Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, followed his influential cartoon show with Futurama, a zany, surreal, hilarious and irreverent send-up of the future—and of course, the present. The Simpsons had already become a legendary institution by the time Futurama premiered in 1989; Groening fans were eager and waiting for the new crop.

Futurama’s main character is Philip J. Fry, a slacker from the 20th century who finds himself accidentally frozen in a cryogenic capsule. When he is released, the year is the distant 3000 and everyone and everything he knew is gone. Fry doesn’t suffer from too much culture shock, even when faced with aliens, robot hookers and suicide booths in the streets of New New York. With the help of a one-eyed, yet curvaceous, alien named Leela, Fry tracks down his nearest relative: Professor Farnsworth, an eccentric old coot. The professor runs an interplanetary delivery service and hires Leela to pilot the company’s ship and Fry to be a delivery boy (which is exactly what Fry was in the 20th century). Other members of Planet Express Delivery Company include Amy Wong, a rich klutz from Mars; Bender, a robot that revels in criminal behavior; Hermes Conrad, the uptight Jamaican middle manager and Dr. Zoidberg, a lobster-like alien who serves as the company’s doctor. The series revolves around the delivery crew and the adventures they have on their delivery routes but many other characters—humans, aliens and robots—make frequent appearances.

Fry’s introduction to the 30th century and its marvels is a central theme in Futurama episodes. His childlike wonder goes up against everyone else’s jaded attitudes and provides much of the humor. The series satirizes 20th century people and events by placing them in futuristic environs. When you look closely, the future isn’t all that different: television is still a stupefying influence; celebrities are alive and well, if only as heads preserved in jars; Nixon’s head is Earth’s lying, cheating president. Satire is rife and pokes fun at a variety of subjects, like professional wrestling, flag burning, Star Trek, addiction and television. The show often delves into episode-long parodies of pop culture icons, like Willy Wonka and Titanic.

Futurama incorporates so many gags, jokes and spoofs into one episode that it’s virtually impossible to pick up all the references in only one sitting. The backgrounds are rich with CGI detail, making every episode a treasure trove of fleeting jokes to be discovered.  The series lasted for five seasons on Fox and garnered multiple Emmy awards and other accolades. Loyal fans regarded its cancellation as a woeful mistake by network executives but luckily the series continued on in syndication and in a few straight-to-DVD movies that are currently in production.