Fun facts about Futurama

Futurama is backRemember Matt Groening's other masterpiece, Futurama? Looks like it is all set to make a comeback. Ask any die-hard Futurama fan – Fox has swiped away the dust bunnies and brought the show out of the vault. So far they've ordered 26 brand new episodes and, if all goes according to plans, it will air in 2010.

This makes it a good day for Futurama trivia, doesn't it? Before I tackle the trivia facts, I will add a short synopsis about the show. It is an animated series about a pizza delivery guy, Philip J. Fry, who ends up in a viral chamber, becomes frozen and then is thawed out in the future. And yes, the future is freakishly scary (creepy crawly aliens and what not) ... and yet, not that different from his time. And what do you know, he ends up as delivery boy – to one of his descendants no less – and makes new friends in the form of one-eyed space captain, Turanga Leela, money-nabbing robot called Bender and Dr Zoidberg, an alien who is basically a walking talking crustacean. Together, they make sure important packages reach their destination. Think of it as a dysfunctional Enterprise during tough financial times.

So, let's begin with the recent news first. Is it true that Fox is getting rid of the old cast?

There was a story going around earlier that Fox was having second thoughts about signing on the original cast members. As you can imagine, all fans of the cult classic gasped collectively and started ranting about the evil corporation and their messed up politics. Well, it looks like it's not just a matter of Fox saying no. From what I have read – especially regarding the no-show at Comic Con 2009 – the entire kerfuffle revolves around salary and contract negotiations. And if this article is anything to go by, Fox just might have turned tail because of the moolah asked by the cast members. 

Up close and personal
And now for the content. What can we expect from the new series? Any spoilers?

There are quite a few spoilers doing the rounds at the moment. These are, of course, revelations from the Comic Con panel. Slurmed has a list of topics mentioned there, a lot of which will definitely make interesting viewing. For one thing, I am definitely curious about the 'How it all began' episode concerning Zoidberg. Come to think of it, they never did cover that, did they? Same goes for Scruffy, the janitor. Who else thinks that he used to be a biker? All will be revealed ... in 2010.


Remember the subtitles in the opening scenes? What were some of the more creative ones?

Futurama had 70+ episodes spread out over four seasons. This translates as quite a lot of Subtitlesquirky subtitles. Got Futurama has the entire list of these phrases. Here are some of the funnier ones.

• Condemned by the Space Pope
• COMING SOON TO AN ILLEGAL DVD
• As Foretold by Nostradamus
• Hey, TiVo! Suggest THIS!
• WHERE NO FAN HAS GONE BEFORE

Where did Futurama get its name?

Apparently it is named after a General Motors show dating back to 1939. Folks would throng to the Futurama show and check out way of life in the 1960s. With us drifting cozily towards 2010, isn't it mind-boggling to think of the conservative 60s as futuristic? You have to read this to believe it. Alright, so the idea of fancy highways and skyscrapers were not too far off but floating airports?


What were the science and maths references in Futurama?

Futurama, like The Simpsons, loved commenting on the world around it. Futurama had a strong leaning towards physics and thus, geeks were often delighted with the numerous science-related tidbits scattered throughout the show. And what did you expect from a bunch of writers with science or math degrees to their name? Cases in point from the series:

• All self-respecting mathematicians will be familiar with 1729 (smallest non-trivial number) and this nifty number pops up all over the show. For example, Bender is referred to as #1729 in his Christmas card.
• Remember the Schrodinger's cat references? One example is in the “Mars University” episode has a quantum physics moment by talking about 'Witten's Dog'.
• What about the reference to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle during the race horse in The Luck of Fryish?

What are the various Star Trek references in Futurama?

Dating tips from ZappIt seems like the writers of this show is a huge fan of the father of all science fiction series – Star Trek. And who can blame them? Futurama is full of fun and fantastic jabs and pokes at this cult classic. Check out the examples below:

• The Problem with Popplers episode (where discovery of new food brings on an animal rights movement) refers to the Trouble with Tribbles moment on the original Trek series. Also note the tongue-in-cheek jab about finding Roddenberries.
• Notice the way a lot of fans compare wannabe ladies man, Zapp Brannigan to Captain Kirk's wooing attempts. Of course, Zapp is a comical take on the womanizer whichin turn provides some entertaining gaffes. Think back to the time Zapp sings 'Leela'.
• Remember the Klingon Embassy in Zoidberg-centric episode called 'A Taste of Freedom'?

And the list goes on! Check out the series and discover more about this delightful series. Hopefully we will get to see Futurama at its best when it comes back in 2010.