The Silence of the Clamps

"The Silence of the Clamps", originally titled "Bend on a Wire", is the one hundred and second episode of Futurama, the fourteenth of the sixth production season and the fifth of the eighth broadcast season. It is scheduled to air on 14 July, 2011. The episode was for some time thought to be the broadcast season premiere, but the announcement that "Neutopia" will air on 23 June in its place proved otherwise.

Story
Bender joins the witness relocation program after testifying against the Robot Mafia.

Production
Maurice LaMarche revealed in an update online that this episode will have a large focus on Clamps, indeed his great breakthrough episode. Episode writer Eric Rogers has also said, on his Twitter page, that "6ACV14 is directed by Frank Marino, not Ray Claffey".

The characters Bender, Billionaire Bot, the Queen of Yonkers, Mayor Poopenmeyer, Fanny, the Donbot, Bella, Calculon, Clamps, and Joey Mousepad appear in a clip from the episode hidden as an Easter egg on Volume 5. More characters can also be seen in the storyboard.

Comedy Central's Countdown to Futurama began releasing promotional material for the episode in May 2011. It has so far released two items: a reused concept art of the Crushinator from "The Series Has Landed" (accompanied by two classic Crushinator clips) on 22 May and part of the storyboard showing the Donbot's trial on 23 May.

Allusions

 * The title is a parody of the novel (and film) .

Characters

 * Debut: Bella
 * Bender
 * Billionaire Bot
 * Calculon
 * The Chain Smoker
 * Clamps
 * The Crushinator
 * The Donbot
 * Fanny
 * Professor Farnsworth
 * Fat-bot
 * Fry
 * The hair Robot
 * Hedonism Bot
 * Hermaphrobot
 * Hermes
 * The Hyper-Chicken
 * Joey Mousepad
 * Debut: Judge 724
 * Leela
 * Mayor Poopenmeyer
 * The Queen of Yonkers
 * Dr. Zoidberg