Rick & Morty & 9 Other Great TV Shows That Embrace Nerd Culture

Rick and Morty season 6 has featured some of the series’ best episodes yet, but fans will have to wait for episode 7, as it’s currently on a mid-season break and will return in November. However, if the episode titles are anything to go by, viewers are in for more nerd culture, as “Full Metal Jackrick” and “Analyze Piss” hint at more episodes based on movies.

But the animated Adult Swim show isn’t the only one that indulges in nerd culture. Between British sitcoms about I.T. employees, a community college-based show full of themed episodes, and a cop show that references the same iconic movie every single episode, nerd culture fuels these series.

The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)

The Big Bang Theory is the most obvious example when it comes to shows drenched in geek culture. It almost feels like the main characters dress up as the Justice League every other episode, and the show is littered with superhero paraphernalia. And whether Sheldon’s wearing giant Hulk gloves or a Green Lantern tee, there’s always some kind of superhero attire in any given scene that comic book fans can enjoy.

Even though most would argue that the series forgot what made it great by the time the final season came around, the geek culture was always present. And even outside of the superhero genre, the show is known for popularizing the theory that Indiana Jones is a pointless character in his own movie.

Rick And Morty (2013-)

When Rick isn’t terrorizing his own family and constantly alienating his own grandson in Rick and Morty, he’s usually indulging in fun movie references. Even then, Rick’s violent and bold tendencies often crossover with full episodes based on sci-fi movies, like Back to the Future and Inception, and even horror movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street.

There’s even an episode full of creatures called Cronenbergs, a direct reference to David Cronenberg, an iconic horror director, which would fly over most viewers’ heads. In season 6 alone, there have been episodes based on Basic Instinct, Final Destination, and Jurassic Park, and there are still more to come.

Abed, who seemingly has a photogenic memory when it comes to movies and geek culture, is a vessel for endless references and entire episodes based on what he loves. Whether he’s parodying Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, reenacting his own version of Goodfellas, or even making his own movie, the nerdy references and Easter eggs never stop.

However, that also led to character dialogue and actions that particular characters wouldn’t necessarily say or do. When Abed makes an overly pretentious movie on campus, Shirley calls him Charlie Kaufman, referring to the screenwriter who wrote extremely niche films such as Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. Having never shown an interest in films before, it’s extremely unlikely that Shirley would have ever heard the name Charlie Kaufman.

The IT Crowd (2006-2013)

The IT Crowd might not have made a huge splash in the US, but it’s massive in the series’ home of the UK. The series follows two I.T. workers in an office building who are relegated to the basement and are only called upon when a worker’s PC isn’t working. They have no social skills and only know how to talk to each other in movie quotes about those very movies.

As often happens with popular British sitcoms, there was a US remake of The IT Crowd, but it didn’t land as well. Ironically, the show starred Joel McHale, but after the show’s immediate cancelation, he quickly found a new geek culture-based show, Community.

Bob’s Burgers (2011-)

Fans have to look no further than the specials board to see how much Bob’s Burgers is a giant ode to nerd culture. Some of the many burgers of the day have been the Bob Day Afternoon, the Little Swiss Bunshine burger, and the Top Bun burger, to name a few.

But outside of meat patties, the show is still full of homages to the most celebrated movies of all time. The series has parodied Die Hard all the way down to the iconic shot of Hans Gruber falling from the Nakatomi Plaza, and “The Belchies” is a nostalgic episode based on The Goonies. Bob’s Burgers’ movie-themed episodes tend to be the best ones of the series.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine focuses on one sub-section of nerd culture: Die Hard. In the cop sitcom, Die Hard is gospel, and there are no lighthearted arguments over whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie. In the show, Jake Peralta has an unhealthy obsession with the 1988 movie, and it’s almost as if he would kill to be John McClane.

The show is almost indebted to Die Hard for its success, as there must be so many fans of the movie who stuck with the show because of the number of references. Die Hard is mentioned in an unbelievable 25 episodes of the show, and if fans take into account that Jake wears his badge on a chain around his neck, just like McClane, that’s every single episode.

How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

While shows like Community and The Big Bang Theory create whole episodes based around nerd culture, How I Met Your Mother is more subtle about it — that’s if having a huge Storm Trooper in an apartment for decorative purposes is subtle. The show has hints of nerd culture in most of the episodes, such as Ted potentially ending a relationship depending on whether or not his other half likes Star Wars.

There’s also an episode titled “Trilogy Time,” which sees Ted meeting up with childhood friends every few years to watch the original Star Wars trilogy, and it’s actually a surprisingly touching episode. But while How I Met Your Mother is clearly heavy on the Star Wars adoration, it doesn’t leave out Lord of the Rings either, which gets almost as many tributes.

Futurama (1999-2023)

Everything that Rick and Morty does, Futurama did it first, and that includes all of the episodes based on high-concept sci-fi movies. The sci-fi animated comedy has episodes based on everything from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to 300, and every one of them is funnier than the last.

There’s also a whole character based on Captain Kirk of Star Trek, Zapp Brannigan, and he’s the funniest recurring character. And while the upcoming Futurama episode titles don’t hint at any episodes based on established franchises, Zapp is back, as “Zapp Gets Canceled” is one of the more exciting-sounding episodes.

The Office (2005-2013)

The Office is a breeding ground for nerd culture, especially as there have been six Halloween-themed Office episodes, which makes for a perfect way to cram in as many nerdy movie and TV references. Whether it’s Dwight dressing up as Sarah Kerrigan from Battlestar Galactica or Meredith dressing up as Black Widow from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, every frame of the Halloween episodes is filled with nerd culture.

But the absolute peak of The Office’s nerd culture was when almost every Dunder Mifflin employee dressed up as the Joker for Halloween following the success of The Dark Knight. And just as every iteration of the Joker does in the movies, every employee hilariously had their own spin on the character.

Scrubs (2001-2010)

While most show that embrace nerd culture are full of nerdy characters, J.D. might be the most realistic nerd of them all. As Scrubs‘ biggest laughs come from the many daydreams the doctor has, he literally daydreams in nerd, as he has imagined that he and his friends are Star Wars characters.

And as he has drifted off, J.D. has fantasized about Turk being Indiana Jones and West Side Story characters, too. The Sacred Heart Hospital is essentially J.D.’s dream palace, and in it, he can envision being a part of whatever movie franchise or TV show he likes.

NEXT: Scrubs – 8 Things To Know About Zach Braff & Donald Faison’s Real-Life Friendship