“The Simpsons” is arguably the most successful TV show ever. Getting to air 700 episodes, with no end in sight, makes that an easy debate to pick up. However, it’s not the only successful cartoon co-created by Matt Groening. There’s also “Futurama,” which didn’t have quite as big of an audience but was just as funny. The sci-fi cartoon about a man frozen just as we entered the year 2000 and thawed on the eve of the year 3000 had a great run on FOX, which led to four direct-to-DVD movies, which then led to new episodes on Comedy Central. That’s quite the journey, and this ranking of the top 25 episodes features some later episodes, even if the bulk of the list focuses on those tremendous FOX years. Good news, everyone! It’s time to rank the top 25 “Futurama” episodes!
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25. “A Pharaoh to Remember”
FOX
Much like “Star Trek,” “Futurama” would often see the Planet Express crew land on themed planets. The difference is that “Futurama” was hanging a lampshade on things. In this episode, Fry, Leela, and Bender end up on a planet akin to Ancient Egypt, where Bender manages to make himself the new pharaoh in a desperate attempt to be remembered forever.
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24. “Parasites Lost”
FOX
Who thought an episode of TV about worms taking over a man’s body could be so sweet? Fry eats an egg salad sandwich from a truck stop, and the next thing he knows intelligent worms have revamped his body, making him smarter and healthier. This makes him more attractive to Leela, but then Fry wonders if it is really him she is into, and if she would still care about him without the worms.
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23. “Bendless Love”
FOX
Bender is not exactly one to fall in love. Then, he meets another robot named Angleyne, formally married to Flexo, a bending robot who looks just like Bender but with a little goatee. Much like Fry with his worms, Bender is worried about his relationship with Angleyne, this time worrying if she still has feelings for Flexo. Also, the Robot Mafia shows up, naturally.
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22. “The Problem with Popplers”
FOX
Lost on a planet without any food, Leela stumbles upon a hole filled with something akin to popcorn shrimp. They bring them back, and the Popplers become popular at Fishy Joe’s. Then when one of the Popplers is left in a bucket for too long, Leela sees it grow up and develop into a talking alien. It turns out these Popplers were the babies of the alien race that lives on Omicron Persei 8. This leads to Leela almost getting eaten by the alien Lrr. Fortunately, she is saved, but R.I.P. to Free Waterfall Jr.
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21. “Bender Gets Made”
FOX
Speaking of the Robot Mafia, they play a big role in “Bender Gets Made.” Bender, never one to shy away from crime, decides he wants to join the robotic mob, hanging out with Clamps, Joey Mousepad, and the rest. Then Bender has to figure out how to save the Robot Mafia from taking down the Planet Express ship, which he is supposed to be on.
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20. “The Deep South”
FOX
What’s more south than being underwater? That’s what happened to the city of Atlanta sometime between 2000 and 3000. Yes, Atlanta, not Atlantis. Mermaids live there, and Fry falls in love with one of them. That is until it is time to be romantic. This leads to one of the all-time best “Futurama” lines: “Why couldn’t she have been the other kind of mermaid, with the fish part on top, and the lady part on the bottom?”
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19. “Xmas Story”
FOX
Like many comedies, “Futurama” enjoyed its Christmas episodes. Or, as the holiday is known in the future, Xmas. Also in the future Santa is real, but he’s an evil robot. All of this is revealed in this episode, which features a fine turn by John Goodman as the voice of Santa.
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18. “A Big Piece of Garbage”
FOX
Occasionally “Futurama” would get political or deal with issues, albeit in a goofy, irreverent way. Tackling environmentalism was a common topic for the show, and in this early episode, Earth is threatened by a giant ball of garbage that humans had sent into space years earlier. The only way to fix things? Launching another giant ball of garbage, which means Fry teaching a recycling-conscious future how to be wasteful.
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17. “Mars University”
FOX
Is there life on Mars? In “Futurama” there is, and there’s also a university. There are two silly, but fun, storylines in this episode. One involves Fry’s feud with his roommate, a monkey with a hat that makes him smart. The other involves Bender rejoining his old frat in an arch parody of “Animal House” that is funnier than the actual movie.
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16. “The 30% Iron Chef”
FOX
Bender has a couple of dreams in line. Being a folk singer, for one. Being a chef, for another. The problem for the latter? He has no sense of taste. That doesn’t stop him from trying, though, and even from getting on the show “Iron Cook.” Can Bender win against Elzar? Perhaps, with the help of a little LSD.
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15. “The Late Philip J. Fry”
FOX
The Comedy Central run of “Futurama” was definitely hit-or-miss, with as many bad episodes are really strong ones. However, there were a couple of standouts. The first of those was “The Late Philip J. Fry,” which focused more on the sci-fi aspects of the show. It’s pretty heady, as Fry, Farnsworth, and Bender get into trouble with a time machine that can only move forward. We won’t spoil the clever way things play out.
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14. “Three Hundred Big Boys”
FOX
What if the government decided to just give you 300 bucks? Not in a relief check sort of way, but in a “we have a surplus so enjoy!” sort of way. Maybe you would buy coffee until you achieve a higher plane of existence, like Fry. Maybe you would buy a burglar’s kit to get a cigar too expensive for even $300, like Bender. The episode is light and doesn’t have much sci-fi, but it’s just a nice little jaunt with a lot of laughs.
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13. “The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz”
FOX
There’s a lot going on in this episode, which has a fair amount of environmental themes as well. Bender becomes the captain of the Planet Express ship. Then he crashes it in a parody of the Exxon Valdez. Then he thinks he’s a penguin after he reboots. Then penguins turn on humans and learn how to use guns. It’s a wild journey, but super funny.
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12. “Godfellas”
FOX
From a silly episode to a headier one, we have “Godfellas.” Bender ends up stuck floating for space (he always wanted to float forever but through the American Southwest) and then eventually a colony of tiny aliens forms on him. To them, he is God, but Bender struggles with trying to be a god. For a scientifically-minded show, the ending is a bit of a surprise, where Bender seems to meet an actual god, perhaps the Judeo-Christian God. Or at least the remnants of a space probe that collided with God.
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11. “The Sting”
FOX
We get even headier, and more emotional, with “The Sting,” a bold episode that really takes you on a trip. There’s a lot of dream sequences and questioning the reality of the show. We don’t want to spoil the result of this story of bee-fueled nightmares. Let’s just say there is a big song-and-dance number and the ending is super sweet.
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10. “A Head in the Polls”
FOX
By dint of being science fiction, “Futurama” could do things like bring back real people from the 20th century as heads in jars in the future. That includes Richard Nixon, who is hilariously evil on the show. In “A Head in the Polls” Tricky Dıck buys Bender’s body out of hock and then uses it to run for President. It ends up working, and so we get to enjoy Nixon as President of Earth for the rest of the show’s run.
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9. “Meanwhile”
FOX
The first time “Futurama” did a final episode, they weren’t sure if it would be the end. On Comedy Central, though, “Futurama” knew it was ending. Fortunately, they nailed it. “Meanwhile” is a beautiful series finale that ended in exactly the way a show like this should have. There were laughs, there were sci-fi ideas, and there was a bit of sweetness.
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8. “The Honking”
FOX
“Futurama” only really tackled Halloween once, which is a shame because they nailed it. “The Honking” is a riff on werewolf stories, but in this case, Bender becomes a werecar. There isn’t really much actual spookiness, but it’s a fun riff on horror tropes with a ton of great jokes and references.
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7. “Fry and the Slurm Factory”
FOX
Speaking of riffing on established pop culture, there’s “Fry and the Slurm Factory.” Yes, it’s basically a take on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” only with a bunch of slug-like aliens. This includes the ultimate party worm Slurms McKenzie. This first-season episode was the first time “Futurama” knocked it out of the park, though that’s not to knock the rest of the season. Few shows have been as good out the gate like this one.
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6. “The Luck of the Fryrish”
FOX
“Futurama” was kind of famous for occasionally nailing an emotional moment and leaving fans misty-eyed, if not outright crying. The most-cited example of that, “Jurassic Bark,” is not on this list, which may upset some. However, we had to include “The Luck of the Fryrish,” which is maybe not as emotional as “Jurassic Park,” but is decidedly funnier.
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5. “Time Keeps on Slippin’”
FOX
In the world of “Futurama,” the Harlem Globetrotters are both basketball superstars and scientific geniuses. That’s good because Farnsworth needs their help when time starts jumping forward at random intervals. One of the top weapons in a comedy’s arsenal is the jump cut, and this story conceit leads to a litany of funny uses of that editing trick.
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4. “Less Than Hero”
FOX
There’s no heart in “Less Than Hero.” There’s no environmental message or larger story. It’s just ridiculous and hilarious and a solid chunk of comedy gold. Thanks to a topical ointment, Fry, and Leela get superpowers. Then Bender joins in on their superhero team because he feels like it. There are some tips of the hat to the ‘60s version of “Batman” as well, which is just another point in its favor.
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3. “The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings”
FOX
For a while, this seemed like it would be the final episode of “Futurama.” It was the final FOX episode, even if that wasn’t completely certain when they were making it. Fortunately, it worked just fine as a series finale. Had this been the last episode of “Futurama,” we would have had no complaints about the epic, operatic “The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings.”
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2. “The Farnsworth Parabox”
FOX
In terms of the sci-fi forward episode of the show, “The Farnsworth Parabox” is the best. A show about science in the future had to do parallel universes eventually, right. In the world of the show, these universes exist in boxes, and it’s a ton of fun to watch the Planet Express crew go from box to box meeting the crews of other universes.
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1. “War is the H-Word”
FOX
We could just say that “War is the H-Word” is the funniest episode of “Futurama.” That goes a long way to explaining why it is the best episode. It has so many great jokes and comedy conceits. The episode is endlessly quotable, with Fry, Bender, and Zapp Brannigan all deliver amazing lines. Fry and Bender join the Army to get a discount on gum and end up having to serve in a war. There’s some war movie parody, a “MASH” parody,” and enough great jokes to be so entertaining as to be better than any other episode of the show. Good news, indeed.
Chris Morgan is a sports and pop culture writer and the author of the booksThe Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000andThe Ash Heap of History. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisXMorgan.
FAQs
The 25 best episodes of 'Futurama', ranked? ›
WORST: "SATURDAY MORNING FUN PIT"
Unfortunately, audiences were mostly stuck with episodes like "Saturday Morning Fun Pit." This is the nadir of Futurama's creativity. The episode takes on old Saturday Morning cartoons like Scooby Doo and G.I.
- “Roswell That Ends Well” (Season 4, Episode 1) ...
- “When Aliens Attack" (Season 2, Episode 3) ...
- “How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back” (Season 2, Episode 11) ...
- “The Luck of the Fryrish” (Season 3, Episode 4) ...
- “A Fishful of Dollars” (Season 1, Episode 6)
- 1 "Jurassic Bark" — Season 4, Episode 7.
- 2 "The Luck of the Fryrish" — Season 3, Episode 4. ...
- 3 "Meanwhile" — Season 7, Episode 26. ...
- 4 "The Late Philip J. ...
- 5 "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" — Season 4, Episode 18. ...
- 6 "The Sting" — Season 4, Episode 12. ...
WORST: "SATURDAY MORNING FUN PIT"
Unfortunately, audiences were mostly stuck with episodes like "Saturday Morning Fun Pit." This is the nadir of Futurama's creativity. The episode takes on old Saturday Morning cartoons like Scooby Doo and G.I.
In short, Futurama has four endings because it's been axed four times. You may be surprised the first time you're canceled, but you should be prepared by the fourth.
Is Fry depressed Futurama? ›Fry is once more depressed that he didn't get to tell his mother what he wanted to, however, Nibbler says Fry will be rewarded. Fry is given the opportunity to visit his mother's dream in the year 2000 and tell her everything he needs to.
What's the funniest episode of Futurama? ›1. “War is the H-Word” We could just say that “War is the H-Word” is the funniest episode of “Futurama.” That goes a long way to explaining why it is the best episode. It has so many great jokes and comedy conceits.
Who is the least popular Futurama character? ›Worst: Zoidberg
Zoidberg is a lobster-like alien creature who works as the staff physician at Planet Express. Due to his obnoxious behavior and often disgusting nature, Zoidberg is generally disliked by everyone he encounters.
Parents Need to Know
The language can be crass, there are allusions to sex, characters drink and make drug references, and there is some cartoon violence. In general, characters don't cross the line when it comes to disrespecting each other, which would put the show into a more menacing sci-fi genre.
It should come as no surprise that this episode of Breaking Bad is the only TV episode with a perfect 10 out of 10 on IMDb, since you'd need to live under a rock to not have heard at least a few people refer to this as the greatest episode of television ever made.
Why is it still blurry Futurama? ›
Zapp Brannigan : Magnify that death sphere. Zapp Brannigan : Why is it still blurry? Kif Kroker : That's all the resolution we have. Making it bigger doesn't make it clearer.
How long would it take to watch all of Futurama? ›Time Requirements: Watching at a perfectly reasonable three episodes a day should get you through the show in just under seven weeks, a perfect summer project. But let's be honest—once you're under *Futurama'*s Hypnotoad-infused spell, you won't be able to go through it that slowly.
How long to beat Futurama? ›| Single-Player | Polled | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Main Story | 7 | 7h 36m |
| Main + Extras | 3 | 8h 10m |
| Completionist | 1 | 12h 26m |
| All PlayStyles | 11 | 8h 12m |
Futurama (1999–2013)
Leela: "I do." Why It's Perfect: The finale of Futurama saw Fry and Leela as the only moving, talking people left on Earth after time had completely stopped. As a result, they spent the rest of their lives together, growing old as the rest of the world stood still.
Futurama was created by The Simpsons mastermind Groening and intended to air as a companion to the long-running animated series on Sundays on Fox.
How far in the future is Futurama? ›Throughout that hilarious vision of the future, depicted over the course of 17 years, the show also did its fair share of lampooning what it predicted would be the absurd ways we'd be living in the 31st century.
Who does Fry love in Futurama? ›Leela. Leela is Fry's main love interest and later wife. His love for her provides a major plotline throughout the series.
Is Fry still rich Futurama? ›$4.3 billion dollars may seem a ludicrous amount for Fry's bank account, but it is correct. Starting with 93 cents, compound interest of 2.25% over 1000 years comes to exactly $4,283,508,449.71.
Does Bender actually like Fry? ›The only one of his friends who he has openly shown affection for is Fry, his best friend and roommate. "Of all the friends I've had, [he is] the first." Although he is verbally and physically abusive towards Fry and considers him to be vastly inferior to him, he has been shown to care for him a great deal.
Why is there no Bender in New Futurama? ›John DiMaggio and Hulu jointly announced March 1 that the original Bender voice actor would return for the show's upcoming revival. DiMaggio's involvement was in question after he originally refused to join the revival because he felt the cast was not being paid enough.
What was the 100th episode of Futurama? ›
"The Mutants Are Revolting" is the twelfth episode in the sixth season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 100th episode of the series.
Who is the 3 boobed character on Futurama? ›Boobs Vanderbilt was a poker player, she was one of the finalists in the 3009's Universal Poker Championship. Unfortunately, she shared the same fate as "Tex" Connecticut, when two giant prop cards dropped from the ceiling killing them both.
Who is the oldest human in Futurama? ›Professor Farnsworth is the oldest human being living on earth (excluding those who have been cryogenically frozen or are kept alive as heads in jars), a title he acquired upon turning 160.
Who is Fry's best friend in Futurama? ›Fry and Bender Bending Rodriguez is a recurring theme on Futurama. They are often called best friends.
Is Futurama R rated? ›Futurama 's episode ratings in the United States are TV-PG for suggestive dialogue (D), offensive language (L), sexual content (S), and/or graphic violence (V) in its earlier episodes on Fox and on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim airings.
What age is Fry Futurama? ›Age. Fry was frozen at age 25 for 1000 years making him 1025. Then 4 years later at age 1029 chronologically, was youthisized to age 14, reverse-aged to near unbirth, then re-aged, supposedly to his correct biological age, 29, in the fountain of aging (4ACV09).
Is Futurama considered an anime? ›Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later revived by Comedy Central. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years and revived on December 31, 2999.
What's the most watched TV episode ever? ›Most watched broadcasts of all time
The most watched primetime programs (non Super Bowl related) are the finale of M*A*S*H in 1983 (106 million viewers), Roots ("Part VIII"), The Day After (tied at 100 million), Leon Spinks vs.
| DAVE | IMDb | TITLE |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 9.0 | From the Earth to the Moon (1998) |
| 10 | 9.0 | The Dark Knight (2008) |
| 10 | 9.0 | Pulp Fiction (1994) |
| 9 | 9.0 | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) |
Question: Which are the top 10 highest rated tv series on IMDb? Answer: As of January 2023, Breaking Bad, The Last Of Us, Game Of Thrones, The Sopranos, Rick and Morty, The Office, Better Call Saul, FRIENDS, True Detective and Seinfeld are the highest rated shows on IMDb.
Will they ever reboot Futurama? ›
And now, Matt Groening's Futurama is back with a bang, and this time on Hulu. The announcement came in February 2022, when the popular sitcom was ordered for a 20-episode revival, or technically its eleventh and twelfth seasons, with the first 10 episodes to be released in 2023.
What is the sad episode of Futurama? ›| "Jurassic Bark" | |
|---|---|
| Futurama episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Swinton O. Scott III |
| Written by | Eric Kaplan |
Major Depression Disorder
Besides his love interest in Leela through his adolescence, Fry has short and brief stints with other women.
Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy, is accidentally frozen in 1999 and thawed out on New Year's Eve 2999.
Does Futurama end in a time loop? ›Matt Groening and David X. Cohen finished their run with “Futurama” by giving Fry a button that can only travel back 10 seconds in time, which later leaves him stuck in an infinite 10-second time loop.
What show takes the longest to binge watch? ›- Grey's Anatomy. Seasons: 16 (and counting) ...
- The X Files. Seasons: 11. ...
- Silent Witness. Seasons: 23 (and counting) ...
- ER. Seasons: 15. ...
- Will and Grace. Seasons: 11. ...
- Modern Family. Seasons: 11. ...
- Friends. Seasons: 10. ...
- The Big Bang Theory. Seasons: 12.
Age(s) Although Bender's body was made in 2996, making him 4 years old, his head is an additional 1055 years old because it was buried in the ground for centuries after traveling back in time.
What year does Futurama end? ›The show aired its final episode on September 4, 2013. In February 2022, Hulu revived the series with a 20-episode order set to premiere on July 24, 2023.
How long was Fry frozen in Futurama? ›When New Year's arrived at midnight, he toasted to “another lousy millennium,” only for him to lose his balance on his chair and fall backward into an open Cryogenic tube and was frozen for 1000 years. Originally, Nibbler caused Fry to lose his balance by blowing on his chair.
What is Bender from Futurama last name? ›Bender: whose full name is Bender Bending Rodríguez, is a main character in the animated television series Futurama.
Will Futurama have bender? ›
"From the moment John DiMaggio auditioned last century, we knew we had our Bender," Groening said. "So congrats to everyone at Futurama. We're all back, baby!" Cohen spoke to DiMaggio's character in his statement, saying "John DiMaggio may be a great robot, but he's also a great human being.
How many times did Fox cancel Futurama? ›How many times has Futurama been cancelled? Futurama has only been canceled twice. When the series said goodbye in 2013, its creators had aired four episodes as possible series finales.
Is Futurama realistic? ›Futurama is basically a parody of all thing's science fiction. But science fiction tends to have different ranges in how much it attempts to be accurate. Some science fiction draws on concepts rooted in reality, while others stretch more into the imagination.
Why was Futurama Cancelled 2003? ›Technically, Futurama was never cancelled, it was simply not renewed. In usual production, the purchase of an additional production season, usually comes near the end of its current production season, as to not put the production company on hold for too long, which would eventually cause a loss of money.
Why did Futurama stop for 2 years? ›Futurama has been canceled by Comedy Central, though they did not state any specific reason. Shows are typically canceled due to poor ratings. Matt Groening has said that he would like to get it picked up by another network, but being canceled twice is going to make that much more difficult.
Will Bender be in Futurama 2023? ›Cohen's cult animated sci-fi comedy returns with new episodes on Hulu in 2023. Holdout John DiMaggio has closed a deal to reprise his signature voice role as foul-mouthed robot Bender and an assortment of other characters in the revival, which has a 20-episode order.
How many times has Futurama been rebooted? ›It's Futurama's third revival, after a direct-to-video season and a Comedy Central reboot, and the timing couldn't be more perfect for this hit comedy series.
Who picked up Futurama? ›After a brief 10-year freeze, Hulu swooped in and ordered 20 episodes. The cast also includes John DiMaggio,Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman. Futurama was created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen.
What was the best season of Futurama? ›- Season 3. 20th Television. The creme de la creme of "Futurama" undoubtedly lies in its third season.
- Season 5. 20th Television. ...
- Season 2. 20th Television. ...
- Season 4. 20th Television. ...
- Season 1. 20th Television. ...
- Season 7. 20th Television. ...
- Season 6. 20th Television. ...
- Season 10. 20th Television. ...
Unpredictable references; not for young kids. Parents need to know that because Futurama's content can be unpredictable, it's not meant for younger kids. The language can be crass, there are allusions to sex, characters drink and make drug references, and there is some cartoon violence.
Is Fry the oldest in Futurama? ›
Despite being the least mature of the Planet Express Crew, he is the second oldest member chronologically after Bender.
Why is Fry rich in Futurama? ›Fry discovers his bank account interest has made him a billionaire and buys the one thing the year 3000 doesn't have: anchovies. Fry discovers his bank account interest has made him a billionaire and buys the one thing the year 3000 doesn't have: anchovies.
Who is the best Futurama couple? ›Futurama's Leela and Fry were the central couple of the series - and they definitely had their ups and downs!
Why is Bender not in new Futurama? ›Voice actor John DiMaggio, who brought the alcoholic robot Bender to life in every Futurama episode, won't be back for the recently announced series revival. According to a statement published by DiMaggio on Twitter, the reason is that Hulu refused to negotiate proper payment for all returning cast members.
Does Futurama have cussing in it? ›Profanity (7)
Very mild and infrequent, but still occasionally heard.
Fry was frozen at age 25 for 1000 years making him 1025. Then 4 years later at age 1029 chronologically, was youthisized to age 14, reverse-aged to near unbirth, then re-aged, supposedly to his correct biological age, 29, in the fountain of aging (4ACV09).