Co-creator of Rick and Morty, Dan Harmon has made a deal with Fox Entertainment to create and develop an animated comedy series which will premiere on the network in the spring of 2022. The announcement was made by Fox Entertainment president of entertainment Michael Thorn. As part of the agreement, Harmon will create and develop a comedy series, produced by Fox Entertainment, with Bento Box Entertainment serving as the program’s animation studio.
Harmon’s Rick and Morty, is currently airing season four on Adult Swim, as part of a 70-episode order. Season three broke ratings records as 2017’s #1 comedy and earned the series an Emmy for outstanding animated program. He also created and executive-produced comedy series Community, which ran for six seasons, garnering multiple Emmy nominations, Critics Choice Awards and other accolades. In 2015, he executive-produced the animated feature film Anomalisa.
The new Harmon project will be Fox Entertainment’s first fully-owned animated series. Jeff Davis, Kyle Killen, Mara Brock Akil and Sarah Watson are other creators who have recently signed deals with Fox Entertainment. Watson, wrote and is executive-producing Fox’s Untitled Film Re-Enactment Project pilot from Warner Bros. Television, Amblin TV and Fox Entertainment.
As part of a major push in adult animation, over the last two years the network has gone from three animated series The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers to seven including recent additions Bless the Harts, Duncanville and the upcoming Housebroken and The Great North.