The Futurama revival is highly anticipated as a comedy show in 2023, but the trailer has already shown that the series is taking a significant risk. Futurama has had a complex history. It originally aired from 1999 to 2002 for four seasons before being revived with four feature-length movies between 2007 and 2008. This led to a fifth-season revival, followed by a sixth and seventh season from 2010 to 2012. In 2022, Hulu revived the series once again, approving a 20-episode eighth season set to air from July to September 2023.
This intricate history has inevitably impacted the reception of Futurama. While the original revival ending was impressive, it came after two inconsistent and divisive seasons. Similar to the revival movies, seasons 6 and 7 of Futurama had their ups and downs, featuring both notable failures and memorable moments. This was not a new occurrence for the series, as even during its original run, there were episodes that didn't meet expectations, such as the controversial Futurama season 4, episode 13, "Bend Her." Reflecting on the weaker moments of the Futurama revival, a pattern emerged that the season 8 trailer suggests the show may repeat.
Futurama’s New Revival Shouldn’t Rely On Topical Gags
The first Futurama revival produced some of the worst episodes, particularly the one that inexplicably parodied Susan Boyle, in response to current news stories. The trailer for the revival's eighth season already includes jokes about COVID-19 and cryptocurrency, which were timely topics that have since lost relevance in recent months. Unlike South Park's successful use of satire, this has never been Futurama's strong suit for several reasons. Firstly, the show is set in the distant future, so episodes that comment on current events often need to create complex equivalents within the show's universe.
This can sometimes be amusing in itself. It's funny to imagine that even in the year 3000, Americans would still be voting for the cryogenically frozen head of Richard Nixon. However, it can also be distracting and not funny. In the aforementioned Susan Boyle episode, "Attack of the Killer App" from Futurama's sixth season, the series parodied the iPhone with the eyePhone. However, this satire felt outdated since the iPhone had been released three years before the episode aired. Futurama's eighth season runs the risk of facing a similar issue, considering the revival trailer's jokes about topics like cryptocurrency, which were already spoofed by South Park in June 2022.
Futurama’s Best Episodes Are Timeless Sci-Fi Stories
Futurama excels when it parodies sci-fi tropes rather than simply summarizing current events, as seen in South Park. The show's Dungeons and Dragons parody is considered the best adaptation of the game in years, thanks to its genuine affection for the source material and keen comedic attention to detail. Futurama has always thrived in the realm of genre parody, but its attempts at topical satire have been hit or miss, often leaning towards the miss category. It is disappointing to see the season 8 revival of Futurama heavily relying on topical satire, as this has never been the show's forte.
