Television series
Tripping the Rift
- Space opera
- Comedy
- Light-hearted
- Strange
Tripping the Rift is a CGI sci-fi comedy about a ragtag crew of misfits piloting a sentient spaceship through the lawless border between two galactic superpowers. Think *Futurama*'s anarchic energy meets space opera absurdism: deliberately crude, relentlessly silly, and unapologetic about its low-stakes hijinks. It's for people who want their sci-fi funny rather than serious, and who find crude animation charming rather than cheap.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you love crude, gleefully juvenile space comedy where the jokes are rude, the ship is a lovable mess, and the sci-fi setting is just a playground for silliness, much like the animated cult favorite Futurama's rowdier cousin.
Skip it if you want sharp, grounded satire or a show that stays on its feet; its humor leans hard into vulgarity and gross-out gags, and the CGI-heavy look can feel cheap and dated.
What it asks of you: Each half-hour episode runs fast and loud, asking you to keep up with a steady barrage of gags and sexual innuendo rather than follow any slow-building plot.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Futurama1999
The gold standard for sci-fi comedy: irreverent, inventive, emotionally sharp beneath the jokes. Wildly imaginative aliens, callback humour that rewards loyalty, and a universe that feels genuinely lived-in.
But Cancelled multiple times, so the narrative threads get knotty. Can feel dated now, and some jokes haven't aged well.
Red Dwarf1988
British sci-fi comedy that's been mining absurdity in deep space for four decades. Ingenious concepts, genuinely funny writing, and a scrappy energy that values gags over polish.
But Very British sensibility; the first series is rough around the edges technically. Runs very long, so finding the right entry point takes work.
The Orville2017
Seth MacFarlane's love letter to *Star Trek* that flips between sincere space-opera drama and silly comedy beats. Handmade charm and genuine heart underneath the irreverence.
But Tonal whiplash—dramatic scenes about grief sit next to fart jokes. Cancelled after two seasons, so incomplete.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Tripping the Rift
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Æon Flux2005
Both embrace absurdist sci-fi logic where internal consistency doesn't matter—what matters is the next weird thing. Both prioritise visual spectacle and absurdist comedy over narrative clarity.
Live-action adaptation of an abstract animated series: disorienting, visual, more interested in mood and style than plot coherence. Charlize Theron in impossible outfits performing impossible physics. Pure aesthetic commitment.
But The narrative barely exists and actively resists sense-making. Dated CGI and costuming look genuinely awkward now. Genuinely difficult to parse on a first viewing.
More like this (8)
Archer2009
Animated spy comedy with the same deliberately crude aesthetic and no-holds-barred joke density. Seasons 5-8 pivot to sci-fi premises while keeping the anarchic energy intact.
But The humour is very adult and sometimes mean-spirited. Quality dips significantly after season 8, and the early seasons lean on tired tropes.
Adventure Time: Distant Lands2020
Cartoon chaos set in a post-apocalyptic world that's funny, weird, and occasionally profound. Visual invention on a budget, and genuine surprises in how the story evolves.
But Early episodes are deliberately low-stakes and silly; it takes time to reveal its emotional depth. Some viewers find the randomness exhausting rather than funny.
Solar Opposites2020
Justin Roiland's anarchic sci-fi comedy about aliens stranded on Earth. Fast-paced gag barrage, absurdist plotting, characters who barely make sense and never need to.
But Essentially *Rick and Morty* without the character development. The jokes come faster than logic; some land, many whiff by before you notice.
F is for Family2015
Darker animated comedy set in the 70s following a shipping-company worker drowning in existential ennui. Genuinely hilarious, surprisingly character-driven, and unapologetically crude.
But Much meaner in spirit than Tripping the Rift. The humour punches downward often, and the protagonist is genuinely unpleasant to spend time with.
Disenchantment2018
Matt Groening's fantasy comedy following a rebellious elf princess. Silly premise, energetic writing, voice cast throwing themselves at every weird scenario.
But Inconsistent quality across seasons. Tries to balance absurdist comedy with serialized drama, and doesn't always succeed at either.
Paradise PD2018
Crude animated comedy set in a weirdly incompetent police department. Relentless gag machine, will make you laugh despite yourself, no pretensions whatsoever.
But Deliberately offensive in nearly every direction; it swings for shock value constantly. Extremely juvenile. Not remotely for everyone and shouldn't be.
Barbarella1968
Both are unironic celebrations of sci-fi trash aesthetics—bright colours, impractical costumes, zero-gravity logic applied to everything. Both love what they are without apology.
Jane Fonda in the most deliberately silly sci-fi adventure ever made: campy, erotically charged, visually outrageous, shot through with genuine affection for its own ridiculousness.
But Extremely dated sexual politics; plays as problematic now even if played for laughs then. Very slow, very 60s, unapologetic about its softcore aspirations.
Attack of the Killer Donuts2016
Both treat ridiculous premises with complete sincerity—no irony shield, just full commitment to the stupid concept. The comedy comes from the collision of earnest execution and inherent preposterousness.
Absolutely sincere B-movie sci-fi about sentient pastries terrorising a town. Embraces its own absurdity completely, no winking at the camera, just committed chaos from minute one.
But Genuinely terrible filmmaking: poor acting, worse effects, nonsensical plotting. Not entertaining *because* it's bad, just actually bad. Very hard to sit through.
