Two Fan-Favorite Futurama Characters Came Close To Getting Their Own Spin-Off
"Futurama" is a show that has had several different lives throughout its existence, which now extends for close to 25 years. One thing the beloved animated series has never had though? A spin-off. But it wasn't for a lack of discussing such a thing, and it turns out a spin-off series came close to happening at one point. While it never came to pass, fan-favorite characters Zapp Brannigan and his trusty pal Kif were talked about as possible subjects for just such a thing.
Speaking with Chris Hardwick on the "Futurama" series final post-show, voice actor Maurice LaMarche, who voices Kif, as well as executive producer David X. Cohen discussed this spin-off series that never came to be. When asked hypothetically by Hardwick which characters they would like to see get a spin-off, LaMarche responded with, "Didn't we come close to a Zapp and Kif spin-off in real life?" Cohen then jumped in to add some clarification:
"That's the one we often talked about. We always thought maybe we would do an episode sooner or later that was just as if it was the Zapp and Kif show following their adventure. Maybe they ran into Fry and Bender and Leela for 30 seconds in the show. But we didn't get to it, so that question comes up a lot, but also 'What episodes did you not get to do that you would do if you came back?' So there's one."
LaMarche then shared another idea he had, saying, "Also the Nixon and headless Spiro Agnew. I think they would've been the next choice for their own show." As funny as that may have been, a Zapp and Kif show seems far more plausible.
What could have been
Zapp Brannigan is easily one of the best characters on "Futurama" and certainly one of the most quotable. It's easy to imagine focusing on Zapp and Kif in a "Star Trek" riff of sorts, with the two traversing the galaxy and going on adventures. Maybe that sounds a bit too much like what Seth MacFarlane is doing on "The Orville" for it to happen now. But 10 or 15 years ago? It very well could have worked. And, in fairness, there's nothing saying it couldn't happen in the future, given that "Futurama" was just revived yet again on Hulu.
At the same time, it's certainly possible that Zapp and Kif work better in small doses. Would Zapp's one-liners and arrogant hard-headedness get old after a while without the likes of Fry and Leela there to play off of? There's no real way to answer that question without seeing an episode like the one Cohen proposed.
It would be impossible to count out a spin-off in this show's future. "Futurama" was canceled multiple times throughout its storied history, moving from Fox to syndication on Adult Swim to direct-to-DVD movies. That, in turn, helped lead to a revival on Comedy Central before it was canceled yet again. Here we are, a full decade later, with new episodes now airing on Hulu. If that goes well, who knows? Maybe "The Adventures of Zapp Brannigan and Kif" could be a thing.
New episodes of "Futurama" premiere every Monday on Hulu.