Futurama

{{main|List of Futurama characters|l1=List of Futurama characters}}

File:Futurama Planet Express.svg

Futurama is essentially a workplace sitcom, the plot of which revolves around the Planet Express interplanetary delivery company and its employees,{{Cite web |last=Cook, Lucius |date=April 26, 2004 |title=Hey, Sexy Mama, Wanna Kill All Humans?: Looking Backwards at Futurama, The Greatest SF Show You've Never Seen |url=http://www.locusmag.com/2004/Reviews/04Cook_Futurama.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113172623/http://www.locusmag.com/2004/Reviews/04Cook_Futurama.html |archive-date=January 13, 2016 |access-date=July 29, 2008 |publisher=Locus Online}} a small group that largely fails to conform to future society.{{Cite news |last=Gates, Anita |date=January 24, 1999 |title=Groening's New World, 1,000 Years From Springfield |work=The New York Times |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800EFD61530F937A15752C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 |url-status=live |access-date=June 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205190035/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800EFD61530F937A15752C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 |archive-date=December 5, 2008}} Episodes usually feature the central trio of Fry, Leela, and Bender, though occasional storylines center on the other main characters.

• Philip J. Fry (voiced by Billy West) – Fry is an immature, slovenly, yet good-hearted and sensitive pizza delivery boy who falls into a cryogenic pod, causing it to activate and freeze him just after midnight on January 1, 2000. He reawakens on New Year's Eve of 2999 and gets a job as a cargo delivery boy at Planet Express, a company owned by his only living relative, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth. Fry's love for Leela is a recurring theme throughout the series.
• Turanga Leela (voiced by Katey Sagal) – Leela is the competent, one-eyed captain of the Planet Express Ship. Abandoned as a baby, she grows up in the Cookieville Minimum Security Orphanarium believing herself to be an alien from another planet, but learns that she is actually a mutant from the sewers in the episode "Leela's Homeworld".{{Cite episode |title=Leela's Homeworld |episode-link=Leela's Homeworld |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=February 17, 2002 |season=4 |number=2}} Prior to becoming the ship's captain, Leela works as a career assignment officer at the cryogenics lab where she first meets Fry. She is Fry's primary love interest and eventually becomes his wife. Her name is a reference to the Turangalîla-Symphonie by Olivier Messiaen.{{Cite web |date=August 24, 2000 |title=Futurama Chronicles > Media Articles > 3.26.99 LA Weekly |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/la_weekly1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824051913/http://www.frcr.com/library/la_weekly1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000}}
• Bender Bending Rodriguez (voiced by John DiMaggio) – Bender is a foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking, cigar-smoking, kleptomaniacal, misanthropic, egocentric, ill-tempered robot manufactured by Mom's Friendly Robot Company. He is originally programmed to bend girders for suicide booths, and is later designated as assistant sales manager and cook at Planet Express, despite lacking a sense of taste. He is Fry's best friend and roommate. He must drink heavily to power his fuel cells and becomes the robot equivalent of drunk when low on alcohol.{{Cite episode |title=I, Roommate |episode-link=I, Roommate |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=April 6, 1999 |season=1 |number=3 |minutes=10}}
• Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth (voiced by Billy West) – Professor Farnsworth, also known simply as "the Professor", is Fry's distant nephew, and technically descendant.{{Cite episode |title=A Clone of My Own |episode-link=A Clone of My Own |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=April 9, 2000 |season=2 |number=3 |minutes=10}} Farnsworth founds Planet Express Inc. to fund his work as a mad scientist. Although he is depicted as a brilliant scientist and inventor, at more than 160 years old he is extremely prone to age-related forgetfulness and fits of temper. In the episode "A Clone of My Own", the Professor clones himself to produce a successor, Cubert Farnsworth (voiced by Kath Soucie), whom he treats like a son.
• Hermes Conrad (voiced by Phil LaMarr) – Hermes is the Jamaican accountant of Planet Express. A 36th-level bureaucrat (demoted to level 37 during the series) and proud of it, he is a stickler for regulation and enamored of the tedium of paperwork and bureaucracy. Hermes is also a former champion in Olympic Limbo, a sport derived from the popular party activity. He gave up limbo after the 2980 Olympics when a young fan, imitating him, broke his back and died. Hermes has a wife, LaBarbara, and a 12-year-old son, Dwight.
• Dr. John A. Zoidberg (voiced by Billy West) – Zoidberg is a Decapodian, a squid/lobster-hybrid alien from his home planet Decapod 10, and the neurotic staff physician of Planet Express. Although he claims to be an expert on humans, his knowledge of human anatomy and physiology is woefully inaccurate (at one point, he states that his doctorate is actually in art history). Zoidberg's expertise seems to be with extra-terrestrial creatures. Homeless and penniless, he lives in the dumpster behind Planet Express. Although Zoidberg is depicted as being Professor Farnsworth's long-time friend, he is held in contempt by everyone on the crew.
• Amy Wong (voiced by Lauren Tom) – Amy is an incredibly rich, blunt, ditzy, and accident-prone yet sweet-hearted long-term intern at Planet Express. She is an astrophysics student at Mars University and heiress to the western hemisphere of Mars. In the second episode of season one, the Professor states that he likes having Amy around because she has the same bloodtype as him. Born on Mars, she is ethnically Chinese and is prone to cursing in Cantonese and using 31st-century slang. Her parents are the wealthy ranchers Leo and Inez Wong. She is promiscuous in the beginning of the series, but eventually enters a monogamous relationship with Kif Kroker. In the show's sixth season, she acquires her doctorate, and in the eighth season, she and Kif become parents.

File:Futurama flag of Earth.svg

Futurama is set in New New York at the turn of the 31st century, in a time filled with technological wonders. The city of New New York has been built over the ruins of present-day New York City, which has become a catacomb-like space that acts as New New York's sewer, referred to as "Old New York". Parts of the sewers are inhabited by mutants. Various devices and architecture are similar to the Populuxe style. Global warming, inflexible bureaucracy, and substance abuse are a few of the subjects given a 31st-century exaggeration in a world where the problems have become both more extreme and more common. Just as New York has become a more extreme version of itself in the future, other Earth locations are given the same treatment; Los Angeles, for example, is depicted as a smog-filled apocalyptic wasteland.

Numerous technological advances have been made between the present day and the 31st century. The Head Museum, which keeps a collection of heads alive in jars thanks to technology invented by Ron Popeil (who has a guest cameo in "A Big Piece of Garbage"), has resulted in many historical figures and current celebrities being present, including Groening himself; this became the writers' device to feature and poke fun at contemporary celebrities in the show. Several of the preserved heads shown are those of people who were already dead well before the advent of this technology; one of the most prominent examples of this anomaly is former U.S. president Richard Nixon, who died in 1994 and appears in numerous episodes. The Internet, while being fully immersive and encompassing all senses—even featuring its own digital world (similar to Tron or The Matrix)—is slow and largely consists of pornography, pop-up ads, and "filthy" (or Filthy Filthy) chat rooms. Some of it is edited to include educational material ostensibly for youth. Television is still a primary form of entertainment. Self-aware robots are a common sight, and are the main cause of global warming due to the exhaust from their alcohol-powered systems. The wheel is obsolete (no one but Fry even seems to recognize the design),{{Cite episode |title=Mother's Day |episode-link=Mother's Day (Futurama) |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=May 14, 2000 |season=2 |number=14}} having been forgotten and replaced by hover cars and a network of large, clear pneumatic transportation tubes.

Environmentally, common animals still remain, alongside mutated, cross-bred (sometimes with humans) and extraterrestrial animals. Ironically, spotted owls are often shown to have replaced rats as common household pests. Although rats still exist, sometimes rats act like pigeons, though pigeons still exist, as well. Anchovies have been extinct for 800 years because of the Decapodians. Earth still suffers the effects of greenhouse gases, although in one episode Leela states that its effects have been counteracted by nuclear winter. In another episode, the effects of global warming have been somewhat mitigated by the dropping of a giant ice cube into the ocean, and later by pushing Earth farther away from the Sun, which also extended the year by one week.

Religion is a prominent part of society, although the dominant religions have evolved. A merging of the major religious groups of the 20th century has resulted in the First Amalgamated Church,{{Cite book |last=Pinsky |first=Mark |url=https://archive.org/details/gospelaccordingt0000pins/page/229 |title=The Gospel According to the Simpsons. Bigger and possibly even Better! edition |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-664-23265-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/gospelaccordingt0000pins/page/229 229–235]|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press}} while Voodoo is now mainstream. New religions include Oprahism, Robotology, and the banned religion of Star Trek fandom. Religious figures include Father Changstein-El-Gamal, the Robot Devil, Reverend Lionel Preacherbot, and passing references to the Space Pope, who appears to be a large crocodile-like creature. Several major holidays have robots associated with them, including the murderous Robot Santa and Kwanzaa-bot. While very few episodes focus exclusively on religion within the Futurama universe, they do cover a wide variety of subjects including predestination, prayer, the nature of salvation, and religious conversion.

Futurama{{'}}s setting is a backdrop, and the writers are not above committing continuity errors if they serve to further the gags. For example, while the pilot episode implies that the previous Planet Express crew was killed by a space wasp, the later episode "The Sting" is based on the crew having been killed by space bees instead.Verrone, Patric M (2003), DVD commentary for "The Sting", Futurama. Original air date June 1, 2003. No. 12, Season 4. 20th Century Fox. The "world of tomorrow" setting is used to highlight and lampoon issues of today and to parody the science-fiction genre.

{{Main|List of Futurama episodes|l1=List of Futurama episodes}}

This list follows the season box sets, which feature the episodes in the original production season order, ignoring the order of broadcast. The Hulu revival has alternatively been titled the eighth and ninth seasons (production),{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/futurama-season-8-trailer/ |title=Futurama Season 8 Trailer: New Parodies, Old Characters (& Time Travel, Of Course) |work=ScreenRant |first=Alex |last=Murray |date=June 27, 2023 |access-date=June 28, 2023}} and the eleventh and twelfth seasons (broadcast).{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/futurama-reboot-returning-cast-release-episodes/ |title='Futurama' Reboot: Everything We Know So Far About the New Episodes |work=Collider |first=Madhuparna |last=Panigrahi |date=June 27, 2023 |access-date=June 28, 2023}}{{cite web |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20230615hulu23/ |title=(#1101) "TBA" |website=The Futon Critic |access-date=June 28, 2023}} The tenth and eleventh production seasons will also be considered as Futurama{{'s}} thirteenth and fourteenth broadcast seasons.{{cite web |last1=Swift |first1=Andy |title=Futurama Revival Renewed for Two Additional Seasons at Hulu |url=https://tvline.com/news/futurama-renewed-season-13-14-hulu-2024-return-date-1235069413/ |website=TVLine |date=November 2, 2023 |access-date=3 November 2023}}

{{:List of Futurama episodes}}

File:David X. Cohen & Matt Groening by Gage Skidmore.jpg and Matt Groening at the Futurama panel of Comic-Con 2009]]

The television network Fox expressed a strong desire in the mid-1990s for Matt Groening to create a new series after the success of his previous series, The Simpsons; Groening began conceiving Futurama during this period. In 1995, he enlisted David X. Cohen, then a writer and producer for The Simpsons, to assist in developing the show. The two spent time researching science fiction books, television shows, and films. When they pitched the series to Fox in April 1998, Groening and Cohen had composed many characters and story lines; Groening claimed they had gone "overboard" in their discussions.{{Cite journal |last=Needham |first=Alex |date=October 1999 |title=Nice Planet...We'll Take It! |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/the_face1.html |journal=The Face |issue=33 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824051707/http://www.frcr.com/library/the_face1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000}} Groening described trying to get the show on the air as "by far the worst experience of my grown-up life".{{Cite web |last=Doherty |first=Brian |date=March–April 1999 |title=Matt Groening |url=https://www.motherjones.com/media/1999/03/matt-groening |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416213422/http://www.motherjones.com/media/1999/03/matt-groening |archive-date=April 16, 2009 |access-date=January 14, 2007 |website=Mother Jones}}

Fox ordered thirteen episodes. Immediately after, however, Fox feared the themes of the show were not suitable for the network and Groening and Fox executives argued over whether the network would have any creative input into the show. With The Simpsons, the network has no input.{{Cite magazine |last=Snierson |first=Dan |date=March 26, 1999 |title=Space Case |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/ew_online1.html |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824042829/http://www.frcr.com/library/ew_online1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000 |access-date=June 3, 2008}} Fox was particularly disturbed by the concept of suicide booths, Doctor Zoidberg, and Bender's anti-social behavior.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama: Volume One DVD commentary for the episode "I, Roommate" |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2002 |quote=Matt Groening: Well, I think that's a good idea– I always wanted to have Bachelor Chow right now and so– this was– Anyway, the network really– really was freaked out by the show, the suicide booths– and lobster creatures and Bender being so anti-social and so– yeah, this was our show to tone things down. This script was written specifically to their specifications. |people=Cohen, David X.; Groening, Moore, Rich; Vanzo, Gregg; Horsted, Eric; Haaland, Bret; West, Billy}} Groening explains, "When they tried to give me notes on Futurama, I just said: 'No, we're going to do this just the way we did Simpsons.' And they said, 'Well, we don't do business that way anymore.' And I said, 'Oh, well, that's the only way I do business.'"{{Cite web |date=April 8, 1999 |title=Groening Bites the Hand that Feeds |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/mrshowbiz1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824051817/http://www.frcr.com/library/mrshowbiz1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |website=Mr. Showbiz}} The episode "I, Roommate" was produced to address Fox's concerns, with the script written to their specifications.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama: Volume One DVD commentary for the episode "I, Roommate" |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2002 |quote=Matt Groening: This is the third episode in the series. And this is the series that– had a trouble beginning– with the Fox Network, who felt that the show was too outrageous and too much out of space. This was our attempt, the third episode, to bring the show back to Earth. |people=Cohen, David X.; Groening, Moore, Rich; Vanzo, Gregg; Horsted, Eric; Haaland, Bret; West, Billy}} Fox strongly disliked the episode, but after negotiations, Groening received the same independence with Futurama.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama: Volume One DVD commentary for the episode "I, Roommate" |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2002 |quote=Matt Groening: And their reaction, David? David X. Cohen: "Worst. Episode. Ever." Groening: Yeah, they really– they really hated this script, and — sorry, Eric — and this was the point at which, we decided we wanted to do the show that we wanted to do. Their notes made no sense anyway, they're completely contradictory. And so– we did what we wanted. |people=Cohen, David X.; Groening, Moore, Rich; Vanzo, Gregg; Horsted, Eric; Haaland, Bret; West, Billy}}

The name Futurama comes from a pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Designed by Norman Bel Geddes, the Futurama pavilion depicted how he imagined the world would look in 1959.{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Timothy Dean |url=https://archive.org/details/strangesoundsmus00tayl |title=Strange Sounds: Music, Technology & Culture |year=2001 |isbn=0-415-93684-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/strangesoundsmus00tayl/page/104 104–105] |publisher=Psychology Press |url-access=registration}} Many other titles were considered for the series, including Aloha, Mars! and Doomsville, which Groening notes were "resoundly rejected, by everyone concerned with it".{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama: Volume One DVD commentary for the episode "Fear of a Bot Planet" |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2002 |quote=Groening: The original name for this show was not Futurama, by the way. There was a long long list of possible names, the only two I remember which were resoundingly rejected, by everyone concerned with it; Doomsville was my number one choice. And my number two choice — and I don't even know why I thought this was a good idea for a name — somehow, Aloha, Mars! struck me and that was also not particularly... |people=Cohen, David X.; Groening, Moore, Rich; Vanzo, Gregg; DiMaggio, John}}{{Cite web |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Kevin |date=August 4, 2011 |title=Futurama Facts You Never Knew |url=http://www.ugo.com/tv/futurama-facts-you-never-knew |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926204153/http://www.ugo.com/tv/futurama-facts-you-never-knew |archive-date=September 26, 2011 |access-date=August 5, 2011 |publisher=UGO}} It takes approximately six to nine months to produce an episode of Futurama.{{Cite news |last=Saunders |first=Dusty |date=March 25, 1999 |title=Fox's far-out Futurama looks like a hit |work=Denver Rocky Mountain News |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/denver1.html |access-date=June 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824051917/http://www.frcr.com/library/denver1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000}} The long production time results in several episodes being worked on simultaneously.{{Cite web |date=April 6, 1999 |title=Online Chat with Matt Groening |url=http://frcr.com/library/april6_matt_g_chat.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000929144303/http://frcr.com/library/april6_matt_g_chat.html |archive-date=September 29, 2000 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |website=TV Guide}}

The planning for each episode began with a table meeting of writers, who discussed the plot ideas as a group. The writers are given index cards with plot points that they are required to use as the center of activity in each episode. A single staff writer wrote an outline and then produced a script. Once the first draft of a script was finished, the writers and executive producers called in the actors for a table read.{{Cite news |last=Needham |first=Alex |date=October 1999 |title=Nice Planet...We'll Take It! |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/the_face1.html |access-date=June 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824051707/http://www.frcr.com/library/the_face1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000}} After this script reading, the writers collaborated to rewrite the script as a group before sending it to the animation team.{{Cite web |title=David X Cohen interview with GotFuturama.com |url=http://www.gotfuturama.com/Information/Articles/DavidInterview/DavidXCohenInterview.dhtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015203707/http://www.gotfuturama.com/Information/Articles/DavidInterview/DavidXCohenInterview.dhtml |archive-date=October 15, 2008 |access-date=June 3, 2008}} At this point the voice recording was also started and the script was out of the writers' hands.

The writing staff held three Ph.D.s, seven master's degrees, and cumulatively had more than 50 years at Harvard University. Series writer Patric M. Verrone stated, "we were easily the most overeducated cartoon writers in history".{{Cite web |last=Verrone |first=Patric M. |date=September 22, 2014 |title=Welcome to the War of Tomorrow |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/09/futurama_writer_patric_verrone_on_how_the_cartoon_depicted_asymmetrical.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140922054315/http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/09/futurama_writer_patric_verrone_on_how_the_cartoon_depicted_asymmetrical.html |archive-date=September 22, 2014 |access-date=September 22, 2014 |website=Slate |publisher=The Slate Group}}

{{See also|List of Futurama guest stars|l1=List of Futurama guest stars}}

Futurama had eight main cast members. Billy West performed the voices of Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Doctor Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan, and many other incidental characters. West auditioned for "just about every part", landing the roles of the Professor and Doctor Zoidberg.{{Cite web |last=Ken P. |date=August 22, 2005 |title=IGN Interviews Billy West |url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/652/652770p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517013905/http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/652/652770p1.html |archive-date=May 17, 2012 |access-date=August 22, 2005}} Although West read for Fry, his friend Charlie Schlatter was initially given the role. Due to a casting change, West was called back to audition again and was given the role. West claims that the voice of Fry is deliberately modeled on his own, so as to make it difficult for another person to replicate the voice. Doctor Zoidberg's voice was based on Lou Jacobi and George Jessel. The character of Zapp Brannigan was originally created for and intended to be performed by Phil Hartman.{{Cite web |last=Joel Keller |date=June 15, 2006 |title=Billy West: The TV Squad Interview |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/06/15/billy-west-the-tv-squad-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017125323/http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/06/15/billy-west-the-tv-squad-interview/ |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |access-date=October 25, 2007}} Hartman insisted on auditioning for the role, and "just nailed it" according to Groening. Due to Hartman's death, West was given the role. West states that his version of Zapp Brannigan was an imitation of Hartman and also "modeled after a couple of big dumb announcers I knew".

Katey Sagal voiced Leela, and is the only member of the main cast to voice only one character. The role of Leela was originally assigned to Nicole Sullivan. In an interview in June 2010, Sagal remarked that she did not know that another person was to originally voice Leela until many years after the show first began.{{Cite news |last=Itzkoff, Dave |date=June 24, 2010 |title='Futurama'-Rama: Welcome Back to the World of Tomorrow |work=The New York Times |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/futurama-rama-welcome-back-to-the-world-of-tomorrow/ |url-status=live |access-date=July 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813011425/http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/futurama-rama-welcome-back-to-the-world-of-tomorrow/ |archive-date=August 13, 2011}}

John DiMaggio performed the voice of the robot Bender Bending Rodríguez and other, more minor, characters. Bender was the most difficult character to cast, as the show's creators had not decided what a robot should sound like.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama season 1 DVD commentary for the episode 'Space Pilot 3000' |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2003 |people=Cohen, David X}} DiMaggio originally auditioned for the role of Professor Farnsworth, using the voice he uses to perform Bender, and also auditioned for Bender using a different voice.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama season 1 DVD commentary for the episode 'Space Pilot 3000' |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2003 |people=Dimaggio, John}} DiMaggio described Bender's voice as a combination of a sloppy drunk, Slim Pickens and a character his college friend created named "Charlie the sausage-lover".

Phil LaMarr voices Hermes Conrad, his son Dwight, Ethan Bubblegum Tate, and Reverend Preacherbot. Lauren Tom voices Amy Wong, and Tress MacNeille voices Mom and various other characters. Maurice LaMarche voices Kif Kroker and several supporting characters. LaMarche won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 2011 for his performances as Lrrr and Orson Welles in the episode "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences".{{Cite web |date=September 18, 2011 |title=2011 Creative Emmy Award Winners |url=http://www.emmys.tv/sites/emmys.com/files/2011CreativeEmmyWinners.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416210429/http://www.emmys.tv/sites/emmys.com/files/2011CreativeEmmyWinners.pdf |archive-date=April 16, 2012 |access-date=April 16, 2012}} David Herman voiced Scruffy and various supporting characters. During seasons 1–4, LaMarche is billed as supporting cast and Tom, LaMarr and Herman billed as guest stars, despite appearing in most episodes. LaMarche was promoted to main cast and Tom, LaMarr and Herman to supporting cast in season 5, and promoted again to main cast in season 6.

In addition to the main cast, Frank Welker voiced Nibbler and Kath Soucie voiced Cubert and several supporting and minor characters. Like The Simpsons, many episodes of Futurama feature guest voices from a wide range of professions, including actors, entertainers, bands, musicians, and scientists. Many guest-stars voiced supporting characters, although many voiced themselves, usually as their own head preserved in a jar. Recurring guest stars included Tom Kenny, Dan Castellaneta (as the Robot Devil), Dawnn Lewis, Nicole St. John, Al Gore, Phil Hendrie, Coolio and George Takei, among others. Bumper Robinson used to be a cast member of the series (who played Hermes' son Dwight), but left the series after season 4 which caused Phil LaMarr to take over the role afterwards. John Goodman was meant to reprise the role of Robot Santa after "Xmas Story" in future episodes but was unable to reprise the role due to scheduling problems. As a result, John DiMaggio took over that role starting with "A Tale of Two Santas". In that same episode, Dan Castellaneta was unable to reprise the Robot Devil due to his work on The Simpsons. Maurice LaMarche took over that role for that episode only as Castellaneta did reprise the role in future episodes. Following Coolio's death in 2022, David X. Cohen has revealed on TMZ that he recorded new dialogue for Kwanzaabot before his death in an upcoming episode, scheduled to be released in 2023.{{Cite web |date=September 29, 2022 |title=COOLIO FEATURED ON 'FUTURAMA' NEXT SEASON ... Recorded Lines & Raps Before Death |url=https://www.tmz.com/2022/09/29/coolio-return-kwanzaabot-futurama-season/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010193431/https://www.tmz.com/2022/09/29/coolio-return-kwanzaabot-futurama-season/ |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |access-date=October 10, 2022 |website=TMZ}}

File:FuturamaExplosionCGI.jpg"]]

Futurama is produced by The Curiosity Company and 20th Television Animation (which was previously credited as 30th Century Fox Television and is now credited as 30th Television Animation) with the animation being done by Rough Draft Studios. The studio would receive the completed script of an episode and create a storyboard consisting of more than 100 drawings. It would then produce a pencil-drawn animatic with 1,000 frames. Rough Draft's sister studio in South Korea would render the 30,000-frame finished episode.

In addition to traditional cartoon drawing, Rough Draft Studios often used CGI for fast or complex shots, such as the movement of spaceships, explosions, nebulae, large crowds, and snow scenes. The opening sequence was entirely rendered in CGI. The CGI was rendered at 24 frames per second (as opposed to hand-drawn often done at 12 frames per second) and the lack of artifacts made the animation appear very smooth and fluid. CGI characters looked slightly different due to spatially "cheating" hand-drawn characters by drawing slightly out of proportion or off-perspective features to emphasize traits of the face or body, improving legibility of an expression. PowerAnimator and Maya were used to draw the comic-like CGI whilst Toonz was used for digital ink and paint and compositing.{{Cite web |title=Scott Vanzo of Rough Draft Studios e-mail response |url=http://www.peelified.com/Futurama-Forum-1/Topic-520-0-D_Animation_in_Futurama.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216142456/http://www.peelified.com/Futurama-Forum-1/Topic-520-0-D_Animation_in_Futurama.html |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |access-date=June 20, 2001}}

The series began high-definition production in season 6, with Bender's Big Score. The opening sequence was re-rendered and scaled to adapt to the show's transition to 16:9 widescreen format.

For the final episode of season 6, Futurama was completely reanimated in three different styles: the first segment of the episode features black-and-white Fleischer- and Walter Lantz-style animation, the second was drawn in the style of a low-resolution video game, and the final segment was in the style of Japanese anime.{{Cite web |date=November 19, 2010 |title='Futurama' Producer David X. Cohen Talks Holiday Special |url=https://tv.yahoo.com/news/article/ustv.associatedcontent.com/ustv.associatedcontent.com-futurama-producer-david-x-cohen-talks-holiday-special |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527211629/http://tv.yahoo.com/news/article/ustv.associatedcontent.com/ustv.associatedcontent.com-futurama-producer-david-x-cohen-talks-holiday-special |archive-date=May 27, 2011 |access-date=November 29, 2010}}

Much like the opening sequence in The Simpsons with its chalkboard gags, Lisa’s sax solo, and couch gags, Futurama has a distinctive opening sequence featuring minor gags. As the show begins, blue lights fill the screen and the Planet Express Ship flies across the screen with the title of the show being spelled out in its wake. Underneath the title is a joke caption such as "Painstakingly drawn before a live audience" or "When you see the robot: DRINK!"{{Cite news |last=Azrai, Ahmad |date=October 31, 2004 |title=Farewell to the funny future |work=Asia Africa Intelligence Wire |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14221036_ITM |access-date=January 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202153436/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14221036_ITM |archive-date=February 2, 2008}} After flying through downtown New New York and past various recurring characters, the Planet Express ship crashes through a large screen showing a short clip from a classic cartoon. These have included clips from Quasi at the Quackadero, Looney Tunes shorts, cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios, a short of The Simpsons from a Tracey Ullman episode,{{Cite web |title=Flickr Slideshow |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nachop/sets/450093/show/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121023557/https://www.flickr.com/photos/nachop/sets/450093/show/ |archive-date=November 21, 2015 |access-date=July 10, 2007}} the show's own opening sequence in "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" or a scene from the episode. Most episodes in Season 6 and Season 7 use an abridged opening sequence, omitting the brief clip of a classic cartoon. "Rebirth", "That Darn Katz!", "Benderama", "Yo Leela Leela", "Decision 3012", "Forty Percent Leadbelly", "T.: The Terrestrial", "Leela and the Genestalk", and "Stench and Stenchability" have been the only episodes since "Spanish Fry" to feature a classic cartoon clip. Several episodes begin with a cold opening before the opening sequence, although these scenes do not always correspond with the episode's plot. The opening sequence has been lampooned several times within the show, in episodes including "That's Lobstertainment!", "The Problem with Popplers", as "Future-roma" in "The Duh-Vinci Code" and as "Futurella" in "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences". "Decision 3012" and "The Problem with Popplers" are the only episodes that directly tie into the opening, with Bender deliberately crashing the ship after seeing an advertisement for free beer in "Decision 3012", while in "The Problem with Popplers", Leela crashes through it during an ad for Popplers, with Fry saying "That's the second billboard you've crashed through this week!". "Viva Mars Vegas" features a unique handmade variant of the opening, using cardboard, plastic, and model ships guided by strings and rods.

Series director Scott Vanzo has remarked on the difficulty of animating the sequence. It took four to five weeks to fully animate the sequence, and it consists of over 80 levels of 3D animation composited together.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama: Volume One DVD commentary for the episode "Love's Labours Lost in Space" |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2002 |quote=Scott Vanzo: The final is kinda difficult for us to create, it has over 80 levels of 3D animation that are composited together, a lot of cheats, probably the single biggest scene that we have ever done, or at least we view it as a scene, so... I don't know what else to say. David X. Cohen: How long did it take just to animate that 28 seconds? Vanzo: I think we did it in about four or five weeks, all together. |people=Cohen, David X.; Groening, Matt; Kelley, Brian; Sheesley, Brian; Moore, Rich; Vanzo, Scott; DiMaggio, John}} It takes approximately one hour to render a single frame, and each second of the sequence consists of around 30 frames.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama: Volume One DVD commentary for the episode "Love's Labours Lost in Space" |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2002 |quote=David X. Cohen: How long does it take – out of curiosity, I don't even the answer to this – how long does it take to render one frame of that kind of degree of computer– 3D computer graphics? Scott Vanzo: We split it into a lot of different levels, because it was taking so long, and that way we can fix things a lot easier. I would say, probably about an hour a frame for that title. Cohen: And 30 frames per second? So that adds up. |people=Cohen, David X.; Groening, Matt; Kelley, Brian; Sheesley, Brian; Moore, Rich; Vanzo, Scott; DiMaggio, John}}

The Futurama theme was created by Christopher Tyng. The theme is played on the tubular bells but is occasionally remixed for use in specific episodes, including a version by the Beastie Boys used for the episode "Hell Is Other Robots", in which they guest starred as their own heads for both a concert and as part of the Robot Devil's song. The original version of the theme also samples a drum break originating from "Amen, Brother" by American soul group The Winstons. The theme has been noted for its similarities to Pierre Henry's 1967 Psyché Rock.{{Cite news |last=Hodgkinson |first=Will |date=October 15, 2006 |title=Soundtrack of my life: Pierre Henry |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/oct/15/4 |url-status=live |access-date=June 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140926014126/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/oct/15/4 |archive-date=September 26, 2014 |quote=In 1964 Henry had a pop hit with 'Psyche Rock'. It has since been remixed by Fatboy Slim and William Orbit, sampled countless times, and used as the basis for the soundtrack to the cartoon Futurama.}}

It was originally intended for the Futurama theme to be remixed in every episode.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama: Volume One DVD commentary for the episode "Mars University" |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2002 |quote=Matt Groening: This is the remix theme, we were gonna remix the theme every week and then listened to this one and decided never to do it again. |people=Cohen, David X.; Groening, Moore, Rich; Vanzo, Gregg; Burns, J. Stewart; Haaland, Bret; West, Billy}} This was first trialled in the opening sequence for "Mars University", however it was realized upon broadcast that the sound did not transmit well through most television sets and the idea was subsequently abandoned.{{Cite AV media |title=Futurama: Volume One DVD commentary for the episode "Mars University" |type=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |year=2002 |quote=David X. Cohen: It actually sounds pretty good, if you have a good quality TV stereo system, but it didn't transmit that well on the air. It lost a lot of the dynamic range, so it doesn't sound as good on actual broadcast as we thought it would. |people=Cohen, David X.; Groening, Moore, Rich; Vanzo, Gregg; Burns, J. Stewart; Haaland, Bret; West, Billy}} Despite this, beatbox renditions of the theme performed by Billy West and John DiMaggio are used for the episodes "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV" and "Spanish Fry".

As the series began high-definition production in 2007 with the four direct-to-DVD movies and season 6 on Comedy Central, the opening sequence was updated to match, and a slightly slower and revamped remix of the theme song, which replaced the Amen break with a higher-fidelity drum recording and was previously used in the Futurama video game, replaced the original theme. Bender's Big Score has an extended opening sequence, introducing each of the main characters. In The Beast with a Billion Backs and Bender's Game the ship passes through the screen's glass and temporarily becomes part of the environment depicted therein—a pastiche of Disney's Steamboat Willie and Yellow Submarine respectively—before crashing through the screen glass on the way out. In Into the Wild Green Yonder, a completely different opening sequence involves a trip through a futuristic version of Las Vegas located on Mars. The theme tune is sung by Family Guy and American Dad! creator Seth MacFarlane and is different from the standard theme tune. The end of the film incorporates a unique variation of the opening sequence; as the Planet Express Ship enters a wormhole, it converts into a pattern of lights similar to the lights that appear in the opening sequence. All four movies' end credits utilized an edited version from the full-length remix of the theme instead of the original end credits theme, and an even shorter edit was introduced in season 6. Another update of the opening sequence in season 8 for Hulu added more visual gags, and the end credits theme was replaced again with an edit of the 2012 digital download release version, which added an extra layer of beats.

File:Alien decoder Futurama.svg]]

There are three alternative alphabets that appear often in the background of episodes, usually in the forms of graffiti, advertisements, or warning labels. Nearly all messages using alternative scripts transliterate directly into English. The first alphabet consists of abstract characters and is referred to as Alienese, a simple substitution cipher from the Latin alphabet.{{Cite web |title=Omniglot |url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/futurama.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906081508/http://www.omniglot.com/writing/futurama.htm |archive-date=September 6, 2012 |access-date=June 3, 2008}} The second alphabet uses a more complex modular addition code, where the "next letter is given by the summation of all previous letters plus the current letter".{{Cite episode |title=The Day the Earth Stood Stupid |episode-link=The Day the Earth Stood Stupid |series=Futurama |minutes=Audio commentary 11}} The codes often provide additional jokes for fans dedicated enough to decode the messages. The third language sometimes used is Hebrew. Aside from these alphabets, most of the displayed wording on the show uses the Latin alphabet.

The show predicts that several English expressions will have evolved by the year 3000. For example, in the show the word Christmas has been replaced with Xmas (pronounced "ex-mas"), and the word ask with aks (pronounced axe). According to David X. Cohen, it is a running joke that the French language is extinct in the Futurama universe (though the culture remains alive), much like Latin is in the present.{{Cite episode |title=Space Pilot 3000 |episode-link=Space Pilot 3000 |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=March 28, 1999 |season=1 |number=01 |minutes=Audio commentary 20}} In the French dubbing of the show, German is used as the extinct language instead.

A modified version of the 20th Century Fox Television logo is displayed at the end of each episode, reading "30th Century Fox Television"[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/03/27/futurama-watch-this-space/260d5162-9756-4938-8f37-d4666021fff4/ `Futurama': Watch This Space] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828050610/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1999/03/27/futurama-watch-this-space/260d5162-9756-4938-8f37-d4666021fff4/ |date=August 28, 2017}} Washington Post to fit the show's setting in the 31st century. Syndicated episodes use a 30th Television closing logo instead of the 20th Television one, while episodes from Season 8 onward use a 30th Television Animation logo. Initially, Fox did not want this logo to be used on the show, but when creator Matt Groening purchased the rights to the logo, the network had a change of heart and allowed the altered version to be aired.{{Cite web |title=25 Things You Might Not Know About Futurama |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/25things-you-might-not-know-about-futurama?sub=1630053_378062 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831041512/https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/25things-you-might-not-know-about-futurama?sub=1630053_378062 |archive-date=August 31, 2021 |access-date=August 30, 2021 |website=BuzzFeed| date=June 20, 2012}}{{cite video| people=Groening, Matt. Cohen, David X. |date=2003|title=Futurama season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Space Pilot 3000"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}

Although the series uses a wide range of styles of humor, including self-deprecation, black comedy, off-color humor, slapstick, and surreal humor, its primary source of comedy is its satirical depiction of everyday life in the future and its parodical comparisons to the present. Groening notes that, from the show's conception, his goal was to make what was, on the surface, a goofy comedy that would have underlying "legitimate literary science fiction concepts".Keller, Joel (January 31, 2007). [http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/31/matt-groening-talks-about-futuramas-comeback/ Matt Groening talks about Futurama's comeback] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202185153/http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/01/31/matt-groening-talks-about-futuramas-comeback/ |date=February 2, 2007}}. TV Squad. Retrieved February 1, 2007. The series contrasted "low culture" and "high culture" comedy; for example, Bender's catchphrase is the insult "Bite my shiny metal ass" while his most terrifying nightmare is a vision of the number 2, a joke referring to the binary numeral system (Fry assures him, "there's no such thing as two").

The series developed a cult following partially due to the large number of in-jokes it contains, most of which are aimed at "nerds". In commentary on the DVD releases, David X. Cohen points out and sometimes explains his "nerdiest joke[s]".{{Cite episode |title=Raging Bender |episode-link=Raging Bender |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=February 27, 2000 |season=2 |number=8}} These included mathematical jokes{{snd}} such as "Loew's $\backslash aleph\_0$-plex" (aleph-null-plex) movie theater{{snd}} as well as various forms of science humor{{snd}} for example, Professor Farnsworth, at a racetrack, complains about the use of a quantum finish to decide the winner, exclaiming "No fair! You changed the outcome by measuring it", a reference to the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics.{{Cite episode |title=The Luck of the Fryrish |episode-link=The Luck of the Fryrish |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=March 11, 2001 |season=3 |number=4}} In the season six episode "Law and Oracle", Fry and the robot peace officer URL track down a traffic violator who turns out to be Erwin Schrödinger, the 20th-century quantum physicist. On the front seat of the car is a box, and when questioned about the contents, Schrödinger replies "A cat, some poison, and a cesium atom". Fry asks if the cat is alive or dead, and Schrödinger answers "It's a superposition of both states until you open the box and collapse the wave function." When Fry opens the box, the cat jumps out and attacks him. The run is a reference to the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment of quantum mechanics. The series makes passing references to quantum chromodynamics (the appearance of Strong Force-brand glue),{{Cite episode |title=The 30% Iron Chef |episode-link=The 30% Iron Chef |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=April 14, 2002 |season=3 |number=22}} computer science (two separate books in a closet labeled P and NP respectively, referring to the possibility that P and NP-complete problem classes are distinct),{{Cite episode |title=Put Your Head on My Shoulders |episode-link=Put Your Head on My Shoulders |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=February 13, 2000 |season=2 |number=7}} electronics (an X-ray{{snd}} or more accurately, an "F-ray"{{snd}} of Bender's head reveals a 6502 microprocessor),{{Cite episode |title=Fry and the Slurm Factory |episode-link=Fry and the Slurm Factory |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=November 14, 1999 |season=1 |number=13}} and genetics (a mention of Bender's "robo- or R-NA").{{Cite episode |title=Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles |episode-link=Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=March 30, 2003 |season=4 |number=9}}

The show often features subtle references to classic science fiction. These are most often to Star Trek{{snd}} many soundbites are used in homage{{snd}} but also include the reference to the origin of the word robot made in the name of the robot-dominated planet Chapek 9,{{Cite episode |title=Fear of a Bot Planet |episode-link=Fear of a Bot Planet |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=April 20, 1999 |season=1 |number=5}} and the black rectangular monolith labeled "Out of Order" in orbit around Jupiter (a reference to Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series).{{Cite episode |title=Put Your Head on My Shoulders |episode-link=Put Your Head on My Shoulders |series=Futurama |network=Fox Network |date=April 20, 1999 |season=2 |number=10}} Bender and Fry sometimes watch a television show called The Scary Door, a humorous parody of The Twilight Zone.{{Cite book |last=Booker |first=M. Keith |title=Drawn to Television: Prime-Time Animation from The Flintstones to Family Guy |pages=115–124}}

Journalist/critic Frank Lovece in Newsday contrasted the humor tradition of Groening's two series, finding that {{blockquote|The Simpsons echoes the strains of American-Irish vaudeville humor{{snd}} the beer-soaked, sneaking-in-late-while-the-wife's-asleep comedy of Harrigan and Hart, McNulty and Murray, the Four Cohans (which, yes, included George M.) and countless others: knockabout yet sentimental, and ultimately about the bonds of blood family. Futurama, conversely, stems from Jewish-American humor, and not just in the obvious archetype of Dr. Zoidberg. From vaudeville to the Catskills to Woody Allen, it's that distinctly rueful humor built to ward away everything from despair to petty annoyance{{snd}} the 'You gotta do what you gotta do' philosophy that helps the Futurama characters cope in a mega-corporate world where the little guy is essentially powerless.}}

Animation maven Jerry Beck concurred: {{blockquote|I'm Jewish, and I know what you're saying. Fry has that [type of humor], Dr. Zoidberg, all the [vocal artist] Billy West characters. I see it. The bottom line is, the producers are trying to make sure the shows are completely different entities.}}

In an interview with Diego Molano, creator of Victor and Valentino, in April 2019, he said that he found Futurama "incredibly influential", calling the humor smart but "not alienating".{{Cite interview |last=Molano |first=Diego |interviewer=Animation Magazine staff |title=Animated People: Diego Molano, Creator of Cartoon Network's 'Victor and Valentino' |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/animated-people/animated-people-diego-molano-creator-of-cartoon-networks-victor-and-valentino/ |access-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426051956/https://www.animationmagazine.net/animated-people/animated-people-diego-molano-creator-of-cartoon-networks-victor-and-valentino/ |archive-date=April 26, 2019 |publisher=Animation Magazine |place=Calabasas, California |date=April 25, 2019}} He added that it makes him "feel smart" and adding that Groening's "sense of comedic timing is masterful".

Groening and Cohen wanted Futurama to be shown at 8:30 pm on Sunday, following The Simpsons. The Fox network disagreed, opting instead to show two episodes in the Sunday night lineup before moving the show to a regular time slot on Tuesday.{{Cite news |last=Duncan |first=Andrew |date=September 24, 1999 |title=Matt Groening Interview with Radio Times |work=Radio Times |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/radio_times1.html |access-date=June 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824042839/http://www.frcr.com/library/radio_times1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000}} Beginning with its second broadcast season, Futurama was again placed in the 8:30 pm Sunday spot,{{Cite news |last=Villanueva |first=Annabelle |date=September–October 1999 |title=Fall TV Preview: Tricks and Treats |publisher=Cinescape |url=http://frcr.com/library/cinescape1.html |access-date=June 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000929143556/http://frcr.com/library/cinescape1.html |archive-date=September 29, 2000}} but by mid-season the show was moved again, this time to 7:00 pm on Sunday, its third position in less than a year.{{Cite magazine |last=Winer |first=Adam |date=December 9, 1999 |title=Futurama Shock |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/ew_online3.html |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824051659/http://www.frcr.com/library/ew_online3.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000 |access-date=June 3, 2008}} Even by the fourth season, Futurama was being aired erratically.{{Cite web |date=February 12, 2002 |title=UPDATE UPDATED!! FUTURAMA Thing of the Past?? Or What?? |url=https://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=11499 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012203856/http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=11499 |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |access-date=June 14, 2006 |website=Ain't It Cool News}} Because the show was regularly pre-empted by sporting events, it became difficult to predict when new episodes would air. The erratic schedule resulted in Fox not airing several episodes that had been produced for seasons three and four, instead holding them for a fifth broadcast season. According to Groening, Fox executives were not supporters of the show.{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2003 |title={{-'}}Out of their minds': Groening savages TV execs |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2003/03/19/2684/out_of_their_minds |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003005316/http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2003/03/19/2684/out_of_their_minds |archive-date=October 3, 2009 |access-date=April 9, 2009 |website=Chortle}} Although Futurama was never officially cancelled, midway through the production of the fourth season, Fox decided to stop buying episodes of Futurama, letting it go out of production before the fall 2003 lineup.{{Cite web |date=February 12, 2002 |title=Fox Says 'No' to 'Futurama' |url=http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |website=Zap2it}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{Cite web |date=May 15, 2003 |title=Remeber(sic) Me after my Death! |url=http://www.gotfuturama.com/Futurama/News/1053009995,66450,/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027172534/http://www.gotfuturama.com/Futurama/News/1053009995,66450,/Remeber_Me_after_my_Death.html |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |website=Can't Get Enough Futurama}}{{sic}}

In 2003, Cartoon Network acquired syndication rights to Futurama and Family Guy, another animated show Fox had cancelled, for its Adult Swim block. Both shows proved to be successful immediately, leading to sister network TBS picking up the show later in 2003.{{Cite web |date=July 2, 2003 |title=TBS Superstation Picks Up FUTURAMA and THE FAMILY GUY for Summer Run; Popular Animated Series To Air Weekday Afternoons |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20030702005664/en/TBS-Superstation-Picks-FUTURAMA-FAMILY-GUY-Summer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321063134/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20030702005664/en/TBS-Superstation-Picks-FUTURAMA-FAMILY-GUY-Summer |archive-date=March 21, 2018 |access-date=March 20, 2018 |website=Business Wire}}{{Cite web |title=Breaking News – TBS Adds 'Futurama,' 'Family Guy'; Bravo Schedules 'West Wing' |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2003/07/03/tbs-adds-futurama-family-guy-bravo-schedules-west-wing-16059/6049/ |access-date=February 19, 2022 |website=The Futon Critic}} The run on Adult Swim revived interest in both series, and when Family Guy found success in direct-to-DVD productions, Futurama{{'}}s producers decided to try the same.{{Cite news |last=Hanks |first=Henry |date=June 24, 2010 |title=Good news, everyone: 'Futurama' is back! |work=CNN |publisher=Warner Media, LLC |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/23/futurama.return/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808165230/http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/23/futurama.return/ |archive-date=August 8, 2016}}{{Cite web |title=Adult Swim |url=http://www.turnerinfo.com/programinfoitem.aspx?P=CARTOON&CID01=f1f70fce-1735-493e-bdeb-7f2755eb5c8c&CID02=f1f70fce-1735-493e-bdeb-7f2755eb5c8c |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102142245/http://www.turnerinfo.com/programinfoitem.aspx?P=CARTOON&CID01=f1f70fce-1735-493e-bdeb-7f2755eb5c8c&CID02=f1f70fce-1735-493e-bdeb-7f2755eb5c8c |archive-date=January 2, 2008 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |website=Cartoon Network Pressroom}} In 2005, Comedy Central entered negotiations to take over the syndication rights, during which they discussed the possibility of producing new episodes. In 2006, it was announced that four straight-to-DVD films would be produced, and later split into 16 episodes comprising a fifth season of the show.{{Cite interview |last=Katz |first=Claudia |subject-link=Claudia Katz |interviewer=Evan Jacobs |title=Exclusive Interview: Claudia Katz on Futurama the Movie: Bender's Big Score |url=https://movieweb.com/exclusive-claudia-katz-on-futurama-the-movie-benders-big-score/ |access-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216140027/http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEyTuBCyy6XECD |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |url-status=live |date=November 16, 2007}} Since no new Futurama projects were in production at the time of release, the final movie release Into the Wild Green Yonder was designed to stand as the Futurama series finale. However, Groening had expressed a desire to continue the franchise in some form, including a theatrical film.{{Cite magazine |last=Wortham |first=Jenna |date=November 4, 2008 |title=Futurama Animators Roll 20-Sided Die With Bender's Game |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/11/futuramas-anima/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012045827/http://www.wired.com/underwire/2008/11/futuramas-anima/ |archive-date=October 12, 2013}} In an interview with CNN, Groening said that "we have a great relationship with Comedy Central and we would love to do more episodes for them, but I don't know... We're having discussions and there is some enthusiasm but I can't tell if it's just me."{{Cite news |last=Leopold |first=Todd |date=February 26, 2009 |title=Matt Groening looks to the future |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/26/matt.groening.futurama/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318030331/http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/26/matt.groening.futurama/index.html |archive-date=March 18, 2009}} Futurama left Adult Swim's lineup on December 31, 2007, following a week-long marathon of the entire series. Comedy Central began airing the show the next day, with season 5 making its broadcast debut on March 23, 2008.

In June 2009, 20th Century Fox Television announced that Comedy Central had picked up the show for 26 new half-hour episodes that began airing on June 24, 2010.{{Cite magazine |last=Ausiello, Michael |date=June 9, 2009 |title=It's official: 'Futurama' is reborn! |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2009/06/09/its-official-futurama-returns |url-status=live |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611192020/http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/06/its-official-futurama-returns.html |archive-date=June 11, 2009 |access-date=June 29, 2022}}{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2009 |title='Futurama' Returns to Production with an initial order of 26 New Episodes to Premiere Mid 2010 |url=http://www.comedycentral.com/press/press_releases/2009/061009_futurama_returns.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605180836/http://www.comedycentral.com/press/press_releases/2009/061009_futurama_returns.jhtml |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |access-date=June 24, 2009 |website=Press Central Comedy Central Press Release}}{{Cite web |last=Goldman, Eric |date=June 9, 2009 |title=Futurama Return Made Official |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/09/futurama-return-made-official |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716104443/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/09/futurama-return-made-official |archive-date=July 16, 2013 |access-date=June 29, 2022 |publisher=IGN}} The returning writing crew was smaller than the original crew.{{Cite news |last=Schneider, Michael |date=June 9, 2009 |title='Futurama' returns with new episodes |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2009/digital/markets-festivals/futurama-returns-with-new-episodes-1118004722/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614060902/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004722.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 |archive-date=June 14, 2009}} It was originally announced that main voice actors West, DiMaggio, and Sagal would return as well, but on July 17, 2009, it was announced that a casting notice was posted to replace the entire cast when 20th Century Fox Television would not meet their salary demands.{{Cite news |last=Schneider, Michael |date=July 17, 2009 |title='Futurama' without original voices? |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2009/digital/markets-festivals/futurama-without-original-voices-1118006123/ |url-status=live |access-date=July 18, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720195141/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006123.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 |archive-date=July 20, 2009}} The situation was later resolved, and the entire original voice-cast returned for the new episodes.

Near the end of a message from Maurice LaMarche sent to members of the "Save the Voices of Futurama" group on Facebook, LaMarche announced that the original cast would be returning for the new episodes.{{Cite news |date=July 31, 2009 |title=Save the Voices of Futurama |url=https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=216285555057 |url-status=live |access-date=July 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720191115/https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=216285555057 |archive-date=July 20, 2014}} The Toronto Star confirmed, announcing on their website that the original cast of Futurama signed contracts with Fox to return for 26 more episodes.Salem, Rob. [https://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/674841 "Futurama cast members ink new deal with Fox"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121041504/http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/674841 |date=January 21, 2013}}, Toronto Star, July 31, 2009 Similarly, an email sent to fans from Cohen and Groening reported that West, Sagal, DiMaggio, LaMarche, MacNeille, Tom, LaMarr, and Herman would all be returning for the revival.{{Cite web |last=Frucci |first=Adam |date=August 25, 2009 |title=Futurama Returning with Full Original Cast After All |url=https://gizmodo.com/5345037/futurama-returning-with-full-original-cast-after-all |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828001239/http://gizmodo.com/5345037/futurama-returning-with-full-original-cast-after-all |archive-date=August 28, 2009 |access-date=August 25, 2009 |publisher=Gizmodo}}

Cohen told Newsday in August 2009 that the reported 26-episode order means "[i]t will be up to 26. I can't guarantee it will be 26. But I think there's a pretty good chance it'll be exactly 26. Fox has been a little bit cagey about it, even internally. But nobody's too concerned. We're plunging ahead".Lovece, Frank. [http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/futurama-finds-a-new-future-on-comedy-central-1.1402526 "'Futurama' finds a new future on Comedy Central"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831180647/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/futurama-finds-a-new-future-on-comedy-central-1.1402526 |date=August 31, 2009}}, Newsday, August 28, 2009; posted online August 27, 2009 Two episodes were in the process of being voice-recorded at that time, with an additional "six scripts ... in the works, ranging in scale from 'it's a crazy idea that someone's grandmother thought of' to 'it's all on paper'.

When Futurama aired June 24, 2010, on Comedy Central, it helped the network to its highest-rated night in 2010 and its highest-rated Thursday primetime in the network's history.{{Cite web |last=Gough |first=Paul J. |date=June 29, 2010 |title="Futurama" returns with strong ratings |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100629/tv_nm/us_futurama |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711180204/https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100629/tv_nm/us_futurama |archive-date=July 11, 2010 |access-date=July 1, 2010 |publisher=Yahoo! News}} In March 2011, it was announced that Futurama had been renewed for a seventh season, consisting of at least 26 episodes, scheduled to air in 2012 and 2013. The first episode of season 7 premiered June 20, 2012, on Comedy Central.[http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/futurama Futurama – Series | Comedy Central Official Site | ComedyCentral.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319151858/http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/futurama |date=March 19, 2012}}, Comedy Central. Retrieved March 27, 2012

In July 2011, it was reported that the show had been picked up for syndication by both local affiliates and WGN America. Broadcast of old episodes began in September 2011.{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2011 |title=WGN America Fall 2011 Schedule; MeTV Network Celebrates Lucille Ball's 100th Birthday With 100 Episodes of Lucy Series |url=http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2011/07/wgn-america-fall-2011-schedule-metv.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827124549/http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2011/07/wgn-america-fall-2011-schedule-metv.html |archive-date=August 27, 2011 |access-date=August 23, 2011 |publisher=Blog.sitcomsonline.com}} On September 19, 2011, WGN America began re-running Futurama, carrying it until 2014.{{Cite web |date=October 19, 2011 |title=Futurama |url=http://www.wgnamerica.com/shows/futurama |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209112538/http://www.wgnamerica.com/shows/futurama |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |access-date=November 1, 2011 |publisher=wgnamerica}} Futurama doubled its viewership in syndication in 2012.{{Cite tweet |number=164409657446764544 |user=EricRogersLA |title=#futurama doubles viewership in... |date=January 31, 2012 |access-date=January 31, 2012}}

Due to the uncertain future of the series, there have been four designated series finales. "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings", Into the Wild Green Yonder, "Overclockwise", and "Meanwhile" have all been written to serve as a final episode for the show.{{Cite web |last=Cortez, Carl |date=September 1, 2010 |title=Exclusive Interview: 'FUTURAMA' CO-CREATOR DAVID X. COHEN BLOWS OUT THE 100TH EPISODE CANDLE AND TALKS ABOUT THE SEASON SIX FINALE |url=http://ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=3955 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907171942/http://ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=3955 |archive-date=September 7, 2010 |access-date=March 19, 2012 |website=If}}{{Cite web |last=Zalben, Alex |date=June 22, 2010 |title=Exclusive: Futurama Creator Spills on Special Last, Last Episode! (Page 3) |url=http://www.ugo.com/tv/futurama-david-x-cohen-interview?page=3 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615043537/http://www.ugo.com/tv/futurama-david-x-cohen-interview?page=3 |archive-date=June 15, 2011 |access-date=August 25, 2010 |website=UGO}}

Comedy Central announced in April 2013 that they would be airing the final episode "Meanwhile" on September 4, 2013.{{Cite news |last=Marechal |first=AJ |title=Toon comedy has logged seasons on Fox, Comedy Central since 1999 |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2013/tv/news/futurama-cancelled-by-comedy-central-1200406963/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424030528/http://variety.com/2013/tv/news/futurama-cancelled-by-comedy-central-1200406963/ |archive-date=April 24, 2013}} The producers said that they are exploring options for the future of the series as "[they] have many more stories to tell", but would gauge fan reaction to the news.{{Cite web |last=Dan Snierson |date=April 22, 2013 |title='Futurama' to end seven-season run on Sept. 4 – EXCLUSIVE |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/04/22/futurama-not-renewed-comedy-central/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130422150351/http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/04/22/futurama-not-renewed-comedy-central/ |archive-date=April 22, 2013 |access-date=April 22, 2013 |website=Inside TV}} Groening and Cohen had previously expressed a desire to produce a theatrical film or another direct-to-video film upon conclusion of the series.{{Cite web |last=Max Nicholson |date=April 23, 2013 |title=Futurama's Back, and Bigger Than the Red Hot Chili Peppers! |url=https://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/06/18/futuramas-back-and-bigger-than-the-red-hot-chili-peppers?page=2 |access-date=April 23, 2013 |publisher=IGN}}

In an August 2013 interview with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Katey Sagal said regarding the series finale, "So I don't believe it... I just hold out hope for it because it has such a huge fan base, it's such a smart show, and why wouldn't somebody want to keep making that show; so that's my thought, I'm just in denial that it's over". Sagal also mentioned during the same interview that Groening told her at Comic-Con that "we'll find a place" and "don't worry, it's not going to end".{{Cite web |last=Levy |first=Piet |date=September 1, 2013 |title=Video: Katey Sagal talks about 'Sons of Anarchy,', 'Futurama,' Bob Dylan |url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/221993931.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903153109/http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/221993931.html |archive-date=September 3, 2013 |access-date=September 6, 2013 |publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |type=Interview}}

The Simpsons episode "Simpsorama" is an official crossover with Futurama. It originally aired during the twenty-sixth season of The Simpsons on Fox on November 9, 2014, over a year after the Futurama series finale aired on Comedy Central.{{Cite magazine |title='The Simpsons' to join forces with 'Futurama' for crossover episode |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/20/the-simpsons-futurama-crossover-epsidoe/ |url-status=dead|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721032141/http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/20/the-simpsons-futurama-crossover-epsidoe/ |archive-date=July 21, 2013 |access-date=July 21, 2013}}{{Cite tweet |number=380740786121220096 |user=TheJohnDiMaggio |title=This is happening. Today is a good day. |author=John DiMaggio |date=September 19, 2013}}{{Cite web |title=Under Construction sunnewsnetwork.ca |url=http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/entertainment/archives/2013/09/20130928-084628.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002020911/http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/entertainment/archives/2013/09/20130928-084628.html |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |website=sunnewsnetwork.ca}}

In July 2011, it was reported that the show had been picked up for syndication by both local affiliates and WGN America. Broadcast of old episodes began in September 2011. On September 19, 2011, WGN America began re-running Futurama, carrying it until 2014. Futurama doubled its viewership in syndication in 2012.

In October 2017, Syfy announced that they had acquired syndication rights to all 140 episodes of Futurama, adding it to its lineup on November 11, 2017, with a weekend long marathon.{{cite web |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |last2=Petski |first2=Denise |date=October 3, 2017 |title=Syfy Acquires Matt Groening's 'Futurama' Animated Series |url=https://deadline.com/2017/10/syfy-acquires-matt-groening-futurama-animated-series-1202181103/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219032550/https://deadline.com/2017/10/syfy-acquires-matt-groening-futurama-animated-series-1202181103/ |archive-date=February 19, 2022 |access-date=September 21, 2024 |website=Deadline}} Futurama was Syfy's first ever American animated series (the network had an anime programming block in the past), and eventually became paired with Syfy's TZGZ block of animated original series on Saturday nights. Comedy Central continued to air the series concurrently with Syfy, usually in the mornings and early afternoon. Syfy aired episodes from the first four seasons cropped to 16:9 instead of airing them in their original 4:3 aspect ratio; Comedy Central (since 2017) and FXX would do the same.

In September 2021, FXX, which already carries The Simpsons and other 20th Television animated programming, announced that it would begin airing Futurama that November.{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=September 17, 2021 |title=FXX Expands 'Family Guy' Rights To Full Catalog Of Past Seasons, Adds 'Futurama' Library |url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/family-guys-full-catalog-past-seasons-fxx-futurama-freeform-1234838887/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219032555/https://deadline.com/2021/09/family-guys-full-catalog-past-seasons-fxx-futurama-freeform-1234838887/ |archive-date=February 19, 2022 |access-date=February 19, 2022 |website=Deadline}} Syfy stopped airing the show on November 10, 2021, and FXX began airing the show on November 15, 2021. Adult Swim then picked the show back up on December 27, 2021.{{Cite web |date=December 13, 2021 |title=REPORT: Futurama Returns to Adult Swim This Month |url=https://www.cbr.com/report-futurama-returns-to-adult-swim-this-month/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213030014/https://www.cbr.com/report-futurama-returns-to-adult-swim-this-month/ |archive-date=December 13, 2021 |access-date=December 13, 2021 |website=CBR}} Unlike FXX, Adult Swim airs the first four seasons in their original 4:3 aspect ratio, pillarboxed. However, seasons 5 through 7, which were produced in 16:9, are cropped to 4:3. As of 2024, Comedy Central still holds rights to the series, usually airing it in the early morning.{{Cite web |title=TV Schedule for Comedy Central (US) – Eastern Feed |url=https://www.tvpassport.com/tv-listings/stations/comedy-central-us-eastern-feed/647/2022-05-02 |access-date=May 2, 2022 |website=TV Passport}}

In February 2022, Hulu revived the series with a 20-episode order to premiere in 2023. At the time of the announcement, the majority of the main voice cast was set to return, while John DiMaggio was still in negotiations.{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=February 9, 2022 |title='Futurama' Revived at Hulu |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/futurama-revived-at-hulu-1235090020/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520035305/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/futurama-revived-at-hulu-1235090020/ |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |access-date=February 9, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}} The next day, Disney+ (Hulu's sister streaming service) announced in a press release that the new season would stream internationally as a Star Original.{{Cite web |title="Futurama" Lands Future at Disney+ with New Episodes |url=https://press.disney.co.uk/news/-futurama-lands-future-at-disney+-with-new-episodes}} DiMaggio stated that he had not accepted the role in mid-February 2022 because he believed the entire cast of Futurama should be paid more. He stated, "Bender is part of my soul and nothing about this is meant to be disrespectful to the fans or my Futurama family. It's about self-respect. And honestly, [it's about] being tired of an industry that's become far too corporate and takes advantage of artists' time and talent... I wish I could give you every detail so you would understand, but it's not my place."{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=J. Kim |date=February 15, 2022 |title='Futurama' Voice Actor John DiMaggio Wants Entire Cast to Be Paid More for Revival: 'It's About Self-Respect' |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/futurama-revival-bender-voice-actor-john-dimaggio-1235183272/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216215215/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/futurama-revival-bender-voice-actor-john-dimaggio-1235183272/ |archive-date=February 16, 2022 |access-date=February 18, 2022 |website=Variety}}

In March, DiMaggio officially rejoined the series after working out a new deal, calling the prior events "Bendergate".{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=March 1, 2022 |title=John DiMaggio To Return For 'Futurama' Revival On Hulu: "#Bendergate Is Officially Over" |url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/john-dimaggio-return-futurama-revival-hulu-bendergate-1234968435/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524005212/https://deadline.com/2022/03/john-dimaggio-return-futurama-revival-hulu-bendergate-1234968435/ |archive-date=May 24, 2022 |access-date=March 1, 2022 |website=Deadline}} He later revealed that he did not get a raise, "but what I did get was a lot of respect". Had he not returned, Bender would have been voiced by a different guest star in each episode.{{Cite web |last=Ettenhofer |first=Valerie |date=May 29, 2022 |title=Bender Voice Actor John DiMaggio 'Didn't Get More Money' After Futurama Contract Standoff |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/878158/bender-voice-actor-john-dimaggio-didnt-get-more-money-after-futurama-contract-standoff/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528211448/https://www.slashfilm.com/878158/bender-voice-actor-john-dimaggio-didnt-get-more-money-after-futurama-contract-standoff/ |archive-date=May 28, 2022 |access-date=May 29, 2022 |website=Slash Film}} In August 2022, the titles of the first ten episodes were announced by Hulu,{{Cite web |last=Lamadrid |first=Amanda |date=August 25, 2022 |title=Futurama Reboot Episode Titles Confirmed |url=https://screenrant.com/futurama-reboot-episode-titles-details/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831131347/https://screenrant.com/futurama-reboot-episode-titles-details/ |archive-date=August 31, 2022 |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=Screen Rant}} and by November 2022, the production team was aiming to complete the episodes by the end of the year.{{Cite journal |last=Aguirre |first=Summer |date=November 3, 2022 |title=Young Pasadena artist talks joining 'Futurama' reboot team |url=https://www.pasadenaweekly.com/arts_and_events/young-pasadena-artist-talks-joining-futurama-reboot-team/article_02f68522-5ae8-11ed-b7ff-afbb7e1aa1c3.html |url-status=live |journal=Pasadena Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112162729/https://www.pasadenaweekly.com/arts_and_events/young-pasadena-artist-talks-joining-futurama-reboot-team/article_02f68522-5ae8-11ed-b7ff-afbb7e1aa1c3.html |archive-date=January 12, 2023 |access-date=January 12, 2023}} In February 2023, a new release date was set sometime around the 2023 summer season.{{Cite web |last=Kesh |first=Jonathan |date=February 1, 2023 |title=Futurama's Revival Gets an Optimistic Release Window |url=https://www.cbr.com/futurama-revival-optimistic-release-window/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203060023/https://www.cbr.com/futurama-revival-optimistic-release-window/ |archive-date=February 3, 2023 |access-date=February 4, 2023 |website=Comic Book Resources}} On May 18, 2023, a teaser trailer was released, announcing the premiere date as July 24, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=May 18, 2023 |title='Futurama' Revival at Hulu Sets Premiere Date, Drops First Teaser |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/futurama-revival-hulu-premiere-date-1235616847/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518171244/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/futurama-revival-hulu-premiere-date-1235616847/ |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=Variety}} This second revival has alternatively been titled the eighth and ninth seasons (production){{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Alex |date=June 27, 2023 |title=Futurama Season 8 Trailer: New Parodies, Old Characters (& Time Travel, Of Course) |url=https://screenrant.com/futurama-season-8-trailer/ |access-date=June 28, 2023 |website=ScreenRant}} and the eleventh and twelfth seasons (broadcast).{{Cite web |last=Panigrahi |first=Madhuparna |date=June 27, 2023 |title='Futurama' Reboot: Everything We Know So Far About the New Episodes |url=https://collider.com/futurama-reboot-returning-cast-release-episodes/ |access-date=June 28, 2023 |website=Collider}} With the revival on Hulu, the season carries a new version of the opening title sequence, containing a briefly altered name "Hulurama" before reverting to "Futurama".{{Cite web |last=Wilson Chapman |date=24 July 2023 |title=Hulu's 'Futurama' Revival Is Stuck in the Present |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/commentary/futurama-review-hulu-reboot-too-topical-1234884831/ |publisher=Indie Web}}{{Cite news |date=18 May 2023 |title='Futurama' Returns July 24 on Hulu |url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2023/05/18/Futurama-Hulu-July-24/7491684433854/ |work=UPI}}

On November 2, 2023, Hulu renewed the series for tenth and eleventh production seasons;{{Cite web |last=Swift |first=Andy |date=2023-11-02 |title=Futurama Revival Renewed for Two Additional Seasons at Hulu |url=https://tvline.com/news/futurama-renewed-season-13-14-hulu-2024-return-date-1235069413/ |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=TVLine}} a total of 20 episodes were ordered for the new seasons, which will air from 2025 to 2026.

{{Television critical response

| hide_metacritic = y

| link1 = Futurama (season 1)

| rotten_tomatoes1 = 82% (38 reviews){{Cite web |title=Futurama: Season 1 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519174610/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s01 |archive-date=May 19, 2019 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}

| link5 = Futurama (season 5)

| rotten_tomatoes5 = 100% (7 reviews){{Cite web |title=Futurama: Season 5 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519174604/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s05 |archive-date=May 19, 2019 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}

| link6 = Futurama (season 6)

| rotten_tomatoes6 = 100% (16 reviews){{Cite web |title=Futurama: Season 6 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523152803/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s06 |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}

| link7 = Futurama (season 7)

| rotten_tomatoes7 = 92% (12 reviews){{Cite web |title=Futurama: Season 7 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s07 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523152754/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s07 |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}

| link8 = Futurama (season 8)

| rotten_tomatoes8 = 86% (29 reviews){{Cite web |title=Futurama: Season 11 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s11 |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}

| link9 = Futurama season 9

| rotten_tomatoes9 = 60% (10 reviews){{Cite web |title=Futurama: Season 12 |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/s12 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}

}}

The show received critical acclaim. The first season holds an 82% approval rating at review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 32 reviews, an average rating of 8.75/10. The critical consensus reads, "Good news, everyone! Futurama is an inventive, funny, and sometimes affecting look at the world of tomorrow." Season 5 holds a rating of 100%, based on seven reviews, and an average score of 8.67/10. Season 6 has an approval rating of 100%, based on 16 reviews, and the average rating is 8.31/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Good news everyone! Futurama is as funny and endearing as ever in its sixth season." The next season received a rating of 92%, and an 8.24/10 average score based on 12 reviews. The critics consensus reads, "Futurama makes the most of its second life with biting social satire, kooky sci-fi scenarios, and a stirringly sweet series finale." For the eighth season,{{efn|group name=n|Rotten Tomatoes uses FOX's broadcast order, listing the show as eleven seasons; the eighth season is labeled "season 11", but reviews of previous seasons are included following the production order.}} 86% of 29 reviews are positive, while the consensus states, "Shut up and take our money!".{{Cite web |title=Futurama |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504190558/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/futurama |archive-date=May 4, 2019 |access-date=November 27, 2018 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{Television season ratings

| show_network = y

| hide_18_49_rank = y

| hide_18_49_rating = y

| link1 = Futurama (season 1)

| timeslot1 = Sunday 8:30{{nbsp}}pm {{small|(1–2)}}
Tuesday 8:30{{nbsp}}pm {{small|(3–9)}}

| network1 = Fox

| network_length1 = 5

| episodes1 = 13

| start1 = {{Start date|1999|3|28}}

| startrating1 = –

| end1 = {{End date|1999|5|18}}

| endrating1 = –

| season1 = 1998–99

| rank1 = 89

| viewers1 = 8.9{{Cite web |date=October 29, 2009 |title=Final ratings for the 1998–1999 TV season |url=http://geocities.com/Hollywood/4616/ew0604.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029011819/http://geocities.com/Hollywood/4616/ew0604.html |archive-date=October 29, 2009 |access-date=February 19, 2022}}

| link2 = Futurama (season 2)

| timeslot2 = Sunday 8:30{{nbsp}}pm {{small|(1–8)}}
Sunday 7:00{{nbsp}}pm {{small|(9–20)}}

| episodes2 = 19

| start2 = {{Start date|1999|9|26}}

| startrating2 = –

| end2 = {{End date|2000|5|21}}

| endrating2 = –

| season2 = 1999–2000

| rank2 = –

| viewers2 = –

| link3 = Futurama (season 3)

| timeslot3 = Sunday 7:00{{nbsp}}pm

| timeslot_length3 = 3

| episodes3 = 22

| start3 = {{Start date|2000|11|5}}

| startrating3 = –

| end3 = {{End date|2001|5|13}}

| endrating3 = –

| season3 = 2000–01

| rank3 = –

| viewers3 = –

| link4 = Futurama (season 4)

| endrating4 = –

| season4 = 2001–02

| episodes4 = 18

| start4 = {{Start date|2001|12|9}}

| startrating4 = –

| end4 = {{End date|2002|4|21}}

| rank4 = 115

| viewers4 = 5.9{{Cite news |date=May 28, 2002 |title=How did your favorite show rate? |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/2002/2002-05-28-year-end-chart.htm |url-status=live |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222174856/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/2002/2002-05-28-year-end-chart.htm |archive-date=February 22, 2017}}

| link5 = Futurama (season 5)

| episodes5 = 12

| start5 = {{Start date|2002|11|10}}

| startrating5 = –

| end5 = {{End date|2003|8|10}}

| endrating5 = –

| season5 = 2002–03

| rank5 = –

| viewers5 = –

| link6 = Futurama (season 6)

| timeslot6 = Thursday 10:00{{nbsp}}pm {{small|(1, 3–14, 16–26)}}
Thursday 10:30{{nbsp}}pm {{small|(2, 15)}}

| network6 = Comedy
Central

| network_length6 = 2

| episodes6 = 26

| start6 = {{Start date|2010|6|24}}

| startrating6 = 2.92{{Cite web |last=Gorman |first=Bill |date=June 25, 2010 |title=UPDATED Thursday Cable Ratings: Futurama Returns Strong; Plus Burn Notice, Royal Pains, NBA Draft & More |url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/25/thursday-cable-ratings-futurama-returns-strong/55378 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627171359/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/25/thursday-cable-ratings-futurama-returns-strong/55378 |archive-date=June 27, 2010 |access-date=June 26, 2010 |website=TV by the Numbers}}

| end6 = {{End date|2011|9|8}}

| endrating6 = 1.48{{Cite web |last=Gorman |first=Bill |date=September 9, 2011 |title=Thursday Cable: 'Jersey Shore' Takes A Hit, Still Dominates, 'Burn Notice,' 'Suits,' 'Wilfred,' 'Futurama' Finales & More |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/09/thursday-cable-jersey-shore-takes-a-hit-still-dominates-burn-notice-suits-wilfred-futurama-finales-more/103152/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925034719/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/09/thursday-cable-jersey-shore-takes-a-hit-still-dominates-burn-notice-suits-wilfred-futurama-finales-more/103152/ |archive-date=September 25, 2011 |access-date=September 10, 2011 |website=TV by the Numbers}}

| season6 = 2010–11

| rank6 = –

| viewers6 = –

| link7 = Futurama (season 7)

| timeslot7 = Wednesday 10:00{{nbsp}}pm {{small|(1, 3–12, 14, 16–26)}}
Wednesday 10:30{{nbsp}}pm {{small|(2, 13, 15)}}

| episodes7 = 26

| start7 = {{Start date|2012|6|20}}

| startrating7 = 1.57{{Cite web |last=Kondolojy |first=Amanda |date=June 21, 2012 |title=Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Dallas', + 'Royal Pains', 'Storage Wars', 'Barter Kings', 'Necessary Roughness' & More |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/06/21/wednesday-cable-ratings-dallas-royal-pains-storage-wars-barter-kings-necessary-roughness-more/138893/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624020013/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/06/21/wednesday-cable-ratings-dallas-royal-pains-storage-wars-barter-kings-necessary-roughness-more/138893/ |archive-date=June 24, 2012 |access-date=June 22, 2012 |website=TV by the Numbers}}

| end7 = {{End date|2013|9|4}}

| endrating7 = 2.21{{Cite web |last=Bibel |first=Sara |date=September 5, 2013 |title=Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Wins Night, 'Modern Dads', 'Futurama', 'Royal Pains', 'The Bridge' & More |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/09/05/wednesday-cable-ratings-duck-dynasty-wins-night-modern-dads-futurama-royal-pains-the-bridge-more/201036/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908003651/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/09/05/wednesday-cable-ratings-duck-dynasty-wins-night-modern-dads-futurama-royal-pains-the-bridge-more/201036/ |archive-date=September 8, 2013 |access-date=September 5, 2013 |publisher=TV by the Numbers}}

| season7 = 2012–13

| rank7 = –

| viewers7 = –

}}

Futurama{{'}}s 7:00 p.m. Sunday time slot caused the show to often be pre-empted by sports and usually have a later-than-average season premiere. It also allowed the writers and animators to get ahead of the broadcast schedule so that episodes intended for one season were not aired until the following season. By the beginning of the fourth broadcast season, all the episodes to be aired that season had already been completed and writers were working at least a year in advance.{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2001 |title=David X. Cohen boards the Planet Express to find meaning in Futurama |url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/interviews/sfw7897.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610080245/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/interviews/sfw7897.html |archive-date=June 10, 2008 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |publisher=Sci Fi Weekly}}

When Futurama debuted in the Fox Sunday night lineup at 8:30 p.m. between The Simpsons and The X-Files on March 28, 1999, it managed 19 million viewers, tying for 11th overall in that week's Nielsen ratings.{{Cite news |last=Bauder |first=David |date=April 1, 1999 |title=New animated show 'Futurama' may be a score for Fox |publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB82C9405B7CAA1&p_field_direct-0=document_id |url-status=live |access-date=June 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609012934/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB82C9405B7CAA1&p_field_direct-0=document_id |archive-date=June 9, 2011}} The following week, airing at the same time, Futurama drew 14.2 million viewers. The third episode, the first airing on Tuesday, drew 8.85 million viewers.{{Cite web |date=April 1999 |title=Groening's Gripe |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/dailytv1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824051808/http://www.frcr.com/library/dailytv1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000 |access-date=June 3, 2008}} Though its ratings were well below The Simpsons, the first season of Futurama rated higher than competing animated series: King of the Hill, Family Guy, Dilbert, South Park, and The PJs.{{Cite news |last=Sterngold |first=James |date=July 22, 1999 |title=Futurama: Bringing an Alien and a Robot to TV Life |work=The New York Times |url=http://www.frcr.com/library/new_york_times1.html |access-date=June 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824051735/http://www.frcr.com/library/new_york_times1.html |archive-date=August 24, 2000}}

When Futurama was effectively canceled in 2003, it had averaged 6.4 million viewers for the first half of its fourth broadcast season.{{Cite web |date=February 14, 2002 |title=Fox puts 'Futurama' order on hold |url=http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2002/feb02/feb11/4_thurs/news7thursday.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216141740/http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2002/feb02/feb11/4_thurs/news7thursday.html |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |access-date=June 3, 2008}}

In late 2002, Cartoon Network acquired exclusive cable syndication rights to Futurama for a reported $10 million (equivalent to ${{inflation|US-GDP|10|2002|r=0|fmt=c}} million in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}).{{Inflation/fn|US-GDP}}{{Cite news |date=September 11, 2002 |title=Cartoon Network to Air 'Futurama' |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11097857.html |url-status=dead |access-date=April 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523181616/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11097857.html |archive-date=May 23, 2013}} In January 2003, the network began airing Futurama episodes as the centerpiece to the expansion of their Adult Swim cartoon block. In October 2005, Comedy Central picked up the cable syndication rights to air Futurama{{'}}s 72-episode run at the start of 2008, following the expiration of Cartoon Network's contract.{{Cite news |last=Dempsey, John |date=October 27, 2005 |title="Futurama" in Comedy Central's future via big deal |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2005/digital/markets-festivals/animation-central-1117931802/ |url-status=live |access-date=October 27, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011195632/http://variety.com/article/VR1117931802.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 |archive-date=October 11, 2007}} A Comedy Central teaser trailer announced the return of Futurama March 23, 2008,{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2001 |title=Silver screen Simpsons, Futurama facing finish? |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/02021902.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030419181300/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/02021902.shtml |archive-date=April 19, 2003 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |website=BBC News}} which was Bender's Big Score divided into four episodes followed by the other three movies.

On June 24, 2010, the season 6 premiere, "Rebirth", drew 2.92 million viewers in the 10:00 p.m. time slot on Comedy Central.{{Cite web |last=Gorman |first=Bill |date=June 25, 2010 |title=UPDATED Thursday Cable Ratings: Futurama Returns Strong; Plus Burn Notice, Royal Pains, NBA Draft & More |url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/25/thursday-cable-ratings-futurama-returns-strong/55378 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627171359/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/25/thursday-cable-ratings-futurama-returns-strong/55378 |archive-date=June 27, 2010 |access-date=June 26, 2010}} The second episode of the sixth season, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela", aired at 10:30 p.m., immediately following the season premiere. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela" drew 2.78 million viewers. This was the series' premiere on the network, with original episodes—the fifth season had previously aired on the network, but it had originally been released in the form of the four direct-to-video films.

{{more citations needed section|date=August 2024}}

• In January 2009, IGN named Futurama as the eighth best in the "Top 100 Animated TV Series".{{Cite web |date=January 2009 |title=Top 100 Animated TV Series |url=http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/8.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327195215/http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/8.html |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=March 22, 2010 |publisher=IGN}}
• At the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, Guinness World Records presented Futurama with the record for "Current Most Critically Acclaimed Animated Series".{{Cite web |last=Cordova |first=Gonzalo |date=July 24, 2010 |title=Comedy Central at Comic-Con: Day Three, Futurama Panel |url=http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2010/07/24/comedy-central-at-comic-con-day-three-futurama-panel/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710201045/http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2010/07/24/comedy-central-at-comic-con-day-three-futurama-panel/ |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |access-date=August 1, 2010 |website=Comedy Central Insider |publisher=Comedy Central}}
• In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it as the thirty-ninth best science fiction television show ever.{{Cite magazine |last1=Adams |first1=Sam |last2=Collins |first2=Sean T. |last3=Fear |first3=David |last4=Murray |first4=Noel |last5=Scherer |first5=Jenna |last6=Tobias |first6=Scott |date=March 12, 2020 |title=50 Best Science Fiction TV Shows of All Time |magazine=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/best-science-fiction-tv-shows-of-all-time-65434/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527141422/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-best-science-fiction-tv-shows-20160526 |archive-date=May 27, 2016}}

{{Main|Futurama Comics|l1=Futurama Comics}}

First started in November 2000, Futurama Comics is a comic book series published by Bongo Comics based in the Futurama universe.{{Cite news |date=November 19, 2000 |title=Groening launches 'Futurama Comics' |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=CSGB&d_place=CSGB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F34B832C954DA1A&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |url-status=dead |access-date=July 16, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609013008/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=CSGB&d_place=CSGB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F34B832C954DA1A&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |archive-date=June 9, 2011}} While originally published only in the US, a UK, German and Australian version of the series is also available.Press release (September 25, 2002) [http://www.gotfuturama.com/Information/Articles/titan.shtml Do you want Fry with that?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927172507/http://www.gotfuturama.com/Information/Articles/titan.shtml |date=September 27, 2007}} Titan Publishing. Retrieved from gotfuturama on March 4, 2007 In addition, three issues were published in Norway. Other than a different running order and presentation, the stories are the same in all versions. While the comics focus on the same characters in the Futurama fictional universe, the comics may not be canonical as the events portrayed within them do not necessarily have any effect upon the continuity of the show.

Like the TV series, each comic (except US comic #20) has a caption at the top of the cover. For example: "Made In The USA! (Printed in Canada)". Some of the UK and Australian comics have different captions on the top of their comics (for example, the Australian version of #20 says "A 21st Century Comic Book" across the cover, while the US version does not have a caption on that issue). All series contain a letters page, artwork from readers, and previews of other upcoming Bongo comics.

{{see also|Futurama season 5|l1=Futurama season 5}}

When Comedy Central began negotiating for the rights to air Futurama reruns, Fox suggested that there was a possibility of also creating new episodes. Negotiations were already underway with the possibility of creating two or three straight-to-DVD films. When Comedy Central committed to sixteen new episodes, it was decided that four films would be produced. On April 26, 2006, Groening noted in an interview that co-creator David X. Cohen and numerous writers from the original series would be returning to work on the movies.{{Cite web |last=Rabin, Nathan |date=April 26, 2006 |title=Matt Groening |url=https://www.avclub.com/matt-groening-1798209542 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090119014837/http://www.avclub.com/articles/matt-groening,13984/ |archive-date=January 19, 2009 |access-date=June 3, 2008 |publisher=The A.V. Club}} All the original voice actors participated. In February 2007, Groening explained the format of the new stories: "[The crew is] writing them as movies and then we're going to chop them up, reconfigure them, write new material and try to make them work as separate episodes."{{Cite web |date=February 26, 2007 |title=Rhymes with Raining |url=http://www.craveonline.com/articles/filmtv/04647510/rhymes_with_raining.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215100510/http://www.craveonline.com/articles/filmtv/04647510/rhymes_with_raining.html |archive-date=February 15, 2009 |access-date=March 25, 2007 |website=Crave Online}}

The first film, Bender's Big Score, was written by Ken Keeler and Cohen, and includes return appearances by the Nibblonians, Seymour, Barbados Slim, Robot Santa, the "God" space entity, Al Gore, and Zapp Brannigan.{{Cite web |title=Ain't It Cool News: "Ben Sinister Has Read The New FUTURAMA 'Movie'!!" |url=https://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=24076 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060806011505/http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=24076 |archive-date=August 6, 2006 |access-date=June 3, 2008}} It was animated in widescreen and was released on standard DVD on November 27, 2007, with a possible Blu-ray Disc release to follow.(April 5, 2008). {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080723220501/http://www.hdtvtotal.com/module-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-1-pid-1146.html Tales of Interest: The Simpsons and Futurama in high-definition]}}. HDTVTotal.com. A release on HD DVD was rumored but later officially denied. Futurama: Bender's Big Score was the first DVD release for which 20th Century Fox implemented measures intended to reduce the total carbon footprint of the production, manufacturing, and distribution processes. Where it was not possible to completely eliminate carbon, output carbon offsets were used, thus making the complete process carbon neutral.{{Cite web |date=November 14, 2007 |title="Futurama" Feature Length Movie DVD Specs |url=http://www.2snaps.tv/9812689 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406004938/http://www.2snaps.tv/9812689 |archive-date=April 6, 2008 |access-date=June 3, 2008}}

The second movie, The Beast with a Billion Backs, was released on June 24, 2008. The third movie, Bender's Game, was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc{{Cite web |last=Hornig |first=Andreas |date=July 28, 2008 |title=Futurama's third direct-to-disc movie "Bender's Game" on Blu-ray |url=http://www.hdtvtotal.com/module-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-1-pid-1210.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613075844/http://www.hdtvtotal.com/module-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-1-pid-1210.html |archive-date=June 13, 2013 |access-date=August 10, 2008 |publisher=HDTVTotal.com}} on November 3, 2008, in the UK, November 4, 2008, in the US, and December 10, 2008, in Australia. The fourth movie, Into the Wild Green Yonder, was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on February 24, 2009.{{Cite web |title=Into the Wild Green Yonder at Blu-ray.com |url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=1889 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722103911/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Futurama-Into-The-Wild-Green-Yonder-Blu-ray/1889/ |archive-date=July 22, 2012 |access-date=February 23, 2009 |publisher=Blu-ray.com}}

Following the series' revival, the show's executive producer Claudia Katz had announced more upcoming movies for Hulu while also hinting a theatrical release.{{Cite web|last=Philips|first=TC|date=September 8, 2023|title=Futurama EP Teases More Movies After Season 11 Revival|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/futurama-movies-series-return-exclusive-newsupdate/|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230909025543/https://screenrant.com/futurama-season-11-12-movies-future-producer-response/|archive-date=September 9, 2023|access-date=January 11, 2024|publisher=ScreenRant}}{{Cite web|title=A Futurama Movie Could Be In The Cards At Hulu|last=Seibold|first=Witney|date=September 16, 2023 |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1395519/futurama-hulu-possible-movie/|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231102200639/https://www.slashfilm.com/1395519/futurama-hulu-possible-movie/|archive-date=November 2, 2023|access-date=February 14, 2024|publisher=SlashFilm}}

{{see also|Futurama (video game)|l1=Futurama (video game)|Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow|l2=Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow}}

On September 15, 2000, Unique Development Studios acquired the license to develop a Futurama video game for consoles and handheld systems. Fox Interactive signed on to publish the game.{{Cite web |title=Futurama Finds a Developer |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2628824.html?q=Futurama |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930064405/http://www.gamespot.com/news/2628824.html?q=Futurama |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |access-date=July 25, 2006}} Sierra Entertainment later became the game's publisher, and it was released on August 14, 2003.{{Cite web |title=Sierra to bring Futurama game to the US |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6025618.html?q=Futurama |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930161529/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6025618.html?q=Futurama |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |access-date=June 3, 2008}} Versions are available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, both of which use cel-shading technology. However, the game was subsequently canceled on the GameCube and Game Boy Advance in North America and Europe.

In 2012, an app inspired by the head in a jar gag was launched by Matt Groening.{{Cite web |date=July 11, 2012 |title=Groening Launches 'Futurama' Head-in-a-Jar App |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/licensing/groening-launches-futurama-head-in-a-jar-app/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007172850/https://www.animationmagazine.net/licensing/groening-launches-futurama-head-in-a-jar-app/ |archive-date=October 7, 2021 |access-date=October 7, 2021}}

In September 2016, Futurama characters and content would be playable in a crossover free-to-play digital collectable card video game Animation Throwdown: The Quest for Cards, which also contained characters and content from other 20th Television Animation properties; particularly Family Guy, American Dad!, King of the Hill, Bob's Burgers, and (as of 2023) Archer.{{cite web |url=https://www.alistdaily.com/media/gamestop-exec-fox-animated-tv-show-digital-card-game/ |title=GameStop Exec Discusses Fox Animated TV Show Digital Card Game |work=A.List |last=Gaudiosi |first=John |date=June 27, 2016 |access-date=May 14, 2023}} The game was released on September 27, 2016 and is available for Android, iOS, Steam, Kartridge{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Animation Throwdown|url=https://www.kartridge.com/games/Throwdown/animation-throwdown|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028210602/https://www.kartridge.com/games/Throwdown/animation-throwdown|archive-date=2020-10-28|access-date=2020-10-25|website=www.kartridge.com}} and on the web via the game's developer Kongregate.{{cite web|url=https://www.kongregate.com/games/Throwdown/animation-throwdown|title=Animation Throwdown|website=Kongregate}}

Licensing for mobile games were done in 2016 with Futurama: Game of Drones and in 2017 with Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow, which was released for Android and iOS in 2017.[https://news.cision.com/wooga/r/:~:text=In%20FUTURAMA:%20Game%20of%20Drones,control%20of%20the%20evil%20MomCo] {{dead link|date=January 2022}}{{Cite web |title=The 'Futurama' crew returns today in a new mobile game |date=June 29, 2017 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/29/futurama-worlds-of-tomorrow-available/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629174451/https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/29/futurama-worlds-of-tomorrow-available/ |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |access-date=June 29, 2017}}

On July 25, 2023, Fortnite released an update that included theme content centered on the show Futurama, including purchasable outfits. These outfits include Bender Bending Rodríguez, Philip J. Fry, and Turanga Leela, as well as other themed accessories. The weapon "Bender's Shiny Metal Raygun" has also been included in the game.{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2023 |title=Fortnite Battle Royale V25.20 Update: Futurama Bender, Fry, and Leela Outfits Arrive! |url=https://www.fortnite.com/news/fortnite-battle-royale-v25-20-update-futurama-bender-fry-and-leela-outfits-arrive |access-date=July 26, 2023 |website=Fortnite {{!}} Create, Play & Battle With Friends for Free - Fortnite |publisher=Epic Games}}

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