Futurama Vol. 6

Futurama has died and been resurrected more times than Jason Voorhees. It was originally created as a prime-time companion piece to The Simpsons way back in 1998 and was cancelled after four seasons, seemingly due to the Fox network's mismanagement of it. Since then, we've gotten four straight-to-DVD movies of varying quality, and now its new incarnation as a Comedy Central series. That said, the show has stayed relatively intact despite these bumps: the voice actors remain the same (including Billy West and Katey Sagal) and the tone and sense of humour of Futurama have never fluctuated. This new DVD release contains the second half of the new 26-episode season, with 13 episodes spread over two discs. There aren't many surprises for those familiar with the series, as volume six continues to chronicle the misadventures of Philip J. Fry and the rest of the Planet Express crew. Highlights include: "Law and Oracle," which starts off as a cut-and-dry police procedural parody then evolves into a delightful riff on Minority Report; the token time-travel story, "All the President's Heads"; and "Reincarnation," which presents three separate stories, each utilizing a reinvented aesthetic ― from anime to 8-Bit videogames to old-school, Steamboat Willie-esque animation. While this may not be a compelling enough collection to convert non-fans, volume six is a welcome addition from a show that deserves the longevity it was almost denied. Special features include commentaries, deleted scenes, a featurette on "Reincarnation" and an FAQ with Matt Groening, who Bender (the robot) introduces as the guy who "created Family Guy or something."