Credit: Futurama, Hulu
After two cancellations and four so-called series finales and counting, Futurama might be the most resilient show ever. Another new season is on the way from Hulu, plus a series of (just announced) specials. If it doesn’t have the consistent staying power of something like The Simpsons (with which it shares a creator in Matt Groening), Family Guy, or Bob’s Burgers, it’s got a pluckiness that makes it all the more charming. Plus, those shows have never made me ugly cry like that one episode about Fry’s dog.
If you’re looking for other shows that deliver similar sci-fi silliness, or you just want to get set with a backup in case Futurama gets cancelled again, these 10 genre comedies will be just the thing.
Rick and Morty (2013 – )
More cynical than Futurama (which is saying a fair bit), Rick & Morty nonetheless plays in the same high-concept sci-fi sandbox; both shows excel at a stupid/smart blend of comedy. Rick Sanchez is an old-school mad scientist (think Doc Brown, but drunker) dragging his well-meaning but hapless grandson on adventures in time and space, as well as across dimensions — Back to the Future meets Doctor Who, but crasser and far weirder. It’s clever, gross, frequently disturbing, and occasionally a bit emotional — but mostly it’s a wild good time exploring the multiverse. Stream Rick and Morty on Hulu and HBO Max.
Star Trek: Lower Decks (2021 – 2024)
Instead of focusing on the upper ranks of any given Federation starship, Star Trek: Lower Decks deals with the, well, lower decks — the crew behind the scenes that keeps everything going on a second-rate ship specializing in “Second Contact” — i.e. arriving after the main event to make sure all the paperwork is signed. It’s a sitcom in space that still manages to feel like real Star Trek by balancing cartoon wackiness with convincing character arcs. By the end of Lower Decks’ five seasons, the two-dimensional crew of the Cerritos feels as real as that of any other show in the franchise. Stream Star Trek: Lower Decks on Paramount+.
