Groening launches ‘Futurama’> With time, sci-fi series could be on par with ‘Simpsons’

As the creators of several prime time animated series have discovered in recent years, “The Simpsons” is a hard act to follow.

Since their debut as part of “The Tracey Ullman Show” in 1987, Springfield’s favorite clan has gone on to become not just the longest-running prime time animated series in TV history, but also the longest-running comedy series now on TV.

Now Matt Groening, Emmy Award-winning creator of “The Simpsons,” is about to find out what a long shadow his first family casts, when his new series, “Futurama,” debuts at 8:30 p.m. Sunday on Fox. (The show will continue at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, April 4, before moving to its regular time slot, 8:30-9 p.m. Tuesdays, beginning April 6.)

“Futurama” is animation with a sci-fi slant, as it’s set in the year 3000. The story begins on Dec. 31, 1999, when loser Fry (voiced by Billy West), a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy, traps himself in a cryogenic chamber, is flash frozen, then gets defrosted 1,000 years later.

He’s hustled off to the Fate Assignment Office (Motto: “Everybody’s Gotta Do What They Gotta Do”), where he meets Leela (voiced by Katey Sagal). Here he discovers that he has a 149-year-old great-great-etc. nephew, Professor Hubert Farnsworth. He also finds out what he’s qualified to do — be a delivery boy. He rebels against this fate and runs away.

Standing in line to use what he thinks is a phone booth, Fry meets Bender (voiced by John DiMaggio), a drinking, cigar-smoking kleptomaniac robot who bends girders for a living. The pair become drinking buddies, and continue to elude Leela and peace officers for a time.

In the end, she catches up to Fry, but decides she wants to change her destiny as well. The trio goes to visit Hubert, who runs Planet Express, an intergalactic delivery company. They flee from peace officers in Hubert’s spaceship, and become his crew, delivering cargo throughout the galaxy.

“Futurama” has a talented cast. West is a veteran voice actor, having voiced both Ren and Stimpy, Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. In Leela, Sagal has a more three-dimensional character than the role that made her famous, Peg Bundy on “Married … with Children.” DiMaggio is an actor and stand-up comedian.

Now, “Futurama” is no “Simpsons,” yet. It pales next to “Family Guy,” which returns April 11 to the time slot after “The Simpsons.” Still, “Futurama” has a nice narrative flow, and outshines such pretenders as “The P.J.s” and “Dilbert.” Given time, with his track record, Groening should polish “Futurama” into a gem.