The future just isn’t what it used to be.A few years back, Futurama –the short-lived FOX series that followed the misadventures of a time-displaced slacker, his crass robot sidekick, and his one-eyed lady love through the 31st century– wowed dozens of fans. The series was on its way to becoming the best animated series ever (despite lackluster ratings and living in the shadow of The Simpsons) when it was technically, though not really, canceled. It lingered on FOX for an extra year because there were so many episodes in the can, but it wasn’t until it joined the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim animated comedy block that Futurama developed a cult following. That following, successfully reinforced with the series’ DVD releases, resulted in an almost unprecedented return to the drawing board.
Last week, Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder hit shelves, the fourth straight-to-DVD release for the series. As with the other movies, and the series itself, Yonder is full of snappy dialogue, ridiculous science, creative innuendo, and the kind of social satire that only a series set a thousand years in the future can exploit. It’s not all aliens and spaceships - Celine Dion really takes a beating. So does the headless body of Spiro Agnew.
All of the movies deal with an overall plot that is easily segmented out into four separate episodes that will eventually air on Comedy Central, yet another network in the story of Futurama. The latest adventure involves the environment, Mars Vegas, slacker Fry’s new telepathy, and robot Bender’s involvement with the wife of a don in the robot mafia. It flows rather nicely and is filled with great lines (”hey, what’s with the obnoxious shrieking voices? Are my feelings picking up The View?”) and great visual gags (is that a sly, electronic two girls one cup reference?), although all of the DVDs lack the heart of “Jurassic Bark,” “The Sting” and “Luck of the Fryrish,” the most beloved episodes of the original run.
There are hilarious guest turns, including Snoop Dogg as Supreme Court Justice Snoop Dogg and comedy duo Penn and Teller (Teller still receiving a credit despite not contributing his voice, for obvious reasons) among others. The animation is top notch, the vast expanse of space continually proving to be a more interesting backdrop than Colorado or the state where Springfield is.
The DVD model has become a successful one for the franchise. Sales numbers have been positive enough to warrant buzz the series may be returning with new episodes on TV. In this modern day where nothing on television seems to be successful enough to sustain itself, it’s interesting to see networks exploit every opportunity, especially when it involves a quality product.
Joss Whedon offered “Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog,” a web-only series that found success on the internet before hitting DVD. With Futurama offering a successful model, who knows what short-lived but critically-acclaimed series might get a second shot at life. Should I keep my fingers crossed for Wonderfalls?
Commentary on the latest DVD is from the usual group of creators and voice talent and, as always, is both hilarious and informative. There are a few featurettes, a couple easter eggs, and other minor segments that offer little bang for the buck, but the DVD is worth sticker price just for being a new segment of such a great show.