Season premiere of ‘Futurama’ shows there’s plenty of fun left in the future

Despite originally being canceled by FOX in 2003, the science fiction comedy set in the year 3000 has had more lives than most household cats.

Resurrected by DVD sales of its season box sets and ratings success on Adult Swim, the comedy found new life in the last few years with a string of new, direct-to-DVD adventures.

Then, the movies were cut into 16 new episodes for Comedy Central.

Due to those successes, "Futurama" begins a brand new season of new and original episodes on Comedy Central Thursday at 10 p.m.

In the fourth and final direct-to-DVD adventure "Beyond the Wild Green Yonder," the fate of the Planet Express crew was in doubt.

The show doesn’t attempt to hide the disdain it has for the network that canceled, yet still produces episodes of it for others.

The Planet Express crew are returning to Earth but are confronted by the reality of the situation – they can’t land safely.

Unfortunately, this means their demise – reduced to skeletons hanging from a washing line (though their heads are intact).

Thanks to the creativity of the professor, this doesn’t last long – except for one major cast member.

The gang must find a way to bring their colleague back – with a few surprises along the way.

In the second episode, which also airs Thursday, Leela and the continuously woman-hungry Captain Zapp Brannigan find themselves stranded on an island without food, water or clothing.

The episodes a strong, return to form for the show. There’s a cheekiness about "Futurama" that has always seemed to offset the bizarre nature of the character’s surroundings.

The show now airs at 10 p.m. on cable – giving it much more freedom with what it says and does.

Thankfully, Groening and company know that the ability to do and say things more adventurously doesn’t mean it has to go to the extremes.

In the DVD adventures and the episodes airing Thursday, the freedom is just another avenue to help make the show funny.

"Futurama" has never really had the same success as Matt Groening’s other brainchild, "The Simpsons."

It has, however, garnered a strong, critical following as well as a dedicated fanbase. Without those fans, the futuristic cartoon would have long since ended in the past.
 

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