Is Smiling Friends coming back? New episodes explained

Following the release of a new teaser trailer, you might be wondering: is Smiling Friends coming back? Here’s everything you need to know about the new episodes. 

Hazbin Hotel dominated the adult cartoon arena earlier this year with its winning combination of great songs, unique animation, and fun characters. It went down a treat, so much so that Season 2 is currently in development. 

But there are plenty of other entries to the genre worth checking out, including Smiling Friends. Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack’s adorable yet dark animated series centers on Charlie and Pim, whose titular business aims to make people smile. 

Season 1 earned a near-perfect 96% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes after it dropped at the start of 2022. Since then, fans have been on tenterhooks waiting for new episodes. So, is Smiling Friends coming back?

Smiling Friends new episodes explained

After two long years, Smiling Friends is seemingly coming back to our screens, with Season 2 set to premiere on Adult Swim on Sunday, March 31.

The network shared the news with a teaser, showing the Smiling Friends’ trademark happy face emerging as the sun to our Earth. The clip finishes by promising that the new episodes drop “next Sunday at midnight.”

However, fans have noticed something concerning: the premiere marks the start of April Fool’s Day. “This better not be an April Fools Joke, please don’t turn me into a Frowning Friend,” said one on X.

Another wrote, “If this is an April Fool’s joke I will never forgive you guys.” And a third added, “Plus the fact that we got the announcement with no press release or trailer, yeah it’s going to be the April Fools stunt.”

Others are more hopeful, however, especially since the Smiling Friends pilot episode debuted on April Fool’s Day in 2020. “The pilot premiered on April Fools. It’s fine,” said one.

What’s more, Hadel and Cusack are scheduled to hold a panel at the 2024 WonderCon on Saturday, March 30, to give a special look at the new season. 

As per the showcase description: “Get ready for the return of Pim, Charlie, and the rest of the gang dedicated to bringing happiness to their bizarre and colorful world in the second season of Smiling Friends. 

“Series co-creators and stars Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel give a special look at the new season of the weirdly warm and oddly relatable workplace comedy that could only exist on Adult Swim.”

So, at this stage, it’s looking likely that Smiling Friends will be dropping at least the first episode of Season 2 this weekend. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on this page if the situation changes. 

Until then, here are all the best new TV shows to watch this month, as well as all of the new movies dropping on streaming.