Futurama - the animated series
Created | Updated Sep 15, 2006
THIS IS GOING TO BE AN UPDATE FOR THE EDITED VERSION - ANY CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME - OTTO (CUSTODIAN)
Futurama is the second animated sitcom to be created by animator Matt Groening, famed creator of long-running hit The Simpsons. Now airing in at least twenty different countries and gaining mass popularity on the Web, this show started in America on March 28, 1999, when "Space Pilot 3000" premiered. So, what makes this show so popular?
The Story
The basic premise, over which Groening had been mulling over for about five years before its release, is that a delivery boy named Fry is accidentally frozen on New Year's Eve, 1999, and is thawed out a thousand years later. He discovers a world where destiny is preassigned, and becomes (after a day-long struggle) a delivery boy yet again, this time for intergalactic courier service Planet Express. His best friends and co-workers are the one-eyed humanoid alien Leela and the hopelessly corrupt robot Bender - the polar opposite of the usual goody two-shoes robots that appear in much of science fiction. The crew seem to spend much more time getting into trouble on missions than they should, and the package sometimes doesn't even get to its destination on some missions! (despite the company motto: "Our crew is replaceable--Your package isn't.")
The Animation
The animation used in Futurama has a unique richness to it that many animated shows lack. Crammed with more jokes than it is possible to spot on a single viewing (including an alien alphabet that the staff refuses to decode) and amazing three-dimensional backgrounds, Futurama is utter "eye candy" to the viewer. From amazing shots of their terminally demented universe to their wild escapes, the computer animation showcased is almost enough to pull in the viewers by itself! However, the backgrounds and computer-enhanced sections are intentionally toned down so that they blend with the hand-drawn animation and to prevent from taking away from the storylines.
The Characters
Phillip J. Fry (Billy West)
"It's the future, my parents, my co-workers, my girlfriend, I'll never see any of them ever again..... YAHOOO!"
A disgruntled New York City pizza delivery boy from the 20th Century, Fry is the hapless hero of Futurama. He was cryogenically frozen for a thousand years, after which he became delivery boy for intergalactic courier service Planet Express. He's a slobby loser with a bad job who gets himself into some pretty bad situations; luckily, he has his friends and co-workers Leela and Bender to get him out of trouble. Fry's (unrequited) affection for Leela is a running theme, but their relationship is generally closer to 'big sister-kid brother'.
Toronga Leela (Katey Sagal)
Kkkkyyyyyyyyy-yaaaaaaaaaaaa!
An orphan with one eye, Leela is a natural-born leader. She formerly worked as a Fate Assignment Officer, but abandoned the job to become the captain of the Planet Express delivery ship. On the crew's many potentially deadly missions, she's usually the one to get them out of the mess that Fry and Bender frequently get themselves into--though she has, on occasion, brought them into some fairly tricky situations. She's a starship pilot and a fearsome martial artist, but still gets soppy about cute animals. Especially nibbler.
Bender Unit 22 (John DiMaggio)
"Kiss my shiny metal ass!"
A bending unit from Mom's Friendly Robot Corporation, Bender is an egoist. He says what he likes and does what he likes, and only rarely does he let moral scruples get in his way. He is known for drinking, cigar-smoking, reading robot pornography, and occasionally getting high on electricity. His secret dreams are to become a folk singer and a cook, but there are more than a few good reasons why he shouldn't be either one. Though a human hater by nature, he has saved the crew's lives a fair amount of times--although he usually is the one to get them into trouble in the first place.
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth (Billy West)
"Good news, everyone!"
Planet Express owner Hubert Farnsworth is a very senile 160-year-old inventor, but in a twist on the usual stereotypical senile professor, the Professor is also completely amoral, and his complete disregard for the safety of his crew is one of the show's running jokes. He is one of Fry's two known living relatives and gave Fry, Leela, and Bender their jobs. Though he gets very upset when a package isn't delivered, he couldn't care less if the crew gets killed on a mission--in fact, he's already complained that he's had this crew for far too long!
Amy Wong (Lauren Tom)
"At first you thinka a guy's a real pig, and then you get to know him and you find out he's got a great body"
Twenty-year-old Amy is an intern at Planet Express. She doesn't seem to have a brain of any kind, but makes up for this disability due to her extremely rich (and grandchild-obsessed) parents and her good looks. The Professor claims that he keeps her around because she has the same blood type as him. Amy and Leela are often competing to show who's the better woman, especially during tense social situations.
"Great something of somewhere else!"
Every fairly decent 31st Century business needs a bureaucrat, and Planet Express is no exception. Hermes, a former Olympic limbo champion, is a Grade 34 bureaucrat who occasionally gets involved in the crew's adventures. He often gets annoyed with the slobbish crew, and always has a form for the crew to sign to keep them from suing Planet Express. Hermes is from Jamaica, and lives on a variety of 'jerk' food and, of course, the famous collosal 'manwich'.
Dr. Zoidberg (Billy West)
"Horraaaay for Zoidberg!"
Zoidberg, an overevolved lobster, is the staff doctor at Planet Express. However, where and how he became a doctor is a great mystery, because he has little to no skill, or even basic common sense, for that matter. The crew considers him a nuisance that doesn't have any money, and they try to avoid him as much as possible.
As in The Simpsons, one of the strengths of Futurama is the array of occasional characters who appear and re-appear from time to time.
Why is it funny?
Like The Simpsons, much of the comedy in Futurama is based on satire and parody. One obvious target is the science fiction genre. Many science fiction series, including Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, have featured humans going forward in time, but never has such an inept specimen as Fry...
How does it compare with The Simpsons?
Episode Guide
Coming soon
Spin Offs and Cash-ins
Also, there's now a Futurama game for the Playstation, where you can play as Fry and some of the other characters. It's basically a 3D shooter (like the old Doom engine), but with added platform and ingame elements. Mucho funny and mucho good, the only problem it can be a bit long in places.
