Smiling Friends became a breakout hit when its first season premiered on Adult Swim in January 2022. The surreal animated series comes from creators and stars Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel, known for their viral online videos. It follows depressed “prank bros” Charlie and his best friend Pim who work as Smiling Friends, Inc. employees tasked with cheering sad people up (often rather poorly).
Reviews praised the dark, quirky humor and references to internet culture. By the season one finale in March, Smiling Friends had developed a dedicated fanbase online, hungry for more misadventures from Charlie, Pim and their bizarre cohorts.
Smiling Friends Season 2 Release Date
In April 2022, Adult Swim happily renewed Smiling Friends for a second season after its ratings success. This came as welcome news to Cusack and Hadel, who have plenty of wild ideas left to explore in this strange universe. They have begun working on season two alongside writers and animators, polishing up scripts and crafting even more demented scenarios.
In terms of release timing, Michael Cusack hinted in interviews that Smiling Friends season two likely won’t premiere until late 2023. The animation process is intensive for the small team, hence needing over a year just to develop another batch of 10 to 11 minute episodes for fans. Cusack also plans to work on other projects in the meantime before fully diving into post-production.
| Name | Smiling Friends |
|---|---|
| Genre | Animated, comedy |
| Created by | Michael Cusack, Zach Hadel |
| Written by | Michael Cusack, Zach Hadel, Ben Jones, Mike Hale, Marc M |
| Directed by | Michael Cusack, Reilly Johnson |
| Voices | Michael Cusack, Zach Hadel |
| Theme music composer | David Blumberg |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production company | Adult Swim |
| Original network | Adult Swim |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| First aired | January 9, 2022 – present |
Will There Be Season 2 Of Smiling Friends?
While an exact date hasn’t been confirmed yet, the best hitch is that we’ll see Smiling Friends season two released near the end of 2023, potentially in November/December if not early 2024. Adult Swim knows viewers are ravenous for more and will want to air new episodes as soon as possible. But they grant leeway to Cusack and Hadel to take their time crafting the brilliantly unhinged storylines that fans cherish.
Until then, diehard Smiling Friends followers have been dissecting season one, theorizing about new characters and direction for the next installment. The ending provided a hint with Charlie discovering his family lineage. And creators promise season two will flesh out more backstories of beloved figures like the Big Guy upstairs and Glep.
Whenever the new batch returns, the forced-happiness anarchy is sure to reach new deranged heights and keep fans in stitches. As Cusack summarized, he can’t wait for viewers to see what they’ve cooked up: “I think people are going to lose their minds and laugh until they can’t breathe.” So while Smiling Friends season 2 likely remains far off, we can rest assured knowing Charlie and Pim’s good-humored quest to spread joy resumes in 2023.
Will Smiling Friends Come Back?
Smiling Friends is the absurdist animated comedy series created by Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel that premiered on Adult Swim in January 2022. It follows two depressed “prank bros” named Charlie and Pim who work for a company called Smiling Friends Inc. that tries to spread joy and happiness (often failing miserably in darkly humorous ways).
The first season of Smiling Friends met with critical acclaim and quickly amassed a dedicated fanbase. In April 2022, Adult Swim announced they were renewing the show for a second season, set to premiere at some point in late 2023.
However, there has been no word yet if Smiling Friends will be picked up for a third season beyond the upcoming second installment. Adult Swim typically waits to assess ratings and response for a current season before deciding on any additional season orders.
What Is Pim In Smiling Friends?
So while fans are eagerly looking forward to more misadventures with Charlie, Pim and the rest of the demented Smiling Friends world, news on a potential third season is likely still a long ways off.
Creators Cusack and Hadel certainly have plenty more twisted ideas they could explore in future episodes. But Adult Swim will want to evaluate how the second season performs before committing to continue the show further. Many factors like viewership, critical reception, merchandising, and awards potential will weigh into deliberations.
Are There More Smiling Friends Episodes?
For now, fans will have to stay tuned for the late 2023 premiere of Smiling Friends’ second season and keep fingers crossed that Adult Swim sees fit to order additional seasons down the line. There’s certainly room for more smiles and deranged humor from these characters. But exactly how long Charlie and Pim’s journey lasts remains to be seen based on audience response in the months ahead.
In summary – while we can expect the smiles to continue through the upcoming Season 2, unfortunately there is still no official word on if or when a Smiling Friends Season 3 could get confirmed as well. Fans’ passion will play a big role, so stay vocal!
hello pic.twitter.com/Kv9NrOePek
— Smiling Friends (@SmilingFriends) January 30, 2023
