FUTURAMA
Created by Matt Groening and developed alongside David X. Cohen, Futurama is a critically acclaimed animated science-fiction comedy franchise. The story follows Philip J. Fry, a 20th-century pizza delivery boy cryogenically frozen on New Year's Eve 1999 who thaws out 1,000 years later on December 31, 2999. Working for the intergalactic delivery company Planet Express alongside a eccentric crew, Fry navigates the 31st century across fourteen seasons, four feature films, video games, and comic books.
Cronologia
Panoramica
Futurama is an American animated science-fiction comedy franchise created by Matt Groening and developed for television alongside David X. Cohen. Produced by 20th Television and The Curiosity Company, the series centers on Philip J. Fry, a lazy 20th-century delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself in a cryogenic tube on December 31, 1999, and awakens on December 31, 2999.
In the futuristic 31st century, Fry takes a job at the intergalactic transport firm Planet Express, joining ship captain Turanga Leela, foul-mouthed bending robot Bender Bending Rodríguez, mad scientist Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, alien physician Dr. John A. Zoidberg, bureaucrat Hermes Conrad, and intern Amy Wong.
The franchise spans 14 broadcast television seasons, four direct-to-video feature films, 83 main comic book issues, console and mobile video games, and high-profile crossovers. After broadcasting original runs on FOX (1999–2003) and Comedy Central (2010–2013), Futurama entered a streaming revival on Hulu from 2023 to 2026. Concluding its 40-episode regular streaming order in September 2026, the franchise transitions into a new era featuring three supersized 66-minute event specials beginning in late 2027.
Origini
The concept of Futurama was conceived in the late 1990s when Matt Groening collaborated with writer David X. Cohen to craft a sci-fi comedy series. Chronologically FOX's fourth animated series to debut, Futurama made its official television premiere on March 28, 1999, with the landmark episode 'Space Pilot 3000'.
The premiere introduced audiences to 31st-century New New York, Panucci's Pizza, Planet Express, and the core dynamic between Fry, Leela, and Bender. Despite critical praise and a passionate audience, the initial television run endured inconsistent broadcast slots and scheduling shifts by FOX.
The network aired four production cycles out of order across five broadcast seasons totaling 72 episodes. FOX dropped the show in 2003, airing the original series finale 'The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings' on August 10, 2003 (with syndication concluding in December 2004). Strong late-night syndication ratings and high home video sales subsequently demonstrated the franchise's enduring market power, paving the way for its initial revival in 2007.
Personaggi
I PEZZI DI FUTURAMA
Collezionismo
For collectors, Futurama offers a multi-faceted range of physical print items, direct-to-video releases, and modern digital collectibles. A key cornerstone of physical collections is the comic run produced by Bongo Comics, which ran for 83 main issues from November 2000 through 2017, alongside the two-part 'The Simpsons / Futurama Crossover Crisis' miniseries. Early physical issues and the final digital-exclusive releases (#82–83) via the Futurama Land app remain sought-after items for franchise completionists.
Physical media collectors also prize the Season 5 feature film DVDs released between 2007 and 2009 (*Bender's Big Score*, *The Beast with a Billion Backs*, *Bender's Game*, and *Into the Wild Green Yonder*), particularly for bonus content like 'Futurama: The Lost Adventure'—a 30-minute featurette reassembling the 2003 video game cutscenes into an official '73rd episode'. In recent years, collecting has expanded into the digital ecosystem, highlighted by the 2023 'Fortnite x Futurama' crossover featuring playable character skins for Fry, Leela, and Bender alongside Bender's Shiny Metal Raygun, as well as digital trading card games like 'Animation Throwdown: The Quest for Cards'.
Curiosità
• 'Futurama: The Lost Adventure' (2008) compiled all original cutscenes from the 2003 video game into a 30-minute featurette recognized by producers as the official 73rd episode. • Planet Express bureaucrat Hermes Conrad secretly approved Bender during manufacturing despite knowing the robot was improperly built.
• Lord Nibbler secretively engineered Fry's cryogenic freezing on December 31, 1999, to ensure the salvation of the universe. • In 'Bender's Big Score', Hermes revealed that the network executives who canceled Futurama were ground into a fine pink powder. • Kwanzaa Bot, voiced by the late Coolio, will receive a formal in-universe farewell in an upcoming 66-minute holiday special.
Film
• Bender's Big Score (2007): The first direct-to-video feature film where time-traveling scammer aliens conquer Earth and manipulate Bender. • The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008): The second feature film following the crew as a colossal tentacled anomaly opens in space.
• Bender's Game (2008): The third feature film spoofing fantasy and tabletop gaming when high dark matter prices force a dangerous mission. • Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009): The fourth feature film centering on an epic battle for an eco-system, mind-reading, and the universe's fate.
Serie TV
• Futurama - Original FOX Run (1999–2003): The original four production cycles broadcast as five seasons on FOX, debuting March 28, 1999. • Futurama - Season 5 / DVD Movie Era (2007–2009): Four feature films re-edited into 16 television episodes for broadcast on Comedy Central.
• Futurama - Comedy Central Revival (2010–2013): Broadcast seasons 6 and 7 comprising 52 episodes, concluding with 'Meanwhile'. • Simpsorama (2014): Official TV crossover episode airing as Season 26, Episode 6 of The Simpsons on FOX. • Futurama - Hulu Revival (2023–2026): Streaming era consisting of Seasons 11 through 14 (40 episodes total) on Hulu. • Futurama - XXXL Supersized Specials (2027–Future): Three 66-minute event specials greenlit by Hulu and 20th Television Animation.
Videogiochi
• Futurama (2003): 3D platforming shooter released for PlayStation 2 and Xbox by Unique Development Studios and Vivendi Universal. • Futurama: Game of Drones (2016): Free-to-play mobile match-4 puzzle game released by Wooga for iOS and Android.
• Animation Throwdown: The Quest for Cards (2016): Digital collectible card mobile game published by Kongregate featuring Futurama. • Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow (2017): City-building mobile RPG developed by TinyCo for iOS and Android. • Fortnite x Futurama (2023): Epic Games crossover featuring Fry, Leela, and Bender skins and in-game weaponry.
Libri & Fumetti
• Futurama Comics (2000–2017): Bi-monthly comic book series published by Bongo Comics, running for 83 main issues.
• The Simpsons / Futurama Crossover Crisis (2002–2005): Two-part comic book crossover miniseries uniting the Planet Express crew and the Simpson family.
