However, if the show does go back into production, it is far too soon to tell on which network the new episodes would air. Futurama debuted its first episode on March 1999, on the FOX Network. The series then preceded to take a tumultuous, nearly four year run full of shortened seasons, late launches, long gaps between airings and sporadic preemptions; eventually leading to its cancellation. The final episode of the series ran on Fox in August of 2003.
The series has since found a new home as a staple of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim--a programming block dedicated to showcasing animation for adults--where it continues to be one of the block's highest rated programs. Off-Network rights to Futurama have recently been purchased by Comedy Central, who will begin airing the show come 2008.
If Futurama is revived, it will mimic another Fox animated series' resurrection after what has seemed to be a hopeless cancellation. A similar resurgence of interest for Family Guy persuaded 20th Century Fox to revive the animated television series, which has since produced two seasons, a direct-to-video movie, a soundtrack, and a slew of other marketing products. Family Guy is currently backed by approximately fifty licenses. Needless to say, the show is now one of Fox's Sunday tent poles.
Futurama nabbed three Emmy Awards during its life-span on Fox, including the 2002 award for Best Animated Series. The series was created by The Simpsons' Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, and follows the life and experiences of Fry, a pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself and winds up in the year 3000. After befriending a cyclops named Leela and a gruff robot named Bender, Fry finds himself working at an intergalactic delivery service run by his distant and crazy nephew, Professor Farnsworth.
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Before the series can go back into production, 20th Century Fox must secure deals with Futurama's original production team, which includes the series' core voice actors: Billy West, Katey Sagal, and John DiMaggio.
A clever and entertaining franchise, it continues to live past its 2003 cancellation to this day through a comic book, published by Groening's Bongo Comic's Imprint, where new Futurama stories are reportedly, still being developed. And while the resurrection of Futurama still requires a bit of wishing and some guesswork from animation fans, many are nevertheless satisfied that there is bit of contemplation on the issue from network executives.
(sources: various)