Everyone seems inclined to compare this show to the Simpsons, but while it's true (and stylistically obvious) that there is some Simpson blood here, I think the show was intended to be something entirely different.

When I first watched Futurama, to be honest, I wasn't too impressed. It seemed forced, and kind of thrown together. Now that I watch it every chance I get, I think that reaction was simply a result of the fact that I had never seen a show like this one. Every one of the main characters is unique and well-developed, and often one or two will become spotlighted in any particular episode....which is generally a good strategy in writing a series, since it highlights the importance of each character without forgetting about the rest of the group. However, I must admit there are times when the jokes will fall flat for me. After all, Futurama doesn't have a brand of humor that it follows religiously. It tends to experiment with different forms--i.e. cute vs. crude, insightful vs. visual gag, etc.--every now and then. That's probably a good thing, but it also means that unless you like ALL types of humor, some of the jokes might not crack a smile. I almost gave it three stars.

But I'd say Futurma makes up for it in the end with two things: First, its creativity. Many episodes had a lot of thought and care put into them, whether in their use of real scientific theories, or just really rich writing in general. The second thing that makes up for the bad jokes...is the GOOD jokes. Some of the humor in Futurama will just put me in a fit on the floor. A personal favorite of mine is an episode in which Bender, feeling dejected and alone, wanders an empty beach in sorrow. A large aluminum sign is posted in the sand that reads, "No Boating Allowed." Without so much as a glance at the sign, Bender walks up to it, folds it into a boat, and rows away.

So in conclusion, I wouldn't say Futurama is the best show out there, but if you haven't seen whatever show IS the best show out there, you might just think the best show is Futurama.

Four stars is almost too little for this show. Futurama has all the humour and heart of The Simpsons, yet it is so excitingly different. Sci-Fi tends to be a creative genre, and Futurama is no exception.

The jokes vary from being very 'Simpsons-esque' to simply laugh out loud funny. There's lots of sight-gags and hidden jokes, as well colourful and funny characters.
The animation is very impressive for a television show. It's a real mix of CGI effects and cell animation. Since Futurama contains a lot of explosions and what not, the animation really does it justice.
The characters range from super-cute (Nibbler) to down-right stupid (Fry). Everyone gets their funny moments, and even the background characters have their share of the fun. Now that's how I'd describe Futurama - fun.

For some bizarre reason, Fox absolutely hates this show. They cancelled it, which is a real shame because this show still had tons of potential left in it. But it's being revived, and I hope the next few seasons are as good as the last ones.

It is a very,VERY funny show; I love better than the Simpsons (I am sorry to all Simpson fans). My favorite character (and only favorite character from the WHOLE show) is the lovable Martian cutie Amy Wong (she is Asian; but her family lives on Mars). The funny sayings that I like from the show are Hermes' "Sweet Something of Something!" (from many episodes of course) and also Bender the robot's "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass!"

I also would like to say, that the ALL robots in this show are very funny, are were the reason I love the 20th Century Fox CGI film "Robots." So all-in-all,I give this show gets a BIG thumbs up from me.

I am not going to put down the simpsons, but Futurama is truly even better than the simpsons at its peak. the sci-fi element allows the show to be brainy and to make up contrived scenarios without making you roll your eyes (like the simpsons does on occassion). Highlights are the Farnsworth Parabox, when the professor makes a box that contains a parallel universe, parasites lost, and any episode with Richard Nixon. Also, Fry is such a likeable charcter. This show really has heart and imagination. Give it a chance!!

'Futurama' is a hoot. The classic lines might not come quite as thick and fast as 'The Simpsons', and overall the series may not be as groundbreaking, but it's not that far behind - and you get the added pleasure of a silly SF setting to explore, and all the possibilities for absurdity and satire which that brings with it.

As with The Simpsons (and just about every other decent animation series which has followed in its wake) the editing is fast and lean. This is completely to do with comic timing. i.e. don't dwell on a gag for 10 seconds, inviting the audience to applaud its cleverness. Instead, cut straight to the next scene or gag, giving the impression that the whole thing was effortless, and you have another hundred lines like that up your sleeve (which, with well over two dozen writers churning out gags on a production line, you probably do.) This is a form of comic writing which in many ways was pioneered by The Simpons, and has led to a general increase in laughs-per-minute in American sitcoms in general, even if it comes at the cost of recognisable personal touches from the writers.

In fact American sitcom writers have largely the same sort of job as the animators, if you think about it. Instead of being given a model sheet and being told 'draw the character like this', they recieve more of a character profile, and get told 'Write them like this'. Compare this with the British method, where one or two people might write the whole show. There are pluses and minuses to each method.

In any case, Futurama has many elements which will be familiar to Simpsons fans. It's not quite as flat out funny and satirical, but on the plus side it's a tad more eccentric, cultish and it involves the almost sure-fire combination of SF and comedy*

* if you forget about 'Spaceballs'.