Futurama is ending one season and immediately starting another, and it is doing it in the strangest way possible. The animated sci-fi sitcom returns for a new season on Monday, September 27, with a finale that is really just the end of one stretch. Then the show comes back as three hourlong streaming specials, dubbed “XXXL-Sized,” which will start in 2027 with an Xmas-related edition. It is a strange way to say goodbye.
The Finale That Isn’t
The 180th episode of Futurama, which centers on a childhood flashback of Fry (Billy West) and his brother Yancy (Tom Kenny) sneaking into a PG-13 movie as kids, was reportedly written as a potential series finale. The episode triggers “shocking consequences for the future.” But Hulu has already greenlit Futurama’s future, so the finale is more like a pause than a conclusion.
Instead of a standard 10-episode block for season 15, the show will return as three hourlong streaming specials. The first of those will arrive in 2027 with an Xmas-related edition. The source does not give a timeframe between the finale and the 2027 specials, so fans should expect a wait, but the exact length is not confirmed.
War Arrives on Thursday
Thursday brings a new HBO legal anthology called War. The series comes from George Kay, who previously worked on Lupin and Criminal. It was ordered upfront as a two-season package, so a follow-up featuring Marissa Tomei, Kelly Macdonald, and David Harewood is already in the works.
The show follows two rival London law firms, Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne, clashing over the high-stakes, headline-dominating divorce between British tech entrepreneur Morgan Henderson (Dominic West) and his film-star wife Carla Duval (Sienna Miller). The case draws young lawyer Jonathan “Johnny” Warren (Archie Renaux) into a ruthless world where ambition and betrayal reign supreme.
What To Watch This Week
Here is the full lineup for the week:
- Monday: Futurama (Hulu), season 11 finale
- Thursday: War (HBO and HBO Max, 9 p.m.), series premiere
- Saturday: East Of Eden premieres
The two premiere dates give viewers a clear choice of which new show to catch first.
Why This Works
The Futurama finale is a strange way to end a season that is not really ending at all. It is a pause, and a long one. Fans will have to wait until 2027 to see what happens next, but at least they know the show is still coming back.
Key Facts Box
- Futurama: Season 11 finale airs Monday on Hulu
- War: Series premiere Thursday at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max
- East Of Eden: Premieres Saturday
- Futurama’s return: Three “XXXL-Sized” specials starting in 2027
- War’s follow-up: Already ordered, featuring Marissa Tomei, Kelly Macdonald, and David Harewood
See the video the story is built around at The A.V. Club.
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