Adult Swim‘s new series Common Side Effects is taking on the timely topic of big pharma.
The project is from co-creators Joe Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (Veep), along with producers Mike Judge (Office Space) and Greg Daniels (King of the Hill).
The first trailer, below, introduces the half-hour comedy thriller which follows Marshall (Dave King) and Frances (Emily Pendergast), “two former high school lab partners who share a secret: Marshall has discovered the world’s greatest medicine, a mushroom that can heal almost anything. But getting it out into the world won’t be easy — the DEA, big pharma and international businessmen are all on the chase to stop them.”
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“Joe and Steve have created something incredibly original with a series that is thrilling, beautiful and deeply funny,” said Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen. “It’s top-level television that challenges expectations and raises profound questions. It’s a truly special series and unlike anything you’ve ever seen. I’m trying not to be hyperbolic, but it’s true.”
Bennett and Hely added, “We hope Common Side Effects will be enjoyed by anyone who’s ever taken a pill.”
Judge’s participation in a project critiquing the pharmaceutical industry certainly adds some clout to the show given he’s the visionary who so hilariously took on workplace culture with 1999’s Office Space, tackled America’s decline with his arguably prophetic 2006 sci-fi film Idiocracy, and so deftly skewered Silicon Valley in HBO’s 2014 comedy Silicon Valley.
Big pharma has become a topical subject. The industry has been increasingly criticized in recent years by populist pundits like Joe Rogan and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While on screen, scripted TV hits like Dopesick and Painkiller, as well as Alex Gibney doc The Crime of the Century, have tackled the opioid crisis.
In the trailer, Marshall notes, “We spend more money than ever on healthcare and people are still sick. Think of all the people who make tons of money just by keeping us unwell.”
Common Side Effects had its world premiere at Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The series will debut Sunday, Feb. 2 at 11:30 p.m. on Adult Swim with two back-to-back episodes, followed by one new episode every Sunday. Episodes will also stream Mondays on Max. The show is produced for Adult Swim by Bandera and Green Street Pictures.
