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Set in the year 3000, Futurama is the acme of sci-fi
animated sitcom from Simpsons creator Matt Groening. While not as
universally popular as The Simpsons, Futurama is equally hip and
hilarious, thanks to its zippy lateral-thinking contemporary pop cultural
references, celebrity appearances (Pamela Anderson and Leonard Nimoy are among a
number of guest stars to appear as disembodied heads in jars), and Bender, a
distinctly Homer Simpson-esque robot. Part of Futurama's charm is that
with decades of sci-fi junk behind us, we've effectively been living with the
distant future for years and can now have fun with it. Hence, the series
stylishly jumbles motifs ranging from Lost in Space-style kitsch to the
grim dystopia of Blade Runner. It also bridges the gap between the
impossible dreams of your average science fiction fan and the slobbish reality
of their comic reading, TV-watching existence. Groening himself distinguishes
his two series thus: "The Simpsons is fictional. Futurama is
real." |
