HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' (also known by various alternative titles), sometimes abbreviated as ''ATHF'' or ''Aqua Teen'', is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and
Matt Maiellaro Matthew Gerard Maiellaro (born August 17, 1966) is an American filmmaker, musician and voice actor. He is the co-creator and writer of the cult animated Adult Swim shows, ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' and ''Perfect Hair Forever'', and the creator o ...
for
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...
's late night programming block,
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
. It is about the surreal adventures and antics of three
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredie ...
items: Master Shake,
Frylock This is a list of characters featured in the Adult Swim animated television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. Main characters Master Shake Voiced by Dana Snyder, Master Shake (or simply Shake) is a narcissistic, lazy, shallow, selfish, and idi ...
, and
Meatwad This is a list of characters featured in the Adult Swim animated television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. Main characters Master Shake Voiced by Dana Snyder, Master Shake (or simply Shake) is a narcissistic, lazy, shallow, selfish, and idi ...
, who live together as roommates and frequently interact with their human next-door neighbor, Carl Brutananadilewski. It was created as a
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
series of ''
Space Ghost Coast to Coast ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast to the original ...
''. The show had its first broadcast as a stealth airing in the early hours of December 30, 2000, around a year later, it debuted as an official Adult Swim series. Every episode was directed and written by Willis and Maiellaro, who also provided several voices. Seasons 8–11 were each given a different alternative title, accompanied by different theme music, as a running joke. The series concluded on August 30, 2015, after 139 episodes throughout 11 seasons. ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' (also known as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Movie Film for Theaters'') is a 2007 American adult animated surreal black comedy film based on the Adult Swim animated series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Fo ...
'', a
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
of the series, was released in theaters on April 13, 2007, the first adaptation of an Adult Swim series into a
feature-length film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
. A sequel, '' Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm'' was released on November 8, 2022. A
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
series of shorts, ''Aquadonk Side Pieces'', was announced the same week, and ran on the network's official
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel from April 18 to April 28, 2022. The series airs in
broadcast syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States wher ...
outside the United States and has been released on various DVD sets and other forms of home media, including
video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of ...
streaming. It was the longest-running Adult Swim series until it was surpassed by ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The write ...
'' in 2019.


Premise

The series centers on the surreal adventures and antics of three
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredie ...
items: Master Shake, a selfish, self-contradictory, pathologically lying
milkshake A milkshake (sometimes simply called a shake) is a sweet beverage made by blending milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners such as butterscotch, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, fruit syrup, or whole fruit into a thick, sweet, cold mixtu ...
; Frylock, an intelligent, usually logical, well-meaning box of
French fries French fries (North American English), chips (British English), finger chips (Indian English), french-fried potatoes, or simply fries, are '' batonnet'' or ''allumette''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium and France. Th ...
; and Meatwad, a
shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...
, childlike, somewhat simple-minded ball of
ground meat Ground meat, called mince or minced meat outside North America, is meat finely chopped by a meat grinder or a chopping knife. A common type of ground meat is ground beef, but many other types of meats are prepared in a similar fashion, includ ...
. They live together like relatives and rarely get along with their human neighbor Carl Brutananadilewski, a middle-aged, balding, boorish, sex-crazed sports fanatic. The protagonists also interact with various villains or other individuals in each episode; these interactions are often restricted to one episode with minor characters rarely reappearing in the following episodes. Some episodes feature the protagonists interacting with celebrities, historical figures, or professional athletes.
The Mooninites This is a list of characters featured in the Adult Swim animated television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. Main characters Master Shake Voiced by Dana Snyder, Master Shake (or simply Shake) is a narcissistic, lazy, shallow, selfish, and idi ...
are two aliens from the Moon who frequently appear, serving as primary antagonists and wreaking havoc through a series of illegal or destructive actions. The Mooninites appear more than most characters outside the main cast. Other recurring characters have made several appearances, including Oglethorpe and Emory, MC Pee Pants, Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, and Dr. Wongburger. Episodes often end with the non-canonical deaths or injuries of major characters, or destruction to their property, only to be restored without explanation in the following episode. In the show's first seven seasons, the protagonists live in a
suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separa ...
neighborhood in
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
. During the eighth season, the location was changed to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. The Seattle neighborhood appears identical to the protagonists' neighborhood from the first seven seasons, but each episode begins with the caption "Seattle" on the bottom of the screen. As of the ninth season, the same neighborhood is in the
fictional location Fictional locations are places that exist only in fiction and not in reality, such as the Negaverse or Planet X. Writers may create and describe such places to serve as backdrop for their fictional works. Fictional locations are also created for ...
of Seattle, New Jersey.


Production


Development

The three main characters—Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad—were originally created for an episode of ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' called "Baffler Meal", where they were the corporate mascots for the fictional fast-food chain "Burger Trench". The original versions of the trio were prototypes that resembled the future characters, but both Master Shake and Frylock differed in appearance, personality, and voice from their ultimate design. The original name "Teen Hunger Force" refers to the squad's mission to conquer hunger in teens. "Baffler Meal" went through a number of drafts but was not animated or produced until after the series became popular. Instead, the ''Space Ghost'' episode was initially rewritten as "Kentucky Nightmare", while the trio, along with Carl Brutananadilewski, debuted in " Rabbot", the pilot episode of ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. A full season consisting of 16 episodes, including "Rabbot", was put into production shortly thereafter. The series was one of Adult Swim's most popular shows. In early episodes, the trio was identified by Master Shake as the Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which solved crimes for money. After a few episodes, this premise and the characters' use of the name were dropped. The premise was a trick that had been added to appease
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...
executives, who "didn't want to air a show about food just going around and doing random things". In the show, Frylock says they stopped fighting crime because "that wasn't making us a whole lot of money".Spoken dialogue in Kidney Car


Writing and direction

Every episode of ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' was written and
directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...
by series creators Dave Willis and
Matt Maiellaro Matthew Gerard Maiellaro (born August 17, 1966) is an American filmmaker, musician and voice actor. He is the co-creator and writer of the cult animated Adult Swim shows, ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' and ''Perfect Hair Forever'', and the creator o ...
and produced by
Williams Street Williams Street Productions, LLC, d/b/a Williams Street and formerly known as Ghost Planet Industries, is an American animation and live action television production studio owned by the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros., ...
. Much of the dialogue was supplemented with ad-libs and improvisation by the voice talent. The show was fully scripted but ad-libs are included in the final recordings and the shows are animated to include this improvisation. Many of the crew and cast members formerly worked on ''
Space Ghost Coast to Coast ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast to the original ...
''.


Alternate titles

In 2011, for the eighth season, the series' title was changed to ''Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1''; Maiellaro later explained that he and Willis were getting bored with the former title and wanted to "come up with a new fresh open and a whole new show, just to try it out". Despite the title change there were virtually no changes to the show's characters or tone. In 2012 Maiellaro announced that each subsequent season would have a different series title, making it a
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
. Willis later said the alternate titles were just an unsuccessful stunt to generate buzz. Each season that is branded under an alternate title features a different opening sequence and theme music written by different artists. On most television listings and digital download sites, the alternatively titled episodes are formally listed under their alternative titles, not as episodes of ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. On most legal digital downloading sites that feature the series, the first 7 seasons are presented as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' while the alternatively titled seasons are listed separately and treated as if they were each a completely different, one-season series.


Voice actors

The main cast of the series consists of
Dana Snyder Dana Snyder is an American actor. He is known for his voice roles of Master Shake in '' Aqua Teen Hunger Force'', Granny Cuyler in '' Squidbillies'', Baby Ball on '' Ballmastrz: 9009'', and other roles in various Adult Swim television shows. Hi ...
as Master Shake,
Carey Means Carey Means (born December 4, 1966) is an American voice and stage actor best known for playing Frylock on the Adult Swim show ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'', and Thundercleese on ''The Brak Show''. He has also performed in several theatrical musica ...
as
Frylock This is a list of characters featured in the Adult Swim animated television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. Main characters Master Shake Voiced by Dana Snyder, Master Shake (or simply Shake) is a narcissistic, lazy, shallow, selfish, and idi ...
, and series co-creator Dave Willis as both
Meatwad This is a list of characters featured in the Adult Swim animated television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. Main characters Master Shake Voiced by Dana Snyder, Master Shake (or simply Shake) is a narcissistic, lazy, shallow, selfish, and idi ...
and
Carl Carl may refer to: * Carl, Georgia, city in USA * Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name * Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of ...
, as well as
Ignignokt This is a list of characters featured in the Adult Swim animated television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. Main characters Master Shake Voiced by Dana Snyder, Master Shake (or simply Shake) is a narcissistic, lazy, shallow, selfish, and idi ...
.Ignignokt official character guide
from
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
. (archive)
In addition to the main cast series co-creator
Matt Maiellaro Matthew Gerard Maiellaro (born August 17, 1966) is an American filmmaker, musician and voice actor. He is the co-creator and writer of the cult animated Adult Swim shows, ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' and ''Perfect Hair Forever'', and the creator o ...
voices Err and Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future.Err official character guide
from
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
. (archive)
Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future official character guide
from
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
. (archive)
Members of the main cast and Maiellaro also voice several minor and one-time characters in addition to their primary roles. All three main characters appear in almost every episode. They are all absent from the season five episode "Sirens" and the season ten episode "Spacecadeuce". In the season five episode "Robots Everywhere", Frylock and Master Shake only make brief unseen speaking cameos, while Meatwad is completely absent. Voiceover artist
George Lowe George Edward Lowe (born November 10, 1957) is an American voice actor and comedian whose voice roles include Space Ghost on the animated series ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' and its spin-off, ''Cartoon Planet''.Space Ghost Space Ghost (Tad Ghostal) is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions in the 1960s for TV network CBS. He was designed by Alex Toth. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his teen sidekicks, Jan and Ja ...
in ''
Space Ghost Coast to Coast ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast to the original ...
'' and the original incarnation of ''
Cartoon Planet ''Cartoon Planet'' is an American animated variety show that originally ran from 1995 to 1998 and 2012 to 2014 on Cartoon Network. A spin-off of ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'', the series centered on Space Ghost recruiting his imprisoned evil nem ...
'', from which several cast and crew members moved on to work for ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. Lowe made his first appearance in ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' in the season one episode "Mail Order Bride" and went on to make several other cameos. He had a prominent appearance as himself in the season four episode "Antenna", and reprised his role as Space Ghost for a quick appearance in ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' (also known as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Movie Film for Theaters'') is a 2007 American adult animated surreal black comedy film based on the Adult Swim animated series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Fo ...
''. Lowe was later considered a member of the main cast in 2011 during '' Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1''; he announced the title of each episode and continued to make cameos. Lowe later made another prominent appearance in the ''
Aqua Something You Know Whatever ''Aqua Something You Know Whatever'' (or ''ASYKW'') is the alternative title given to the ninth season of the animated television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. The ninth season originally aired in the United States on Adult Swim. This seaso ...
'' episode "Rocket Horse and Jet Chicken". Series animator
C. Martin Croker Clay Martin Croker (January 10, 1962 – September 17, 2016), generally credited as C. Martin Croker, was an American animator and voice actor. He was best known for having provided the voices of Dr. Weird, Zorak, and Moltar on the animated seri ...
, known for his interpretation of Zorak in various shows and specials, provided the voices of both Dr. Weird and Steve during the
cold openings A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In Americ ...
for the first two seasons and " Allen Part One". Croker also voiced several birds in the season seven episode "Eggball".
Andy Merrill Andrew Merrill (born November 27, 1966) is an American voice actor best known for his portrayal of the character Brak on ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' and ''Cartoon Planet''. Personal life Merrill is a graduate of Asbury University, where h ...
has portrayed Oglethorpe alongside
Mike Schatz Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
as Emory in several episodes. Merrill is also well known for his interpretation of Brak in several shows and specials and provided the voice of Merle in "Escape from Leprechaupolis" and "The Last One".
MC Chris Christopher Brendan Ward IV, better known by the stage name mc chris (stylized in all lower case), is an American rapper, voice actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for his high-pitched voice and for combining his "geek" background with the ...
, who has a history of voicing characters on Adult Swim programs, has provided the voice of MC Pee Pants in several episodes. Chris also provided the voice of eight-year-old Carl in "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future" and returned for a musical role in the season seven episode " One Hundred" after a long absence.
Tommy Blacha Thomas Blacha (born August 25, 1962) is an American voice actor, writer, and producer. He is known working for shows such as ''Metalocalypse'', ''Da Ali G Show'' and ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. Career Blacha started as a local Chicago Co ...
joined the recurring cast with the introduction of his character Wongburger in the season four episode "Dickesode". With the exception of Tommy Blacha, the entire recurring cast reprised their roles in ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters''. Various comedians, athletes, and other celebrities have made guest appearances, usually credited under pseudonyms.


Theme music

Rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
Schoolly D Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. (born June 22, 1962), better known by the stage name Schoolly D (sometimes spelled Schooly D), is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Career Schoolly D teamed up with DJ Code Money in the mid-1980s. His ...
performed the ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''
theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
used in the first seven seasons. An extended remix version of the theme was used in the 2007 film adaptation and in the soundtrack for the 2011 video game '' Saints Row: The Third''. After a multi-year absence, Schoolly D returned for the season seven episode "Rabbot Redux", performing a different theme song used exclusively in that episode. The special intro to "Rabbot Redux" featured the exact animation used in the regular intro. Each subsequent season featured a different theme song by a different artist with a different animated intro. The eighth season was written and performed by
Josh Homme Joshua Michael Homme ( ; born May 17, 1973) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the founder, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the rock band Queens of the Stone Age, which he for ...
and
Alain Johannes Alain Johannes Mociulski (born May 2, 1962) is a Chilean-American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, whose primary instruments are guitar and bass. He is a founding member of several bands, including the alternative rock group Eleven, and has b ...
. Schoolly D returned for the season nine intro for ''Aqua Something You Know Whatever'', writing and performing it with
Mariachi El Bronx Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, ...
. The season 10 theme song was composed by Flying Lotus, an artist whose work has been featured in several bumps for Adult Swim. Every episode features an opening sequence, with the rare exceptions of the season two episode "The Last One", the season nine episode "The Granite Family", and the season ten episode "Spacecadeuce".


Cold openings

During the first two seasons, episodes cold-opened with a glimpse into the laboratory of Dr. Weird. He and his assistant Steve use the first several seconds of the show to create
monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
s,
disaster A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources ...
s, and various things. In earlier episodes of the first season, the monsters or creations usually form the basis of the plot, but as the crime-fighting element of the program disappeared, the Dr. Weird segment became a non sequitur opening gag. In the third season, the Dr. Weird openings were replaced with segments from the pilot episode of ''Spacecataz'', an unaired
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
created by Willis and Maiellaro. Six episodes were planned for production, but Adult Swim felt there was little that could be made into five more episodes since all the characters were destroyed at the end of the pilot, despite the parent series being predominantly not
canonical The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean "according to the canon" the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, "canonical examp ...
. These segments featured the Mooninites and Plutonians trading insults, gestures, and practical jokes. The full ''Spacecataz'' pilot is available as a special feature on the Volume Four DVD box set.Product Details for "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume 4"
on Amazon.com
The Mooninites appear to outsmart the Plutonians for much of the series including tagging the Plutonians' ship and reversing a prank that involved 50 million large pizzas. Cold openings were eliminated starting with the fourth-season premiere, "Dirtfoot". A one-off cold opening featuring Dr. Weird and Steve was used once again in the season eight premiere " Allen Part One".


Cancellation

In 2015, it was announced that Adult Swim had cancelled ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. The cancellation went against the wishes of Willis and Maiellaro, who first learned about it from the animation studio, Awesome Inc., halfway through the production of the 11th season.Dave Willis speaking at a C2CE convention panel on April 25, 2015
posted on Twitch
Willis said that Adult Swim president
Mike Lazzo Michael Lazzo (born April 10, 1958) is a retired American television producer and the former executive vice president in charge of the Adult Swim programming block of Cartoon Network, and its production arm, Williams Street. Life and career Laz ...
made the decision to end the series because "he was ready to move on from it". The double-length episode "The Last One Forever and Ever (For Real This Time) (We Fucking Mean It)" was falsely promoted as the
series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...
and aired on August 23, 2015. The actual series finale, "
The Greatest Story Ever Told ''The Greatest Story Ever Told'' is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George Stevens. It is a retelling of the Biblical account about Jesus of Nazareth, from the Nativity through to the Ascension. Along with the ensemble cast ...
", was quietly released early online on August 26 before airing four days later, with virtually no advertisement. At the time of its conclusion, ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' was Adult Swim's longest-running original series.


Potential future

During an interview about the series' cancellation, Maiellaro said there are no plans to revive ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'', but that it could return someday. In 2017, Adult Swim was asked why they don't make more episodes, to which they responded "we might" during a bump. In April 2022, Adult Swim began uploading ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' shorts under the name ''Aquadonk Side Pieces'' to their YouTube channel. These shorts are often less than five minutes and center around the villains in the show, with all original voice actors reprising their roles.


Episodes


Films


''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' (2007)

A feature film based on the show, ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' (also known as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Movie Film for Theaters'') is a 2007 American adult animated surreal black comedy film based on the Adult Swim animated series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Fo ...
'', was released on April 13, 2007. The movie follows the origins of the Aqua Teens, which includes an exercise machine,
Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart OC (; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian-American musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an ...
of the band Rush, a watermelon slice named Walter Melon, and an appearance by a heavy metal band
Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of the ...
in the opening sequence. The film also introduces a fourth Aqua Teen, a
chicken nugget A chicken nugget is a food product consisting of a small piece of deboned chicken meat that is breaded or battered, then deep-fried or baked. Invented in the 1950s, chicken nuggets have become a very popular fast food restaurant item, as ...
named Chicken Bittle (voiced by
Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' franchise, beginning with the 1978 short film ''Within the Woods''. He has starred in many low-b ...
). The Plutonians and the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, recurring characters, both make appearances in the movie, as well as the Mooninites, Dr. Weird and MC Pee Pants (this being his last appearance in the series).


''Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm'' (2022)

In a 2010 interview, staff members of
Radical Axis In Euclidean geometry, the radical axis of two non-concentric circles is the set of points whose power with respect to the circles are equal. For this reason the radical axis is also called the power line or power bisector of the two circles. ...
stated that a sequel entitled ''Death Fighter'' was in production, and mentioned the possibility that the film might be made in 3-D. When asked if the film was designed for a theatrical release, a Radical Axis staff member responded yes, but stated: "We're not sure if we have a distributor yet", though this was then followed by the statement that "Adult Swim will never make another movie ever again". By 2014, the script for ''Death Fighter'' had been completed and approved; however, Willis indirectly stated that the project was scrapped, soon after announcing the show's cancellation. He later mentioned on
Reddit Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, imag ...
that it would cost $3.4 million to produce, and expressed interest in doing a
Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
to fund it. A new film was confirmed to be in production in May 2021, no other details have been confirmed other than it will be a
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy w ...
film. On May 12, 2021, Adult Swim confirmed the production of three new original films, including a new ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' film to make exclusive debuts on
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
following a physical/VOD release. On November 14, 2021, it was announced the film would be released in 2022. On May 18, 2022, it was revealed the film would be titled ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Plantasm''. It was changed to '' Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm''. The film was released on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and digital on November 8, 2022.


Broadcast

The pilot episode "Rabbot" originally aired on Cartoon Network on December 30, 2000, as part of a special preview of upcoming Adult Swim shows. Other shows in the preview block included ''
Sealab 2021 ''Sealab 2021'' is an American adult animated television series created by Adam Reed and Matt Thompson for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. Cartoon Network aired the show's first three episodes in December 2000 before ...
'', ''
The Brak Show ''The Brak Show'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Andy Merrill, Jim Fortier, and Pete Smith for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. ''The Brak Show'' serves as a spin-off of the animated television series, ...
'', and ''
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law ''Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'' is an American adult animated television sitcom created by Michael Ouweleen and Erik Richter for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. A spin-off of ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'', the ...
''. ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' later made its official debut on September 9, 2001, on Adult Swim, where the series has since aired exclusively, in the United States. The final episode "The Greatest Story Ever Told" made its television debut on August 30, 2015, after having been quietly released online four days earlier.


International broadcast

In
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' previously aired on
Teletoon Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and "cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts an ...
's
Teletoon at Night Teletoon at Night (stylized as TELEToON AT NiGHT and formerly known as Teletoon's Adult Block, The Detour On Teletoon and Teletoon Detour) was a Canadian English language late night programming block that aired on Teletoon, which is owned by Te ...
block and later G4's
Adult Digital Distraction Adult Digital Distraction (ADd) is a block airing on G4 Canada. Similar to Adult Swim and Teletoon at Night, Adult Digital Distraction airs mature comedies. It parallels the American counterpart's ''Midnight Spank'' block. Its programming consist ...
block. The series currently airs on the Canadian version of Adult Swim. In
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
, it began airing on
SBS2 SBS Viceland (stylised as SBS VICELAND) is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). It began as SBS TWO on 1 June 2009, and was branded as SBS 2 between 2013 and 2016. On 8 April 2017, SB ...
starting April 2013, but ceased airing, and returned in July 2016 as part of a version of
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
on
9Go! 9Go! is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Nine Network on 9 August 2009, replacing Nine Guide. It is a youthful channel that offers a mix of comedy, reality, general entertainment, movies, ani ...
, with the series airing from the beginning.


Merchandise

Several pieces of
merchandise Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more ...
have been made for the series, including
T-shirts A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are generall ...
,
cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
s, wristbands, patches, and
buttons A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood ...
featuring characters in the series. Master Shake and Carl
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...
costumes for adults are also available. There is also a series of collectible
action figures An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually mar ...
and
plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, stuffed animals, and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be cal ...
available along with car decals. Several pieces of custom merchandise were available on the Adult Swim Shop before the site quietly shut down in March 2012. ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters Colon the Soundtrack'', the soundtrack to the film, was released in stores on April 10, 2007. On November 3, 2009, a
Christmas album Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...
sung by characters from the show was released entitled ''Have Yourself a Meaty Little Christmas'' was released in stores. In September 2010, Adult Swim Shop introduced a full scale, functioning
hot air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries ...
in the likeness of Meatwad at a cost of $70,000. The purchase includes a piloted, one-hour ride anywhere in the continental United States, and the buyer got to keep it although a pilot's license would be required to actually fly it. The balloon was the most expensive item on Adult Swim Shop, surpassing the ''
Metalocalypse ''Metalocalypse'' is an American adult animated television series, created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha, which premiered on August 6, 2006, followed by a musical one-hour special, '' Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem'', on October 27, 2 ...
'' "Dethklok Fountain" fountain, which was released early in 2010 for $40,000. The hot air balloon is no longer available.


Home releases

The first eight seasons have been released and distributed on DVD in volumes by
Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Vide ...
. Each set was also released in Region 2 and by
Madman Entertainment Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatr ...
in Region 4. The movie was released on a DVD set titled ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters for DVD'', with the season four episode "Deleted Scenes" included as a special feature on August 17, 2007. The season five episode "Robots Everywhere" was also released as a special feature on the ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am'' video game on November 5, 2007, months prior to its official television debut on January 20, 2008. The entire series with the exception of the episodes "Boston" and "Shake Like Me" and the film ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' (also known as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Movie Film for Theaters'') is a 2007 American adult animated surreal black comedy film based on the Adult Swim animated series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Fo ...
'' were released in a 20-disc DVD collection on September 20, 2022 as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: The Baffler Meal Complete Collection''. It was the first time the three final seasons have been released on DVD. The episode "Shake Like Me" is not included on the DVD due to its use of
blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...
, similar to its removal from rerun rotations and
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
. A second movie will be released on 4K Bluray titled '' Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm'' on November 20, 2022. With the exception of the season four episode "Deleted Scenes", episodes of ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' are also available on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
, the Xbox Live Marketplace, and
Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...
, with seasons five and up available in HD on iTunes and the Xbox Live Marketplace, and with seasons six up on Amazon Video. The movie is also available in HD and SD on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The season five episode "Boston" has never been released in any form of home media. The series has been made available for on-demand streaming on Hulu Plus, as part of a deal made with Hulu and Turner Broadcasting. Every episode from all seasons is available for streaming. at
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
. As of May 27, 2020, the series is also available on
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
, with the exception of the episodes "Boston" and "Shake Like Me".


Video games

There have also been
video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
created based on the series. ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Destruct-O-Thon'', a
mobile game A mobile game, or smartphone game, is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any portable device, including from mobile phone ( feature phone or smartphone), tablet, PDA to ...
based on the series, was published and released by Macrospace games in 2004. In 2005 Oberon Games released ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Studio Shakedown'' for PC. ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am'' is a video game based on the Adult Swim animated television series, ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. It is a hybrid kart racing/fighting/golf game that takes place on several New Jersey golf courses. It was ...
'', a golfing/kart racing/fighting game, was developed by
Creat Studios Creat Studios, Inc. was a video game developer based in Canton, Massachusetts with a development studio in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was founded in 1990. Vladimir Starzhevsky served as the company's chief executive officer. Creat Studios ceas ...
and published by
Midway Games Midway Games Inc., known previously as Midway Manufacturing and Bally Midway, and commonly known as simply Midway, was an American video game developer and publisher. Midway's franchises included ''Mortal Kombat'', '' Rampage'', '' Spy Hunter'' ...
, and released for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...
on November 5, 2007. An online Flash game based on the series entitled ''The Worst Game Ever'' was released, but was eventually taken down. A game entitled ''Carl's Freaking Strip Poker'' was also available on Adult Swim Games, but was eventually taken down.


Reception and legacy

In January 2009, IGN listed the series as the 39th best in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows. The series was nominated for
Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United ...
in 2007 and 2008. In 2011 Willis and Maiellaro received
Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally de ...
nominations for writing in the season eight episode, "The Creditor". In 2019, IGN placed ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' 25th on their list of Top 25 Animated series for adults. James Rolfe, best known for creating the ''
Angry Video Game Nerd ''The Angry Video Game Nerd'' (abbreviated as ''AVGN'') is an American retrogaming review comedy web series created by and starring James Rolfe. The series centers on Rolfe's titular skit character, often simply shortened to "the Nerd" (sometim ...
'', has cited the show as an influence on ''Nerd'' as well as shaping his sense of humour.
YouTuber A YouTuber is an online personality and/or influencer who produces videos on the video-sharing platform YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006. Influence Influe ...
Jason Gastrow, better known as
Videogamedunkey Jason Yevgeniy Gastrow (born January 30, 1991), known online as videogamedunkey or simply dunkey, is an American YouTuber known for his YouTube skits and video essays that blend crude humor with video game criticism. As of February 2022, Gastrow ...
, has also cited the show as a comedic influence.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine


2007 Boston bomb scare

The series received national attention in 2007 because of a publicity stunt that became known as the Boston bomb scare. On January 31, 2007, as part of a national
guerrilla marketing Guerrilla marketing is an advertisement strategy in which a company uses surprise and/or unconventional interactions in order to promote a product or service. It is a type of publicity. The term was popularized by Jay Conrad Levinson's 1984 ...
campaign for the series, Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens installed
Lite-Brite Lite-Brite is a toy that was originally marketed in 1967. It consists of a light box with small colored plastic pegs that fit into a panel and illuminate to create a lit picture, by either using one of the included templates or creating a "freef ...
-like LED displays depicting the Mooninites in eleven different cities: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. In Boston, the authorities considered the LEDs suspicious, prompting the closure of major roads and waterways for investigation.
Turner Broadcasting System Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (alternatively known as Turner Entertainment Networks from 2019 until 2022) was an American television and media conglomerate. Founded by Ted Turner and based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (lat ...
later admitted to placing the LEDs and apologized for the misunderstanding. Berdovsky and Stevens faced charges for "placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct"; in spite of the uproar, the two mocked the media and critics in interviews. All criminal charges were dropped in exchange for Berdovsky and Stevens apologizing during their court date and accepting a plea bargain that consisted of community service at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center. Turner Broadcasting paid the
Boston Police Department The Boston Police Department (BPD), dating back to 1854, holds the primary responsibility for law enforcement and investigation within the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest municipal police department in the United States. Th ...
$1 million to cover the investigation's cost and an additional $1 million for good will. This was designed to settle criminal and civil claims, while the general manager of Cartoon Network stepped down because of the incident. Of the eleven cities in which the displays were placed, only Boston saw them as a matter of concern. The installations had been up for weeks before the panic. An ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' episode from season five, "Boston", was produced as the series creators' response to the bomb scare, but Adult Swim pulled it to avoid further controversy. The episode has never aired or been formally released to the public legally in any format, though it was illegally leaked online in January 2015.


See also

* ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' (also known as ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Movie Film for Theaters'') is a 2007 American adult animated surreal black comedy film based on the Adult Swim animated series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Fo ...
'' * ''
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am'' is a video game based on the Adult Swim animated television series, ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. It is a hybrid kart racing/fighting/golf game that takes place on several New Jersey golf courses. It was ...
'' * List of ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' episodes * List of ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' characters


References


External links

* * ; Interviews
Video Interview with Dana "Master Shake" Snyder
a
Swigged!
– September 5, 2009

– interview with Dave Willis April 24, 2007
interview with meatwad on Synthesis.net
* – interview with Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, December 5, 2004, on Kittenpants.org * – interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, April 20, 2007
The Swimcast
– interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, Part 1 April 2, 28, 2008
The Swimcast
– interview with Master Shake, Dana Snyder, Part 2 April 2, 28, 2008
The Swimcast
– interview with Dave Willis, December 12, 2008 {{Radical Axis 2000 American television series debuts 2015 American television series endings 2000s American adult animated television series 2000s American black comedy television series 2000s American satirical television series 2000s American surreal comedy television series 2000s American sitcoms 2010s American adult animated television series 2010s American black comedy television series 2010s American satirical television series 2010s American sitcoms 2010s American surreal comedy television series Animated adult television sitcoms American adult animated comedy television series American animated sitcoms Animated television series about brothers Animated television series about dysfunctional families Adult Swim original programming Television series about alien visitations American adult animated television spin-offs American television series with live action and animation English-language television shows Space Ghost Coast to Coast Television shows adapted into films Television series by Williams Street Television series created by Dave Willis Television series created by Matt Maiellaro Television shows set in New Jersey Television shows set in Seattle Television shows adapted into video games