There are a lot of TV revivals these days. But is this the first revival of a revival?
Futurama is the show that just cannot be killed. Created by Matt Groening, the original run — about the misadventures of a delivery crew in the year 3000 — was a cult hit on Fox, where it aired for four seasons. But it never attained the popularity of its sister series, The Simpsons, and Fox ended the show in 2003. Reruns on Adult Swim and DVDs helped expand its audience and in 2007 the show was brought back, first in a series of direct-to-video movies, and then as two more full seasons, all of which aired on Comedy Central through 2013.
And now it’s getting a second revival in the streaming era, this time on Hulu, which has ordered a whole new season of ten episodes. This Futurama was briefly the subject of controversy when the voice of Bender, the show’s lovably irresponsible robot, did not sign on for the new episodes. Actor John DiMaggio was still working on his deal for the new season when the revival was first announced; at the time, it was claimed that if DiMaggio did not sign on, then Bender would simply be recast. Luckily, a deal was made and DiMaggio returned along with other series stars like Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman.
Here’s a very brief teaser for the new show, which debuts in July:
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Here is the new season’s official synopsis:
After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The ten all-new episodes of season eleven have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries – including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles. Meanwhile there’s a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV.
The new season of Futurama premieres on Hulu on July 24. One episode will debut on that date; new installments follow weekly on Mondays.
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