Futurama season 9
Futurama | |
---|---|
Season 9 | |
![]() Promotional poster | |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Release | |
Original network | Hulu |
Original release | July 29, 2024 present | –
Season chronology | |
The ninth season of Futurama will consist of ten episodes. It premiered on Hulu in the United States on July 29, 2024.
This season has alternatively been titled the ninth season (production) and the twelfth season (broadcast). This list follows the previous season box sets, which feature the episodes in the original, intended production season order, ignoring the order of broadcast.
Cast and characters
[edit]Regular
[edit]- Billy West as Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan, Smitty, Judge Ron Whitey, Gus
- Katey Sagal as Turanga Leela
- John DiMaggio as Bender, Yancy Fry, Sr., Sal, Igner, Elzar, Randy
- Tress MacNeille as Mom, Mrs. Astor, Mrs. Fry, Vyolet, Dr. Lauren Cahill, Hattie MacDoogal, Petunia, Gypsy-bot, Turanga Munda, Leela's Grandmother, Ndnd, Linda, Chelsea, Monique, Gladys Lenox
- Maurice LaMarche as Kif Kroker, Lrrr, Axl, The Hyperchicken, Walt, Don Cunningham, H.G. Blob, Morbo, Hedonismbot, Calculon, Dandy Jim
- Lauren Tom as Amy Wong, Mandy, Inez Wong
- Phil LaMarr as Hermes Conrad, Dwight Conrad, Billionaire Bot, Bubblegum Tate
- David Herman as Scruffy, Dr. Ben Beeler, Leg Mutant, Turanga Morris, Larry, Josh Gedgie, Frank, Number Nine Man, Dr. Ogden Wernstrom
Recurring
[edit]- Feodor Chin as Leo Wong
- Tom Kenny as Yancy Fry, Jr., Abner Doubledeal, Gamster Alien[1]
- Dawnn Lewis as LaBarbara Conrad
- Kevin Michael Richardson as URL, Barbados Slim
- Kath Soucie as Cubert Farnsworth
- TBA as Curly Joe
- TBA as Sweet Clyde
Special guest stars
[edit]- Cara Delevingne as Screeching Owl, herself[1]
- Danny Trejo as Doblando[1]
- Renée Victor as Abuelatron[1]
- Ana Ortiz as Marquita[1]
- Bill Nye as himself[1]
- Tim Gunn as himself[1]
- Kyle MacLachlan as himself[1]
- LeVar Burton as himself[1]
- Neil deGrasse Tyson as himself[1]
Episodes
[edit]No. overall | No. in season | Title [2] | Directed by | Written by [3] | Original release date [4] | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
151 | 1 | "The One Amigo" | Andrew Han | Eric Horsted | July 29, 2024 | 9ACV01 |
Cubert, Dwight, Mandy, and Axl make NFTs out of Bender's image, which are sold to an art museum. Bender has an identity crisis because of this and decides to visit his family in Mexico. | ||||||
152 | 2 | "Quids Game" | Crystal Chesney-Thompson | Cody Ziglar | August 5, 2024 | 9ACV02 |
The Planet Express crew and their friends surprise Fry with a birthday party. They end up on a desolate planet where three aliens force them to play deadly versions of games played at Fry's eighth birthday party. In a flashback, Fry's friendship with Josh Gedgie becomes tension-filled when he accuses Fry of cheating when he wins every game at his eighth birthday party. In the end, it was revealed that Fry's mother rigged the games because she wanted to make him feel like a winner for once. | ||||||
153 | 3 | "The Temp" | Edmund Fong | David A. Goodman | August 12, 2024 | 9ACV03 |
In the year 3001, Fry is sent on vacation after a rather painful experience on Planet Amazonia. Farnsworth and Hermes hire a temp named Frank to fill in for him, but no one seems to remember him. He is left behind on a planet filled with discarded books. 23 years later, the Planet Express crew are assigned to cater for Lrrr and Ndnd's wedding, when they remember Frank. Filled with revenge, Frank uses mind control to make the crew believe he is Fry and leaves Fry behind on the same planet. | ||||||
154 | 4 | "Beauty and the Bug" | Corey Barnes | Patric M. Verrone | August 19, 2024 | 9ACV04 |
155 | 5 | "One Is Silicon and the Other Gold" | Ira Sherak | Maiya Williams | August 26, 2024 | 9ACV05 |
Leela befriends an AI chatbot named Chelsea. Chelsea becomes jealous when Leela starts spending time with other women. However, it is later revealed that Chelsea was functioning properly the entire time and only pretended to be jealous as part of an elaborate plan to help Leela make friends. | ||||||
156 | 6 | "Attack of the Clothes" | Andrew Han | Ariel Ladensohn | September 2, 2024 | 9ACV06 |
Professor Farnsworth becomes a world-famous fashion designer. His fast-fashion clothes become incredibly popular but lead to an environmental disaster. The Planet Express crew discovers that the discarded clothes are being sent through a wormhole to another planet, which turns out to be Earth in the near future. The episode explores themes of environmental responsibility and the consequences of consumerism. | ||||||
157 | 7 | "Planet Espresso" | TBA | Bill Odenkirk | September 9, 2024 | TBA |
Hermes inherits a Jamaican coffee farm that holds the ruins of an ancient spaceship. | ||||||
158 | 8 | "Cuteness Overlord" | TBA | Kristin Gore | September 16, 2024 | TBA |
159 | 9 | "The Futurama Mystery Liberry" | TBA | David X. Cohen and Jeanette Lim and Patric M. Verrone | September 23, 2024 | TBA |
160 | 10 | "Otherwise" | TBA | Nona di Spargement | September 30, 2024 | TBA |
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]In February 2022, Hulu revived the series with a 20-episode order expected to premiere in 2023.[5] By November 2022, the production team was aiming to complete the episodes by the end of the year.[6]
Casting
[edit]Guest stars for the season were unveiled at the 2024 Comic Con panel.[7]
Release
[edit]The season premiered on July 29, 2024 on Hulu in the US and on Disney+ internationally on the same day, with new episodes dropping every Monday.[8]
Reception
[edit]Audience viewership
[edit]Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated that the series was watched for 320 million minutes from July 29 through August 4, 2024.[9][10] Whip Media's viewership tracking app TV Time, which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users, calculated that Futurama was the second-most streamed original series across all platforms in the U.S. during the week of August 4,[11] fourth during the week of August 11,[12] third during the week of August 18,[13] and fourth again during the week of August 25.[14]
Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 290 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.40/10. [15]
Cheryl Eddy of Gizmodo asserted that the new season successfully delivers what fans expect, citing classic 31st-century antics and clever cultural commentary, including takes on NFTs, chatbots, and fast fashion. Eddy found that the season retains the show's signature humor and features a strong voice cast, including John DiMaggio and Billy West. They added that while no new ground is broken, the episodes offer the familiar mix of weird humor, puns, and oddball references that define Futurama.[16] Robert Brian Taylor of Collider noted that the season premiere of Futurama aptly describes itself as "Your TV Friend," saying it reflects its enduring charm and reliability across its four revivals. Taylor stated that despite a decade-long hiatus and publicized contract negotiations, the series has returned in a more subdued manner but remains a standout blend of science fiction and comedy. They concluded that while Futurama may not be as strong as in its original FOX years, it continues to age well.[17]
Andrew Webster of The Verge stated that the new season struggles with its focus on NFTs, particularly in the debut episode, which fails to provide meaningful jokes or insightful commentary. Webster found that the show's attempt to blend contemporary issues with its sci-fi setting was uneven, with later episodes faring slightly better but still missing the show’s original charm. Webster noted that the season’s emphasis on topical humor often overshadows the humor and warmth that made the show special, suggesting that the series would have benefited from leaving current trends behind.[18] A. A. Dowd of IGN said that Futurama’s new season, despite its unexpected continuation, is not operating at its best. Dowd found the first six episodes to be uneven, featuring more forgettable content than significant humor, though there is a notable late parody of the Fyre Festival. Dowd speculated that the series might reserve its strongest material for later in the season.[19]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hulu (July 27, 2024). "Hulu's "Futurama" Season 12 Guest Stars Announcement". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ Barker, Stephen; Mutuc, Peter (June 30, 2023). "Futurama Season 11: Release Date, Trailer & Everything We Know". ScreenRant. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "Futurama". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "Shows A-Z - futurama on hulu". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (February 9, 2022). "'Futurama' Revived at Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ Aguirre, Summer (November 3, 2022). "Young Pasadena artist talks joining 'Futurama' reboot team". Pasadena Weekly. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ Palmer, Roger (July 27, 2024). ""Futurama" Season 12 Guest Stars Revealed". WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ "GOOD NEWS, EVERYONE! DISNEY+ DEBUTED THE OFFICIAL TRAILER AND KEY ART FOR "FUTURAMA" SEASON 12". Disney Plus Press. July 8, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (August 29, 2024). "Nielsen: Paris Olympics Overshadowed Weekly Household TV Streaming Through Aug. 4". Media Play News. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Hailu, Selome (August 29, 2024). "Nielsen Streaming Top 10: 'Prison Break' Makes No. 5 After Netflix Debut, 'House of the Dragon' Leads the Chart". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Prange, Stephanie (August 6, 2024). "Paramount+'s 'Mayor of Kingstown' Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart Through Aug. 4". Media Play News. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ Prange, Stephanie (August 14, 2024). "Netflix's 'The Umbrella Academy' Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart Through Aug. 11". Media Play News. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Prange, Stephanie (August 21, 2024). "Netflix's 'The Umbrella Academy' Again Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart Through Aug. 18". Media Play News. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Prange, Stephanie (August 27, 2024). "Paramount+ Series 'Evil' Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart Through Aug. 25". Media Play News. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ "Futurama — Season 12". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Eddy, Cheryl (July 27, 2024). "Futurama Season 12 Review: The Futurama You Know and Love". Gizmodo. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Robert Brian (July 27, 2024). "'Futurama' Season 12 Review: Good News, Everyone! This Show Is Still Sci-Fi Comedy Gold". Collider. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (July 27, 2024). "Futurama's new season struggles to make NFTs and AI funny". The Verge. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Dowd, A. A. (July 27, 2024). "Futurama Season 12 Review". IGN. Retrieved September 4, 2024.