Second cancellation of Futurama

As of July, 2009, the status of Futurama remains stable. Futurama, being renewed for a sixth production season can now be considered an active TV show.

However, after the upcoming 26 episodes, will there be more?

Original run
When Futurama first began airing in 1999, Fox already expressed its discontent with the show. Citing claims such as they failed to understand it, being too dark and trying to conflict with already popular shows of their liking, such as The Jetsons.

Despite attempts to satisfy the Fox executives, already by "I, Roommate", the show runners decided that they wanted to do the show they wanted, and not what their producers wanted. Interestingly, this very episode was also the first episode to begin air on the Tuesday line up instead of the Sunday line up that "Space Pilot 3000" and "The Series Has Landed" aired on. And ever since that move, made the episodes of Futurama less viewed than its first two episodes.

Fans often cite claims that Fox's original handling of the show is eventually what caused the show to be cancelled by 2003. Not only did they move it out of the popular line up, they often fail to air it on schedule and it was often hard for viewers to figure out when the next episode would be up. Eventually, low ratings caused the Fox network to suggest to the show runners by the fourth production season that "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" might be their last episode, so make it good. Despite never getting the official word, it eventually became the last episode of the original run.

After cancellation
When Fox sold off the show to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim by 2003, the show saw a more stable airing. In general, fans are content that Adult Swim handled the show with more grace and gave it the support it deserved. Fans who came to like the show after the cancellation often cite Adult Swim as the place they first saw Futurama.

But good viewer numbers and more fans could not handle it alone. The fans were still content that the amount of available ideas for Futurama had not been exhausted. And focused purchases of DVDs eventually caused 20th Century Fox in 2006 to order four Direct-to-DVD films.

Despite the good news, fans were a still at disagreement whether this was really the direction they wanted the shows in. But they were content that strong purchase of the DVDs had given the show another chance, and this meant it was yet another chance to bring the show back as a TV show.

Pushing for a sixth season
Despite general disagreement among fans for which of the films were the best, they could easily agree that purchasing the films would increase the show's chances greatly. And sure enough, by 9 June, 2009, Comedy Central together with 20th Century Fox announced an order of 26 episodes for the upcoming mid-2010 season.

Future
Neither Comedy Central and 20th Century Fox have as of 15 June, 2009 made any further discussion of future for Futurama. However, speculation are being to ponder fans with the material that has been released so far, such as the upcoming Comic Con 2009 exclusive Futurama: The Complete Collection 1999-2009 DVD box set.

Another notice regarding Comic Con is the the description for the Futurama panel at the Comic Con 2009 event, which contains "[...] as a top-ranking FOX executive decides live, on stage, whether Futurama will make yet another triumphant return or whether it is gone forever! The very fate of Futurama hangs in the balance!"

Comedy Central has already confirmed that they will be airing it the coming mid season, 2010. And the show is already in production, so what fate exactly is the quote referring to? Speculation turn two parts, either it will be Futurama returning to the Fox network or the announcement of yet another season after season 6.