I noticed that we didn't have a Futurama topic here, so I thought I might as well start one, since this is my favorite cartoon.
But, don't let the word "cartoon" deceive you. It's not just some silly show for kids, it has some very adult themes and a very funny, over-exaggerated sci-fi outlook on the future in the year 3000 (actually, in the current season, it is 3010). The show was created by Matt Groening, who also created the Simpsons - I guess the second show, along with MwC, that got FOX from the gutter to where it is now. And while for me The Simpsons are over (I think they just lost their appeal), Futurama still is funny and fresh.
I'm sure that many of you have caught glimpses of it, maybe some are even hardcore fans like me, but in case someone hasn't seen it yet, here's a short summary:
So basically, you have a 25-year old pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who gets accidentally frozen in the year 2000 and emerges in 3000 in a futuristic New New York - now with flying cars, robots living alongside humans, interstellar travel and all other sci-fi goodies. Fry, Leela and Bender (an alcoholic robot, originally made to bend steel girders) make up the crew of Planet Express, a delivery company started by Fry's great-great-great-great-(...)-great nephew, Professor Farnsworth. They go on various adventures (or sometimes adventures come to them), hilarity ensues and it's great to watch.
Katey Sagal voices Leela, a purple-haired Cyclops woman. She is the delivery ship's captain, she kicks ass and pretty much always gets the rest of the crew out of trouble. Fry is in love with Leela and they have this on and off friendship/relationship going throughout the series.
Due to FOX's ignorance and mishandling of the show, it got canned in 2003. But now, due to popular demand and strong DVD sales, it's back on Comedy Central and I hope it's gonna stay there for good.
MwC fans will of course love the huge homage to Married... with Children in the season two episode "A Bicyclops Built for Two". This has been mentioned on the Bundyology website, but I decided to give a more detailed description. In this episode, Leela (who is a one of a kind alien, the only Cyclops on Earth) meets - on the Internet - another Cyclops named Alcazar. She immediately falls for him (herself being lonely and constantly trying to find out where she came from, because she is an orphan) and goes to his planet, where they establish a relationship. He is the last male Cyclops alive and he shows her around their home planet, where their civilization once lived. Now, I won't tell you the conclusion to the episode and what happens (I don't wanna spoil it), but after sweet-talking Leela, Alcazar - now called Al - turns into an abusive, lazy slob. The latter part of the episode essentially turns into one big Married... with Children reference with Katey Sagal somewhat reprising her role as Peggy, although through the character of Leela. She has everything - the hairdo, the clothing, and Katey even does her voice in a similar manner to Peggy. Some MwC-style humor returns, this line for example:
Even the Bundy's couch is there! It's really fun to watch- [Leela] Hey, where'd you get this couch, and that TV set, and all this stuff?
- [Alcazar] They were giving it away on the street corner - just like you, Leela!
See the screenshots below:
They're also poking fun at MwC audiences who came to the taping of the show - there's a pig and two rats reacting ecstatically to every joke with yelling and hooting, much like what we see in the original series.
So, any other Futurama fans beside me here? What do you guys think of the show?
And for other people who haven't seen it - go watch the pilot or at least "A Bicyclops Built For Two" - you won't regret it!
