This is perhaps a controversial stance for some, but “Futurama” — the other show from Matt Groening, creator of “The Simpsons” — was on the whole, a far edgier series than “The Simpsons” ever was or could be. Groening described the series as his take on science fiction, like “The Simpsons” was his take on the American family.
This is a lens that may take some getting used to. After all, science fiction provides a much broader base of material to draw from than other themes. The result is a show that is overtly, and at times, endearingly whimsical. It can be anything and go anywhere; this also makes it utterly unpredictable. Anyone looking to check out what they might have missed can pick up “Futurama — Volume One” DVDs, which contain the series’ first 13 episodes.
The premise, from the pilot episode “Space Pilot 3000,” goes like this: Fry, a delivery pizza boy on New Year’s Eve 1999, delivers a pizza to a cryogenic freezing lab and is accidentally frozen. He is awakened 1,000 years later, to a world utterly strange to his 20th century sensibilities. He immediately encounters Leela, a one-eyed alien (more of her origin is revealed later in the series) and Bender, a robot.
The video quality of these discs is superb. The show premiered in 1999, and the technology allowed for beautifully complex animation, combining Groening’s distinctive style with fully rendered 3-D scenes. “Futurama” was never hindered by budgetary concerns, as “The Simpsons” was early on. Instead, “The Simpsons” paved the way for “Futurama” success.
The audio tracks are only available in 2.0 stereo. While this is no major hindrance, given the prevalence of Dolby 5.1 surround sound systems, the lack of a 5.1 sound mix is somewhat of an oddity.
The special features on the DVDs include commentary for each episode by the cast and crew, deleted scenes from selected episodes and other small additions, such as the original animatics from the pilot, and a featurette.
The show has been canceled for more than a year, with Fox parceling out the remaining original episodes at a snail’s pace. Reruns of the show are now airing on the Cartoon Network. “Volume Two” (or the second season) of these episodes is planned for release on Sept. 2. For more details on the series, visit www.gotfuturama.com.