‘Futurama’ is coming for Emmy #3: Season 8 on Hulu earns rave reviews
“Futurama,” winner of six Emmys and nine Annie Awards in its initial two runs, returned once more on July 24, 2023, this time on Hulu. Season 8 has garnered rave reviews, with an audience score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. For those unfamiliar with the series, pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry awakens in the future after falling into a cryogenic pod in 1999. In 2999, he befriends an eclectic group and embarks on comical adventures alongside them.
“Futurama” aired for four seasons on Fox from 1999 to 2003. Following its cancellation it was picked up by Comedy Central, airing three additional seasons from 2008 to 2013. Every season was nominated for Best Animated Program, with season 2 winning the award in 2001 and season 6 taking the prize in 2011.
The ensemble cast includes Katey Sagal, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Lauren Tom and Phil LaMarr. Read our full Season 8 review round-up below.
Fred Topel of United Press International praises the revival, stating, “’Futurama’ does pick up in the year 3023, so real time has passed in the show’s animated future. Episodes satirize new breakthroughs since the last season that aired in 2013, and also include some character-centric episodes.” Topel adds, “The characters remain faithful to their original iterations,” before concluding, “The season premiere tackles streaming content, the proliferation of which is the very reason ‘Futurama’ could return on Hulu. There are plenty of reboot jokes and jabs at popular shows on rival streamers. Viewers will want to pause to read all the titles on Fry’s TV.”
Nate Richard of Collider says, “The season premiere opens immediately after the events of the show’s now former series finale ‘Meanwhile.’ Fry and Leela have gotten married and grown old together, while everybody else in the world has been frozen in time — that is, of course, until they are saved by the Professor, and time fast forwards to the year 3023. After that brief introduction, the new episodes of ‘Futurama’ are back to basics, and it’s all the better for it. With everything that has transpired in the decade since the show last aired, Groening and Cohen are able to create futuristic twists on things like Amazon, streaming services, and cryptocurrency.”
Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky notes, “If you are a fan of ‘Futurama,’ it is safe to say that you will be a fan of this season too. It is simply more of the same type of humor, with newer events to poke fun at. It’s silly, but entertaining…In the first six episodes, there are some points that have really hit close to home. The biggest of which is cancel culture. That is something that has reared its ugly head and is, quite frankly, getting out of control. ‘Futurama’ Season 8 is completely unafraid to shed some light on the ridiculousness that it has brought to this world.”
Ian Thomas Malone of ianthomasmalone.com writes, “Season eight is not likely to garner many new converts, but ‘Futurama’ still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Longtime fans who weren’t too fond of the Comedy Central years are probably best sticking to the original run. The streaming era carries no real mandate comparable to the finite amount of timeslots available for a programming block like Fox’s old ‘Animation Domination.’ ‘Futurama’ certainly has far less mileage than any of its contemporaries. Season eight might not be genre-defining television, but it’s great to have these characters back for another round of adventures.”
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