“The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets” by Simon Singh touches on the creation of its subject sister series. “Futurama” was the child of not only Groening, but “Simpsons” writer David X. Cohen, who, as both a science and a science-fiction nerd, was the perfect fit to flesh out the series’ setting and satirize tropes. Part of that satire lies within the setting; the world of “Futurama” is quite similar to our own, just with space ships and robots. If it leans more towards dystopia than utopia, that’s only because modern day does too.

The “Simpsons” and “Futurama” share the same rapid-fire comic delivery and pop-culture flavored sense of humor, but their comic set-ups differ. While “The Simpsons” is a family sitcom, “Futurama” is a workplace sitcom, about the staff of a small delivery company. The twist? The show is set 1000 years in the future and the company is “Planet Express,” which delivers across the universe. 

On “The Simpsons,” developer James L. Brooks had negotiated a sweet deal for the writers’ room; Fox executives were barred from interfering with the show’s production or altering its content. Despite “The Simpsons” ending up as one of Fox’s biggest hits, the network was reticent to give Groening a similar deal on “Futurama.”