Do you remember that time Futurama ended and then started up again on a new network? Take your pick, because it’s happened twice: first from Fox to Comedy Central, and then from Comedy Central to Hulu, not counting the movies that came out along the way. And despite everything, here we are: 14 seasons later (or 11, depending on who you ask) with the Planet Express in full working order.
When do we want it? Fry’s dog!
These 10 new episodes will air between August 3 and September 28, and they’ll feature more or less the usual: alien threats, enemies of every kind, Fry acting like an idiot, and Zoidberg volunteering to be cannon fodder. The problem is that, just like with The Simpsons, it’s showing its age and its seasons… well, they’re just not as good as they used to be.
What’s more, it’s already been announced that next year Futurama will premiere three extended episodes (which it’s not clear yet whether they’ll be movies or extended specials) along the lines of what The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers are doing. Frankly, you’d think its popularity has declined, but given the network’s commitment, it’s possible that, without seeing the numbers, we haters are wrong.
Personally, I dropped it a few seasons ago, feeling like it was almost an obligation I owed to my teenage self. Even so, the legendary episodes are behind us now, and what we have today is an imitation that never gets the same laughs or inspires the same affection for the characters. Who knows? Maybe the 14th time’s the charm.
