"Futurama" in the year 3000 is stranger than the bar scene in "Star Wars." Death rays, ghastly creatures, snouted monsters and cyborgs aren't the only things you'll find here -- you'll also come across an eccentric trio of outcast buddies. Fry, Bender and Leela struggle against their "programming" to live as they desire, but that makes life tough. Especially since Mom, the villain, is out to get them.

Fry: A pizza delivery boy  accidentally frozen in a cryogenics lab in 1999. He was revived in the year 3000 and now wonders if he can reinvent his life from that of a loser, to that of a futuristic cool-guy. Leela and Bender help him navigate the tough reality of living in the space age. 

Bender Unit 22: A neurotic computer programmed to bend girders, but he really wants to be a cook. Since he doesn't have taste buds, his secret career ambitions aren't working out. Bender is totally corrupt. He shoplifts and acts however he wants. He doesn't worry about being a role model since he is only an outcast robot. He enjoys drinking beer and smoking cigars -- basically anything that is bad for humans. 

Leela: Fry's best buddy. She is a beautiful female alien who kicks some serious butt. She leads the the crusade to buck the system in pursuit of personal happiness

Mom: Mom is the head of Mom Corp. and is the world's  villain. She is a scrawny old lady who wears a fat suit to look more lovable. And it works -- she is globally adored. Mom makes her fortune selling "Mom's Old Fashioned Robot Oil."

Cubert: Cubert is the "Fan Complaint Manager" and has the unique role of answering inconsistencies in the show during the program.

Light-speed travel is considered "convenience drive."

There are no worries about what to do with your life in the future. Children are tested at age 3 to determine what they're destined to be as adults. 

The future is still under construction. Wires protrude from everywhere and lots of unfinished buildings await completion. 

"The Simpsons" are still on TV in 3000, but not much else is left from the past: Microsoft is gone, so are Intel and Pepsi. The Internet is still around, but it's still very s-l-o-w.

Check out the "freeze frame" moments during the show -- You'll find the Alien alphabets used in "Futurama," along with keys to understanding them.