Douglas Adams Meets Quantum Leap In The 91-Episode Sci-Fi Series That Refuses To Die

Published Sep 1, 2026, 2:07 PM EDT

The reasons for this reticence are varied. One cause could be that sci-fi shows themselves are thought to have limited mainstream appeal, although the massive success of hits like The Expanse has hopefully dispelled this myth in the last decade. Another could be that, from the one-liners of Firefly and Killjoys to McCoy’s best Star Trek quotes, plenty of straightforward sci-fi shows already have enough comedic relief without outright sci-fi sitcoms dialing up the goofiness.

However, police procedurals also have comedic relief, and this hasn’t stopped cop sitcoms like Barney Miller, Reno 911, and Brooklyn Nine Nine from succeeding. Similarly, there is one iconic sci-fi comedy show that has not only managed to avoid cancellation, but eventually even became a franchise-spawning success that was renewed for 12 season and earned a movie spinoff. That series is Rick and Morty, and its premise is about as unlikely as its mainstream success.

Rick & Morty Is Massively Inspired By The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

Bizarre as it might sound, Rick and Morty is really equal parts The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and Quantum Leap. The classic ‘80s sci-fi drama Quantum Leap followed Scott Bakula’s Dr. Sam Beckett as his consciousness, freed from his body by an experiment gone awry, leaped from one body to another throughout different eras in human history. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, meanwhile, followed an ordinary earthling’s journey across the universe after he accidentally hitched a ride with an alien spacecraft while the rest of his home planet was destroyed.

Although the original Quantum Leap wasn’t all that serious, the show wasn’t as outright absurd as Rick and Morty. Similarly, although The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy has the surrealism and absurdity of Rick and Morty, the novel series and its many adaptations have a more coherent, serialized storyline than the Adult Swim show. Even though Rick and Morty occasionally has some canon episodes, the show’s largely episodic structure is borrowed from Quantum Leap.

The cartoony, bizarre, and often grotesque misadventures that Rick and Morty are plunged into, however, and the show’s dark satirical wit, owe a creative debt to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and its author, Douglas Adams. While Rick and Morty’s spinoff President Curtis feels more like a comedic take on The X-Files, the original show’s galaxy-hopping antics are similar to the universe-spanning scope of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

Against All Odds, Rick & Morty Survived The Exit Of Its Main Creative Force

The fact that Rick and Morty went from being an obscure Adult Swim show on par with Squidbillies or Aqua Teen Hunger Force to a bigger hit than South Park or The Simpsons is extraordinary. However, the show’s success is made all the more unlikely and impressive by the fact that one of its main creative voices, Justin Roiland, was fired from the series after a long history of allegations of harassment and inappropriate conduct were leveled against him in 2023.

For many shows, losing the actor who voices both title characters, and its co-creator, would mark the end of the series. Indeed, the Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman adaptation Good Omens was effectively canceled after criminal allegations against Gaiman became public even though the author wasn’t the show’s primary creator. However, in a testament to the longevity of Rick and Morty’s unique blend of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and Quantum Leap, the show barely even slowed down its production schedule to replace Roiland, and its reviews haven’t suffered since.