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Has it really been seven years since FOX axed the consistently brilliant, charming and hilarious Futurama? It was a show as funny as The Simpsons in its prime, but had the added advantage of taking place in a fully realized and often surprisingly deep science fiction universe. If you haven't seen it yet, who are you? And why are you reading this site?

Like fellow FOX victim Family Guy, Futurama gained a huge cult following post-cancellation, prompting the release of several hit-and-miss straight to DVD movies. Comedy Central picked up the show, promising to revive the series. It feels like it's taken years, but this is finally coming to pass. The show's Facebook page and Comedy Central Insider have officially announced that new episodes of Futurama will premiere this June.

Added bonus: the entire cast will be returning, despite reports to the contrary. Hooray!

I know a lot of fans were disappointed with the movies (and rightfully so), so there's always the question of whether or not they'll recapture that old magic, but I have a positive feeling deep in my gut. Call it a Good-Taste-Hunch.

(More info via Ain't It Cool)

The term 'what's done is done' doesn't seem to apply to some animated TV shows, as Family Guy somehow found its way back into the weekly TV schedule on Fox after that same network had canceled it -- and now the same thing is happening to Futurama, which, after shoving out four new movies on DVD, will find a new life with new episodes on Comedy Central beginning in mid-2010. When the show does return, it will have been seven years since new episodes were last aired on Fox -- a lot longer than Family Guy had to wait before that show got its rebirth.

According to Reuters, show creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen are already working on a new batch of episodes, and the core writing staff -- as well as the original voice cast -- will all return. Says Groening, "[The four specials were] a great way of keeping the show alive, and one of the great things was that everyone enjoyed doing them, so it's been relatively easy trying to get everyone who was originally on the show to come back."

Discuss: What are you most looking forward to with the new Futurama show?