Futurama (1999)
Futurama is a 1999 animation series created by Matt Groening and Christopher Tyng. It stars Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio.
Philip J. Fry, a slacker pizza delivery boy, gets accidentally frozen on New Year's Eve 1999 and thaws out a thousand years later in a bright, junk-strewn 31st century. He signs on at Planet Express, a shabby interplanetary courier service, flying cargo across the galaxy with Leela, a tough one-eyed pilot, and Bender, a foul-mouthed, beer-guzzling robot. Matt Groening and David X. Cohen built a universe crammed with aliens, ray guns, time travel and sharp science jokes, then hung warm, surprisingly tender stories inside the gags. Smart, silly and quietly humane, with a deep bench of running jokes.
Quick answers
What is Futurama about?
Philip J. Fry, a slacker pizza delivery boy, gets accidentally frozen on New Year's Eve 1999 and thaws out a thousand years later in a bright, junk-strewn 31st century. He signs on at Planet Express, a shabby interplanetary courier service, flying cargo across the galaxy with Leela, a tough one-eyed pilot, and Bender, a foul-mouthed, beer-guzzling robot. Matt Groening and David X. Cohen built a universe crammed with aliens, ray guns, time travel and sharp science jokes, then hung warm, surprisingly tender stories inside the gags. Smart, silly and quietly humane, with a deep bench of running jokes.
When was Futurama released?
Futurama was released on 28 March 1999.
How many episodes does Futurama have?
Futurama has 164 episodes across 11 seasons.
Who made Futurama?
Futurama was created by Matt Groening, Christopher Tyng and Eric Rogers.
Where can I watch Futurama?
Futurama is available on DirecTV On Demand, Disney+, Hulu, YouTube TV, fuboTV and FX.
Where to watch Futurama
Stream: DirecTV On Demand, Disney+, Hulu, YouTube TV, fuboTV
Watch free: FX
Rent: Google Play
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, Google Play
Official site
Cast
- Billy West as Philip J. Fry / Professor Farnsworth / Zoidberg / Zapp Brannigan (voice)
- Katey Sagal as Leela (voice)
- John DiMaggio as Bender (voice)
- Tress MacNeille as Mom (voice)
- Maurice LaMarche as Morbo / Kif Kroker (voice)
- Lauren Tom as Amy Wong (voice)
- Phil LaMarr as Hermes Conrad (voice)
- David Herman as Scruffy (voice)
- Frank Welker as Nibbler (voice)
- Dawnn Lewis as LaBarbara Conrad (voice)
- Kath Soucie as Cubert Farnsworth (voice)
- Tom Kenny as The Masked Unit / Abner Doubledeal (voice)
Similar series
Explore Futurama guides
A few thoughts on Futurama
Cowboy Bebop shares its lived-in, wisecracking vision of a scruffy spacefaring future, and its jazzy soundtrack sells that mood on its own. For fans curious about how animation like this is built, the craft bibles The Illusion of Life and The Animator's Survival Kit lay out the principles behind every expressive frame.
Adult cartoons that hide real heart in the jokes
Futurama fires off science gags and alien slapstick, then sneaks in stories that genuinely move you. These animated comedies work the same trick, mixing crude laughs and absurd worlds with characters you end up caring about. Silly on the surface, warmer than they let on, and built for viewers who want the jokes to land and mean something.
Animated space adventures across the galaxy
Futurama flies its junk-hauling crew across a crowded, ray-gun future, and these animated series share that cosmic scope. Some go for pulpy heroics, some for weird alien worlds, all of them building big science-fiction playgrounds you can get lost in. Star ships, strange planets and hand-drawn action for anyone who loves the Planet Express corner of the sky.
Books on the craft behind great animation
Futurama's warmth comes from real animation craft, and these books open that toolbox. They cover the principles of movement, the acting inside a drawn performance, and the studio histories that shaped the medium. A reading shelf for anyone who watches Futurama and wonders how hand-drawn characters end up feeling this alive.
Ensemble comedies built on a chosen family
Under the sci-fi trappings, Futurama is really about a ragtag crew who become each other's family. These comedies chase the same feeling, gathering mismatched friends and coworkers who bicker, screw up, and show up for one another. Warm, joke-dense ensembles for anyone who loves the Planet Express gang more than the ray guns.