Adult Swim

Steve Hely and Joe Bennett reveal the origins of their Adult Swim animated series that takes on Big Pharma with an X-Files-esque slant.

Joe, does working a provocative new animated series balm the one-and-done-season pain of Scavengers Reign?

Bennett: Well, first of all, I'm still hopeful. The fan base is growing by the day, so I'm feeling good about another season. There's nothing to be bummed about because I'm very grateful that Season 1 even saw the light of day. And as far as Common Side Effects, it's like another child. I'm very happy and excited this is going to come out, and it feels like a pretty different kind of show. I can separate the two.

On that note, what about a second season for Common Side Effects?

Hely: We pitched out a Season 2 to Adult Swim the other day, and they seemed pretty excited about it. I think they're probably waiting to see how it does, but we would love to keep going.

The upcoming The Robot Chicken Self-Discovery Special follows the hapless Robot Chicken Nerd as he seeks self-discovery the only way America knows how: going on reality shows! Will he find a "90-Day Fiancé" – or end up "Shark Week" chum? In addition, Adult Swim is honoring the 20th anniversary by airing the series five nights a week throughout the month of February. Late-night double episodes are running Monday – Thursday beginning at 12:30 am ET/PT, and featured specials airing late-night on Sundays at 1:00 am ET/PT.

In a conversation with Game Rant, Common Side Effects co-creators Steve Hely and Joseph Bennett revealed that they came up with the idea for the show before COVID hit, and were worried at times that the pandemic would make their story "irrelevant now." But ultimately, Common Side Effects is the perfect story for a post-COVID world, viewed by an audience now much more accustomed to considering big questions about health and sickness and what they themselves would do to obtain a cure for what ailed them.

Built from contrasts as delightful as they are disconcerting, the new animated series from folks behind "Scavengers Reign" and "Veep" fashions an old-fashioned conspiracy thriller out of contemporary fears and, oddly enough, optimism.

Oh My God... Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances premieres on March 9 at 12:15am on Adult Swim, next day on Max.

Reviews:

• Hollywood Reporter: ‘Common Side Effects’ Review: Adult Swim’s Animated Conspiracy Thriller About Big Pharma Is a Whole Vibe - Terrifyingly timely, darkly hilarious, strangely haunting.
• NY Times: Review: In ‘Common Side Effects,’ It’s Fungus vs. Them - A weird, deadpan animated thriller finds a new timeliness in ancient medicine.
• LA Times: An animated thriller takes on Big Pharma, with ‘King of the Hill’ heart
• WSJ: ‘Common Side Effects’ Review: Adult Swim’s Miracle Mushroom ( https://archive.is/y0YiV )
• IGN: Common Side Effects Episodes 1-4 Review - A grounded, conspiracy-laden story told through surreal animation.

Interviews:

• Animation Magazine: Fascinating Fungi: ‘Common Side Effects’ Creators Raise the Curtain on Their Clever Animated Series
• The Verge: Common Side Effects’ creators see the US healthcare system as the show’s villain
• Salon: "Common Side Effects" animates the dream of a cure-all and the reality of Big Pharma's corruption

C Martin Croker has gone to heaven but never forget ten. Happy Birthday and we miss you, Croker.

Merry Christmas!! 🎁