“Good News, Everyone!”
Futurama has been officially renewed for a Season 13, which premieres September 15. Hulu will drop all 10 new episodes of the upcoming season, so fans can binge-watch the latest from Fry, Leela, Bender, and their colleagues on the Planet Express crew, all at once. (FXX will also premiere two episodes a week of Season 13, on the same day at 8 p.m. ET.)
Hulu has changed its model since releasing previous seasons on its platform. In the past, the show has followed a traditional weekly release. But the all-at-once model is Hulu’s standard these days, and it could be a good match for a series that’s never had much patience for tradition. The move is another chapter in the remarkable longevity of a series that has outlived two separate cancellations, a reboot, and a change of networks, without ever compromising its original vision.
Season 13, in fact, sounds as if it will continue to embrace everything that made Futurama special in the first place. Here’s the official description of the new season: “Bender is rampaging out of control! A volcano is about to explode! Fry confronts a rival for Leela’s love! And Dr. Zoidberg is rising up to heaven? !” In short, it sounds like the same old Futurama…big, messy, a bit crude, and gleefully unpredictable.
A few hints have come through in early photos, though. Robot Devil is back, which means: new musical episode. Richard Nixon’s Head is duking it out with Bill Nye the Science Head. We can’t forget Bender, who’s always been a creature of anachronistic style, is rocking a 1970s look. As always, expect satire, spectacle, and some deeply strange science fiction in Futurama Season 13. Over the years, Futurama has grown from just being an animated sci-fi comedy show. It’s a love letter to the science fiction genre itself, a brutal and often prescient social satire, and a surprisingly heartfelt narrative about found family. Now, over two decades removed from its original premiere, it’s also one of the most resilient series ever made on TV. With Hulu having already ordered a 14th season, Futurama shows no signs of running out of gas any time soon.
