After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact on Hulu. 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. The series follows Philip J. Fry (Billy West), a New York City pizza delivery boy, who accidentally freezes himself in 1999 and gets defrosted in the year 3000. In this astonishing New New York, he befriends hard-drinking robot Bender (John DiMaggio), and falls in love with cyclops Leela (Katey Sagal). The trio find work at the Planet Express Delivery Company, founded by Fry’s doddering descendant, Professor Hubert Farnsworth. Together with accountant Hermes Conrad, assistant Amy Wong, and alien lobster Dr. John Zoidberg, they embark on thrilling adventures that take them to every corner of the universe. After its initial run on the Fox Broadcasting Network, a roller-coaster of cancellations and resurrections ensued. Four successful direct-to-DVD releases in 2007-2009 led to the show’s rebirth on Comedy Central from 2010-2013. Then, after a brief ten-year freeze in the cryogenic chamber, FUTURAMA emerged triumphantly as a streaming series for Hulu with a 20-episode order set to debut in 2023.
