The day one of the 70th Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards which concluded on Saturday, saw the adult animated show 'Rick and Morty' winning an Emmy.
After winning awards like Critics' Choice Television Awards and Annie Awards, this is the first time that the series was nominated and won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.
The showmakers had submitted episode 3 from the 3rd season for the jury's consideration, which has a popular character called 'Pickle Rick'.
The Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards are presented over the span of two days, dedicated to honour the technical teams working behind television shows.
About Rick and Morty
Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon in 2013, 'Rick and Morty' is about a grandfather-grandson duo who goes on scientific adventures across different dimensions in outer space. The grandfather Rick, who is an alcoholic scientist, returns to live with his daughter after he went missing for 20 years.
The neurotic kid Morty, joins Rick in his travels across dimensions with his bizarre equipments. The show originally began as a 'Back to the Future' parody.
While 'Black Mirror' also deals with altered realities with technology, Rick and Morty twists reality with a dark comical angle. Beyond its rude and nihilistic script, the cartoon also uses real scientific facts in its episodes.
Both Rick and Morty are voiced by Roiland, the show is also known quirky portrayal of its characters, with realistic details like how Rick frequently staggers while talking due to his drinking problem.
What if Rick turned himself into a pickle?
This question, asked by a writer to Harmon, turned into an episode which led on to the birth of an "instant cultural icon" according to Nerdist.com.
In episode 3 of season 3, Rick turns himself into a pickle in order to avoid family therapy. In order to make him turn up, his daughter Beth takes away the antidote that will turn him back into a human.
Pickle Rick is considered to be the most creative episode in the series so far because although turning himself into a Pickle is the stupidest thing that Rick has done, he still manages to outdo the smartness of human Rick.
Fans of the show have compared Pickle Rick to James Franco in the film '127 hours' because both characters are helplessly immobile.
The Szechuan sauce debacle
The show's influence and power were reflected when the fans shook a company like Mcdonald's to reproduce one of its old products.
In 1998, McDonald's briefly introduced szechuan sauce in their menu in US to promote the Disney film 'Mulan'. In a Rick and Morty episode, the duo is seen travelling around the multiverse in search of the sauce. This episode led to a huge demand in the McDonald's product, and the fast food giant brought the sauce back in the menu in October 2017.
Immediately after the relaunch in select outlets, McDonald's faced a shortage which led to protesting fans crowding outside the fast food joints. Mcdonald's finally restocked the sauce in February 2018.
As a joke, McDonald's also sent a large amount of the sauce to Roiland.
On May 2018, it was announced that the TV network Adult Swim signed 70 more episodes of the series. Celebrating the deal, the showmakers took a tour around US with the 'Rickmobile' - a mobile shop selling all kinds of Rick and Morty merchandise.
Even though the show is only three seasons old, it has already become a role model of sorts for other adult animated comedies. While the darkness of the show is uncomfortable, the immense creativity and its raw portrayals make it completely deserving of its first Emmy.