Tripping the Rift

The continuing comic saga of a bizarre gang of misfits who live, work and play on the starship Jupiter 42, which is controlled by a neurotic A.I. known as Spaceship Bob. The ethically-challenged shipmates travel through the galaxy taking on one epic adventure at a time all while looking to make a quick buck and avoid getting thrown in jail.

Tripping the Rift (2004-2008) is a Canadian-American adult animated science fiction comedy series created by Chuck Austen and Chris Moeller, produced in 3D animation with a Syfy, Teletoon and Space broadcast footprint. The show follows a bizarre gang of misfits aboard the starship Jupiter 42, a freelance crew led by the purple outlaw captain Chode, with Six, T'nuk, Gus, Whip and the neurotic onboard AI Spaceship Bob, voiced by Stephen Root, Maurice LaMarche and John Melendez among others. The engine is simple: the crew takes for-hire jobs that range from smuggling to mercenary work, then gets sidetracked by get-rich-quick schemes while dodging the law. Each twenty-minute episode is a self-contained galactic adventure, and the three seasons of thirty-nine episodes form a loose, continuing comic saga rather than a single arc. Its tone is irreverent, crude and bawdy, with much of the humor built on sexual innuendo and ethically loose behavior, delivered in a brash, cartoonish register. Set in the far reaches of space, it sits in the lineage of cult adult animated sci-fi sitcoms. Fans of Futurama, Red Dwarf and Space Ghost Coast to Coast will find a similar appetite for ragged crews, deadpan machine personalities and anarchic space humor.

Viewers rate the series as mixed, with its crude irreverent space comedy landing for some and wearing thin for others, and quality dipping in later seasons.

• Futuramairreverent adult animated sci-fi comedy with a crude crew of misfits on a ship
• Red Dwarfensemble of disreputable space crew, workplace sci-fi sitcom tone, sexual innuendo humor
• Space Ghost Coast to Coastraunchy adult animated comedy built on crude humor and sexual jokes

Created by

Chuck Austen, Chris Moeller

Release Date

2004-03-04

Episode runtime

20 min

Rating

6.8 / 10 (61)

What is Tripping the Rift about?

A ragged crew of space misfits aboard the starship Jupiter 42, steered by a neurotic AI named Spaceship Bob, takes on outrageous galactic jobs while scheming to get rich and stay out of jail.

What is Tripping the Rift like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tripping the Rift as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.

Is Tripping the Rift violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Tripping the Rift as mild.

What did critics think of Tripping the Rift?

Viewers rate the series as mixed, with its crude irreverent space comedy landing for some and wearing thin for others, and quality dipping in later seasons.

Which shows are like Tripping the Rift?

Shows with a similar feel include Futurama, Red Dwarf, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

How long is Tripping the Rift?

Tripping the Rift: 3 seasons, 39 episodes.

Is Tripping the Rift still running?

No, Tripping the Rift has ended.

Where can I watch Tripping the Rift?

In United States, Tripping the Rift is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.