HBO’s upcoming time-travel series blends the humor of Rick and Morty with the style of Archer.

Adam Reed has crafted one of the most iconic adult animated sitcoms with Archer, the FX series that followed the misadventures of inept secret agents over 14 seasons from 2009 to 2023. Now, he’s teaming up again with Archer executive producer Casey Willis and voice actor Lucky Yates for a new animated series on HBO.

On October 13, HBO revealed it has greenlit two seasons of Merrick & Treves, a half-hour animated workplace comedy that centers on the secret agents of Queen Victoria’s Royal Temporal Constabulary as they pursue Jack the Ripper. Reed, Willis, and Yates will all take on roles as co-creators and co-executive producers.

Archer began as a simple spoof of James Bond but evolved into something much more bizarre and hilarious as the series progressed. Reed and his team explored various genres, including film noir and space opera, particularly during a multi-season storyline where the main character, Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin), was in a coma.

The time travel aspect of Merrick & Treves gives it a vibe reminiscent of Rick and Morty, which started as a parody of Back to the Future and Doctor Who before building its own intricate mythology. Rick and Morty has been airing on HBO’s sister network Adult Swim for nine seasons and recently launched its first spinoff, President Curtis. HBO seems to be banking on a blend of two major successes in adult animation to draw in a dedicated audience eager for more chaotic escapades.

While HBO has yet to announce a release date for Merrick & Treves, the timeline will depend on the development stage. Adult Swim revealed President Curtis in July 2025, with the show debuting about a year later. Similarly, James Gunn and Dean Lorey’s HBO Max series Creature Commandos was announced in January 2023 and premiered in December 2024. This suggests that viewers might expect to see Merrick & Treves on HBO Max in late 2027 or early 2028.