"Future-Drama" is the fifteenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

''. The 350th episode overall, it originally aired on the

Fox network The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...

in the United States on April 17, 2005. In the episode,

Bart Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Bartho ...

and

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

stumble into

Professor Frink Professor John I.Q. Nerdelbaum Frink Jr., is a new recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist an ...

's basement, and he gives them a look into their future as teenagers getting ready for their high school graduation.

Matt Selman Matt Selman (born }) is an American writer and producer. Early life Selman is a native of Watertown, Massachusetts. He graduated from Beaver Country Day School in 1989 and the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. Career After considering a car ...

wrote the episode, and Mike B. Anderson served as director.

Amy Poehler Amy Poehler (; born September 16, 1971) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, Poehler co-founded the improvisational-comedy tro ...

and

John DiMaggio John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the ''Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on ''Kim Possible'', H ...

guest-starred as the characters of Jenda and Bender, respectively.

Plot

In the midst of one of their arguments,

and

fall into

's basement. Frink uses an

astrology Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...

-based machine to show the kids their future as teenagers. Eight years in the future (2013), Bart and Lisa are getting ready for their

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

graduation and

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

and Marge have separated after Homer blew the family savings on an undersea home. Lisa is graduating two years early and has a scholarship to

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, while dating a muscular Milhouse and Bart dates a skateboarder named Jenda. He also shows them a picture of Lisa at age 12 (2009) after she was saved by Milhouse from a fire, which she later learns that he started. After the prom, Jenda wants to have sex with Bart, but Bart has no plans for the future and wants Jenda to marry him and live an aimless life, so she breaks up with him. Bart unsuccessfully seeks advice from Homer on dating. He then shows Lisa a

hologram Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other applications. In principle, i ...

of the prom, and tells her love can be painful; she agrees, noting she broke up with Milhouse and he had an Incredible Hulk-style meltdown. Lisa suggests that to get Jenda back, he must show her he can provide for her. Bart decides to take Lisa's advice and gets a job at the

Kwik-E-Mart The Kwik-E-Mart (spelled "Quick-E-Mart" in "Bart the General") is a convenience store in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It is a parody of American convenience stores, such as 7-Eleven and Cumberland Farms, and depicts many of th ...

. While delivering groceries to Mr. Burns, he rescues him from a robbery by

Snake Jailbird The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...

. As a reward, Burns gives Lisa's scholarship to Bart. He accepts it, seeing it as a way to get Jenda back. He then tells Lisa about the scholarship causing present and future Lisa to both get angry at Bart. Bart reconciles with Jenda, and now has a good future. That night, Jenda again wants to have sex with Bart, but then he goes into Professor Frink's basement and sees Lisa's bleak future with Milhouse on Frink's machine. Jenda is furious at Bart (she notes she never had any problems sparking romance with Todd Flanders), and gives him an ultimatum: leave and they are finished. Bart does head out and saves Lisa from accepting Milhouse's dismal proposal, then tells his sister he is giving her scholarship back and will find a woman who loves him for himself. Professor Frink then tells present Bart he will get one at age 83, then die one minute later, and his brain would be buried in a pauper's grave. Meanwhile, Marge has dumped

Krusty Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (; ) better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castel ...

and reunites with Homer in the underwater home. During the credits, Bart is shown to find the sequence boring, and instead watches

Cletus Spuckler The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...

's future as the Vice President of the United States on his way to a funeral for the Sultan of Brunei.

Production

The episode was written by

, his thirteenth writing credit for ''The Simpsons''. The episode was the third season sixteen episode that Mike B. Anderson directed, following "

Fat Man and Little Boy ''Fat Man and Little Boy'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Shadow Makers'') is a 1989 epic historical war film directed by Roland Joffé who co-wrote the script with Bruce Robinson. The story follows the Manhattan Project, the secret All ...

" and "

Pranksta Rap "Pranksta Rap" is the ninth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 13, 2005. It guest stars 50 Cent as himself, and Dan ...

". It was the third future-themed episode of ''The Simpsons'', following the season six episode " Lisa's Wedding" and the season eleven episode "

Bart to the Future "Bart to the Future" is the seventeenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 19, 2000. In the episode, after their picnic ...

". Even though this is the 350th episode broadcast on FOX, the 350th in production order is "

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" is the twenty-first and the last episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 15, 20 ...

" (which was temporarily shelved following Pope John Paul II's death, and was originally supposed to air after " Don't Fear the Roofer"). In an interview, Selman stated that the story of the episode originated when he asked himself what if people saw Bart and Lisa grow up as "ugly teenagers".

Cultural references

The episode's title is a parody of the TV series '' Futurama'', which was also created by ''Simpsons'' creator

Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...

. The character Bender makes a cameo appearance when Homer and Bart pass through a quantum tunnel; voice actor

reprised his role voicing Bender. The song playing while Homer and Bart cruise through the former's hovercar is " I.G.Y." by Donald Fagen. The songs "

Take On Me "Take On Me" is a song by the Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha. The original version, recorded in 1984 and released in October of that same year, was produced by Tony Mansfield and remixed by John Ratcliff. The 1985 international hit version was p ...

" by a-ha, "

Bizarre Love Triangle Bizarre may refer to: *Bizarre (rapper) (born 1976), an American rapper and member of hip hop group D12 *Bizarre (band), a Spanish rock band * ''Bizarre'' (TV series), a Canadian sketch comedy television series * ''Bizarre'' (magazine), a sister ...

" by New Order, "

Incense and Peppermints ''Incense and Peppermints'' is the debut album by psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. Released in October 1967, it reached No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album charts during a 24 week run

" by

Strawberry Alarm Clock Strawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock band formed in 1967 with origins in Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 20 ...

, and "

True True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality. True may also refer to: Places * True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * ...

" by

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...

are played during Bart and Lisa's prom. "

Sea of Love Sea of Love may refer to * ''Sea of Love'' (film), a 1989 American thriller film * "Sea of Love" (Phil Phillips song), a 1959 song by Phil Phillips and The Twilights, covered by many performers * "Sea of Love" (The National song), 2013 * ''The S ...

" by

Phil Phillips John Philip Baptiste (March 14, 1926 – March 14, 2020), known as Phil Phillips, was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1959 song, " Sea of Love". Biography Baptiste was encouraged to pursue a career as a singer after a scho ...

plays while Homer and Marge kiss in the former's aquatic home. "Lenny's Super Pet" bears a strong resemblance to Superman's pet dog,

Krypto the Superdog ''Krypto the Superdog'' is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on Superman's canine companion Krypto, which premiered on Cartoon Network on March 25, 2005 (exactly 50 years after his comic debut), an ...

Reception

In its original American broadcast, "Future-Drama" garnered roughly 8.3 million viewers. The show finished third in its original timeslot. The episode has garnered positive reviews from critics. Hayden Childs of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

'' wrote in 2011 that the episode was "full of sweetness and funny", but he thought "

Holidays of Future Passed "Holidays of Future Passed" is the ninth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 11, 2011. Most of the episode is set ...

" was better. The episode was also nominated for a

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series. In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which ...

in 2005.Staff (July 15, 2005). "Emmy nominees". The Star-Ledger: p. 060.

References

External links

"Future-Drama"
at The Simpsons.com * * {{Simpsons Future-set episodes The Simpsons (season 16) episodes 2005 American television episodes Alternate history television episodes Older versions of cartoon characters Science fiction comedy Fiction set in 2013 Television episodes about proms