NTSC USER

New episodes of the resurrected animation favorite "Futurama" will return to Comedy Central in June.

Comedy Central sources confirm to HitFix that Thursday, June 24 at 10:00 p.m. is currently set to be the premiere of the first new half-hour episode of "Futurama"since 2003.

"Futurama" launched in 1999 on FOX and aired through 2003. Adult Swim and then Comedy Central kept the show alive in repeats, with Comedy Central giving a home to extra-long "Futurama" episodes "Bender's Big Score," "The Beast with a Billion Backs," "Bender's Game" and "Into the Wild Green Yonder."

Ratings for the constantly recycled repeats, as well as DVD sales, helped to spur talk of a comeback and, in June of 2009, Comedy Central announced that the network had ordered 26 new episodes to premiere starting this year.

Fan enthusiasm was temporarily tempered by overblown reports that the vocal talent including Billy West, John DiMaggio and Katey Sagal might be replaced for the run of new episodes. Eventually, the full cast reached new agreements and Philip Fry, Bender, Leela and the rest of the "Futurama" gang will sound very much like you're used to them sounding.

Created by David X. Cohen and Matt Groening, "Futurama" won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program in 2002.