Futurama Season 11 Trailer: The Animated Series Returns Yet Again

Good news, everyone! "Futurama" is back! Again! The beloved animated series has had a strange, strange journey. It originally premiered on Fox in 1999 and ran until 2003, at which point Fox canceled the show, much to the outrage of fans. The series found a second life, though, in the form of four direct-to-video movies that kept the story going. Those movies were then broken up into new seasons of the show on Comedy Central.

Now, "Futurama" gets to live yet another day. The new season, which is technically season 11, will bring the series to Hulu after a 10-year hiatus. I guess the question one has to ask here is: is this a good idea? Do we need more "Futurama"? I loved the show during its Fox run, but I'll confess I found the direct-to-video movies kind of lacking. In fact, in retrospect, the show's Fox ending is kind of perfect as a finale. But you know how it goes — some shows never die. And now "Futurama" is blasting off yet again. Watch the season 11 trailer below. 

Now, you might be thinking: do I need to binge through the previous seasons of "Futurama" to watch this? My answer would be yes, because the first few seasons of the animated series, which hails from "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, arre wonderful. However, if you don't feel like doing homework, you're in luck — the official press release from the folks at Hulu promises that the new season will allow "New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries – including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler's litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy's tadpoles. Meanwhile there's a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV."

There's also a handy series synopsis to get you up to date:

"Futurama" premiered in 1999 and quickly gained a faithful following and critical acclaim, including two primetime Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program. Despite its far-future setting, the show is renowned for its satiric commentary on life in the present. The series follows Philip J. Fry (Billy West), a New York City pizza delivery boy, who accidentally freezes himself in 1999 and gets defrosted in the year 3000. In this astonishing New New York, he befriends hard-drinking robot Bender (John DiMaggio), and falls in love with cyclops Leela (Katey Sagal). The trio find work at the Planet Express Delivery Company, founded by Fry's doddering descendant, Professor Hubert Farnsworth. Together with accountant Hermes Conrad, assistant Amy Wong, and alien lobster Dr. John Zoidberg, they embark on thrilling adventures that take them to every corner of the universe. After its initial run on the Fox Broadcasting Network, a roller-coaster of cancellations and resurrections ensued. Four successful direct-to-DVD releases in 2007-2009 led to the show's rebirth on Comedy Central from 2010-2013. Then, after a brief ten-year freeze in the cryogenic chamber, "Futurama" emerged triumphantly as a streaming series for Hulu with a 20-episode order set to debut in 2023.

The new season, which features the voices of John DiMaggio, Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman, will premiere on Hulu on July 24, 2023.