The popular animated comedy Rick and Morty is about to embark on its eighth season, with the zany adventures of the titular scientist Rick and his grandson Morty captivating fans for over a decade now. Each season brings with it a new wave of ideas and scenarios for the characters and their extended family to get tangled up in, and Rick and Morty season 8 promises to be no different in that regard.

The Best War Games recently spoke with Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon about the show's ability to remain relevant and fresh after over a decade. He also joked about the process he uses to recruit new writers, and how their enthusiasm is a big driver behind the stream of fresh ideas they bring to the table.

The Smith family and Rick in the ocean together holding hands.

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The first season of Rick and Morty established its premise as the misadventures of a broken family in a rippled universe. Season 8 returns to form.

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By Fletcher Bailey

Rick and Morty Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

It's no easy task to keep an animated comedy show feeling fresh and funny for a prolonged period. As humor and pop culture shift constantly, it can be tough for a show's tone to adjust, as shows like The Simpsons have found out. When asked how his writing team continues to come up with new ideas for Rick and Morty so regularly, Harmon joked,

''We have a special thing we do. We advertise online in a way that can't be traced back to us. We say we will teach you how to write TV if you pay us $5,000 a week. Then those people write ideas for the show for us. Then we put them on a bus and we tell them it’s taking them to Hollywood, but it actually goes to the North Pole!''

Fresh Writers Bring Fresh Ideas to Rick and Morty

Because Harmon was joking, the real answer is perhaps a little mundane in comparison. The benefit of having a show run for so long is that potential writers are first and foremost fans of the show, many of whom have watched it for its entire run. In some cases, new writers know the show just as well, if not better, than existing ones. Harmon explained,

''My joke was actually a metaphor for how we come up with fresh ideas. We keep hiring new writers. Younger people. They've watched the show for 10 years, so they've got an enthusiasm that can be sucked right out of their body and put into the show!''

Compared to other long-running animated shows like South Park and Family Guy, Rick and Morty is still in its relative infancy, so there's no reason why it can't continue for many more years. Of course, the show's longevity is dependent on the writers' ability to keep things fresh, but Harmon is clearly confident that this won't be an issue.

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Release Date: December 2, 2013
Network: Adult Swim
Showrunner: Dan Harmon
Directors: Bryan Newton, Dominic Polcino, Anthony Chun, John Rice, Stephen Sandoval, Jeff Myers
Writers: Tom Kauffman, Wade Randolph, Eric Acosta, David Phillips, Erica Rosbe, Sarah Carbiener, Matt Roller, Michael Waldron, Caitie Delaney
Franchise(s): Rick and Morty