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"Space Pilot 3000"
Futurama episode
Promotional artwork for the episode.
Episode no. Season one
Episode 1
Directed by Rich Moore
Gregg Vanzo
Written by David X. Cohen
Matt Groening
Production code 1ACV01
Original air date March 28, 1999
Opening caption "In Color"
Opening cartoon Little Buck Cheeser by MGM
(1937)
Guest stars
Dick Clark as himself
Leonard Nimoy as himself
Space Pilot 3000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Space Pilot 3000" (1st ever episode of Futurama) is the
pilot episode of Futurama, which originally aired in
North America on March 28, 1999 on Fox.[1] It is also the
first episode to be set in the 30th century as the third
season and beyond are set in the 31st century. The
episode focuses on the cryogenic freezing of the series
protagonist, Philip J. Fry, and the events when he
awakens 1,000 years in the future. Series regulars are
introduced and the futuristic setting, inspired by a variety
of classic science fiction series from The Jetsons to Star
Trek, is revealed. It also sets the stage for many of the
events to follow in the series, foreshadowing plot points
from the third and fourth seasons.
The episode was written by David X. Cohen and Matt
Groening,[1] and directed by Rich Moore and Gregg
Vanzo. Dick Clark and Leonard Nimoy guest starred as
themselves.[2] The episode generally received good
reviews with many reviewers noting that while the
episode started slow the series merited further viewing.
Contents
1 Plot
2 Continuity
3 Production
4 Cultural references
5 Broadcast and reception
6 References
7 External links
Plot
On December 31, 1999, a pizza delivery boy named
Philip J. Fry delivers a pizza to "Applied Cryogenics" in
New York City. At midnight, Fry falls into an open
cryonic tube and is frozen. He is defrosted on Tuesday,
December 31, 2999, in what is now New New York

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Season one episodes
March 1999 – June 1999
1. "Space Pilot 3000"
2. "The Series Has Landed"
3. "I, Roommate"
4. "Love's Labours Lost in Space"
5. "Fear of a Bot Planet"
6. "A Fishful of Dollars"
7. "My Three Suns"
8. "A Big Piece of Garbage"
9. "Hell Is Other Robots"
10. "A Flight to Remember"
11. "Mars University"
12. "When Aliens Attack"
13. "Fry and the Slurm Factory"
List of all Futurama episodes
Fry's first glimpse of New New York.
City. He is taken
to a fate
assignment officer
named Leela, a
purple-haired
cyclops. To his
dismay, Fry is
assigned the
computer-
determined
permanent career
of delivery boy,
and flees into the city when Leela tries to implant Fry's
career chip designating his job.
While trying to track down his only living relative,
Professor Farnsworth, Fry befriends a suicidal robot
named Bender. As they talk at a bar, Fry learns that
Bender too has deserted his job of bending girders for
suicide booths. Together, they evade Leela and hide in the
Head Museum, where they encounter the preserved heads
of historical figures. Fry and Bender eventually find
themselves underground in the ruins of Old New York.
Leela finally catches Fry, who has become depressed that everyone that he knew and loved is dead and tells
her that he will accept his career as a delivery boy. Leela sympathizes with Fry—she too is alone, and hates
her job—so she quits and joins Fry and Bender as job deserters. The three track down Professor Farnsworth,
founder of an intergalactic delivery company called Planet Express. With the help of Professor Farnsworth,
the three evade the police by launching the Planet Express Ship at the stroke of midnight amid the New
Year's fireworks. As the year 3000 begins, Farnsworth hires the three as the crew of his ship. Fry cheers at
his acquisition of a new job: delivery boy.
Continuity
While the plot of the episode stands on its own, it also sets up much of the continuing plot of the series by
including Easter eggs for events that do not occur until much later[1]: as Fry falls into the freezer, the scene
shows a strange shadow cast on the wall behind him. It is revealed in "The Why of Fry" that the shadow
belongs to Nibbler, who intentionally pushes Fry into the freezer as part of a complex plan to save Earth from
the Brainspawn in the future. Executive producer David X. Cohen claims that from the very beginning the
creators had plans to show a larger conspiracy behind Fry's journey to the future.[3] In the movie Futurama:
Bender's Big Score, it is revealed that the spacecrafts seen destroying the city while Fry is frozen are piloted
by Bender and those chasing him after he steals the Nobel Peace Prize.[4][5]
At the end of the episode, Professor Farnsworth offers Fry, Leela and Bender the Planet Express delivery
crew positions. The professor produces the previous crew's career chips from an envelope labeled "Contents

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of Space Wasp's Stomach". In a later episode, "The Sting", the crew encounters the ship of the previous crew
in a space beehive. When discussing this discontinuity in the episode commentary, writer of "The Sting"
Patric Verrone states "we made liars out of the pilot".[6]
This episode introduces the fictional technology that allows preserved heads to be kept alive in jars. This
technology makes it possible for the characters to interact with celebrities from the then-distant past, and is
used by the writers to comment on the 20th and 21st centuries in a satirical manner.[2]
Production
In the DVD commentary, Matt Groening notes that beginning any television series is difficult, but he found
particular difficulty starting one that took place in the future because of the amount of setup required. As a
trade off, they included a lot of Easter eggs in the episode that would pay off in later episodes. He and Cohen
point these out throughout the episode.[7] The scene where Fry emerges from a cryonic tube and has his first
view of New New York was the first 3D scene worked on by the animation team. It was considered to be a
defining point for whether the technique would work or not.[8]
Originally, the first person entering the pneumatic tube transport system declared "J.F.K., Jr. Airport" as his
destination. After John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s death in the crash of his private airplane, the line has since been
redubbed on all subsequent broadcasts and the DVD release to "Radio City Mutant Hall" (a reference to
Radio City Music Hall). The original version was heard only during the pilot broadcast and the first rerun a
few months later.[8] Although the original line is still used on repeat broadcasts in the UK on Satellite channel
Sky One. (The Region 2 DVD has the redubbed line). According to Groening, the inspiration for the suicide
booth was the 1937 Donald Duck cartoon, "Modern Inventions", in which the Duck is faced with—and
nearly killed several times by—various push button gadgets in a Museum of the Future.[7]
Cultural references
In their original pitch to Fox, Groening and Cohen stated that they wanted the futuristic setting for the show
to be neither "dark and drippy" like Blade Runner, nor "bland and boring" like The Jetsons.[7] They felt that
they could not make the future either a utopia or a dystopia because either option would eventually become
boring.[8] The creators gave careful consideration to the setting, and the influence of classic science fiction is
evident in this episode as a series of references to—and parodies of—easily recognizable films, books and
television programs. In the earliest glimpse of the future while Fry is frozen in the cryonic chamber, time is
seen passing outside the window until reaching the year 3000. This scene was inspired by a similar scene in
the film The Time Machine based on H.G. Wells' novel.[7] When Fry awakens in the year 2999, he is greeted
with Terry's catchphrase "Welcome to the world of tomorrow." The scene is a joke at the expense of
Futurama's namesake, the Futurama ride at the 1939 World's Fair whose tag line was "The World of
Tomorrow".[9]
In addition to the setting, part of the original concept for the show was that there would be a lot of advanced
technology similar to that seen in Star Trek, but it would be constantly malfunctioning.[8] The automatic
doors at Applied Cryogenics resemble those in Star Trek: The Original Series; however, they malfunction

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when Fry remarks on this similarity.[10] In another twist, the two policemen who try to arrest Fry at the head
museum use weapons which are visually similar to lightsabers used in the Star Wars film series; however,
they are functionally more similar to nightsticks.[10] The interaction between the characters was not
overlooked. The relationship formed between Fry and Bender in this episode has been compared to the
relationship between Will Robinson and the robot in Lost in Space.[11]
Although both Futurama and The Simpsons were created by Matt Groening, overt references to the latter are
mostly avoided in Futurama. One of the few exceptions to this rule is the appearance of Blinky, a three-eyed
orange fish seen on The Simpsons, as Fry is going through the tube.[7]
Another running gag of the series is Bender's fondness for Olde Fortran malt liquor,[10] named after Olde
English 800 malt liquor and the programming language Fortran. The drink was first introduced in this episode
and became so closely associated with the character that he was featured with a bottle in both the Rocket
USA wind-up toy and the action figure released by Moore Action Collectibles.[12][13]
The BBC 1990's hit Red Dwarf featured an almost identical pilot; their protagonist is frozen in a cryogenic
freezer and wakes up millions of years later to find everything has changed.
Broadcast and reception
In a review by Patrick Lee in Science Fiction Weekly based on a viewing of this episode alone, Futurama
was deemed not as funny as The Simpsons, particularly as "the satire is leavened with treacly sentimental bits
about free will and loneliness". The episode was rated as an "A- pick" and found to "warrant further
viewing" despite these concerns.[10] Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that although the
episode contained the same skewed humor as The Simpsons, it was not as smart and funny, and he attributed
this to the large amount of exposition and character introduction required of a television series pilot, noting
that the show was "off to a good start."[14] Andrew Billen of New Statesman found the premise of the
episode to be unoriginal, but remained somewhat enthusiastic about the future of the series. While he praised
the humorous details of the episode, such as the background scenes while Fry was frozen, he also criticized
the show's dependence on in-jokes such as Groening's head being present in the head museum.[15]
In its initial airing, the episode had "unprecedented strong numbers" with a Nielsen rating of 11.2/17 in
homes and 9.6/23 in adults 18–49.[16] The Futurama premiere was watched by more people than either its
lead-in show (The Simpsons) or the show following it (The X-Files), and it was the number one show among
men aged 18–49 and teenagers for the week.[17][18] The episode was ranked in 2006 by IGN as number 14
in their list of the top 25 Futurama episodes.[1]
References
1. ^ a b c d Iverson, Dan (2006-07-07). ""Top 25 Futurama Episodes""
(http://tv.ign.com/articles/716/716663p3.html) . IGN. http://tv.ign.com/articles/716/716663p3.html. Retrieved
2008-06-15.
2. ^ a b Booker, M. Keith. Drawn to Television:Prime-Time Animation from The Flintstones to Family Guy

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(http://books.google.com/books?id=oCJ1ExPYikQC&dq=Drawn+to+television&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0)
. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 115–224. ISBN 0275990192. http://books.google.com/books?
id=oCJ1ExPYikQC&dq=Drawn+to+television&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0.
3. ^ Cohen, David X (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Why of Fry" (DVD). 20th
Century Fox.
4. ^ Reed, Phil (2007-12-02). "Review: Bender's Big Score"
(http://web.archive.org/web/20071212202740/http://www.noisetosignal.org/film/2007/12/review-benders-big-
score.php) . Noisetosignal.org. Archived from the original (http://www.noisetosignal.org/film/2007/12/review-
benders-big-score.php) on December 12, 2007.
http://web.archive.org/web/20071212202740/http://www.noisetosignal.org/film/2007/12/review-benders-big-
score.php. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
5. ^ Groening, Matt (2007). Futurama: Bender's Big Score DVD commentary (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
6. ^ Verrone, Patric (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "The Sting" (DVD). 20th Century
Fox.
7. ^ a b c d e Groening, Matt (2003). Futurama season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Space Pilot 3000"
(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
8. ^ a b c d Cohen, David X (2003). Futurama season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Space Pilot 3000"
(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
9. ^ "The Original Futurama" (http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/15-
12/ff_futurama_original) . Wired. 2007-11-27. http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/15-
12/ff_futurama_original. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
10. ^ a b c d Lee, Patrick (March 22, 1999). ""Futurama: The future's not what it used to be ""
(http://web.archive.org/web/20070612205432/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue101/screen.html) . Sci Fi Weekly.
Archived from the original (http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue101/screen.html) on June 12, 2007.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070612205432/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue101/screen.html. Retrieved 2007-06-
25.
11. ^ Joyce Millman (1999-03-26). ". . . . . . . that 31st century show . . . . . . ."
(http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/mill/1999/03/cov_26mill.html) . Salon.com.
http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/mill/1999/03/cov_26mill.html. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
12. ^ Janulewicz, Tom (2000-02-29). "Pushing Tin: Space Toys With Golden-Age Style"
(http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/toyfair_tinworks_000229.html) . Space.com.
http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/toyfair_tinworks_000229.html. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
13. ^ Huxter, Sean (2001-06-11). "Futurama Action Figures"
(http://web.archive.org/web/20080623210213/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/cool/sfw7099.html) . Sci Fi Weekly.
Archived from the original (http://www.scifi.com/sfw/cool/sfw7099.html) on June 23, 2008.
http://web.archive.org/web/20080623210213/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/cool/sfw7099.html. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
14. ^ Owen, Rob (1999-03-26). "Simpsons meet the Jetsons; 'The Devil's Arithmetic'" (http://www.post-
gazette.com/tv/19990326rob4.asp) . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/19990326rob4.asp.
Retrieved 2007-08-08.
15. ^ Billen, Andrew (1999-09-27). "Laughing matters" (http://www.newstatesman.com/199909270044) . New
Statesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/199909270044. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
16. ^ Bierbaum, Tom (1999-03-30). "Fox sees 'Futurama' and it works"
(http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117492811.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) . Variety.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117492811.html?categoryid=14&cs=1. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
17. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (1999-03-31). "`Futurama' Draws Them In"
(http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/40180027.html?
dids=40180027:40180027&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=MAR+31%2C+1999&author=Lisa+de+Moraes&
pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=%60Futurama'+Draws+Them+In&pqatl=google) . The Washington Post.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/40180027.html?
dids=40180027:40180027&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=MAR+31%2C+1999&author=Lisa+de+Moraes&
pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=%60Futurama'+Draws+Them+In&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2008-06-15.

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18. ^ ""Futurama" has popular premiere" (http://news.awn.com/index.php?
ltype=search&range=all&search=Futurama&newsitem_no=703) . Animation World Network. 1999-04-04.
http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=search&range=all&search=Futurama&newsitem_no=703. Retrieved 2008-
06-15.
External links
"Space Pilot 3000" (http://www.tv.com/shows/1534/) at TV.com
"Space Pilot 3000" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0584449/) at the Internet Movie Database
"Space Pilot 3000" at the Infosphere, the Futurama Wiki.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Space_Pilot_3000&oldid=474371745"
Categories: Futurama (season 1) episodes Television pilots 1999 television episodes
Cryonics in fiction
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