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Encyclopedia > Futurama

Futurama
An opening title for Futurama
The opening title screen for Futurama.
Genre Sitcom
Science fiction
Format Animated series
Created by Matt Groening
Developed by Matt Groening
David X. Cohen
Voices of Billy West
Katey Sagal
John DiMaggio
Phil LaMarr
Lauren Tom
Maurice LaMarche
Tress MacNeille
David Herman
Frank Welker
Kath Soucie
Tom Kenny
Composer(s) Christopher Tyng
Country of origin United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 76 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive
producer(s)
Matt Groening
David X. Cohen
Ken Keeler
Running time 22 minutes approx.
Broadcast
Original channel Fox (1999–2003)
Comedy Central (2008–present)
Picture format 480i (SDTV) (Seasons 1-4)
720p/1080p (HDTV) (Season 5 - present)
Original run March 28, 1999August 10, 2003 (Fox)
March 23, 2008 – present (Comedy Central)
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Futurama is an Emmy Award-winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, and developed by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox network. The series follows the adventures of a former New York City pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry after he is accidentally frozen, seconds after the start of a new millennium, on January 1, 2000 and is revived one thousand years in the future. The Futurama was an exhibit/ride at the 1939-40 New York Worlds Fair held in the USA, designed by Norman Bel Geddes that showed the world 20 years into the future, including automated highways and vast suburbs. ... Image File history File links Futurama_title_screen. ... In motion pictures, an intertitle is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i. ... This article is about a genre of comedy. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... David X. Cohen (born 1966), born David Samuel Cohen, is an American television writer. ... For the silent film-era actor, see Billy West (silent film actor). ... Katey Sagal (born Catherine Louise Sagal on January 19, 1954)[1] is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress, singer, and writer, best known for her roles in Futurama, 8 Simple Rules, and Married. ... John William DiMaggio (born September 4, 1968) is an American voice actor. ... Phillip Phil LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and prolific voice actor as well as one of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv. ... Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress and voice actress. ... Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor and former stand up comedian. ... Tress MacNeille (born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated television shows The Simpsons, Futurama, and Animaniacs. ... This article is about the actor and comedian. ... Franklin W. Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. ... Kath Soucie (born February 20, 1967 in New York City) (sometimes credited as Souci or Kath E. Soucie) is an American voice actress, perhaps best known for her work as the voice of the Princess Sally of (SatAM) or the Saturday morning cartoon of Sonic The Hedgehog. ... This article has been illustrated as part of WikiProject WikiWorld. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The complete Futurama DVD collection The following is an episode list for the FOX animated television series Futurama. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... David X. Cohen (born 1966), born David Samuel Cohen, is an American television writer. ... Keeler at the 2003 Writers Guild Awards, after winning in the animation category. ... FOX redirects here. ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode. ... ... JOHN HERMAN SUCKS FAT DICK ... 1080p is the shorthand name for a category of display resolutions. ... High-definition television (HDTV) means broadcast of television signals with a higher resolution than traditional formats (NTSC, SECAM, PAL) allow. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... An Emmy Award. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... David X. Cohen (born 1966), born David Samuel Cohen, is an American television writer. ... FOX redirects here. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Lombardis Pizza at 32 Spring Street in Little Italy, Manhattan A slice of New York-style plain pizza New York-style pizza is a common style of pizza, originating from New York City. ... Philip J. Fry is the protagonist of the animated television series Futurama and is voiced by Billy West. ... Not to be confused with cryogenics. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...


In the United States, the series aired from March 28, 1999 to August 10, 2003 on Fox before ceasing production. Futurama was then aired on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, from January 2003 to December 2007, when the network's contract expired. The series was revived in 2007 as four straight-to-DVD films which would then be split into a sixteen-episode fifth season. Comedy Central entered into an agreement with 20th Century Fox Television to syndicate the existing episodes and air the films as new episodes in an episodic format.[1][2] Comedy Central began airing Futurama on January 2, 2008,[3] with new episodes starting on March 23, 2008. is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... FOX redirects here. ... Adult Swim, usually stylized [adult swim], is an adult-oriented television network sharing channel space with Cartoon Network in the United States. ... For Cartoon Network outside of the United States, see Cartoon Network around the world. ... A film that is released direct-to-video (also straight-to-video) is one which has been released to the public on home video formats first rather than first being released in movie theaters. ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... 20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of the 20th Century Fox movie studio, a subsidiary of News Corporation. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...


The name "Futurama" comes from a pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Designed by Norman Bel Geddes, the Futurama pavilion depicted what he imagined the world to look like in 1959.[4] Trylon, Perisphere and Helicline photo by Sam Gottscho The 1939-40 New York Worlds Fair, located on the current site of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964-1965 New York Worlds Fair), was one of the largest worlds fairs of all time. ... The insignia used by Bel Geddes in his published works. ... The Futurama was an exhibit/ride at the 1939-40 New York Worlds Fair held in the USA, designed by Norman Bel Geddes that showed the world 20 years into the future, including automated highways and vast suburbs. ...

Contents

Cast and characters

See also: List of recurring robot characters from Futurama, List of recurring human characters from Futurama, and List of recurring alien characters from Futurama

Futurama is essentially a workplace sitcom whose plot revolves around the Planet Express delivery company and its employees,[5] a small group that doesn't conform to future society.[6] Episodes invariably feature the central trio of Fry, Leela and Bender, though storylines centered on the other main characters are common. Futuramas recurring robot characters: // Boxy is a crude, Dalek-like robot similar to the Gonk droid from Star Wars, that is capable of communicating only by beeping. ... Futurama has a large number of recurring characters which help add comic energy to the series. ... Futuramas recurring characters: // The Brain Slugs are small, gelatinous, fist-sized aliens that attach themselves to human heads and act as mind-control devices, reducing their hosts to a zombie-like state. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ...

Philip J. Fry (Billy West)
Philip J. Fry is an immature, slovenly pizza delivery boy who accidentally becomes frozen just after midnight on January 1, 2000, reawakening on New Year's Eve, 2999. He gets a job as a cargo delivery boy at Planet Express, a company owned by his closest living relative, Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth. Fry is, through actions which he takes in the episode "Roswell That Ends Well", his own grandfather.[5]
Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal)
Leela is the competent, one-eyed captain of the Planet Express Ship.[5] Abandoned as a baby, she grew up in an Orphanarium believing herself to be an alien from an unknown race. She later learns that she is actually a mutant from the sewers.[7]
Bender Bending Rodríguez (John DiMaggio)
Bender is a foul-mouthed, alcoholic, cigar-smoking, kleptomaniacal, misanthropic, egocentric, ill-tempered, pessimistic robot originally programmed to bend girders for suicide booths, and is now assistant sales manager of Planet Express. He is Fry's best friend and roommate.
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, a.k.a. The Professor (Billy West)
Born April 9, 2841, Professor Hubert Farnsworth is Fry's distant nephew.[8] Farnsworth founded Planet Express to fund his mad scientist-esque experiments and inventions. He clones himself to create a successor, Cubert Farnsworth.
Dr. John A. Zoidberg (Billy West)
Zoidberg is a lobster-like alien from the planet Decapod 10 and is the neurotic and self-conscious staff physician of Planet Express. Although he claims to be an expert on humans, his knowledge of human anatomy and physiology is woefully inadequate. Zoidberg is basically penniless and held in contempt by virtually all.
Amy Wong (Lauren Tom)
Amy is an incredibly rich, blunt, spoiled and extremely accident-prone long-term intern at Planet Express. She is an engineering student at Mars University and heiress to the western hemisphere of Mars. Though born on Mars, she is ethnically Chinese, prone to frequently cursing in Cantonese, and overuses 31st century slang. Her parents are Leo and Inez. Although initially portrayed as somewhat promiscuous, she eventually develops a relationship with Kif Kroker.
Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr)
Hermes is the Jamaican accountant of Planet Express. A bureaucrat and proud of it, he is a stickler for regulation. Hermes is also a former champion in Olympic Limbo, a sport derived from the popular dance and similar to the track event of hurdling. He has a wife, LaBarbara, and a 12-year-old son, Dwight.

Philip J. Fry is the protagonist of the animated television series Futurama and is voiced by Billy West. ... For the silent film-era actor, see Billy West (silent film actor). ... For other uses, see Pizza (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with cryogenics. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Roswell That Ends Well is the nineteenth episode of the third production season of the TV show Futurama. ... Turanga Leela (born A.D. 2975) is the primary female character in the animated television series Futurama. ... Katey Sagal (born Catherine Louise Sagal on January 19, 1954)[1] is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress, singer, and writer, best known for her roles in Futurama, 8 Simple Rules, and Married. ... This page is about the mythical creature. ... The Planet Express Ship is a fictional spaceship in the animated series Futurama. ... For other uses, see Orphanage (disambiguation). ... Green people redirects here. ... Futuramas recurring characters: Spoiler warning: // In the episode A Big Piece of Garbage, Ron Popeil, his severed head floating in a large jar, mentions several of his inventions including the (fictional) technology to keep human heads alive in jars, implicitly arresting the aging process. ... Bender, full name Bender Bending Rodríguez or designated Bending Unit 22, is a fictional robot character in the animated television series Futurama. ... John William DiMaggio (born September 4, 1968) is an American voice actor. ... In cartoons, profanity is often depicted by substituting symbols for words, as a form of non-specific censorship. ... Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ... For other uses, see Cigar (disambiguation). ... The cigarette is the most common method of smoking tobacco. ... Kleptomania (word of Greek origin) is an obsession with stealing. ... Misanthrope redirects here. ... In psychology, egocentrism is the characteristic of regarding oneself and ones own opinions or interests as most important. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... In the Is the glass half empty or half full? phenomenon, the pessimistic approach would be to pick half empty. ... For other uses, see robot (disambiguation). ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... A Stop and drop style Suicide Booth on Futurama A suicide booth is a fictional machine for committing suicide. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with flatshare. ... Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth is a fictional character appearing in the animated television series Futurama, voiced by Billy West. ... For the silent film-era actor, see Billy West (silent film actor). ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... They LAUGHED at my theories at the institute! Fools! Ill destroy them all! Caucasian, male, aging, crooked teeth, messy hair, lab coat, spectacles/goggles, dramatic posing — one popular stereotype of mad scientist. ... Cubert Farnsworth is Professor Hubert Farnsworths clone from the fictional animated television series Futurama. ... Dr. John Zoidberg is a fictional character in the television series Futurama. ... For the silent film-era actor, see Billy West (silent film actor). ... Subfamilies and Genera Neophoberinae Acanthacaris Thymopinae Nephropsis Nephropides Thymops Thymopsis Nephropinae Homarus Nephrops Homarinus Metanephrops Eunephrops Thymopides Clawed lobsters comprise a family (Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine crustaceans. ... Doctor Zoidberg, a Decapodian. ... A neurosis, in psychoanalytic theory, is an ineffectual coping strategy that Sigmund Freud suggested was caused by emotions from past experience overwhelming or interfering with present experience. ... Self-consciousness is the knowledge of ones own presence. ... For other uses, see Doctor. ... A boy from Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ... Amy Wong (born August 4, 2980 [1]) is a fictional character, one of the main characters from the FOX television animated series Futurama. ... Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress and voice actress. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Mars University is episode eleven of the first production season of Futurama. ... This article is about the planet. ... This article is about all of the Cantonese (Yue) dialects. ... Futurama has a large number of recurring characters which help add comic energy to the series. ... Promiscuity is the practice of making relatively unselective, casual and indiscriminate choices. ... Lieutenant Kif L. Kroker is a fictional character in the animated television show Futurama. ... Hermes Conrad is a character in the Futurama animated series. ... Phillip Phil LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and prolific voice actor as well as one of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv. ... A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy, usually within an institution of the government. ... Limbo is a novelty dance that originated on the island of Trinidad. ... Hurdling In track and field athletics there are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. ... Futurama has a large number of recurring characters which help add comic energy to the series. ... Futurama has a large number of recurring characters which help add comic energy to the series. ...

Setting

Fry's first glimpse of New New York City.
Fry's first glimpse of New New York City.

Futurama is set in New New York at the turn of the 31st century, in a time filled with technological wonders. The city of New New York has been built over the ruins of present-day New York City, referred to as "Old New York". Various devices and architecture are similar to the Populuxe design. Global warming, inflexible bureaucracy and substance abuse are a few of the subjects given a 31st century exaggeration in a world where the problems have become both more extreme and more common. Description Futurama character Philip J. Fry getting his first glimpse of New New York on December 31, 2999. ... Description Futurama character Philip J. Fry getting his first glimpse of New New York on December 31, 2999. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The Space Needle, built for Seattles Worlds Fair, 1962 Googie, also known as populuxe, is a form of architecture, originating from southern California in the late 1940s and continuing approximately into the mid-1960s. ... Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earths near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. ... This article is about the sociological concept. ... Also see Alcoholism and Drug addiction. ...


Numerous technological advances have been made between the present day and the 31st century. The ability to keep heads alive in jars was invented by Ron Popeil (who has a guest cameo in "A Big Piece of Garbage") which has resulted in many historical figures and current celebrities being present; this became the writers' excuse to feature and poke fun at celebrities in the show. Curiously, several of the preserved heads shown are those of people who were already dead well before the advent of this technology. One the most prominent examples of this anomaly being Richard Nixon who died in 1994. The Internet, while being fully immersive and encompassing all senses--even featuring its own digital world (similar to Tron or The Matrix), is slow and largely consists of pornography, pop-up ads, and "filthy" chat rooms. Some of it is edited to include educational material ostensibly for youth. Television is still a primary form of entertainment. Self-aware robots are a common sight, as well as being the main cause of global warming thanks to their alcohol-powered systems. The wheel is obsolete (no one but Fry even seems to recognize the design)[9] having been forgotten and replaced by hovering vehicles and a network of large, clear pneumatic transportation tubes. This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A Big Piece of Garbage is episode 8 in season 1 of Futurama. ... Nixon redirects here. ... Tron is a 1982 science fiction film starring Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn (and his counterpart inside the electronic world, Clu), Bruce Boxleitner as Alan Bradley (and Tron), Cindy Morgan as Lora Baines (and Yori) and Dan Shor as Ram. ... The Matrix series consists primarily of three films, The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. ... Porn redirects here. ... Dozens of pop-up ads covering a desktop. ... A chat room or chatroom is a term used primarily by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... For other uses, see Wheel (disambiguation). ... For the band, see Hovercraft (band). ... Pneumatic tubes, also known as capsule pipelines or Lamson tubes, are systems in which cylindrical containers are propelled through a network of tubes by compressed air or by vacuum. ...


Futurama's setting is a backdrop, and the writers are not above committing continuity errors if they serve to further the gags. For example, while the pilot episode implies that the previous Planet Express crew was killed by a space wasp, the later episode "The Sting" is based on the crew having been killed by space bees instead.[10] The "world of tomorrow" setting is used to highlight and lampoon issues of today and to parody the science fiction genre.[11] In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer. ... Space Pilot 3000 is the pilot episode of Futurama, which originally aired in North America on March 28, 1999. ... -1...


Society and culture

Earth is depicted as being multicultural to the extent where there are a wide range of human, robot, and extraterrestrial beings shown in the series who interact with the primary characters. In some ways the future is depicted as being more socially advanced than Fry's, and thus the audience's, reality. The future is often shown, though, to have many of the same types of problems, challenges, mistakes and prejudices of the present. Robots make up the largest "minority" in the series. While a few are depicted as wealthy members of the upper-class, they are often treated as second-class citizens.[9] Most robots are self-aware and have been granted freedom and free-will. However, at times of crisis, robots may have their free-will removed when their "patriotism circuits" are activated, forcing them to serve humans or to serve in the military in times of war.[12] Many robots live in apartments specially constructed for robots, with rooms the size of a typical coat closet and closets the size of typical rooms.[13] Sewer mutants are mutated humans who must live in the sewers by law. They hold urban legend status and are regarded as fictional by some members of the public. Multiculturalism or cultural pluralism is a policy, ideal, or reality that emphasizes the unique characteristics of different cultures in the world, especially as they relate to one another in immigrant receiving nations. ... For other uses, see Urban legend (disambiguation). ...


Religion is still a prominent part of society, although the dominant religions have evolved. A merger between the major religious groups of the 20th century has resulted in the First Amalgamated Church,[14] while Voodoo is now mainstream. New religions include Oprahism, Robotology, and the banned religion of Star Trek fandom. Religious figures in the series include Father Changstein-El-Gamal, the Robot Devil, Reverend Preacherbot and passing references to The Space Pope. While very few episodes focus exclusively on the religious aspect within the Futurama universe they do cover a wide variety of subjects including predestination, prayer, the nature of salvation, and religious conversion.[14]-1... Voodoo is a religious tradition originating in West Africa, which became prominent in the New World due to the importation of African slaves. ... Oprah Winfrey, (born January 29, 1954) is a multiple-Emmy Award winning host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the highest rated talk show in television history. ... Robotology is a fictional religion in the animated TV series Futurama. ... Trekker redirects here. ... Futurama has a large number of recurring characters which help add comic energy to the series. ... Robotology is a fictional religion in the animated TV series Futurama. ... Futuramas recurring robot characters: // Boxy is a crude, Dalek-like robot similar to the Gonk droid from Star Wars, that is capable of communicating only by beeping. ... Futuramas recurring characters: // The Brain Slugs are small, gelatinous, fist-sized aliens that attach themselves to human heads and act as mind-control devices, reducing their hosts to a zombie-like state. ...

Earthican flag, "Ol' Freebie".
Earthican flag, "Ol' Freebie".

Earth has a unified government headed by the President of Earth - Richard Nixon's head (from season 2 onwards). Earth's capital is Washington, D.C., and the flag of Earth is similar in design to the flag of the United States, with planet Earth displayed in place of the fifty stars. Image File history File links Earth_Flag. ... Image File history File links Earth_Flag. ... The United States of Earth flag, Old Freebie. The United States of Earth is the fictional world government in the TV series Futurama. ... Futurama has a large number of recurring characters which help add comic energy to the series. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Union Jack. ...


The Democratic Order Of Planets (D.O.O.P.) is a fictional organization in the Futurama universe which has been compared to both the United Nations and to the United Federation of Planets of the Star Trek universe.[15] Numerous other galaxies have been colonized or have made contact by the year 3000. Mars has been terraformed and is home to Mars University as well as tribes similar to Native Americans. UN redirects here. ... The United Federation of Planets, (also known as the UFP or The Federation) is a fictional interplanetary state depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures. ... This article is about the entire Star Trek franchise. ... For other uses, see Galaxy (disambiguation). ... Artists conception of a terraformed Mars in four stages of development. ... For other uses, see Native Americans (disambiguation). ...


The heads of the past presidents from George Washington to Bill Clinton and many famous, and infamous, people from our era are placed in jars. These heads are displayed in the National Head Museum. They are fed food in a similar way to fish. George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...


Linguistics

Alien Language 1 and its equivalent Latin characters.
Alien Language 1 and its equivalent Latin characters.

There are two alternative alphabets that appear often in the background of episodes, usually in the forms of graffiti, advertisements or warning labels. Nearly all messages using alternative scripts translate directly into English. The first alphabet consists of abstract characters and is referred to as Alienese,[7] a simple substitution cipher from the Latin alphabet.[16] The second alphabet uses a more complex modular addition code, where the "next letter is given by the summation of all previous letters plus the current letter".[17] The codes often provide additional jokes for fans dedicated enough to decode the messages.[11] Aside from these alphabets, most of the displayed wording on the show uses the Latin alphabet. Image File history File links Alien_decoder. ... Image File history File links Alien_decoder. ... Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz redirects here. ... For other uses, see Graffiti (disambiguation). ... In cryptography, a substitution cipher is a method of encryption by which units of plaintext are substituted with ciphertext according to a regular system; the units may be single letters (the most common), pairs of letters, triplets of letters, mixtures of the above, and so forth. ... Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz redirects here. ... The word modulo (Latin, with respect to a modulus of ___) is the Latin ablative of modulus which itself means a small measure. ...


Several English expressions have evolved since the present day. For example, the word Christmas has been replaced with Xmas (pronounced "EX-mas) and the word ask with aks (pronounced axe). According to David X. Cohen it is a running joke in the series that the French language is extinct in the Futurama universe, much like Latin is in the present.[18] In the French dubbing of the show, German is used as the extinct language instead. For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... This 1922 Ladies Home Journal advertisement uses Xmas. Xmas and X-mas are common abbreviations of the word Christmas. They are sometimes pronounced eksmas, but they, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the pronunciation Christmas. The -mas part came from the Anglo-Saxon for festival, religious... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... An extinct language is a language which no longer has any native speakers, in contrast to a dead language, which is is a language which has stopped changing in grammar, vocabulary, and the complete meaning of a sentence. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ...


Humor

Futurama's original spoof closing logo for "30th Century Fox".
Futurama's original spoof closing logo for "30th Century Fox".

Although the series utilized a wide range of styles of humor including: self-deprecation, black comedy, off-color humor, slapstick, and surreal humor; its primary source of comedy was its satirical depiction of everyday life in the future and its parodical comparisons to the present.[5] Matt Groening notes that, from the show's conception, his goal was to take what was, on the surface, a goofy comedy and show that underneath were "legitimate literary science fiction concepts".[19] The series contrasted "low culture" and "high culture" comedy; for example, Bender's catchphrase is the insult "Bite my shiny metal ass" while his most terrifying nightmare is a vision of a number 2, a joke referencing the binary numeral system.[5] Image File history File links Logo_30th_century_fox. ... Image File history File links Logo_30th_century_fox. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... Self-deprecation is a form of humour in which a comedian makes jokes about himself, his shortcomings, or his culture. ... This article is about the tone of comedy. ... The term off-color humor (also known as dirty jokes or blue humor) is used to describe various dirty jokes, prose, poems, black comedy and skits that deal with topics that are considered to be in poor taste or overly vulgar by the prevailing morals in a culture. ... For other uses, see Slapstick (disambiguation). ... Surreal humour is a form of humour based on bizarre juxtapositions, absurd situations, and nonsense logic. ... 1867 edition of Punch, a ground-breaking British magazine of popular humour, including a good deal of satire of the contemporary social and political scene. ... A parody (pronounced ), in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, or author, by means of humorous or satiric imitation. ... Low culture is a derogatory term for some forms of popular culture. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is popularized, usually through repeated use, by a real person or fictional character. ... Arse is an English term referring to the buttocks, first recorded circa 1400 (in arce-hoole) and is commonly used in English speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, parts of Canada and former parts of the British Empire. ... The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing languages such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and others. ... Binary is quite hard The binary numeral system, or base-2 number system, is a numeral system that represents numeric values using two symbols, usually 0 and 1. ...


The series developed a cult following partially due to the large number of in-jokes it contains, most of which are aimed at "nerds".[5] In commentary on the DVD releases, David X. Cohen points out and sometimes explains his "nerdiest joke[s]".[20] These jokes included mathematical jokes--such as "Loew's aleph_0-plex" (aleph-null-plex) movie theater,[20] as well as various forms of science humor--for example, Professor Farnsworth complains that judges of a quantum finish "changed the outcome by measuring it", a reference to the observer effect in quantum mechanics.[21] Over its run, the series passes references to quantum chromodynamics (the appearance of Strong Force-brand glue),[22] computer science (two separate books in a closet labeled P and NP respectively, referring to the possibility that P and NP-complete problem classes are distinct),[23] electronics and genetics (a mention of Bender's "robo-, or RNA").[24] The show often features subtle references to classic science fiction. These are most often Star Trek - many soundbites are used in the series as an homage[5] - but also others, such as the reference to the origin of the word robot made in the existence of a robot-dominated planet named Chapek 9,[25] or the black rectangular monolith labeled "Out of Order" in orbit around Jupiter (a reference to Arthur C. Clarke's 3001: The Final Odyssey).[26] Bender and Fry sometimes watch a television show called The Scary Door, a humorous pastiche of The Twilight Zone. Also, the sewer Mutants from New New York worship a nuclear warhead in reference to the film Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Cult television, like cult figures, cult film and cult radio, attracts a band of aficionados or appreciators, known as a cult following, devoted to a specific television series or fictional universe. ... An in joke is a joke whose humour is clear only to those people who are in a group that has some prior knowledge (not known by the whole population) that makes the joke humorous. ... For other uses, see Nerd (disambiguation). ... On a DVD (or laserdisc), an audio commentary is a bonus track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, who talk about the movie as it progresses. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... This equation uses mathematical symbols to write Sex is fun. A mathematical joke is a form of humor which relies on aspects of mathematics or a stereotype of mathematicians to derive humor. ... Loews Theatre, Jersey City, New Jersey Loews Theatres, founded in 1904 by Mark Loewsburgenstein, was the oldest theatre chain operating in North America until it merged with AMC Theatres on January 26, 2006. ... In the branch of mathematics known as set theory, the aleph numbers are a sequence of numbers used to represent the cardinality (or size) of infinite sets. ... A photo finish occurs in a sporting race, when two (or more) competitors cross the finishing line at near the same time. ... Observer Effect is the name of the 87th episode from the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. ... For a generally accessible and less technical introduction to the topic, see Introduction to quantum mechanics. ... Quantum chromodynamics (abbreviated as QCD) is the theory of the strong interaction (color force), a fundamental force describing the interactions of the quarks and gluons found in hadrons (such as the proton, neutron or pion). ... The strong interaction or strong force is today understood to represent the interactions between quarks and gluons as detailed by the theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). ... Look up glue in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... Diagram of complexity classes provided that P ≠ NP. The existence of problems outside both P and NP-complete in this case was established by Ladner. ... Surface mount electronic components Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures and vacuum tubes. ... This article is about the general scientific term. ... For other uses, see RNA (disambiguation). ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... For a description of the medieval homage ceremony see commendation ceremony Homage is generally used in modern English to mean any public show of respect to someone to whom you feel indebted. ... For other uses, see robot (disambiguation). ... Karel Čapek (pronounced ; IPA: ) (January 9, 1890 - December 25, 1938) was one of the most important Czech writers of the 20th century. ... Sri Lankabhimanya Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917–19 March 2008), was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, most famous for the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, written in collaboration with director Stanley Kubrick, a collaboration which led also to the film of the same name... 3001: The Final Odyssey (1997) is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke, fourth and final book in the Space Odyssey series. ... The word pastiche describes a literary or other artistic genre. ... The Twilight Zone is a television series created by Rod Serling. ... Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), is the first of four sequels to Planet of the Apes (1968), with James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, and Charlton Heston in a supporting role. ...


Opening sequence

Much like the opening sequence in The Simpsons with its chalkboard, sax solo and couch gags, Futurama has a distinctive opening sequence featuring minor gags. As the show begins, the word "Futurama" is displayed across the screen along with a joke disclaimer such as "Painstakingly drawn before a live studio audience", "Presented in Doublevision (Where Drunk)", "As Seen on TV" "Condemned by the Space Pope", "Filmed on location", "Soon to be a Major Religion","Bender's Humor Provided by Microsoft Joke",or "Dancing Space Potatoes? YOU BET!"[27] After flying through downtown New New York and past various recurring characters, the Planet Express Ship crashes into a large screen showing a short clip from a classic cartoon. These have included clips from Looney Tunes shorts, cartoons produced by Max Fleischer, a short section of The Simpsons from a Tracy Ullman episode,[28] and the show's own opening sequence in "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings". In Bender's Big Score, the opening clip is from the first Futurama episode where Fry gets frozen. A typical chalkboard gag. ... Bart writes The Pledge of Allegiance does not end with Hail Satan The chalkboard gag is a running visual joke that occurs during the opening credits of many episodes of The Simpsons. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The couch gag is a running visual joke in the opening credits of the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Looney Tunes opening title from mid-1950s Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. ... Max Fleischer (July 19, 1883–September 11, 1972) was an important pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon. ... Tracey Ullman (born December 30, 1959) is a British comedienne, actress, and singer who is most famous for being the host of a variety television show bearing her name. ... The Devil’s Hands are Idle Playthings is the eighteenth and final episode in season four of the TV series Futurama. ...


The Futurama theme song was written by Christopher Tyng and is based on the song "Psyché Rock" by Pierre Henry.[29] The theme is played on the tubular bells but is occasionally remixed for use in specific episodes including a version by The Beastie Boys used for the episode "Hell Is Other Robots" in which they guest starred.[27] Christopher Tyng is an American composer. ... Pierre Henry (born December 9, 1927 in Paris, France) is a French composer, considered a pioneer of the musique concrète genre of electronic music. ... Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. ... The Beastie Boys as depicted on the cover of their 1992 album Check Your Head. ... Hell Is Other Robots is the ninth episode in season one of Futurama. ...


Production

See also: List of Futurama episodes
David X. Cohen with Matt Groening at the Futurama panel of Comic-Con 2007.
David X. Cohen with Matt Groening at the Futurama panel of Comic-Con 2007.

Matt Groening began thinking of Futurama in the mid-1990s. In 1997, he enlisted the help of David X. Cohen, then a Simpsons writer and producer, to assist in developing the show. The two then spent time researching science fiction books, television shows, and films of the past. By the time they pitched the series to Fox in April 1998, Groening and Cohen had composed many characters and story lines. During that first meeting, Fox ordered thirteen episodes. Shortly after, however, Groening and Fox executives argued over whether the network would have any creative input into the show.[30] With The Simpsons the network has no input.[31] Groening explains, "When they tried to give me notes on Futurama, I just said: 'No, we're going to do this just the way we did Simpsons.' And they said, 'Well, we don't do business that way anymore.' And I said, 'Oh, well, that's the only way I do business.'"[32] After negotiations, he received the same independence with Futurama. The complete Futurama DVD collection The following is an episode list for the FOX animated television series Futurama. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... David X. Cohen (born 1966), born David Samuel Cohen, is an American television writer. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... Comic-Con International is an annual comic book convention held in San Diego, California. ... David X. Cohen (born 1966), born David Samuel Cohen, is an American television writer. ...


Production process

It took six to nine months to make an episode of Futurama.[33][34] This long production time meant many episodes were worked on simultaneously.[35]


Each episode began with the writers discussing the story in a group. Then a single staff writer wrote an outline and then a script. Once the first draft was finished, the writers and executive producers got together with the actors to do a table read.[30] After this script reading, the writers rewrote the script as a group before eventually sending it to animation.[36] At this point the voice recording was also started and the script is out of the writers' hands.[34]


The animation in Futurama was done by Rough Draft Studios, which Groening insisted be used. Rough Draft receives the completed script of an episode and storyboards it into over 100 drawings. Then they create a pencil-drawn animatic with 1000 frames. From there, Rough Draft's sister studio in Korea puts together the 30,000-frame finished episode. The show was also sometimes animated overseas by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.[30] Rough Draft Studios, Inc. ... Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of previsualizing a motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity. ... An animatic is created to test dramatic timing. ... TMS logo (circa 1987) TMS Entertainment Limited ), formerly known as Tokyo Movie Shinsha ) (TYO: 3585 , a subsidiary of Sega Sammy), is a veteran animation studio located in Japan. ...


CGI

Computer generated explosion in Futurama
Computer generated explosion in Futurama

In addition to traditional cartoon drawing, Rough Draft Studios often uses CGI for the fast or complex shots such as during the movement of spaceships, explosions, nebulae, and snow scenes among others. Most of the opening credits are rendered in CGI. The CGI is rendered at 24 fps (opposed to hand-drawn at 12 fps) and the lack of artifacts makes the animation appear very smooth and fluid. CGI characters look slightly different due to spatially "cheating" hand-drawn characters by drawing slightly out of proportion or off-perspective features to emphasize traits of the face or body, improving legibility of an expression. PowerAnimator is used to draw the comic-like CGI.[37] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Computer-generated imagery[1] (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. ... FPS has several meanings: Frames per second in visual media. ... Artifacts are visible corruption of the image or undesirable elements or defects in a video picture. ... PowerAnimator and Animator, the precursor to what is now Maya and StudioTools, was an expensive, complex, highly-integrated industrial 3D modeling, animation, and visual effects suite. ...


Broadcast

When it came to deciding when the show would air, Groening and Cohen wanted Futurama to be shown at 8:30 Sunday nights, following The Simpsons. The network disagreed, opting instead to show two episodes in the Sunday night lineup before moving the show to its regular time slot on Tuesday.[38] Beginning its second broadcast season Futurama was again placed in the 8:30 Sunday spot,[39] but by mid-season the show was moved again. This time Futurama began airing in the 7:00 p.m. Sunday timeslot, its third position in under a year.[40]


Due to the 7:00 p.m. Sunday timeslot, the show was often pre-empted by sports and usually had a later than average season premiere. It also allowed the writers and animators to get ahead of the broadcast schedule so that episodes intended for one season were not aired until the following season. By the beginning of the fourth broadcast season all the episodes to be aired that season had already been completed and writers were working at least a year in advance.[34]


Ratings

When Futurama debuted in the Fox Sunday night line-up at 8:30 p.m. between The Simpsons and The X-Files on March 28, 1999, it managed 19 million viewers, tying for 11th overall in that