Yet another show that died before its time, the creators of "Futurama" take advantage of its sizeable cult following by releasing this compilation DVD of some of the better episodes. This disc probably isn't of any value to die-hards, who likely already have the boxed sets, but it's definitely a must-have for casual fans, as it compiles four exemplary episodes (one from each season in which it hobbled along in the ratings).

This moderately-priced single disc includes one episode from each season, all of which represent the highly-satiric & irreverent tone of the series pretty effectively (which is similar to "The Simpsons," made by the same creators): A simple-minded goofball, Fry (voiced by Billy West), accidently gets thrust 1000 years into the future into a world in which technology has advanced, but people really haven't. His new robot sidekick, Bender (John DiMaggio), provides much of the comedy in most of the episodes (including the ones featured on this disc), while individual episodes use the 30th century as a backdrop to skewer current topics. Of course, that last paragraph is more of a set-up for those who've never watched the show, few of whom would even pick a disc like this off the shelves. Most relevant are the episodes chosen to represent the series in a single disc, and I'm happy to say the choices are pretty damned good. "Hell is for Other Robots" (from season 1) features Bender attempting to find religion to combat his habit of "jacking on." The best episode on the disc, "Anthology of Interest," has Professor Farnsworth inventing a 'What If' machine, in which characters ask a question, and the machine shows what would happen (the segment featuring Bender as a 500-foot robot is hilarious). In "Roswell That Ends Well," after a mishap involving a microwave oven, the crew travels back in time to 1947, where Fry ends up accidentally killing his grandfather, yet manages not to erase his own existence (I won't go into why). In the last episode, "The Sting," Lela (the one-eyed, ass-kicking ship's pilot) laments being responsible for Fry's 'death' after visiting a planet populated by giant killer bees; of the four, it's the weakest episode, but still pretty amusing.

Fox has done a good job preserving the picture & sound quality of the show for DVD. These episodes look and sound better than they did during their original broadcasts, with sharp lines, vibrant color, and unspectacular but more-than-adequate 2.0 Dolby Surround sound.

This disc features new intros for each episode by creators Matt Groening & David X. Cohen, director Rich Moore, voice actors John DiMaggio (Bender) & Billy West (Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg). For the most part, these intros offer little information that one can't live without (except that a few of the episodes were nominated for Emmys). A better feature is an 'animatic' of "Hell is Other Robots," in which many of the aforementioned creators & actors give commentary to a rough sketch of the episode.

"Futurama" is a great series that never found much of an audience, which is too bad, since it's often as consistently funny as the first few seasons of "The Simpsons." If you've never seen the show, this disc makes a great, inexpensive introduction (though the previously released boxed sets are definitely worth seeking out). Similar Shows: "The Simpsons"; "The Family Guy"