Gone is the cleverness, and the love of the old science fiction tropes that Futurama could turn upside down. The best of the individual episodes would simultaneously embrace and invert old and new science fiction clichés. Bender becoming a robot-god as he drifts through space. Fry gaining super-human powers from intestinal parasites. One of the secrets of Futurama is a quiet acknowledgement that we (the show’s fans) all love hearing those stories. We love (or love to hate) the Star Wars, Star Trek, Twilight Zones, and Outer Limits that we rabidly consumed as children.

And perhaps that’s why the new Futurama stumbles and the undead Family Guy succeeds. Family Guy has allegiance to nothing but irreverence. Character and continuity can be manipulated at will, as long as something is being mocked. Futurama doesn’t have that latitude because it has respect for its characters. Series creators Matt Groenig and David X. Cohen let them develop and evolve over the course of the series.

The series was laced with poignant moments; over the seasons, these animated characters developed the layers and depth that you would find in a good traditional sitcom. The re-animated version seems to have lost touch with that. The brush with death seems to have rattled the creators, shaking their faith in the warmth of consistency, and replacing it with the cold desperation of relentless gags and a flop-sweat fear of re-cancellation.