If you’ve just flipped on the TV and found yourself staring at a doting father and his three teenage kids navigating life with weirdly wholesome energy, you aren't lost. You’re watching Haha, You Clowns, and it’s basically the flagship of the current vibe.
Adult Swim in 2026 is a strange beast. Honestly, it’s always been strange, but right now we’re seeing a massive shift toward "wholesome-adjacent" comedy mixed with the return of heavy hitters like Genndy Tartakovsky. If you're looking for the breakdown of whats on adult swim right now, it’s a mix of new Season 8 Rick and Morty leftovers, the triumphant return of Primal, and a Saturday night Toonami block that just got a serious facelift.
The Nightly Grind: Weekday Lineups and New Staples
The current weekday schedule for January 16, 2026, is dominated by the big three: Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, and American Dad!. These are the comfort food. They usually kick off the evening around 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM depending on your time zone. But the real meat starts at midnight.
Right now, Rick and Morty is holding down the 12:00 AM slot. We are fresh off the Season 8 premiere cycle—specifically "The Last Temptation of Jerry"—which aired recently. Immediately after, you’ve got Smiling Friends. It’s still one of the most popular shows on the network. They’ve been running "Shmaloogles" and "The Glep Ep" on heavy rotation lately.
Why the 1:00 AM Slot is Different Now
The 1:00 AM hour has traditionally been for the weirdest, most experimental stuff. This month, that's Haha, You Clowns.
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- The Vibe: It's from Joe Cappa.
- The Hook: It’s about a widowed dad and his kids. It feels like a hug that occasionally gets awkward.
- The News: Adult Swim just renewed it for two more seasons back in December, so expect to see a lot more of the Campbell family.
After the clowns, we loop back into the Fox staples. American Dad! usually carries the torch from 1:30 AM until 3:00 AM. If you're an insomniac, you’ll catch Dragon Ball Z Kai around 5:00 AM. It’s a marathon for the dedicated or the deeply tired.
The Toonami Extension: Big Changes for 2026
Saturday nights just got longer. Starting this month, the Toonami block was officially extended by 30 minutes. It now runs from 12:00 AM to 4:00 AM. This is a big deal because the block felt a bit cramped late last year.
The Saturday Night Lineup (Starting Jan 17)
The biggest news for fans of Genndy Tartakovsky is that Primal Season 3 has officially entered the Saturday rotation with encore runs. New episodes air on Sundays, but if you missed the premiere of "Vengeance of Death," you can catch it at 12:30 AM on Saturdays.
The rest of the Saturday block looks like this:
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- Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict (12:00 AM)
- Primal Season 3 (12:30 AM encore)
- Blue Exorcist -Beyond the Snow Saga- (1:00 AM)
- Mashle: Magic and Muscles (1:30 AM)
- One Piece (2:00 AM)
- Dragon Ball Daima (3:00 AM)
Zom 100 and Rick and Morty: The Anime are rounding out the tail end. It’s a packed schedule. Dan Da Dan just finished its encore run, so it’s off the board for now, though Season 2 is rumored for later this year.
What Most People Get Wrong About Checkered Past
There’s a lot of confusion on Reddit and Twitter about Checkered Past, the block that played classic Cartoon Network hits like Dexter’s Laboratory and Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Here is the reality: Checkered Past officially ended its initial two-year run in June 2025. However, because Adult Swim loves a good nostalgia trip, they’ve been sprinkling those classics back into the 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM "bridge" hour.
You’ll still see Dexter and Regular Show occasionally, but the dedicated "Checkered Past" branding is mostly retired in favor of a more seamless transition from Cartoon Network’s daytime schedule. It’s a bummer for the 90s kids, but the ratings for the newer originals like Smiling Friends are just too high to ignore.
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Upcoming Premiers: What to Watch For
Looking ahead into the rest of 2026, the pipeline is surprisingly full.
- Rooster Fighter: This is the big one for Toonami fans. It’s scheduled for a Spring 2026 debut. It’s exactly what it sounds like—a rooster that fights giant monsters.
- Keeping Up with the Joneses: A new show from the team behind Mike Tyson Mysteries. Expect that same chaotic, semi-improvised energy.
- My Adventures with Superman Season 3: We’re looking at a likely Summer or Fall release.
Actionable Steps for Adult Swim Fans
If you want to stay on top of the schedule without constantly checking a TV guide, here is how you should handle your viewing:
1. Use the App for "Smalls"
A lot of the experimental content never hits the linear broadcast. The "Adult Swim Smalls" are mostly on YouTube and the official app now. If you miss the old Aqua Teen days of random five-minute shorts, this is where they live.
2. Sunday is the "New Content" Night
Currently, Sundays at 11:30 PM is the premiere slot for Primal. If you want to see the new stuff before the internet spoils it, Sunday night is your non-negotiable time.
3. DVR the 1:00 AM Slot
As mentioned, this is where the network hides its "next big thing." Shows like Common Side Effects and Haha, You Clowns got their start here. It’s worth recording just to see where the network’s head is at.
Adult Swim continues to be the only place on television where a high-budget prehistoric epic can air right next to a low-fi comedy about a dad who loves his kids too much. It’s messy, it’s loud, and right now, it’s surprisingly focused on building out a new generation of cult classics.