Common Side Effects has a return date. Adult Swim announced at New York Comic Con on Friday that Season Two premieres Sunday, January 24 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, streaming the next day on HBO Max. Co-creators Joe Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (Veep) broke the news at the Season Two world premiere screening and panel.
The first season, executive produced by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, won a Peabody and four Annie Awards, including Best Mature Animated Television/Broadcast Production, and picked up Emmy and Independent Spirit Award nominations along the way.
Season Two picks up with Marshall (Dave King) and Frances (Emily Pendergast) on the run. The former lab partners still share the secret of a mushroom that can cure almost anything, and now they’re fugitives facing the fallout of that discovery. Martha Kelly, Joseph Lee Anderson and Judge are back as well.
Bennett and Hely kept the announcement on brand: “We remain committed to asking important questions, capturing life’s absurdity, telling surprising stories and, whenever possible, advancing our long-term mission of healing humanity through mysterious mushrooms. So if you’re one of humanity’s ills, know this: your days are numbered.”
From the panel
Avi Ezor was in the room for Adult Swim Central, where the panel opened with a Season Two sizzle reel and a screening of the first episode. No word yet on when that footage will be released, but Adult Swim’s earlier sneak peek gives a taste of what’s coming.
From left: Steve Hely, Joe Bennett, Dave King, Emily Pendergast and Joseph Lee Anderson. Photo: Avi Ezor / Adult Swim Central
From left: Hely, Bennett, King and Pendergast.
Photos: Avi Ezor / Adult Swim Central
Attendees went home with a plush of Socrates the turtle. One fan also brought their own glowing mushroom pen, which honestly should have been the official swag.
Socrates the turtle plush.
Not official swag, but it should be. Photos: Avi Ezor / Adult Swim Central
Common Side Effects Season Two premieres Sunday, January 24 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Adult Swim, with episodes streaming the next day on HBO Max.
ADULT SWIM’S ACCLAIMED ANIMATED THRILLER COMMON SIDE EFFECTS RETURNS JANUARY 24
NEW YORK (October 9, 2026) – The Peabody Award-winning animated thriller Common Side Effects, which follows the fallout after a mysterious healing mushroom is discovered, returns to Adult Swim on Sunday, January 24 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT, streaming the next day on HBO Max. The news was announced today at New York Comic Con by co-creators Joe Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (Veep).
Executive produced by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels (King of the Hill), the first season of Common Side Effects debuted to widespread critical acclaim and also earned four Annie Awards, including Best Mature Animated Television/Broadcast Production, in addition to Emmy® and Independent Spirit Award nominations.
“At Adult Swim, we always put our faith not just in talented creators who are driven to push animation into new territory, but also in a fanbase that we know will show up and embrace the new without hesitation,” said Adult Swim President Michael Ouweleen. “The second season of Common Side Effects continues to make possible new things not just for this series, but for adult animation as a whole.”
“We remain committed to asking important questions, capturing life’s absurdity, telling surprising stories and, whenever possible, advancing our long-term mission of healing humanity through mysterious mushrooms,” said Bennett and Hely. “So if you’re one of humanity’s ills, know this: your days are numbered.”
Starring Dave King (English Teacher), Martha Kelly (Euphoria), Emily Pendergast (Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat), Joseph Lee Anderson (Don’t Move) and Judge, Season Two of Common Side Effects continues the story of Marshall (King) and Frances (Pendergast), who share a secret: a mushroom that can cure almost anything. Now fugitives, the two former lab partners face the enormous consequences of their discovery.
Common Side Effects is produced for Adult Swim by Bandera and Green Street Pictures.
Adult Swim is the global leader in adult animation, offering critically acclaimed, award-winning series such as Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, Common Side Effects, Haha, You Clowns, and President Curtis. Fan favorite anime block, Toonami, airs on Saturday nights and has expanded beyond acquisitions, producing original series including Ninja Kamui. Adult Swim airs nightly from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET/PT) on its linear channel and reaches fans via HBO Max.
