Futurama‘s production history has not always been easy. From difficult upbringings, network difficulties and cancellation to revivals, cost cuts and salary negotiation collapses.

Yet, Futurama has produced some of the better episodes and gags in the history of animated television.

When Matt Groening and David X. Cohen originally pitched Futurama to Fox, they were not met with initial support. In fact, the show had scared them somewhat with its setting and unusual characters, so in fact they told them to bring them a more down to Earth episode, which became “I, Roommate”, unfortunately their reaction to it was plainly “worst. episode. ever“, which made its runners conclude that they’d just do the show they wanted to do, rather than appease 20th Century Fox.

But Futurama did not have it easy on the Fox Network, where they treated it carelessly by moving its airings on and off, to little avail for fans to find them. In addition, they ended up airing them out of order. When ratings suffered as a result, they did not want to order a fifth production season, and said they should consider that season 4 might be their last season they’ll do, so better make their series finale something special.

— The Infosphere, the Futurama Wiki

2011.10.05 Wednesday ACHK