Is the New 'Rick and Morty' Spinoff Secretly TV's Best Workplace Comedy?

When television networks announce a spinoff centered on a tertiary side character, public skepticism is usually high. So when word spread about a brand-new animated series dedicated entirely to the President Curtis character from Rick and Morty, viewers expected a predictable cash grab about cleaning up sci-fi messes. Instead, the newly released series is shocking audiences by delivering one of the sharpest, most delightful workplace comedies in recent memory.

By dialing back the multiverse hopping and pitch-black nihilism of its parent series, the show establishes its own wildly entertaining identity. Packed with government conspiracy tropes, cyborg sidekicks, and absurd physical comedy—including a slow-motion leprechaun jig and the instantly iconic 'Gun Baby'—the project feels like a direct love letter to canceled cult favorites like Inside Job.

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One viewer noted that the show's biggest triumph is replacing repetitive dark humor with pure, goofy energy, calling it a total breath of fresh air. Another fan pointed out that restricting the main character to grounded resources rather than magical sci-fi gadgets forces the writing to be far sharper and fast-paced. Throwaway lines like President Curtis dropping Paul Bunyan with a cold 'timber, bitch' have already cemented the series as an unexpected fan favorite.

This trend of high-stakes television gambles also brings to mind another famous project currently celebrating its 20th anniversary: Aaron Sorkin's 2006 NBC drama, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Starring Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford, the behind-the-scenes look at a Saturday Night Live-style show arrived with massive hype and a staggering $3 million per-episode price tag.

Two decades later, viewers remain sharply divided on its legacy. Admirers argue that Matthew Perry delivered a career-defining dramatic performance and that the production design remains unmatched for 2000s network TV. However, critics counter that Sorkin’s heavy-handed soapboxing and painfully unfunny in-show comedy sketches made its swift cancellation entirely justified.

Whether resurrecting government conspiracies or looking back at multi-million-dollar network misfires, television history proves that high-concept risks always split the crowd.

On the latest episode of Couch Critics, the hosts square off over whether President Curtis is animation's new king and if Studio 60 deserves a modern reappraisal.