Infosphere:Featured articles/2011
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This page lists articles that were featured on the Main Page during 2011. If you have ideas for pages that should be featured, please add them on the nominations page.
Fortnight 1, 2011: Tinny Tim
Tinny Tim is an unlucky orphan robot who lives on the streets of New New York. He uses a crutch (which seems to replace his arm) to help himself walk. Despite the hardships he endures, he seems to be accepting of his lot in life. Though generally seen begging, he has also been seen selling newspapers. Tinny Tim is both in name, accent and appearance based on Charles Dickens' Tiny Tim character. (more...)
Fortnight 2, 2011: The Late Philip J. Fry
"The Late Philip J. Fry", aired in July 2010, is often considered by both staff and fans to be one of the best episodes, if not the best episode, of both the series and the sixth season. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, and Bender accidentally travel into a dystopic year ten thousand, without the possibility to travel backwards, only forwards in time. Upon realising this, they decide to keep traveling beyond, hoping to reach a time when Humanity has constructed a backwards time machine. (more...)
Fortnight 3, 2011: Proposition Infinity
"Proposition Infinity", aired in July 2010, is the ninety-second episode of Futurama. It was nominated for a 2010 Annie Award for Best Animation Television Production. Bender and Amy form a robosexual relationship, a relationship between a Human and a Robot, and fight for their right to marry. (more...)
Fortnight 4, 2011: Sweden
Sweden is still an Earthican country in the 31st century. We did not see it until Bender's Big Score, but three mentions had already been made to it before the film was released. After it being referred to during the original run (3ACV16/4ACV04/4ACV13), Bender went back in time to 2308 and stole the Nobel Peace Prize from the Sweedledome, only to be attacked by Swedish spaceships (BBS). (more...)
Fortnight 5, 2011: Earth
Earth is the perfect place for life, the third planet from the sun and home planet of humans, animals and plants as well as robots. In spite of being conquered several times by various aliens, by the 31st century, humans are again the dominant life form on the planet. Earth's government is a planet-wide democracy that is clearly modeled after (if not directly descended from) America's government of today. Even the flag, Old Freebie, is similar to the American flag. The government is largely run by clones, though, in 3000, the Earthican people elected Richard Nixon's head President of Earth. Albeit frequently invaded by Aliens, such as the Omicronians and the Decapodians, Earth seems to be a military power to be reckoned with. (more...)
Fortnight 6, 2011: Futurama theorem
The Futurama theorem is a real-life mathematical theorem invented by Futurama writer Ken Keeler, who holds a PhD in applied mathematics, purely for use in the Season 6 episode "The Prisoner of Benda". It is the first known theorem to be created for the sole purpose of entertainment in a TV show, and, according to Keeler, was included to popularize math among young people. The theorem proves that regardless of how many mind switches between two bodies have been made, they can still all be restored to their original bodies using only two extra people, provided these two people have not had any mind switches prior. (more...)
Fortnight 7, 2011: Amphibiosans (reprise)
Amphibiosans are the native sentient life on Amphibios 9. They are humanoid creatures that are smaller and lankier than the average human, have no bones and are instead supported by a system of liquid-filled bladders. Amphibiosans have three distinctive phases in their life cycle that they go through, the tadpole, the "bulboid" and the swarm of hookworms. Either gender is able to bear young, which after birth is left to grow in the swamp at their clan's birthing grounds for twenty years.
Fortnight 8, 2011: Season 6
Season 6 is the current season of Futurama, and the first season of the second run. With 26 episodes, season 6 is the largest season of the series, beating season 3 which had 22 episodes. The production season is spread out over two broadcast seasons, the seventh and eighth, with 13 episodes in 2010 and 13 in 2011. Both seasons end with a non-canon segmented episode: the seventh broadcast season ended with "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" and the eight will end with "Reincarnation". Broadcast season 8 is scheduled to begin during the summer of 2011. (more...)
Fortnight 9, 2011: Into the Wild Green Yonder (reprise)
Into the Wild Green Yonder is the final Futurama film from the fifth production block and aired, slightly adjusted, as the last four episodes of broadcast season six. The epic struggle between golfing and environmentalism once again rears its ugly head and is made more intense thanks to an even more ancient conflict. Leela, Amy and other prominent women join Frida Waterfall's group as they try to stop construction of Leo Wong's giant miniature golf course. Meanwhile, Fry finds himself in an awkward position as a double agent; posing as Leo's most loyal employee while secretly working for Nine as a mind-reading member of the Legion of Mad Fellows, who are the only group truly aware of what is at stake.
Fortnight 10, 2011: The Prisoner of Benda
"The Prisoner of Benda" is the ninety-eighth episode of Futurama. In it, the Professor and Amy invent a mind-switching machine for the Planet Express crew members to swap bodies, but everything goes haywire and they can't change back. Featuring several plot lines, it is often compared to "Three Hundred Big Boys", and it is often seen as the best Futurama episode of all time alongside episodes such as "The Late Philip J. Fry", "Time Keeps on Slippin'" and "Jurassic Bark". (more...)
Fortnight 11, 2011: Bending Units
Bending Units are robots built by Mom's Friendly Robot Company for the main purpose of bending metal for constructive purposes. Like many devices of the 20th century, however, these robots have many capabilities aside from their main function, and other robots, such as Robo-Rooter, are capable of bending while having other primary functions. (more...)
Fortnight 12, 2011: Robosexuality
Robosexuality is the love and/or sexuality between a humanoid and a robot, making them robosexuals. Highly controversial, robosexual marriages were illegal in the state of New New York until the passing of Proposition ∞ in July of 3010. The subject is controversial and forbidden both by Space Catholicism and Robotology. (more...)
Fortnight 13, 2011: Planet Express
Planet Express, inc. is an intergalactic delivery company owned by Professor Farnsworth to fund his research. Its primary location is located in New New York, and its crew includes many important characters of the series. The company scrapes by, in spite of fierce competition from the leader in package delivery, Mom's Friendly Delivery Company, and they stay in business thanks to their complete disregard for safety and minimum wage laws, as well as the Professor's unscrupulous acceptance of the occasional bribe. (more...)
Fortnight 14, 2011: Lord Nibbler
Lord Nibbler is a member of a proud and ancient race, the Nibblonians. Born 274 BC, he is old and wise, and with a high status in the Nibblonian world, yet he prefers to be Turanga Leela's pet, and a member of the Planet Express crew. His character was planned even before the pilot, including that he would really be a talking, intelligent alien, and that he would hold the truth of the greater conspiracy that had Fry frozen, in spite of this being revealed several seasons later. (more...)
Fortnight 15, 2011: Robot Devil
The Robot Devil is the dark lord of Robot Hell, where robots of Robotology are sent after having sinned. As the ruler of Robot Hell, he spends most of his time dishing out ironic punishments and gambling with souls. He is a member of the Church of Robotology, punishing those who sin against the teachings of the Church for eternity (1ACV09). He made a deal giving Calculon acting ability, and collected on that deal in 3004 when he took his ears (4ACV18). In 3011, he was responsible for forcing Bender to kill Fry. (more...)
Fortnight 16, 2011: Suicide booth
The suicide booth is phone booth like machine standing on most corners in New New York. The suicide booth is used for a quick, efficient way of committing suicide. While some suicide booths are purely mechanical, others seem to be robots, for example Lynn. The suicide booths have been in use at least since 2008, when the Stop 'n Drop brand of suicide booths was introduced. The use of suicide costs 25¢, and probably has not changed in a thousand years. The booth allows for two primary forms of killing, "quick and painless", or "slow and horrible", but it is also possible to describe your own method to the machine. (more...)
Fortnight 17, 2011: In popular culture (reprise)
Just as Futurama regularly makes reference to other works of fiction, there are also some that refer to Futurama in popular culture. From Action Comics to Mozilla Firefox, the creators of various media often make reference to things they enjoy, thus Zoidberg has popped up alongside characters like Superman and Daffy Duck and Bender has appeared in Family Guy and Star Wars. There are of course some less convincing references, that may be mere coincidence.
Fortnight 18, 2011: Star Trek (reprise)
Despite Matt Groening's admission during one of the Commentaries that he'd never seen a whole episode, many writers and other production staff are big fans of Star Trek. As a result, Futurama has been packed full of references to the Trek franchise. While some references are less obvious, such as games of 3D Scrabble, 3D Pac-Man and 3D Chess, there are some more obvious references such as cameos from former Star Trek cast members or the entire episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before".
Fortnight 19, 2011: Amy Wong (reprise)
Amy Wong is Planet Express' long term intern, hired from one of Farnsworth's engineering classes sometime in the late 30th Century. Amy's family are billionaires that own the western hemisphere of Mars, and as a result she has always had access to all the best things money can buy. Although best known in the early seasons for her clumsiness and way with men, she is also a miniature golf champion and in the third season began a long term relationship with her fonfon ru Kif Kroker.
Fortnight 20, 2011: Hermes Conrad (reprise)
As the resident bureaucrat, Hermes Conrad is the man responsible for keeping all of Planet Express' paperwork in order. Hailing from Jamaica, Hermes' main interests are filing and limbo as well as other interests common in his homeland. Before signing on to work at Planet Express, he was an Olympic grade limboer who retired due to a freak accident that seriously injured a fan. Hermes' wife LaBarbara's ex-husband has been a long time rival both professionally and romantically, although Conrad has taken the lead in the latter category.
Fortnight 21, 2011: Nine
Nine (also known as the Number 9 Man) was originally a cameo character appearing in the first and second seasons of Futurama. He was merely used as an Easter egg in crowd scenes, and was slowly forgotten, having not appeared in the third and fourth seasons. However, he re-appeared in two of the movies (BBS, ItWGY).
Fortnight 22, 2011: Blinky
Blinky is a three-eyed mutant fish from The Simpsons. Blinky makes a quick cameo appearance in "Space Pilot 3000" as Fry is using the Tube Transport System for the first time. Fry goes underwater after passing the Statue of Liberty and speeds by Blinky, who is seen slowly drifting by and blinks all three eyes.
Fortnight 23, 2011: Hydroponic farmer
The hydroponic farmer is a farmer who works on a hydroponic farm on the Moon. He tried to kill Bender because he impregnated one of his three beautiful robot daughters, whom he does not allow anyone to touch, on the Moon in 3000 (1ACV02); drove a hoverlorry full of chickens through Historic √66 in 3001 (3ACV02); was non-canonically destroyed by the Planet Express ship on the Moon in 3008 (TBwaBB); attended the Space Demolition Derby in 3008 (BG); attended the violet dwarf star implosion ceremony in 3009 (ItWGY); protested against the teaching of evolution outside the Wozniak Nerd Academy in 3010 (6ACV09); invited Clamps, Hermes, Amy, Leela, Fry, Zoidberg and Farnsworth for supper on the hydroponic farm in 3011 (6ACV14) and sold vegetables from his Moon's Finest Produce stand at the Local Group Farmers Market in 3011 (6ACV22).
Fortnight 24, 2011: Apartment 00100100
Apartment 00100100 is the place where Bender and Fry live. It is unknown how long Bender has lived there, but Fry moved in with him in February of 3000, after having lived at the Planet Express headquarters for approximately one month, at the expense of his nephew (1ACV03). The apartment is located in Robot Arms Apartments in New New York, Earth.
Fortnight 25, 2011: Free Waterfall, Sr.
Free Waterfall, Sr. was the father of Free Waterfall, Jr., the son of Old Man Waterfall, and the founder of the ecological group Penguins Unlimited. In March 3001, he led a non-violent protest against having a dark matter tanker fly past Pluto, which had been turned into a penguin reserve (3ACV05). He led a peace ring around the tanker, which failed due to the three-dimensional nature of space. When the tanker's captain dumped the entire load of dark matter onto the penguin reserve, Waterfall, Sr. observed that the dark matter was nature's "love drug" and that it made the penguins extra fertile.
Fortnight 26, 2011: Where No Fan Has Gone Before (reprise)
"Where No Fan Has Gone Before" is the sixty-fifth episode of Futurama, and it guest stars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, George Takei and Nichelle Nichols as themselves, as well as Jonathan Frakes as himself in a jar. Fry discovers that Star Trek has become forbidden to even mention, and the Planet Express crew together, with Leonard Nimoy, sets off on a journey to find the Star Trek cast. The episode is famously having many references and parodies on Star Trek, as well as guest starring a large portion of its original cast. (more...)