Just about anyone who meets me can tell, pretty much immediately, that I love Futurama, and I mean that literally. You don't even have to talk to me to notice: my car has stickers, my travel mug has stickers, I have artwork, figurines, and DVDs, i have multiple T-shirts (and F-shirts for our friends with two arms on the same side!), socks, and even one button-up; I have several Futurama tattoos and several more planned. I love Futurama. And a big part of that is because of John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender. I've watched the complete series enough times to have lost count. I've watched special features, listened to multiple commentary tracks, and written and performed a rhyming ode singing DiMaggio's praises. I've watched, recommended, and rewatched his voice acting documentary, I Know That Voice. I started watching Adventure Time because of DiMaggio's casting. My interest in voice acting, and my aspirations to become a voice actor, grew out of my love of DiMaggio's work. He's my voice acting hero. If you're already familiar with Bendergate, skip this paragraph. Without getting mired in drama or details, Hulu recently announced 20 new episodes of Futurama are coming next year, with many members of the original cast returning. DiMaggio was notably absent from that list, and Hulu's intention is to recast the role of Bender. Many, myself included, are displeased. A petition calling for Hulu to reach an agreement with DiMaggio has already gathered more than two thousand signatures. Fans and friends have made shows of support on Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, and more. Major publications have published stories on the situation. The events, as they are, are commonly being referred to as Bendergate. Other than publicly declaring my intention not to watch DiMaggio-less Futurama episodes (I already did!), there's not much I can do about it, not directly, but I think I can still use my Futurama powers for good...and maybe a little evil (just like Super King, the best one of the three!). So! To that end, my next several posts are gonna cover, in *some* detail, some of the best episodes Futurama has to offer. To maintain a thin veneer of impartiality, I've combed through twenty "Best Futurama Episodes" lists from multiple publications and authors, from top tens to top eighty, but I'm putting them in my own order, to make my own list! With blackjack! And hookers! But before I compile my personal list, I've got some rewatching to do. I spent all day building a spreadsheet of 77 episodes and their rankings, then whittled that down to 45 episodes, which I will be rewatching, exploring, and writing about. When I've completed this task, I'll compose my final list. Each post in my compendium, my collection, my "Anthology of Interest," will highlight DiMaggio's contributions, Bender included. So stick around and read all about the first episode in my rewatch, "Spanish Fry." This is gonna be the best research ever.
top of page
bottom of page