Despite being a beloved show, Futurama has had a rocky journey with television. Created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, the sci-fi comedy struggled with frequent scheduling changes and a premature cancellation during its original run on Fox, leaving some episodes unseen. However, thanks to strong DVD sales and dedicated fans, the show was brought back with a series of movies, ultimately leading to its full revival.
The revival of Futurama on Comedy Central truly began with Season 6. The first new episode, “Rebirth,” opened with Bender narrating a segment that directly addressed the show’s cancellation and return. He jokingly claimed viewers would forget it was ever off the air – canceled by ‘idiots’ and brought back by ‘bigger idiots.’ However, this line was considered too harsh, even offending network executives, and was ultimately removed.
The Futurama Joke That Didn’t Survive the Revival
As a huge Futurama fan, I always loved this little joke, even though it didn’t last long! It perfectly summed up the show’s rocky relationship with the networks. It was in the “Rebirth” episode, and Bender basically said the show was cancelled and brought back because the networks messed up – a funny dig at both Fox and Comedy Central. It was all in good fun, and that self-aware humor is what made Futurama so great. But apparently, the joke hit a little too close to home and they had to change it. Nobody’s ever said for sure which network asked for the edit, but a lot of fans think it was Fox!
For all later broadcasts of the show, including reruns and the Futurama: Volume 5 DVD, the original opening joke was changed. Bender now announces a test of “the Emergency Hypnotoad System.” Since the Hypnotoad was already a popular running gag, this was a simple, safe way to replace the joke without causing much disruption. Luckily, the original opening wasn’t deleted and is still available on the DVD’s special features.
The show Futurama removed more than just Bender’s insults about “idiots.” In the very first episode, “Space Pilot 3000,” Fry initially hears someone going to “JFK Jr. Airport.” This was changed to “Radio City Mutant Hall” in later versions of the show and on home video after John F. Kennedy Jr. tragically died in a plane crash in 1999. Also, due to complaints about violence in the Season 2 episode “Xmas Story,” Fox delayed airing its sequel, “A Tale of Two Santas,” for a year and moved it to a later timeslot.
Matt Groening has pointed out that Futurama wasn’t created with young children in mind, even though it’s a cartoon. Despite many difficulties over the years, the show continues to be successful – it’s been revived again, this time on Hulu, and is widely considered a classic animated series.
Do you recall the iconic opening to “Rebirth”? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
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2025-12-26 00:40