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Futurama Revival Announced for Hulu With Most of the Original Cast - IGN

Futurama Revival Announced for Hulu With Most of the Original Cast

Futurama revival hopes to get John DiMaggio back as Bender.

Futurama is being revived, again! This time Hulu has ordered 20 new episodes of the sci-fi animated comedy.

Producer David X. Cohen and creator Matt Groening have signed on to bring its beloved animated series centered around a space delivery crew in the year 3000 back on the air. Original voice members Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman are all set to reprise their roles.

Variety reports that John DiMaggio, who voiced Bender, is not currently attached. However, producers are “hopeful” DiMaggio will sign back on with the series otherwise the role will be recast.

Hulu’s revival of Futurama is set to begin production this month with plans for a 2023 premiere. Creator Matt Groening calls it a “true honor to announce the triumphant return of Futurama one more time before we get canceled abruptly again.”

Futurama first aired on Fox from 199 to 2003. The series starred a pizza delivery boy named Fry who was cryogenically frozen only to be awoken in the year 3000. After the series ended its original run four direct-to-DVD movies were produced and then re-aired as a new season. Comedy Central then revived Futurama in 2010 before ending again.

Futurama is considered one of the best adult animated sitcoms in TV history, embracing the ridiculousness of sci-fi as well as its heart. Futurama paid respects to the classic sci-fi shows of its time, particularly Star Trek, but also forged its own path in the genre.

Sweet.

199 to 2003 is quite the run.

Good news Everyone!!

Lets hope they are as vicious to Disney as they were to FOX

 Dreadwinter wrote:
199 to 2003 is quite the run.

Yeah - who needs proof-readers! (1999-2003, then 2010-2011 & 2012-2013)

I’m cautiously hopeful but also dubious it’ll be as good as it was.

I never found any of the TV movies or revival series funny. Original Futurama was already running out of steam by 2003.


Though, if they go the Picard grimdark reboot path, I might watch just to see Lurr extract the eyes of a screaming Scruffy.

I love Futurama. It is my all time favorite show. I have watched the episodes many, many, many times. It is one of my wind down shows to watch while I relax before bed (I watched "The Series Has Landed" last night). I have the Futurama theme as a ringtone. I love Futurama. I was extremely disappointed when it was originally cancelled and excited when it came back. Unfortunately the excitement didn't last as a lot of the new episodes felt like something was missing. I don't know if it was the tone had changed or the magic was gone. Also if I recall a lot of the original writers didn't return and there were fewer writers in general for the show. The return series just felt less than before. I worry that this new return would be just like that.

A few years back when I compiled a list of Futurama episodes in order of favorite to not favorite there were only two of the newer episodes in my top 70 with "Meanwhile" coming in at number 5 and "Murder on the Planet Express" at 37. While this would have been great to hear years ago I just fear the new series will be more of the same disappointment as the last revival. I am glad that there are new episodes, I just don't want them to taint the legacy of the show as a whole like the last 20 years have done to the Simpsons. The series had a solid ending the first time around with "The Devils Hands are Idle Playthings", a somewhat unfulfilling ending with "Into the Wild Green Yonder", and a much better ending than was expected with "Meanwhile". You aren't going to do better. Be happy that you created a beloved an iconic show. Leave it at that.

Eh.

It was mostly fine for the most part. But maybe the creators should move on to other things?

The entertainment industry needs to do more than operate on nostalgia. Especially short-term nostalgia, which is just a weird concept.

Does Futurama have any remaining competition for the title of "most confusing run of any high-budget TV show?"

Very disappointed to hear this. When they got their new run after the movies, they were already kinda hitting "meh" territory for a lot of the episodes, but thankfully the series finale at the time was a really good send off to Fry and Leela and had a fantastic way of looping it together as a series as a whole. I don't know what they'll do to undo the time loop, but I think it's a huge mistake to revive it. I really don't want another simpsons that's basically a zombie show carrying on through sheer inertia.

I have to pass. to left for me

 Peterhausenn wrote:
I love Futurama. It is my all time favorite show. I have watched the episodes many, many, many times. It is one of my wind down shows to watch while I relax before bed (I watched "The Series Has Landed" last night). I have the Futurama theme as a ringtone. I love Futurama. I was extremely disappointed when it was originally cancelled and excited when it came back. Unfortunately the excitement didn't last as a lot of the new episodes felt like something was missing. I don't know if it was the tone had changed or the magic was gone. Also if I recall a lot of the original writers didn't return and there were fewer writers in general for the show. The return series just felt less than before. I worry that this new return would be just like that.

See I'm in the same boat. I binged them a while back on Amazon and there is a very distinct shift in the show between the original series and where they got their first reboot. It shifted from something that was about the characters and the story of those characters, to a series more like Family Guy in that it was more about the pun of the week; however they also doubled down on slinging mud at their former bosses (the very first new episode was basically a middle finger for the entire run). The tone changed, the attitude changed, the characters became a little more extreme in themselves - locked in - rather than the more establishing itself story of the original.

And the original was slightly more story driven than, say, Simpsons.

The tone certainly changed over the years and the big gaps between seasons and the shift in attitude, focus, styles and more I think also makes for BIG swings in how its presented and what we get from it.

So yeah a part of me does worry that its perhaps this new Futurama will be so different and after so long.

Look, with Futurama you always have mediocre episodes, and then you have those shining moments of glory. I could definitely have done without Near Death Wish- but I'd put Fun on the Bun up against most any episode from 1-4. I say it's worth a season of lackluster episodes for those 1 or 2 episodes that are as good as most anything Futurama has ever done.

It's less that the new season stuff was outright "bad" but more that it had a very different tone and style to the original seasons and that now another revival, again a long long time after the first and the last, might well have another very different tone and style and be even more removed from the original.


It's different to when a show, like Stargate or NCIS, evolves over time with cast changes and story development, because typically those are steadily happening over time. If you keep up with them as they change you don't "see" the changes so starkly - you tend to notice more if you dip in and out and miss a few seasons change.

Futurama underwent those similar changes, but there was no "in show" gradual change just the hard "end of season" and then a long wait.

It’s one of my favourite shows.
I’m up for a new run. Just not without DiMaggio as Bender though.
That would be the clincher.

Shows change over time and it inevitable. Futurama while it did change, I found that at its heart it remained he same.
I’ll definitely check it out as I’ve been watching I all with my kids now that they’re becoming teens. They love it too and will be stoked for another run.

I won’t lament anything until I watch it. But watch it? I will.

I'm cautiously excited. The last revival had some really strong episodes once they shook off that odd trend of trying to do stories about modern events IN THE WORLD OF TOMORROW! Once it got back into its niche it was pretty solid, though it will always struggle just by virtue of every new episode behind compared with the Seymour level stuff.

If they don't get DiMaggio though.... pretty much no chance.

So, pretty much no scripted show has a peak of longer than five seasons. Even stone classics like Seinfeld or Cheers have "eras" of varying quality. Basically, there's only so much charactecter growth you can have while also keeping the show recognizable. I mean, think about your own life: how long does a family, friend group, or workplace keep all of it's members together in one place? Growth means change, and TV shows can't really change.

However, the character moments in Futurama were the sizzle, not the steak. Futurama, even at it's best, was simply a classic workplace sitcom, where a wacky adventure comes up and the characters work to resolve it. This runs into such a well known problem of running out of material that Southpark famously did a "Simpsons did it" episode in 2002!

So, lets just hope there are some decent gags and fun episodes, and not worry about tarnishing the legacy of OG Futurama. I mean, even the original run included clunkers like The Honking, the route of all Evie or Bend Her. It won't take away from the brilliance of Luck of the Fryish, War is the H word, or Roswell's that Ends Well. (Nothing makes me laugh harder than the line "Ohh, a lesson in not changing history from Mr. "I'm My Own Grandfather"!")

 Polonius wrote:
So, pretty much no scripted show has a peak of longer than five seasons. Even stone classics like Seinfeld or Cheers have "eras" of varying quality. Basically, there's only so much charactecter growth you can have while also keeping the show recognizable. I mean, think about your own life: how long does a family, friend group, or workplace keep all of it's members together in one place? Growth means change, and TV shows can't really change.

I disagree on a mostly pedantic level: South Park had a pretty well-defined winning streak from about season seven to midway through season fifteen, and throughout this period there was little discernable change in the show from a storytelling or characterization standpoint. That's a little more than seven seasons, or almost a decade of content without any major alterations and only a few truly bad episodes.

Your point is still accurate, but exceptions do exist.

‘Futurama’ Star John DiMaggio Seems To Be As Livvid As Fans Are That He’s Not Returning For The Hulu Revival - Uproxxx
(The proof-reader strikes again!)

Again, while DiMaggio hasn’t publicly commented on the development, sometimes retweets are endorsements. Should enough people raise a fuss, the bad news may not be bad for all that longer.

And:

Mark Hamill wrote:
Replying to @TheJohnDiMaggio:
Please be reassured I will NOT be auditioning for the role of FAKE Bender, pal. You are one-of-a-kind!

 Polonius wrote:
So, lets just hope there are some decent gags and fun episodes, and not worry about tarnishing the legacy of OG Futurama. I mean, even the original run included clunkers like The Honking, the route of all Evie or Bend Her. It won't take away from the brilliance of Luck of the Fryish, War is the H word, or Roswell's that Ends Well. (Nothing makes me laugh harder than the line "Ohh, a lesson in not changing history from Mr. "I'm My Own Grandfather"!")

I feel like this is why Futurama keeps coming back honestly.

The worst episodes are rarely so bad they're awful. They're just meh. The one that are good, the ones that stick in our minds and keep the show in memory, have been great.

Even the revival seasons had a few good episodes. The one sad thought I have about another season is that the season 7 finale was probably the best possible note the show could ever end on, as perfectly sappy as it was.

 LordofHats wrote:
Even the revival seasons had a few good episodes. The one sad thought I have about another season is that the season 7 finale was probably the best possible note the show could ever end on, as perfectly sappy as it was.

Agreed.

It also makes perfect sense that later seasons of any show start focusing more on the characters and relationships the viewers have become invested in, slapstick only gets you so far.

 Flipsiders wrote:

 Polonius wrote:
So, pretty much no scripted show has a peak of longer than five seasons. Even stone classics like Seinfeld or Cheers have "eras" of varying quality. Basically, there's only so much charactecter growth you can have while also keeping the show recognizable. I mean, think about your own life: how long does a family, friend group, or workplace keep all of it's members together in one place? Growth means change, and TV shows can't really change.

I disagree on a mostly pedantic level: South Park had a pretty well-defined winning streak from about season seven to midway through season fifteen, and throughout this period there was little discernable change in the show from a storytelling or characterization standpoint. That's a little more than seven seasons, or almost a decade of content without any major alterations and only a few truly bad episodes.

Your point is still accurate, but exceptions do exist.

Even then, Southpark has shorter seasons, so that kind of helps. I'm not a scholar on southpark, so I can't really contest the merits of your claim, but a quick google search turns up a bit less of consensus on the SP golden age comp[ared to say, the Simpsons, or Seinfeld (both 3-7). I'd also point out that southpark has (or had) a lot of episodes that very directly responded to current events, and is less conventionally scripted. I think that helps keep a show fresh.

It's one of my all time favourite shows, so I'm cautious to say the least.

From what I hear the cast seemed to enjoy the show and had a good time doing it so they wanted to do another series of episodes.

My only real complaint is that it's on sodding Hulu which I don't want to have to pay for.

Also the Honking is a great episode and has one of the funniest little gags of all time:

 Polonius wrote:
So, pretty much no scripted show has a peak of longer than five seasons. Even stone classics like Seinfeld or Cheers have "eras" of varying quality. Basically, there's only so much charactecter growth you can have while also keeping the show recognizable. I mean, think about your own life: how long does a family, friend group, or workplace keep all of it's members together in one place? Growth means change, and TV shows can't really change.

However, the character moments in Futurama were the sizzle, not the steak. Futurama, even at it's best, was simply a classic workplace sitcom, where a wacky adventure comes up and the characters work to resolve it. This runs into such a well known problem of running out of material that Southpark famously did a "Simpsons did it" episode in 2002!

So, lets just hope there are some decent gags and fun episodes, and not worry about tarnishing the legacy of OG Futurama. I mean, even the original run included clunkers like The Honking, the route of all Evie or Bend Her. It won't take away from the brilliance of Luck of the Fryish, War is the H word, or Roswell's that Ends Well. (Nothing makes me laugh harder than the line "Ohh, a lesson in not changing history from Mr. "I'm My Own Grandfather"!")

I tend to agree about shows running out of steam, but they’ve had a break of nearly ten years, so that might actually help. There’s been plenty of time for the creative juices to refresh, plus a lot of Futurama was riffing on real world issues and the world has changed quite a bit, so a lot of new stuff to work with.

As you say i hope the break has given them time to think and lets them come up with some fresh(ish) stuff

and it better have the real Bender Bending Rodriguez or i'll make my own Futurama, with blackjack and hookers

Hm. Apparently Bender’s wants to be paid more money than what the others found acceptable.

https://ew.com/tv/futurama-john-dimaggio-wont-voice-bender-revival-for-now/

Just so its clear, DiMaggio said this:

Reading a tiny bit between the lines, and looking at his IMDB, Dimaggio is kept pretty busy, and as such his fee is probably higher.

Voice actors can record their lines in far less time than live action work, but you can still be booked. Or booked enough that doing futurama means turning down other projects.

Yeah, Dimaggio tends to be doing 2-3 series at any given time. He stays VERY busy.