I’ve been watching Futurama since the show debuted in 1999, and was sad to see it end in 2003… and then end again in 2013. Now, I can look forward to having more complicated emotions a few years from now as Futurama has returned once more with a new series on Hulu. While there are plenty of hilarious bits in this new chapter of the beloved series, there’s one joke that Bluey fans are going to love!
Season 8 of Futurama premiered on the streaming service on July 24, 2023, although Hulu calls it Season 11 because of shenanigans related to delays in how the previous seasons were distributed. Viewers were treated to a funny gag that included a nod to the highly successful Australian animated series. About four minutes into “The Impossible Stream,” Fry makes a decision (that I won’t mention due to spoilers) in front of his TV. As the channels scroll across the screen, we see parodies of contemporary shows and films, including one starring the most popular animated Aussie canine in the world.
Check out an image from the gag below, courtesy of Reddit:
Among the numerous titles flying past Fry’s face, “Alien VS Predator VS Bluey” appears, which will be shown immediately following “Melllvar Place.” I’m not entirely sure how well the little Blue Heeler would fare against a Xenomorph and the galaxy’s most fearsome hunter, but if she had Muffin by her side, it would be an easy victory for the pups.
In addition to “Alien VS Predator VS Bluey,” other show parodies included a shout-out to Star Trek with “Family Gorn,” another classic 90s sitcom on Fox with “Married with Pupae,” and a self-referential poke in “The Sims’ Sons.”
In past interviews, Bluey creator Joe Brumm has cited The Simpsons as an influence on his show, one that can easily be seen by any fans of both shows.
“Shows that have got real heart to them are in the minority in the kids’ TV space,” Brumm explained in an interview with The Independent. “Kids can follow good stories,” he adds – but he didn’t see too many shows with heart, plot and the ‘it’ factor that can truly engage diverse audiences.”
While the people behind The Simpsons or Futurama might not know how important Matt Groening’s creations were to Brumm, the emergence of Bluey as a mainstream property is enough to be part of a gag on this comedy series. The icing on the cake would be a couch gag on The Simpsons starring the Heelers, or perhaps a reference to them in a Halloween episode. As Bluey’s popularity continues to grow, enough that she earned a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade last year, we can expect more cameos like this on other shows. Whenever they do happen, I’ll be very excited to report about them on this website!
You can watch “The Impossible Stream” from Season 8 of Futurama exclusively on Hulu.
