I was all set to trot out Futurama as another example of a quality show Fox killed... but apparently it’s been decided to pick it up again for a new run (the details are still sketchy, so I’m not sure whether it’s Comedy Central or Fox, and whether it’s a direct-to-DVD thing). Nonetheless, Futurama certainly deserved another run.

While comparisons to the Simpsons are probably inevitable (and unfair, given the fact that the Simpsons has been around for almost as long as my undergraduates), Futurama admirably schools the elder show. A frighteningly bright and funny writing staff pitches its humor all the way from slapstick to obscure quantum physics. The characters are generally well-developed and engaging (Bender is a metallic latter-day Daffy, and that’s a good thing). The quality control on the show is impressive, with not a single bad episode (save the exposition-belabored pilot). Like the best science fiction, the show skillfully comments on contemporary developments without being didactic or plodding. And I must tell you that some of the most unexpectedly touching moments I’ve seen on television in recent memory  snuck up on me on this show. I don’t buy many DVD compilations of shows (especially shows that are still currently in reruns), but I did buy two for this show.