Approximately 95 per cent of the nerd news sites you may frequent will begin their article announced the return of Futurama with “Good news, everybody!” based on Professor Farnsworth’s iconic catchphrase on the show. So I hope you all with appreciate my restraint when I merely tell you that yes, Futurama has emerged from its cryosleep for the umpteenth time, courtesy of a new revival from Hulu.
The streaming service has ordered 20 new episodes of the animated sci-fi/comedy series, which was created by The Simpsons’ Matt Groening and David X. Cohen. the show followed the adventures of the crew of the Planet Express as it delivered… stuff across the universe. At least that’s what happened when Fry (Billy West) wasn’t tripping through time, or Leela (Katey Sagal) learning about the subterranean world of mutants beneath New New York, or Bender the lovably drunk and somewhat homicidal robot wasn’t floating through the void of space as a god. The rest of the show’s voice cast, including Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman.
Eagle-eyed readers and Futurama mega-fans will notice the incredibly depressing omission of John DiMaggio, who plays the salacious, loud-mouthed robot Bender, from that list, but thankfully The Hollywood Reporter says his deal is being finalised.
The show’s creators are, understandably, reasonably pleased to be back. “I’m thrilled to have another chance to think about the future… or really anything other than the present,” said David X. Cohen.
“It’s a true honour to announce the triumphant return of Futurama one more time before we get cancelled abruptly again,” commented Matt Groening.
This will, amazingly, be the fourth time that Futurama has returned after airing what the creators thought was going to be a finale. The first was at the end of the fourth season, after the show was cancelled by the Fox TV channel in 2003. In 2006, Comedy Central ordered four straight-to-DVD Futurama movies, of which the fourth (Into the Wild Green Yonder) was assumed to be the end, as were the final episodes of seasons six and seven, both of which aired on Comedy Central.
The last episode of Futurama to date aired in September of 2013, so it will have been 10 long years when the show returns to TV; it’s currently scheduled to air on Hulu sometime in 2023.