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Which adult animated Netflix series, co-created by Pendleton Ward and Duncan Trussell, features a spacecaster named Clancy Gilroy who travels through bizarre worlds interviewing their inhabitants, with the dialogue taken from real podcast interviews?

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The Midnight Gospel - television illustration
The Midnight Gospel — television

The animated Netflix series that blends philosophical discussions with surreal visuals is The Midnight Gospel (Review). Co-created by Pendleton Ward, known for "Adventure Time", and comedian Duncan Trussell, the show takes actual audio from Trussell's podcast, "The Duncan Trussell Family Hour", and sets it against a backdrop of mind-bending, apocalyptic adventures. This unique approach means that while the character Clancy Gilroy, a "spacecaster" voiced by Trussell, travels through dying worlds in his multiverse simulator, the dialogue he has with their inhabitants is derived from real-life interviews covering a wide array of topics.

The series is renowned for its distinctive animation style, which often contrasts the calm, introspective nature of the podcast conversations with chaotic, colorful, and sometimes violent on-screen events. This juxtaposition serves to create a uniquely engaging and thought-provoking experience, exploring themes such as death, meditation, forgiveness, spirituality, and the meaning of life. Guests on the original podcast, whose voices are featured in the show, include a diverse range of individuals from spiritual teachers to doctors.

"The Midnight Gospel" offers a refreshing and often profound perspective on complex subjects, making dense philosophical discussions accessible through its imaginative storytelling. It's a show that encourages viewers to reflect on existential questions while being visually immersed in fantastical and sometimes unsettling scenarios. The series premiered on Netflix on April 20, 2020.