Rick and Morty
Let's get the most obvious comparison out of the way. If 'Futurama' is a loving, goofy workplace comedy that happens to be in the future, 'Rick and Morty' is its darker, more nihilistic cousin who shows up uninvited and drinks all the good booze. The
similarities are clear: both feature a genius-level, morally ambiguous scientist dragging a less-than-brilliant younger companion on high-concept sci-fi adventures. But where Professor Farnsworth’s adventures are often driven by senility and a gleeful disregard for safety, Rick Sanchez’s are fueled by cosmic despair and alcoholism. The show is significantly more graphic and cynical, but it shares 'Futurama's' knack for wrapping genuinely mind-bending science fiction ideas in layers of hilarious, rapid-fire jokes. If you appreciated 'Futurama's' smarts but wished it had a meaner streak and a PhD in existential dread, this is your next binge.
Disenchantment
From the mind of Matt Groening himself, 'Disenchantment' is the most direct spiritual successor to 'Futurama' and 'The Simpsons'. At first glance, the swap from a sci-fi future to a medieval fantasy past seems like a huge leap, but the core DNA is unmistakable. The show centers on a classic Groening trio: a rebellious and hard-drinking princess, a naive and excitable elf, and a sardonic personal demon who fills the Bender-sized hole for cynical commentary. While the humor is pure Groening—packed with sight gags and witty asides—'Disenchantment' leans more heavily into serialized storytelling than 'Futurama's' largely episodic adventures. The overarching plot of court intrigue, magical conspiracies, and family secrets gives it a different flavor, but the heart and humor feel like coming home for any Planet Express fan.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
What was 'Futurama' if not a show about the least important people on a very important spaceship? That’s the entire premise of 'Star Trek: Lower Decks'. Set in the iconic Star Trek universe, the show smartly ignores the heroic bridge crew and instead focuses on four low-ranking ensigns on the U.S.S. Cerritos, one of the least important ships in Starfleet. Their jobs are the unglamorous ones: cleaning out alien guts, organizing spare parts, and generally dealing with the bureaucratic nonsense the main characters are too busy to handle. Sound familiar? The show lovingly parodies Star Trek tropes while also being a genuinely good Star Trek show, a balance 'Futurama' often struck with sci-fi in general. It’s more optimistic and less cynical, but its core as a sci-fi workplace comedy makes it a perfect companion piece.
Final Space
If your favorite 'Futurama' episodes were the ones that unexpectedly punched you in the gut—think 'Jurassic Bark' or 'The Luck of the Fryrish'—then 'Final Space' is an absolute must-watch. On the surface, it’s a goofy space adventure about an eternally optimistic, slightly dimwitted prisoner named Gary Goodspeed and his quest to win the affection of a woman who wants nothing to do with him. He befriends a planet-destroying but adorable alien he names Mooncake, and things get complicated. While packed with slapstick and absurdity, 'Final Space' is, at its core, a serialized space opera with incredibly high emotional stakes, genuine character growth, and heartbreaking consequences. It masterfully balances laugh-out-loud comedy with moments of profound loss and sacrifice, capturing that rare lightning in a bottle that made 'Futurama' more than just a cartoon.
