The Simpsons episode
"Future-Drama"
Promotional image for the 350th episode, featuring the Simpson family together.
Episode no.	350
Prod. code	GABF12
Orig. airdate	April 17, 2005[1]
Show runner(s)	Al Jean
Written by	Matt Selman
Directed by	Mike B. Anderson
Couch gag	Several toy-like forms of transportation come into the living room, only to change Transformers-like into the family.
Guest star(s)	Amy Poehler as Jenda[2] John DiMaggio as Bender[2]
Season 16 November 7, 2004 – May 15, 2005 "Treehouse of Horror XV" "All's Fair in Oven War" "Sleeping with the Enemy" "She Used to Be My Girl" "Fat Man and Little Boy" "Midnight Rx" "Mommie Beerest" "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" "Pranksta Rap" "There's Something About Marrying" "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" "Goo Goo Gai Pan" "Mobile Homer" "The Seven-Beer Snitch" "Future-Drama" "Don't Fear the Roofer" "The Heartbroke Kid" "A Star Is Torn" "Thank God It's Doomsday" "Home Away from Homer" "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" List of all The Simpsons episodes
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"Future-Drama" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' sixteenth season, the 350th episode overall, and originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 17, 2005.^[1] In the episode, Bart and Lisa stumble into Professor Frink's basement, and he gives them a look into their future as teenagers as they get ready for their high school graduation. Matt Selman wrote the episode, and Mike B. Anderson served as director. Amy Poehler and John DiMaggio guest-starred as the characters of Jenda and Bender respectively.

[edit] Plot

In the midst of one of their arguments, Bart and Lisa fall into Professor Frink's basement. Frink uses an astrology-based machine to show the kids their future as teenagers.

Eight years in the future, Bart and Lisa are getting ready for their high school graduation and Homer and Marge have separated. Lisa is graduating two years early and has a scholarship to Yale University. Lisa is dating a muscular Milhouse and Bart is dating a skateboarder named Jenda. After the prom, Jenda wants to sleep with Bart, but Bart proposes to Jenda. Jenda rejects his proposal, saying Bart is not serious about providing for her, and leaves him.

Bart unsuccessfully seeks advice from Homer on dating. He then shows Lisa a hologram of the prom, and tells her love can be painful. 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. While delivering groceries to an elderly Mr. Burns, he rescues him from a robbery by Snake Jailbird. 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 both Lisas to strangle Bart. Bart reconciles with Jenda, and now has a good future. That night Jenda wants to sleep with Bart, but then he goes into Professor Frink's basement and sees Lisa's bleak future with Milhouse on Frink's machine. Bart gives up his future with Jenda to save Lisa's future, returning her scholarship.

Meanwhile, Marge has dumped Krusty and reunites with Homer, and they make love together in Homer's underwater home. During the credits, Bart is shown to find the sequence boring, and instead watches Cletus Spuckler's future of being the Vice President of the United States.

[edit] Production

Matt Selman was inspired to write the episode after asking himself what if people saw Lisa and Bart as teenagers.

The episode was written Matt Selman, 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" and "Pranksta Rap". It was the third future-themed episode of The Simpsons, following the season six episode "Lisa's Wedding" (which was praised by critics) and the season eleven episode "Bart to the Future" (which was named "The Worst Episode Ever" by Entertainment Weekly).

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" (which was temporarily banned 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."^[3]

[edit] Cultural references

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Futurama character Bender makes a cameo appearance in the episode.

The episode's title is a parody of the TV series Futurama, which was also created by Simpsons creator Matt Groening. The character Bender makes a cameo appearance when Homer and Bart pass through a quantum tunnel; voice actor John DiMaggio reprised his role voicing Bender. The songs "Take on Me" by a-ha and "True" by Spandau Ballet^[4] are played during Bart and Lisa's prom.

[edit] Reception

In its original American broadcast, "Future-Drama" garnered roughly 8.3 million viewers. The show finished third in its original timeslot.^[5]

The episode has garnered mixed reviews from critics. Eric Messinger of Springfield Weekly gave the episode a positive review. He gave the episode a B+, and praised the episode for having a "complex, well-handled, well-paced plot, a concept that's funny in both theory and execution, and strong, wordplay-based humor".^[6] However, some reviews of the episode have been negative, with Ariel Ponywether of Firefox.org calling the episode a "nightmare."^[7]

The episode was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) in 2005.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: "Future-Drama"

The Simpsons portal

• "Future-Drama" at The Simpsons.com
• "Future-Drama" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
• "Future-Drama" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Future-Drama" at TV.com