to help set the mood.

At the time this preview went live, we were less than two hours away from being either really excited or really disappointed. Full disclosure: April Fool's Day sucks as a "holiday" on so many levels that we lose count sometimes. Expect when it comes to Adult Swim. From Adult Swim Jr. and the twisted adventures of Pibby, to a sneak peek at upcoming shows, a puppet-themed Smiling Friends showcase, and Rick and Morty live theater (more on that one below), the ever-expanding late-night programming block has never failed to impress with what they've had to offer over the past several years (we even came around on "Bushworld Adventures" – eventually). With that in mind, and with no official confirmation because that would ruin the point, we have a preview of something that we're assuming is going to happen.

Previously, we speculated about what we could get if April Fool's Day goes down again tonight. A tribute to Smiling Friends would be great – though learning that the show wasn't cancelled after all would be the best. Though one hit animated series is leaving in April, another is returning in May. It's quite possible we could see something hyping up Rick and Morty Season 9. Personally, we could see it as a showcase for previewing the upcoming programming slate. Along with Smiling Friends and Rick and Morty, we could get looks at new seasons of Ninja Kamui, Common Side Effects, My Adventures with Superman, and a new run of SMALLS shorts. On the new series side, we could get looks at Keeping Up with the Joneses, Super Mutant Magic Academy, Heist Safari, Get Jiro!, "Rick and Morty" spinoff President Curtis, and the MAWS universe series, My Adventures with Green Lantern.

With that in mind, we have some past insights on a number of those shows to pass along, followed by a rundown of our past Adult Swim/April Fool's Day Coverage and our original reports from the 2025 edition:

Adult Swim: Some Coverage You Might Be Interested In…

Here's a sampling of our past coverage of some of the upcoming new and returning shows that we may (or may not) learn more about tonight:

Rick and Morty Season 9 Clip: Spoiler? Rick Might Be a Sore Loser

Smiling Friends Short "Card Game": We Bet Pim Wishes He Rolled a "3"

Ninja Kamui Gets 2-Season Renewal; Season 2 Subtitled "Red Vendetta"

Common Side Effects Season 2: Adult Swim Renews Bennett, Hely Series

My Adventures with Superman Star Jack Quaid Offers Season 3 Update

Heist Safari: Adult Swim Developing Genndy Tartakovsky's New Series

Get Jiro! Adult Swim Series Adapt Set for Annecy Festival WIP Showcase

Rick and Morty: President Curtis Star Keith David's Promising Update

My Adventures with Green Lantern: Greg Eagles Recording for Series

Adult Swim: April Fool's Day Rewind: A Look Back…

To help set the mood, here's a look back at our previous April Fool's Day coverage:

Rick and Morty Babies & More: Adult Swim Previews Adult Swim Jr.

Adult Swim April Fool's Day Cost Us Some Sleep But Pibby Was Worth It

Adult Swim April Fools' Day: AI Smiling Friends, New Eric Andre & More

Smiling Friends Season 2 Set for May 12th: Adult Swim April Fool's Day

And here's our original coverage of last year's April Fool's Day:

Adult Swim's April Fool's Day 2025 Rewind: Live-Action "Rick and Morty"

If you're a Rick and Morty fan, then you walked away from last year's midnight broadcast with a big smile on your face. The biggest headline-grabber was the announcement that the dimension-hopping duo would be returning for Season 8 on May 25th. Of course, that wasn't all. A sneak peek of the new season saw Rick and Morty apparently dealing with a serious Easter Bunny/egg issue – one that drew the attention of some cloaked religious folks with cross-guns, and they were not happy.

But with this being April Fool's Day, there was no way that was going to be rolled out like these things usually are – oh, no! Viewers who tuned in on Monday night were treated to "The Rick and Morty Playhouse Players Present: Portal People," a 22-minute anthology special featuring fan-favorite moments from the animated series re-told through an Adult Swim lens of absurd, live-action, theater-based genres.

"We hope you enjoyed our theater interpretations of 'Rick and Morty,' especially if you are well-off/impulsive and now want to back a Broadway version of the show," shared Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen. "For the rest of you, we're glad you now know when Season Eight is starting, so you have time to stretch and get loose because the team has yet again made a totally great season of television." Here's a look at what went down when April Fool's Day hit:

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