Futurama – Nostalgia Central

1 9 9 9 – 2 0 1 3 (USA)

The Simpsons may be Matt Groening’s magnum opus, but Futurama is his oft-overlooked masterpiece.

The animated sci-fi comedy about Philip J. Fry (voiced by Billy West) – a slacker pizza delivery boy from New York City who is accidentally cryogenically frozen on New Year’s Eve 1999 and wakes up in the year 3000 – dealt with some scarily complex ideas (including genuine mathematical theorems, advanced physics jokes, and complex sci-fi concepts) but always in smart, relatable and hilarious ways.

Seeking a fresh start, he ironically ends up permanently assigned to the exact same job – as an interplanetary delivery boy for Planet Express, a small cargo company owned by his eccentric, brilliant, and deeply senile scientist nephew, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth.

Other key characters included Turanga Leela (voiced by Katey Sagal), the competent, one-eyed captain of the Planet Express ship who believed herself to be an alien orphan; Bender Bending Rodríguez (voiced by John DiMaggio), a foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking, cigar-smoking robot designed for bending steel, who served as Fry’s kleptomaniac best friend; Dr John A. Zoidberg (voiced by Billy West), a penniless, lobster-like alien who served as the company’s incredibly incompetent staff physician; Hermes Conrad (voiced by Phil LaMarr), a rigid, level-36 Jamaican bureaucrat who managed the company’s paperwork and finances; and Amy Wong (voiced by Lauren Tom), a clumsy but wealthy engineering intern from Mars.

The show premiered on FOX with high ratings but suffered from constant scheduling changes, being pushed into erratic time slots that ultimately killed its initial viewership. Massive syndication success on Adult Swim and stellar DVD sales prompted a revival, starting with four direct-to-video films that were later sliced into televised episodes, followed by full new seasons on Comedy Central.