It’s been a phenomenal time for Futurama. Comedy Central resurrected the cartoon show from the annals of cancelled television this year. Keeping the spirit up through the end of the year, they’ve decided to close out 2010 with something a musical Holiday episode, which will air Nov. 21.
(More on TIME.com: Futurama’s Return: Within 90 Seconds, A New Pun High)
The Xmas/ Robonukkah/Kwanzaa special, appropriately titled “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular,” presents itself as a variety show of sorts explaining side stories that happen to the characters during the holiday season (“in an alternate or alternate reality,” voice actor Maurice La Marche adds, giving the team the ability to go on tangents not needed to be followed up in the future). Narrated by LaMarche, the voice actor who plays Kip, the episode follows the crazy adventures of the Planet Express crew as they try to celebrate time-honored holidays by trying to bring some of our traditions to the future.
“It’s something we’ve done a few times before with the Anthology of Interest episodes which are three mini-stories,” explained executive producer David X. Cohen. “Basically when we do these three partners we allow ourselves to get more surreal and let the characters die. We basically kill each other.”
(More on TIME.com: 4 Seasons and 4 Movies’ Worth Of Futurama In Less Than 10 Minutes)
“We did record this one mid year, I think we recorded it somewhere around March or April,” LaMarche said. “We just came through Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanza so sometimes you have to really dig deep inside and remember back. I’ve done a few Christmas specials in my time. It’s the in the air, in the holidays around you, when you watch back a Christmas special at Christmastime.”
(More on TIME.com: Want: ThinkGeek’s BeerBot T-shirt With Built-In Bottle Opener)
Futurama fan Al Gore and Coolio stop by to help spread environmental messages and assist in the musical numbers respectively. (Sadly, you won’t catch Gore singing in this episode.) The ex-vice president is an outspoken fan of the show, – not only because his daughter was previously a writer on the series – and frequently guest stars on the show. “It’s always great,’” Billy West, who does the voices of Fry, Zapp Brannigan, Professor Farnsworth and Zoidberg, said.
LaMarche and West both said they loved the holiday special especially for the musical numbers. “It’s beautiful,” West explained. “ We all get to sing, and we get to sing in character. I get to see in four different voices.” His favorite episodes are always the musical ones including “The Devil’s Hands are Idle Playthings,” a song-filled episode where Fry gains possession of the Satan’s mitts.
(More on TIME.com: Futurama Fans, I Give You Bender’s Game)
“It is a little difficult because you got to hope they put it in the right key so that every character will be able to sound like the character in the song,” he said, adding that they don’t auto tune the voices after. “They pretty much figure where we all stand and what we can do and they write it for you.”
As for the future, West and Cohen both hope to make this a tradition. Of course, Cohen and his team have their eyes open to other holidays to make a singing sensation. Word is still out whether or not they will be renewed after their 26 episode contract this season, though it seems highly likely due to glowing reviews and high ratings. The executive producer is already spitting off ideas.
(More on TIME.com: Futurama: Not Dead Yet!)
“One of the biggies that we haven’t covered in the sci-fi world is Thanksgiving,” said Cohen. “I don’t know how we could do that. I guess we’d have to have them go back to the Pilgrim days.”
Photos courtesy of Futurama TM and © 2010 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.