Solar Opposites | |
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Genre | |
Created by | |
Voices of |
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Composer | Chris Westlake |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 53 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Editors | Lee Harting Nick Reczynski |
Running time | 21–25 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Hulu |
Release | May 8, 2020 – present |
Solar Opposites is an American adult animated science-fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan for Hulu. [2] Originally created for the Fox Broadcasting Company, the project was shelved before being bought by Hulu and given a two-season order consisting of eight episodes each with the first season premiering on May 8, 2020. In October 2022, the series was renewed for a fifth season which premiered on August 12, 2024. [3] In July 2024, the series was renewed for a sixth season. [4]
Solar Opposites centers around Korvo, Terry, Jesse, and Yumyulack — a family of aliens who crash land on Earth and are forced to stay there, often disagreeing on whether this is a good thing. The family comes from Planet Shlorp, an advanced alien world that sent out one hundred ships — each carrying 2 adults and their replicants — to colonize new planets shortly before their home planet was destroyed by an asteroid.
The show also features parallel storylines, the most prominent of which follows a society of humans shrunk by the replicant Yumyulack and imprisoned in a terrarium known as "the Wall". [5] Starting in the third season, another storyline follows a group of intergalactic corrupt police officers, known as the SilverCops, that routinely arrest and brutalize Shlorpians fleeing from the destruction of their homeworlds.
On August 28, 2018, it was announced that Hulu had given the production a series order for two seasons consisting of sixteen episodes. The series was created by Rick and Morty cocreator Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan, who were also expected to serve as executive producers. It is distributed by 20th Television. [6] [7] On June 18, 2020, Hulu renewed the series for a third season consisting of 11 episodes. [8] On June 22, 2021, Hulu renewed the series for a fourth season consisting of 12 episodes. [9] On October 6, 2022, Hulu renewed the series for a fifth season. [3] On July 26, 2024, Hulu renewed the series for a sixth season. [4] Some of the animation is made with assistance from Film Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.
The Wall in Yumyulack's room where he imprisons shrunken-down people was, as Roiland has noted, one of the duo's initial ideas for the series, as they were interested in a "B-story" that lasted the entire first season. [10] [11]
Alongside the series first order announcement, it was confirmed that Roiland, Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giambrone, and Mary Mack would voice the lead characters in the series. [5] [6] [7]
On January 25, 2023, Roiland was removed from the show, alongside sister show Koala Man , after he was charged with felony domestic abuse. Both shows are distributed by 20th Television, via their 20th Television Animation division. [12] On June 20, 2023, it was announced that Dan Stevens was officially taking over as the voice of Korvo. [13]
The first teaser for the series was released on March 25, 2020. [14] The official trailer was released on April 15, 2020. [15] On May 8, 2020, the first season was released. In January 2021, along with a second trailer, it was revealed that the second season would premiere on March 26, 2021, on Hulu. [16] Internationally, the series premiered on Disney+ under the dedicated streaming hub Star as an original series on February 23, 2021. [17] [18] On June 18, 2020, ahead of the season two premiere, Hulu renewed the series for a third season consisting of 11 episodes, [8] which was released on July 13, 2022. [19] The fourth season was released on August 14, 2023. [20]
Hulu announced that Solar Opposites became both the most-watched program and the most-watched Hulu Original comedy premiere on the platform following its debut from May 8-12, 2020. [22] According to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, the series was the second-largest gainer in global demand during the week of May 3-May 9, 2020. It saw a 326.7% spike in demand, making it one of the most popular new series at the time. [23] Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, announced that the show ranked as the tenth most-streamed original series in the U.S. with 196 million minutes of watch time during the week of March 22–28, 2021. [24] It rose to seventh place with 171 million minutes of watch time the following week, March 29–April 4, 2021. [25] In April 2021, Solar Opposites experienced a 40.3% month-on-month increase in U.S. demand, according to Parrot Analytics. [26]
Whip Media's viewership tracking app TV Time, which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of its app, calculated that the series was the fourth most anticipated returning television series in July 2022. [27] It ranked as the seventh most-streamed original series in the U.S. for the week of July 24, 2022. [28] Nielsen Media Research further reported that the show was the tenth most streamed original series across in the U.S. during the week of August 14 to 20, 2023. [29] [30] TVision, which utilizes its TVision Power Score to evaluate CTV programming performance by factoring in viewership and engagement across over 1,000 apps and incorporating four key metrics—viewer attention time, total program time available for the season, program reach, and app reach—calculated that Solar Opposites was the fifteenth most-streamed series from August 12 to August 18, 2024. [31] It subsequently moved to nineteenth place during the week of August 19 -25, 2024. [32]
On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 has an approval rating of 92% based on reviews from 37 critics, with an average rating of 7.60/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Charming, hilarious, and surprisingly sincere, Solar Opposites revels in the ridiculousness of life while finding a few fresh things to say about humanity along the way." [33] On Metacritic it has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [34]
Dan Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter praised the animation of the series, acclaimed the performances of the voice actors, and complimented the humor of the show, writing, "Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan's new Hulu animated comedy Solar Opposites has enough loopy sci-fi elements to appeal to Rick and Morty fans and a distinctly adult sensibility." [35] Alison Foreman of Mashable praised the dynamic and strong relationships between the different characters, drawing comparisons with other families coming from adult animated sitcoms such as The Simpsons while complimenting the humor of the show, calling it a "spectacular gem worthy of its own fanbase." [36] Joe Matar of Den of Geek rated the series 5 out of 5 stars, praised the show for its classic sitcom format, acclaimed the performances of the voice actors, and applauded the comicality, stating that despite the comparisons with Rick and Morty, the series manages to stand on its own. [37] Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club gave the show a B grade and called it "a mischievous cousin of 3rd Rock from the Sun " while saying it doesn't stray too far from the template Roiland set with Rick and Morty. McLevy feels the show is still finding its feet, but "Luckily, the humor is so reliably strong, the pacing so breakneck as it races from one plot to the next, that it's hard not to be won over by Solar Opposites' avalanche of charm." [38] Joyce Slaton of Common Sense Media rated Solar Opposites 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "Solar Opposites is an animated show by the brains behind Rick and Morty. It has the same style and vibe, including lots of edgy humor, cheerful gory violence, surreal visuals and plot twists, and wall-to-wall language." [39]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 14 critics, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Solar Opposites successfully shoots for the moon in an ambitious sophomore outing that manages to build on the first season while adding plenty of fun surprises." [40]
Jess Joho of Mashable found that the second season gives Solar Opposites its own identity, writing, "Roiland and other Ricky and Morty talent finally releasing themselves from the creative shackles of what works for that show, to find their own uniquely satisfying rhythm." [41] Joe Matar of Den of Geek rated the second season 5 out of 5 stars, found it to be a "bigger, crazier, and funnier" season compared to the first one, and gave praise for its cursed language, references to pop culture, and level of violence depicted across its episodes. [42] Davis Opie of Digital Spy rated the second season of the series 4 out of 5 stars, stating, "Everything that worked in season one is intensified here for the better," and claimed that Solar Opposites manages to be distinct from Rick and Morty across its humor and story lines, saying, "Solar Opposites is very much its own beast." [43] Ethan Anderson of SlashFilm gave the second season a grade of 8 out of 10, stated it brings back the humor of the first season with a dark storytelling, and claimed it manages to be "bigger, crazier, and even more confident" than the first season. [44]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 7 critics, with an average rating of 8/10. [45]
Lex Briscuso of SlashFilm called the third season of Solar Opposites "bright, bold, and, frankly, bananas in the best way," writing, "Solar Opposites has established itself as a spicy animated situational comedy that pulls from the best parts of its predecessor, Rick and Morty, yet doesn't get stuck looking for its place outside of the Adult Swim hit's shadow. The show is self-assured with a unique vibe and tone all its own, and that continues to shine in the third season. By leaning into the more human elements of what the series has to offer — both the base exploration of those concepts with the aliens and the desperate attempt at a reclamation from the wall people — season 3 of Solar Opposites reminds us that clever structure can give way to everything else you love about a story: clever writing, brash jokes, and pure cathartic connective tissue." [46] Anthony Orlando of BuzzFeed ranked Solar Opposites 10th in their "17 Shows And Characters That Absolutely, Positively Should Have Received Emmy Nominations," saying, "Sure, this show may not be as good as Rick and Morty, but Solar Opposites is very much its own comedic beast. Co-creator Justin Roiland and his team inject the same amount of hilarity and creativity into this alien-centric show as he did with the former series. Also, the side-adventures in The Wall should've garnered some nominations by themselves, as they made for an outstanding show within the show." [47]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the fourth season has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 8 critics, with an average rating of 7.8/10. [48]
Ross McIndoe of Slant Magazine called the fourth season of Solar Opposites "a mad blend of pop-cultural references and meta-gags, some of which land and some of which don't," also adding that season four is "true to the scatological, self-awareness of the show's prior ones." [49] Nate Richard of Collider has called season four "the series' most entertaining to date" and "one of the better original comedy series that Hulu has to offer," though the show "start to get repetitive at points". [50] Praising Dan Stevens voice replacing Justin Roiland's, Tessa Smith of Mama's Geeky wrote, "Dan Stevens steps in without missing a beat as the voice of Korvo." [51]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2021 | Clio Awards | Audio/Visual Social Single Video | Solar Opposites | Bronze | [52] [53] |
2022 | BMI Film & TV Awards | BMI Streaming Series Awards | Chris Westlake | Won | [54] [55] |
Clio Awards | Special Event | Solar Opposites | Gold | [56] [57] | |
2024 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Media Production | Dan Stevens | Nominated | [58] [59] |
On January 27, 2021, it was revealed at the 2021 Funko Fair that new figures based on the series would be made, which were released on June 25, 2021. [60] On November 17, 2021, Hulu launched an online storefront which featured merchandise based on select shows from its service, with Solar Opposites being one of them. [61] [62]
On July 22, 2022, at San Diego Comic-Con that a 192-page art titled "The Art of Solar Opposites" will be released in early 2023 for $49.99 and will be published by Dark Horse Books. [63] However, as of September 2024, the book has not been released.
A music video, titled "WTF is Christmas? (A Solar Opposites Song ft. Darren Criss)" and written by Tony Ferrari, was released on November 11, 2021, where Korvo tries to remember what Christmas is all about. [64]
Solar Opposites were featured character players in the crossover racing game Warped Kart Racers , released to Apple Arcade in May 2022, along with characters from Family Guy , American Dad! , and King of the Hill . [65]
Daniel James Harmon is an American screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the creator and producer of the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015), creator and host of the comedy podcast Harmontown (2012–2019), co-creator of the Adult Swim animated sitcom Rick and Morty (2013–present) and its subsequent franchise along with Justin Roiland, and co-founder of the alternative television network and website Channel 101 along with Rob Schrab, and creator of Fox animated sitcom Krapopolis (2023–present).
Mark Justin Roiland is an American voice actor, animator, writer, and producer. He co-created the Adult Swim animated sitcom Rick and Morty, for which he voiced the protagonists Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith in seasons 1 through 6 from 2013 to 2022, as well as Hulu's Solar Opposites, in which he voiced the main character, Korvo, in seasons 1 through 3 from 2020 to 2022, until both networks severed ties with him in 2023. He had also voiced Earl of Lemongrab in Adventure Time, Blendin Blandin in Gravity Falls, and Oscar in Fish Hooks. He founded the animation studio Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions! and the video game studio Squanch Games, though he resigned from the latter in 2023.
Rick and Morty is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series follows the misadventures of Rick Sanchez, a cynical mad scientist, and his good-hearted but fretful grandson Morty Smith, who split their time between domestic life and interdimensional adventures that take place across an infinite number of realities, often traveling to other planets and dimensions through portals and on Rick's flying saucer. The general concept of Rick and Morty relies on two conflicting scenarios: domestic family drama and a misanthropic grandfather dragging his grandson into hijinks.
Mortimer Chauncey "Morty" Smith Sr. is one of the eponymous characters from the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, and voiced by the former for the first six seasons of the series, followed by Harry Belden beginning with the seventh season. Morty is a 14-year-old boy loosely inspired by Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Morty is known for his awkward, anxious, second-guessing, doubtful personality, and low sense of self-esteem; the character has been critically well-received. He is the good-natured and impressionable grandson of Rick Sanchez, the son of Jerry and Beth Smith, the younger brother of Summer Smith, and the father of Morty Jr., Thoolie, Naruto, and Maria Smith. He is also known to be easily manipulated. In September 2021, Jaeden Martell portrayed Morty in a series of promotional interstitials for the series.
The second season of the animated television series Rick and Morty originally aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim in the United States on July 26, 2015, with "A Rickle in Time", and concluded on October 4 with "The Wedding Squanchers". This season aired a total of ten episodes.
The third season of Rick and Morty, an American animated television series created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, originally aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered with "The Rickshank Rickdemption", which aired unannounced on April 1, 2017, as part of Adult Swim's annual April Fools' prank. As a result of production delays, the remaining episodes began airing weekly nearly four months later, on July 30, 2017. The season comprised ten episodes but it originally was supposed to be fourteen episodes, and its initial airing concluded on October 1, 2017.
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a virtual reality game compatible with HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift developed by Owlchemy Labs and published by Adult Swim Games for Microsoft Windows on April 20, 2017. It is based on the American animated series Rick and Morty, whose series co-creator Justin Roiland aided in the development. A port for the PlayStation 4 was released on April 10, 2018.
Richard Daniel "Rick" Sanchez is one of the two eponymous characters from the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty and resulting multimedia franchise. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, he is voiced by the former during the first six seasons of the series, then by Ian Cardoni beginning with the seventh season, and Yōhei Tadano in Rick and Morty: The Anime, after voicing the character in the Japanese dub of the series and various promotional short films. Rick is a misanthropic, alcoholic mad scientist inspired by Christopher Lloyd's Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown from Back to the Future and Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic from Marvel Comics. In September 2021, Lloyd portrayed Rick himself in a series of promotional interstitials for the series.
The fourth season of the animated television series Rick and Morty was confirmed by Adult Swim in May 2018. The season consists of 10 episodes. The first five episodes of the season aired from November 10, 2019 to December 15, 2019, while the remaining five aired from May 3, 2020 to May 31, 2020.
Trover Saves the Universe is a 2019 action platform game developed and published by Squanch Games for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Oculus Quest. Envisioned as a comedy game, the title features an optional virtual reality component. Justin Roiland, who was the founder of Squanch Games and the co-creator of Rick and Morty, provided voice work for many characters in this game. It received generally positive reviews upon release.
Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions! is an American animation studio founded by animator and voice actor Justin Roiland on March 15, 2013. The studio was best known for producing animated TV shows such as Rick and Morty for Adult Swim as well as Solar Opposites and Koala Man for Hulu and Disney+ internationally before Roiland's dismissal from all three shows in January 2023 after he faced allegations of domestic abuse and sexual assault. The logo is depicted as several words in multicolored shapes and circles.
Mr. Meeseeks is a recurring fictional species in the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon and based on the title character from Scud: The Disposable Assassin by Rob Schrab, Meeseeks are a powder-blue-skinned species of humanoids who are created to serve a single purpose which they will go to any length to fulfill. Each brought to life by a "Meeseeks Box", they typically live for no more than a few hours in a constant state of pain, vanishing upon completing their assigned task so as to end their own existence and thereby end their suffering; as such, the longer an individual Meeseeks remains alive, the more insane and unhinged they become.
Mike McMahan is an American comedy writer and television producer. He is the creator of the animated comedies Solar Opposites and Star Trek: Lower Decks.
The fifth season of the animated television series Rick and Morty consisted of 10 episodes, part of the 70 episodes ordered by Adult Swim after they renewed the series in 2018. The series stars Justin Roiland as both titular characters, alongside Chris Parnell as Jerry Smith, Spencer Grammer as Summer Smith, and Sarah Chalke as Beth Smith and Space Beth. The season premiered on June 20, 2021, and concluded on September 5, 2021.
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Rick and Morty is an American animated science-fiction comedy franchise, whose eponymous duo consists of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. Rick and Morty were created by cartoonist Justin Roiland for a 2006 parody film of Back to the Future for Channel 101, a short film festival co-founded by Dan Harmon. After six years, the sketch was developed into Rick and Morty, a half-hour prime time show that was a hit for Adult Swim, receiving universal acclaim across all seasons. Alongside the original television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including spin-offs, comic books, musical releases and video games. The show has earned hundreds of millions of dollars in income across their merchandising and media franchise.
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