TV Review: FUTURAMA – Season 6B – “All the Presidents’ Heads”

By BILL McBRIDE / Contributing Writer

Posted: July 31st, 2011 / 10:30 PM

Stars (voices): Billy West, Katey Sagal, John Di Maggio, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche
Writer:Josh Weinstein
Director: Stephen Sandova
Network: Comedy Central, airs Thursdays @ 10 PM
Original Telecast: July 21, 2011

Nice Comeback. The latest episode of FUTURAMA, “All the Presidents’ Heads”, is a much needed return to what kept the show a comedic institution for all these years.

This one hits the spot with a basic time travel premise, bringing back the intelligent referential humor and a nice pace with a three part storyline.

We start out tonight with Fry (voiced by Billy West) going to his night job at the museum. While working, he is convinced by all the former Presidents of the U.S.(whose heads are on display in jars) to have a party with the gang. After some great dead president humor, it is discovered that the liquid in the jars allows the drinker to time travel.

Professor Farnsworth (also voiced by Billy West) discovers that his ancestor is responsible for counterfeiting money in Revolutionary times. He takes the team back in time with him, encountering Ben Franklin, Paul Revere and the like to undo the disgrace of the Farnsworth family name. Fry accidentally takes one of the lanterns that was intended to notify Paul Revere how the British were invading, of the old one if by land, two if by sea by story.

So they change history and come back to their present day, which is as if the U.S.had never gained independence. Finally, they go back again to re-fix everything and the world is back to normal.

Let’s break the accolades into three parts. First, the whole slew of dead presidents jokes from Abe Lincoln’s “trademark mole” to Ulysses Grant having too much to drink and puking in “the Bushes” (George H. and George W.) is just perfect. There is a lot of material and it really works well, only missing easy jokes with JFK and Obama.

The second part takes us back to the colonial days with Professor Farnsworth, Leela, Bender, and Fry, quickly working through all the founding fathers with some great cracks. Thomas Jefferson signing into law that the nation’s official joke state “shall be New Jersey” is priceless and the Ben Franklin womanizing jokes are up to par. The last part, however, with all the gang coming back with English accents, is the kicker. The voices are extremely well done and demonstrate West’s talent and versatility. The obligatory “Englishman with bad teeth” joke is given to Bender, which we don’t see coming.

One of the fun parts of any cartoon by Matt Groening is catching some of the subtle humor in the background. Look for the “Harrod’s Fifth Avenue” store towards the final scenes.

We needed this. After “Yo, Leela, Leela,” and “Silence of the Clamps,” there was a need here for some smart nonstop humor. The time travel storyline has been beaten to death, but in FUTURAMA, it’s got a whole different angle. Well done, everyone.

AGREE? DISAGREE? LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD – COMMENT BELOW!

Click on Link: Exclusive Interview with David X. Cohen on the future of FUTURAMA – Part 2

Click on Link: Exclusive Interview with David X. Cohen on Season 6B of FUTURAMA – Part 1

Click on link: AX’s review of FUTURAMA – Season 6B – “Yo Leela Leela”

Click on link: AX’s review of FUTURAMA – Season 6B – “Silence of the Clamps”

Click on link: AX’s review of FUTURAMA – Season 6B – “Law & Oracle”

Click on link: AX’s review of FUTURAMA – Season 6B – “Ghost in the Machines”

Click on link: AX’s review of FUTURAMA – Season 6B premiere – “Benderama”

Click on link: AX’s review of FUTURAMA – Season 6B premiere – “Neutopia”

Click on link: AX’s review of THE FUTURAMA HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR