17 Years Ago Today, Adult Swim’s Darkest Series Ended (And the Creator Is Trying to Revive It)

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Seventeen years ago today, Adult Swim concluded one of its most unsettling shows, and its creator is now hoping to bring it back. Over the years, Adult Swim has become known for unique animated series that resonate with fans for various reasons. These shows often feature bizarre humor and striking visuals, but they aren’t afraid to tackle complex and thought-provoking themes.

One series, Morel Orel, truly stood out for its depth and complexity, becoming one of the most unsettling and thought-provoking shows Adult Swim ever produced. It finished its run 17 years ago today, on December 18, 2008 – just three years after it began – and remains a uniquely intense experience for fans. Now, the show’s creator is hoping to revive it.

What Is Moral Orel?

I still remember discovering Moral Orel back in 2005 on Adult Swim! It was created by Dino Stamatopoulos, and it totally reminded me of this old show from the 60s called Davey and Goliath – you know, the one with the claymation boy who learned about Christianity? Davey and Goliath used each episode to teach kids basic Christian values, and Moral Orel actually started out very similarly! The main character, Orel, even looked a lot like Davey, and each episode initially focused on him learning a moral lesson.

What made ‘Orel’ unique for Adult Swim was the strange moral lessons it taught. Take the first episode, for instance: Orel accidentally starts a zombie outbreak. He doesn’t get in trouble for raising the zombies – the show argues that death is against God’s will – but for taking their clothes off because he thought they smelled bad. This pattern continues throughout the series, with Orel struggling with issues like drug addiction, inappropriate behavior, and accidentally getting people pregnant, all while learning skewed life lessons.

Each episode of the show used to end with the father disciplining his son with a belt, along with a lesson about right and wrong. However, as Moral Orel continued, it changed in surprising ways. The final season became much more experimental, moving away from simple dark humor and becoming a psychological thriller that dealt with difficult and sensitive topics. This likely contributed to the show being cancelled after only three seasons.

Will Moral Orel Ever Come Back?

The show Moral Orel changed drastically over its run, and the impact of that shift is still felt today. The final season, while ultimately reaching a satisfying conclusion, was a bit disjointed. It delved into darker themes and explored the characters of Moralton, but often presented events out of order, making it difficult to follow from week to week. Despite this, the ending was powerful and feels complete, making a continuation challenging.

Though it was some time after the show’s cancellation, Stamatopoulos eventually returned to the world of Moral Orel with a special prequel. This episode showed a young, four-year-old Orel anticipating the birth of his brother and explained the origins of his deep religious beliefs. More recently, Stamatopoulos has expressed interest in reviving the series with a potential movie, but he’s noted that there are still significant challenges to overcome before it can become a reality.

There’s a lot of debate about whether a revival of Moral Orel is needed. The original series ended on a complex note – it showed Orel facing incredibly difficult challenges to his faith, but also hinted at a hopeful future after a troubled childhood. The ending suggested that despite all the hardship Orel experienced, he still managed to find inner peace and maintain his faith.

Are you interested in a potential revival of Moral Orel? What were your thoughts on the show’s ending almost 17 years ago? Share your opinions in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-12-18 23:12