‘Futurama’ enjoys post-cancellation popularity
Special to the Pioneer Times
Futurama is of my favorite canceled-before-its-time TV shows. And as of late, the cult-classic has rebounded with a fruitful second life. The series enjoyed post-cancellation popularity on Adult Swim, and after that contract expired, the series moved to Comedy Central. With that change, FOX Studios suggested a series of made-for-DVD feature-length movies, the first of which, Futurama: Bender’s Big Score, was released in November with three more to follow.
The cartoon series was developed by Simpsons creator Matt Groening and former Simpsons writer, David X. Cohen. While much of the humor is similar to that of The Simpsons, Futurama certainly has its own idiosyncratic style. And rather than poking fun at the American Family, Futurama uses its futuristic setting to comment on American consumerism and environmental issues without being heavy-handed.
The premise of the show is simple: Philip Fry, a shiftless pizza delivery boy in New York, accidentally cryogenically freezes himself on December 31, 1999 and is awaked on December 31, 2999. And from there the adventures and hilarity ensue. The title “Futurama” comes from the name of a pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair showcasing what the world would look like in 1959; Futurama the TV series is just as much about poking fun at the canons science fiction and our perceptions about the future as it is about parodying contemporary life.
Like The Simpsons, Futurama uses an irreverent and ironic character-based sense of humor, but also has a great deal of heart. The characters may appear as two-dimensional drawings, but they’re written as three-dimensional people. There are even several episodes known within the shows’ fandom as notorious tear-jerkers — not a common feat for a silly, satirical cartoon. And while the series is certainly accessible to the casual viewer, Futurama is a show that appreciates its loyal fan base, with running jokes, season- and series-long story arcs and frequent call-backs to previous episodes.
And the effort’s paid off: the show has a fan-following which rivals that of Star Trek – which seems appropriate given that the series pays regular parodic homage to the sci-fi classic (not to mention the fact that the original Star Trek was also cancelled, but gained cult classic status in syndication, which then led to the Star Trek franchise we know today).
Overall, I was disappointed with the first movie, Bender’s Big Score, although I did enjoy the subtle “Cylon War Memorial” gag (see: Battlestar Galactica). I got the sense that the writers didn’t know quite what to do with the longer format, I’m holding out hope for the upcoming movies though, due out later this year.
Futurama repeats now air on Comedy Central, weeknights at 9 p.m. Bender’s Big Score is available on DVD.
Elizabeth “Liz” Gartley, of Houlton, has a BA in media studies from Emerson College in Boston. She has studied abroad in the Netherlands and Australia, and most recently interned at a production company in Hollywood. She can be reached online at egartley@gmail.com or leave a message for her at your local newspaper office.
