Adult Swim’s ‘Smiling Friends’ Turns Frowns Upside Down

Co-creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel’s new adult animated comedy features a company tasked with bringing happiness to a bizarre yet colorful world; start 2022 with a smile - series debuts January 9.

Last May, Adult Swim dropped a promo video with its greenlight of Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel’s Smiling Friends. And, well…it left us smiling. Well, alas… next year might be a good one after all. The quarter-hour 2D animated comedy series debuts January 9! File this in the Dept. of Can’t Wait.

The series follows the employees of a small company dedicated to bringing happiness to a bizarre yet colorful world. The company consists of cynical Charlie and star employee Pim, each tasked with out-calls to cheer people up. There’s also meticulous Allan who keeps things in order, mysterious Glep, and the unpredictable billionaire Boss who founded the company.

The show is co-created by Cusack (YOLO: Crystal Fantasy) and Hadel (Hellbenders) and animated by Princess Bento Studio.

The trailer shows promise of a series both bizarre and extremely funny – and it may just leave you smiling!

The show’s pilot first debuted on the network in 2020 and surprised viewers during its annual April Fools’ Day stunt. Since then, the pilot has garnered 7 million views on YouTube and is one of the most watched episodes on AdultSwim.com. Clearly, fans can’t get enough of Pim and Charlie and their relentless journey to put a smile on their clients’ faces.

Source: Adult Swim

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Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.