"Futurama" is no stranger to out-there stories, but sometimes, even this show needs an excuse to break the rules. That's where the anthology episodes come in: installments featuring three seven-or-so-minute-long themed segments where the status quo of the show doesn't apply.
"Futurama" inherited this formula from co-creator Matt Groening's previous series, "The Simpsons." However, "The Simpsons" developed a consistent formula for its anthology episodes: "Treehouse of Horror," where the Simpsons family (and friends) are put through parodies of horror/sci-fi stories (from "The Twilight Zone" to "Death Note"). "Treehouse of Horror" has been an annual "Simpsons" tradition since season 2, but the series isn't constrained by this. A handful of "Simpsons" episodes are anthologies of a different flavor (see "Simpsons Bible Stories" in season 10 or "Tales from the Public Domain" in season 13).
"Futurama," though? The sci-fi show doesn't have an equivalent tradition, perhaps as part of the show's efforts to not compete with "The Simpsons.
"Futurama" inherited this formula from co-creator Matt Groening's previous series, "The Simpsons." However, "The Simpsons" developed a consistent formula for its anthology episodes: "Treehouse of Horror," where the Simpsons family (and friends) are put through parodies of horror/sci-fi stories (from "The Twilight Zone" to "Death Note"). "Treehouse of Horror" has been an annual "Simpsons" tradition since season 2, but the series isn't constrained by this. A handful of "Simpsons" episodes are anthologies of a different flavor (see "Simpsons Bible Stories" in season 10 or "Tales from the Public Domain" in season 13).
"Futurama," though? The sci-fi show doesn't have an equivalent tradition, perhaps as part of the show's efforts to not compete with "The Simpsons.
- 4/28/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
In the "Futurama" episode "The Problem with Popplers", the Planet Express crew lands on a distant, uncharted planet hoping to find a fast food joint; the ship had run out of supplies and Bender (John Dimaggio) was only able to make a meal with baking soda and capers. They land on a Class-m planet which, as Leela (Katey Sagal) explains, should at least provide roddenberry bushes. What they find instead are craters stuffed with brown, crunchy, edible meat nuggets ... that are utterly delicious. Snarfing ensues.
No one has set foot on this planet before so the Planet Express crew packs up the morsels and takes them back to Earth to sell on street corners. It's not long before they attract the attention of fast food proprietor Fishy Joe (Maurice Lamarche), and turn the nuggets — nicknamed Popplers — into a global phenomenon.
Naturally, there is something unusual about the Popplers. While Leela eats,...
No one has set foot on this planet before so the Planet Express crew packs up the morsels and takes them back to Earth to sell on street corners. It's not long before they attract the attention of fast food proprietor Fishy Joe (Maurice Lamarche), and turn the nuggets — nicknamed Popplers — into a global phenomenon.
Naturally, there is something unusual about the Popplers. While Leela eats,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Futurama came back to San Diego Comic-Con today to celebrate the revival of the Matt Groening-David X. Cohen series, which hits Hulu on Monday, July 24. Attendees in a packed Ballroom 20 were entreated to the season’s first episode “The Impossible Stream”
It’s been ten years since we last saw this motley crew on Comedy Central.
Director Peter Avanzino fielded a kid’s question who wondered if robot Bender’s doppelganger, Flexo was coming back. Avanzino gave that a definite maybe. Flexo, who looks similar to the series main robot protag, is known for speaking contrary to how he actually feels, before correcting himself; often seen when he slanders or insults an individual only to follow with, “nah, I’m just messin’ with ya; you’re all right.”
Avanzino mused that he’d love to see the return of Enema bot “who had one or two lines in...
It’s been ten years since we last saw this motley crew on Comedy Central.
Director Peter Avanzino fielded a kid’s question who wondered if robot Bender’s doppelganger, Flexo was coming back. Avanzino gave that a definite maybe. Flexo, who looks similar to the series main robot protag, is known for speaking contrary to how he actually feels, before correcting himself; often seen when he slanders or insults an individual only to follow with, “nah, I’m just messin’ with ya; you’re all right.”
Avanzino mused that he’d love to see the return of Enema bot “who had one or two lines in...
- 7/22/2023
- by Katie Campione and Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Good news, everyone — "Futurama" is back! Again! The animated comedy series from creator Matt Groening has been canceled and revived several times now, with four different "endings," one for each time the series has been canceled or intentionally brought to a close. It's been a decade since the last episode of "Futurama" aired on Comedy Central, but the Planet Express crew is back for one more go around the galaxy. Everyone from the original cast is back, including Bender's voice actor John Dimaggio, who was in a contract stand-off with Disney and Hulu about his pay but eventually joined the revival. "Futurama" without Bender just wouldn't be "Futurama," but thankfully the gang's all here and the characters are all their usual hilarious and lovable selves. But does the show still hold up after a decade away?
Continuations of the series after its original Fox cancellation have never quite captured the magic of that initial run,...
Continuations of the series after its original Fox cancellation have never quite captured the magic of that initial run,...
- 7/22/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
When the animated comedy “Futurama” debuted in 1999, it peered a full 1,000 years into the future, following 20th-century pizza delivery guy Philip J. Fry (Billy West) on his accidental trip to the year 3000. 24 years later, the culty, less mainstream show from “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening has slowly but surely chipped away at that thousand-year gap. It may not have (yet) survived a full millennium, but there are countless technological breakthroughs over the past quarter-century that even an imaginatively far-flung satire has failed to predict.
One such change: the streaming-tv revolution, currently experiencing demand-for-growing pains and strike-related strife. “The Impossible Stream,” the first “Futurama” episode to be released in a decade, hasn’t quite caught up to this reality yet. Its 2019-ready storyline about binge-watching streaming TV illustrates the pitfalls of trying to keep an animated show current with our 21st-century reality, especially when competing with the 31st-century weirdness where the show has always excelled.
One such change: the streaming-tv revolution, currently experiencing demand-for-growing pains and strike-related strife. “The Impossible Stream,” the first “Futurama” episode to be released in a decade, hasn’t quite caught up to this reality yet. Its 2019-ready storyline about binge-watching streaming TV illustrates the pitfalls of trying to keep an animated show current with our 21st-century reality, especially when competing with the 31st-century weirdness where the show has always excelled.
- 7/22/2023
- by Jesse Hassenger
- The Wrap
Good news, everyone! After a brief little entire decade off the air, Futurama is back, baby. Matt Groening and David X. Cohen’s sci-fi follow-up to The Simpsons has once again found itself revivified, this time by Hulu.
This most recent hiatus has been the longest one by far, so you’ll be forgiven for forgetting what’s been going on 3,000 years in the future. And that’s before getting into all of the time travel, clones, robots, resurrections, and multiversal cardboard boxes. So here’s a quick refresher of everything you need to rewatch before season 11’s July 24 premiere.
Season 1 Episodes 1 & 2: “Space Pilot 3000” / “The Series Has Landed”
While the pilot focuses primarily on the first meeting of sad-sack Philip J. Fry (Billy West), space cyclops Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal), and self-avowed “lovable scamp” Bender Bending Rodriguez (John Dimaggio), it’s the follow-up episode that really sets the show in motion.
This most recent hiatus has been the longest one by far, so you’ll be forgiven for forgetting what’s been going on 3,000 years in the future. And that’s before getting into all of the time travel, clones, robots, resurrections, and multiversal cardboard boxes. So here’s a quick refresher of everything you need to rewatch before season 11’s July 24 premiere.
Season 1 Episodes 1 & 2: “Space Pilot 3000” / “The Series Has Landed”
While the pilot focuses primarily on the first meeting of sad-sack Philip J. Fry (Billy West), space cyclops Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal), and self-avowed “lovable scamp” Bender Bending Rodriguez (John Dimaggio), it’s the follow-up episode that really sets the show in motion.
- 7/21/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
"Futurama", the animated comedy TV series, created by Matt Groening "after a brief ten-year hiatus has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, with its full original cast and satirical spirit intact", streaming mew Season Eleven episodes, July 24, 2023 on Hulu:
"...new viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries...
"...including developments in the epic love story of 'Fry' and 'Leela', the mysterious contents of the 'Nibbler' litter box, the secret history of evil 'Robot Santa' ...
"...the whereabouts of the tadpoles belonging to 'Kif' and 'Amy' and a whole lot more.
"Meanwhile there's a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture and streaming TV..."
Voice cast includes John Dimaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice Lamarche, Lauren Tom, Phil Lamarr and David Herman.
"...new viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries...
"...including developments in the epic love story of 'Fry' and 'Leela', the mysterious contents of the 'Nibbler' litter box, the secret history of evil 'Robot Santa' ...
"...the whereabouts of the tadpoles belonging to 'Kif' and 'Amy' and a whole lot more.
"Meanwhile there's a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture and streaming TV..."
Voice cast includes John Dimaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice Lamarche, Lauren Tom, Phil Lamarr and David Herman.
- 7/20/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
After 10 years, Futurama is back with its full original cast! Here’s everything you need to know for streaming the series, which debuts on Monday, July 24.
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Futurama premiered in March 1999 and follows “Philip J. Fry (voiced by Billy West), a New York City pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself in 1999 and gets defrosted in the year 3000,” according to the series synopsis. There in the future, Fry “befriends hard-drinking robot Bender (John Dimaggio), and falls in love with cyclops...
Related Stories The Other Black Girl: Hulu Sets Release Date for Series Adaptation Starring Riverdale‘s Ashleigh Murray — First Look
Futurama premiered in March 1999 and follows “Philip J. Fry (voiced by Billy West), a New York City pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself in 1999 and gets defrosted in the year 3000,” according to the series synopsis. There in the future, Fry “befriends hard-drinking robot Bender (John Dimaggio), and falls in love with cyclops...
- 7/19/2023
- by How to Stream Team
- TVLine.com
Futurama (Courtesy of Hulu) After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The ten all-new episodes of season eleven have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries – including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles. Meanwhile there’s a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV. “Futurama” premiered in 1999 and quickly gained a faithful following and critical acclaim, including two primetime Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program. Despite its far-future setting, the show is renowned for its satiric commentary on life in the present.
- 6/27/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
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