Season 5

Season 5
Original run	23 March, 2008 — 30 August, 2009
No. of episodes	16 (4 films)
Special guests	See here
On DVD(s)	Bender's Big Score, The Beast with a Billion Backs, Bender's Game, Into the Wild Green Yonder, Futurama: The Collected Epics
← Season 4 Season 6 → Episode listing
Seasons
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 (films) Season 6 Season 7 Season 8 Season 9

"Films" redirects here. For the in-show films, see Films in Futurama.

This article is about the fifth production season. For the DVD set labelled "Season 5" in Australia and the UK, see Volume 5.

Production Season 5 or the Direct-to-DVD films was the first season of Futurama after the 4 year hiatus that followed the cancellation of the show at the end of Season 4, it consisted of four films each cut into four episodes, making for a total of 16 episodes for the season.

Unlike prior seasons, season 5 was ordered by FOX Home Entertainment as four films. FOX Home Entertainment hoped to make more profit out of them by cutting them into episodes and having them aired as regular TV episodes on Comedy Central as a season 5. However, season 5 is not considered part of a run, such as the original run or the second run.

Broadcast wise, the entirety of production season 5 is broadcast season 6. Meaning for the first time an entire production season was aired as one broadcast season, although its episodes were aired in chunks of four. Despite the first broadcasts listing this production block as season 6, Comedy Central began referring to its episodes as 001 - 016, rather than 601 - 616, in the lead up to the release of the sixth production season. The preceding episodes retained the original broadcast numbers and the new season took the 6XY numbering, matching the production codes. Rather than "Season 0" this presumably is a way of labelling the films' episodes as specials.

Plot development

In the course of season 5, Futurama initially deals a lot with the cancellation. And the hiatus of the show is at times referred to later. Season 5 picks up on things that first four seasons left unanswered.

Production

This article is in need of an update. Editors are encouraged to update and expand the article.

The logos that appear at the end of each film, promoting their Carbon neutrality.

Further information: Bender's Big Score#Production, The Beast with a Billion Backs#Production, Bender's Game#Production and Into the Wild Green Yonder#Production

Due to good sales on the DVDs for Futurama, FOX Home Entertainment had decided to order a couple of Direct-to-DVD films of Futurama, after negotiations, the producers agreed to fund four films, but on the condition that they would be able to be cut up into four equally sized episodes for television airing.

Matt Groening and David X. Cohen at the San Diego Comic-Con 2007.

Work began on Season 5 in 2005, where the first few writers started brainstorming.

In January, 2008, Comedy Central obtained the rights to air Futurama on cable television in the United States, and started airing reruns of the former four seasons. They also bought the rights to air the new season 5, which is simply the films adapted for television broadcast.

Films

Title	Release date (DVD)	Release date (Blu-Ray Disc)	Production code	#
Bender's Big Score	R1: 27 November, 2007 R2: 7 April, 2008 R4: 5 March, 2008	RA/B: TBA	5ACV01, 5ACV02, 5ACV03, 5ACV04	1
The Beast with a Billion Backs	R1: 24 June, 2008 R2: 30 June, 2008 R4: 6 August, 2008	RA/B: TBA	5ACV05, 5ACV06, 5ACV07, 5ACV08	2
Bender's Game	R1: 4 November, 2008 R2: 3 November, 2008 R4: 10 December, 2008	RA/B: 3 November, 2008	5ACV09, 5ACV10, 5ACV11, 5ACV12	3
Into the Wild Green Yonder	R1: 24 February, 2009 R2: 23 February, 2009 R4: 4 March, 2009	RA/B: 23 February, 2009	5ACV13, 5ACV14, 5ACV15, 5ACV16	4

Episodes

Title	Original airdate Comedy Central	Production code	TV Broadcast	#
Bender's Big Score Part 1	23 March, 2008	5ACV01	S06E01	73
Bender's Big Score Part 2	23 March, 2008	5ACV02	S06E02	74
Bender's Big Score Part 3	23 March, 2008	5ACV03	S06E03	75
Bender's Big Score Part 4	23 March, 2008	5ACV04	S06E04	76
The Beast with a Billion Backs Part 1	19 October, 2008	5ACV05	S06E05	77
The Beast with a Billion Backs Part 2	19 October, 2008	5ACV06	S06E06	78
The Beast with a Billion Backs Part 3	19 October, 2008	5ACV07	S06E07	79
The Beast with a Billion Backs Part 4	19 October, 2008	5ACV08	S06E08	80
Bender's Game Part 1	26 April, 2009	5ACV09	S06E09	81
Bender's Game Part 2	26 April, 2009	5ACV10	S06E10	82
Bender's Game Part 3	26 April, 2009	5ACV11	S06E11	83
Bender's Game Part 4	26 April, 2009	5ACV12	S06E12	84
Into the Wild Green Yonder Part 1	30 August, 2009	5ACV13	S06E13	85
Into the Wild Green Yonder Part 2	30 August, 2009	5ACV14	S06E14	86
Into the Wild Green Yonder Part 3	30 August, 2009	5ACV15	S06E15	87
Into the Wild Green Yonder Part 4	30 August, 2009	5ACV16	S06E16	88

Additional information

Trivia

• Non-primary characters who appear in every film include Calculon, Inez Wong, Linda, Lrrr, Morbo, and Zapp Brannigan.