Aqua Teen Hunger Force (also known as Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 for the eighth season, Aqua Something You Know Whatever for the ninth season, Aqua TV Show Show for the tenth season, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Forever for the eleventh season), sometimes abbreviated as ATHF, or known more simply as Aqua Teen, is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. It is about the surreal adventures and antics of three anthropomorphic fast food items: Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad, who live together as roommates and frequently interact with their human next-door neighbor, Carl Brutananadilewski.
It was created as a spin-off series of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. The unannounced pilot episode, "Rabbot", aired on Cartoon Network on December 30, 2000; the series later made its official debut on Adult Swim on September 9, 2001. Every episode was written and directed 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 ended on August 30, 2015, with a total of 139 episodes over the course of 11 seasons.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, a film adaptation of the series, was released in theaters on April 13, 2007, the first adaptation of an Adult Swim series into a feature-length film. The series airs in broadcast syndication outside the United States and has been released on various DVD sets and other forms of home media, including video on demand streaming. It was the longest-running Adult Swim series until it was surpassed by The Venture Bros. and Robot Chicken.
A twelfth season consisting of five episodes was announced in January 2023 and premiered on November 26, 2023, making it the longest-running Adult Swim series yet again.
Premise[]
The series centers on the surreal adventures and antics of three anthropomorphic fast food items: Master Shake, a selfish, pathological lying milkshake; Frylock, an intelligent, well-meaning box of French fries; and Meatwad, a shape-shifting, simple-minded ball of ground meat. They live together like relatives and rarely get along with their human neighbor Carl Brutananadilewski, a balding, middle-aged, 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 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 neighborhood in South New Jersey. During the eighth season, the location was changed to Seattle, Washington. 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 of Seattle, New Jersey.