Just caught a Futurama episode on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. All I can say is: Go and find the episode called “Time Keeps on Slipping”. It is hilarious. It is a brilliant mixture of physics and basketball jokes. Time is slipping uncontrollably due to an interplanetary basketball game…. Earth has been challenged by the planet Globetrotter, for … “No reason – absolutely no stakes beyond the shame of defeat”. (Found a random site here with some information that may or may not be helpful.)
Two random very funny (in context) lines I sort of remember (not accurate):
Nothing but Nebula.
A Globetrotter always saves the good algebra till the final minutes
(If anyone recalls the correct wording, let me know. [Updated – Thanks Paul Valletta]) Those were from Ethan Bubblegum Tate, who is Captain of the Harlem Globetrotters, and turns out to be lecturer of Physics at Globetrotter University. Pity that it is only a prematurely cancelled cartoon show that is bold enough to break through the usual racial stereotypical imagery to that extent and have a bit of fun.
I think I am going to have to find a DVD of Futurama. I’ve only caught a few at random and they are always brilliant.
Enjoy.
-cvj
[Update: Digging further, before going off to bed, I found an IMDB page of quotes from the show. My favourite so far:
Cubert J. Farnsworth: “Your explanations are pure weapons grade balognium. It’s all impossible.”
Professor Hubert Farnsworth: “Nothing is impossible. Not if you can imagine it. That’s what being is a scientist is all about.”
Cubert J. Farnsworth: “No, that’s what being a magical elf is all about.”
Briliant. Who writes this stuff? It’s priceless!]
I found a website where you can stream or download season 6 episodes 🙂
http://www.episodevault.com
Yeah you gotta love futurama
Heh, I just did a search on the string (ethan bubblegum tate) and this blog entry was returned on the first page of hits. Time Keeps On Slipping is right up there for my favorite Futurama episode, although it saddens me to report that I don’t think I’m funky enough to be a Globetrotter.
P.S favorite saying comes from the DVD’s start pages, at the rating page, just after the Fox logo, there is a page listing classification, which is H.S. Rating “Hyper Sensitive”, then just below this is the sentence:Contains unmotivated behaviour and shallow dialogue. Sensitive viewers should go write poerty instead!
Thanks! Will update!
-cvj
I have the first Four Season Box set’s !
From the makers of The Simpson’s, this Cartoon is for me, a work of comic genius.
Just checked what your looking for: Nothing but Nebula, correct. Farnsworth to bubblegum:No wonder we failed to stop the chronotons, it’s mathematically impossible, I know I should have checked your showboating algebra. Bubblegum, Man.I thought you knew that algebra was Razzamatazz, a Globetrotter always saves the good algebra till the final minutes! Bender.Ha..Ha.Ha..Ha vintage bubblegum!
Though I don’t know why exactly, this is my favourite Futurama quote:
Give a hoot-o
Don’t pollute Pluto
My favorite Futurama is the one involving Bender where, to quote him, “I was God, and then I MET God!” Really hilarious, and they have a scene where Bender’s floating through space and shouts “I have too much momentum! I need to slow down!” then starts shedding mass, only to accidentally introduce angular momentum to the mix…
My brother the future investment banker always gave me odd looks when I cracked up at that part.
Professor Farnsworth, after raiding Area 51 in 1954 : “Choke on that Causality!”
Fry(?) : “I don’t understand this quantum chess. Every time I move, all the rules change.” (Something to this effect.)
Technically, it’s season 5. The fourth season was aired over two year due to programming it in the summer (Sunday night sports tended to cancel episodes during the regular season).
On June 22, Comedy Central announced that they were picking up 13 new episodes (about half a season) for air in 2008. See here:
http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/06/22/new-episodes-of-futurama-coming-to-comedy-central-for-real/
More info on the writers and stuff they work into the show:
http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~sjg/futurama/
(Note the “Superdupersymmetric string theory” graphic in the upper right.)
Vasily, when was season 6 announced? That’s fantastic!
Who write this stuff? These guys:
http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/05/meet_the_geeks.php
not canceled actually, season 6 was announced
I love this episode. “I knew I should have checked your show-boating Globetrotter algebra!”
You should definitely buy the DVD’s — the science humor is often priceless.
Fry:”So there’s an infinite number of parallel universes?”
Professor Farnsworth:”No, just the two.”