Futurama Plans Star Trek Surprise In New Season

Fans will remember the show’s acclaimed homage to Star Trek: The Original Series in its fourth season. Although the upcoming Trekkie-sode won’t feature guest stars from the franchise like the Season Four episode did, it’s nonetheless expected to resonate thematically with Star Trek devotees.The memorable, original Star Trek episode aired during amounted to an affectionate homage to the iconic science fiction series. The episode masterfully blended the quirky humor of Fry and Co. with the canonical lore of Star Trek. As every fan can tell you, the episode centered around Fry’s burning desire to watch a forbidden franchise from the past, known as Star Trek, unfortunately banned in the future. 

Futurama’s former Star Trek episode takes a wild turn when Fry, Bender, Leela, and others find themselves—surprise, surprise—on a far-flung planet alongside the canonical Trek cast, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and others. 

As Cohen and Katz detailed, the show’s upcoming season will explore the evolving dynamics shared by the beloved series’s main characters. For her part, Katz underscored the changes in character relationships—particularly how Fry and Kif will be transitioning to new phases of their lives. On the other hand, characters like Bender feel sidelined. 

Some might be surprised at such nuanced character development—but narrative maturity, regardless of Futurama’s forrays into Star Trek-themed one-offs, is a testament to the show’s evolving depth and ability to grow with its audience.

Eleven seasons of content, however, entail hurdles. The show’s team was candid, discussing the challenges inherent to introducing new elements to the series while respecting its established lore. They noted their decisions to circumvent overt political references in Season 11. Instead, perhaps thankfully, the season will focus on universally relatable themes and stories.

Fans will be excited to learn that the panel discussion included merchandising plans. Kantz hinted at upcoming collectibles, particularly an art book tracing the history of the series; we can only hope it will include art from Futurerma’s Star Trek episodes.

Reflecting their respect for the show’s legacy and fanbase, the team indicated a careful, tactful approach to merchandising. 

On the more aesthetic side of things, the sci-fi comedy show’s supervising directors, Peter Avanzino and Edmund Fong, emphasized visual evolution evident throughout the series. Over its decade-plus existence, as the supervising director noted, Futurama has maintained its iconic style while integrating modern animation techniques—a commendable balancing act. The two also teased some visually stunning episodes fans can look forward to in the new season.

Overall, the creative team’s dedication to innovating while honoring the show’s essence was on display during their NY Comic-con panel. The series seems slated to retain its unique sensibility—one fusing sci-fi elements, character-driven stories, and unmistakably quirky humor. 

Indeed, with Futurama soon to gift us another Star Trek-themed episode, what’s not to love? New episodes lands on Hulu sometime in 2024.

Source: CBR