New Episodes of Futurama on Television

Comedy Central is bringing back Futurama in 2010

Jun 10, 2009

Comedy Central announced in a press release that the network has ordered 26 new episodes of the animated science fiction comedy, Futurama.

Six years after it was cancelled, Futurama is getting a new lease on life thanks to Comedy Central. The network announced on June 9, 2009, they will begin airing new episodes in mid-2010. The contract is for 26 half-hour episodes, which will be developed through 2 seasons. Should the show be successful, the network has the ability to lengthen it's commitment with the shows producers. Futurama is the second animated television show to be resurrected, following on the footsteps of Family Guy.

Fox Versus Comedy Central

According to the press release, as part of the deal, 20th Century Fox has an option to license the new episode's original runs to a broadcast network, such as the Fox network. If the new episodes go to Fox, Comedy Central's license will be reduced. Comedy Central programming senior VP, David Bernath, says the network is happy with the deal. According to Bernath, "It's a bigger win for us promotionally if we wind up going first... but if we wind up going in second position, then the economics work out for us as well". If the new episodes air first on Comedy network, there is no word yet if it will be carried on a Canadian channel.

According to Matt Groening, writing has already begun on the new episodes. Groening said he was inspired by the new Star Trek movie that he may take a similar approach to explain the re-launch of the series.

The science fiction series was created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen for the FOX network. You may find the name Matt Groening familiar, that's because he is the creator of The Simpsons series. The story follows a 1999 pizza deliveryman who finds himself in a cryogenic chamber by accident, he is then awaken on New Year's Eve 2999. The series began in 1999 and only lasted 4 seasons before it was cancelled in 2003. Although Futurama was never officially cancelled, midway through the production of the fourth season, Fox decided to let it go out of production. Futurama was then aired in reruns on Adult Swim and on the Cartoon Network. In 2007, the series got enough cult following to warrant four straight to dvd films. Comedy Central started to air Futurama episodes in 2008, along with the last of the four Futurama films released in 2009.

The animated series has won three Emmy Awards and one Writer's Guild Awards in it's original run on Fox.

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