Which TV block premiered Rick and Morty?

Rick and Morty premiered on Adult Swim. Adult Swim is Cartoon Network’s late-night programming block for animated series aimed primarily at older audiences, and it became the show’s original U.S. home. The series debuted with its pilot episode on December 2, 2013, introducing Rick Sanchez, his grandson Morty, and the Smith family’s mix of domestic comedy and science-fiction adventure.

The Adult Swim connection is sometimes confused with Cartoon Network because Cartoon Network is the parent network and Adult Swim uses its channel space in the United States. Toonami is another Cartoon Network programming block, but it is associated mainly with action-oriented animation and anime. Nick at Nite and Fox Kids were separate programming brands and did not launch Rick and Morty.

Adult Swim also helped shape the show’s tone. Its late-night schedule gave the creators room for darker humor, profanity, surreal violence, and stories built around parallel universes and existential satire. The first season had 11 episodes and established the format that made the series a major Adult Swim success.