Review
Futurama Season 3 DVD
10th July 2003

Futurama was a series (when it started), which was hard to like. After a decade and a bit, Simpsons creator Matt Groening turned his attentions elsewhere. He created a new series called Futurama- a show about a pizza delivery boy called Fry who gets cryogenically frozen on the eve of the 2nd millennia; and subsequently wakes up in the year 3000 (not much has changed but they live underwater- just kidding) to find the world of science fiction which he dreamt about. Quite a different concept then a family’s own small town America. In this show there wasn’t a mischievous child; but a alcoholic robot, and there wasn’t a blue haired housewife: instead, a 1 eyed mutant. It also lost the Simpsons “and the moral of the story is…” ideals, for that reason, it was denounced by critics and alienated its family demographic. Yet, to most young admirers of the Simpsons it seemed fresh and new, with comedy placed ahead of (dare I say it) morality, and attracted a strong cult audience.

Now in its third (and penultimate?) series it is still going strong. It has built up strong, likeable, and very funny characters and the stories remain fresh and new. And, unlike the Simpsons, you can watch most of the episodes over and over, because like all good shows, you always find something new which you missed on the first or second viewing. The stories are never really interlinked, instead you get a series of 22 minute long vignettes designed to make you laugh, there is no ulterior motive. Like the now defunct “Family Guy” it exists to give you a good laugh and that is it. Some claim that this is a bad thing, but hey, we’ve got shows like “The West Wing” and “Six Feet Under” to make us think.

And also, as many zealous Simpsons fans will have to admit, in the past few seasons it has felt like Groening and James L. Brooks were simply running out of ideas, with plots that began to feel more and more like they had been done before, with Futurama it seems as if there is limitless potential, with episodes ranging from a journey through Fry’s bowels, to Bender becoming a folk singer. The episodes are well written and jam packed full of references ( the robot mental asylum is called the “HAL institute- get it?). Add this to new, inventive animation and a colourful, space age setting and you get a show which will not disappoint, with the third series building on the first two.

Yet, why Fox? Why? As soon as a good series comes their way they axe it, while COPS gets yet another season. It happened with Family Guy and now it’s happened with Futurama. Why should good, popular shows be axed to make room for more dreary sitcoms and corny dramas? It just seems stupid, and I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Futurama will be missed. But for now, enjoy the third series and at £30 for 20 episodes I advise you to break open the piggy bank and buy this DVD.