The hit animated comedy series Futurama first aired on Fox in 1999 and was originally canceled in 2003. It was then revived on Comedy Central in 2009 for it then to be canceled again in 2013. Now, it looks like the fan-favorite series is making yet another comeback, this time on Hulu. Fans of the Matt Groening-created show have a lot of reasons to celebrate its return. That being said, does it really need another comeback?
Futurama is absolutely hilarious, filled with heartfelt and emotional moments, makes clever commentary, offers fantastic science fiction stories and ideas, and features plenty of brilliantly well-written characters. It’s undoubtedly one of the greatest “adult animated” series of all time. It makes a lot of sense for fans to want it to return, but maybe it’s best if it stays canceled.
It’s nothing against the show. When it was first canceled in 2003, there was still more story to tell. It felt unfinished. However, when it ended for the second time in 2013, it had a perfect series finale. It was emotional, celebrated how far the show has come, and had the right amount of payoff. It felt complete. Whenever it ends for a third time, will the finale be as great?
On top of that, Futurama has already run for seven seasons. There have been plenty of series that lasted a long time and began to feel dry after that point, especially comedies. Maybe that won’t happen with Futurama, but why risk it? It’s already perfect as is.
It already has plenty of seasons as well as a fantastic finale, but could this return still be a good thing? Absolutely. Futurama is a wildly entertaining show. More of something so good can definitely be great. Revisiting the iconic characters and getting some laughs along the way can be a huge plus. Bringing it back can be a bit of a risk. Now there’s a chance for a blemish to be left on the series or for the finale to not have as much closure.
There is still story left to cover, though. The new season(s) can have the Planet Express crew finally take down Mom or have Kif reunite with his offspring. This revival does have the possibility of creating something great. The writers just need to make sure that the next finale is just as good as the one in 2013 and that the show never grows dull, or worse, contradicts existing canon. Even if this new batch of episodes is great (which it very well might be), it’s not necessarily needed. Since the revival is happening, all we can do is hope that the show is as great as ever.
Nonstop Nerd 