Professor Hubert Farnsworth
Encyclopedia
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, or simply The Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series
Futurama
. He is voiced by Billy West
using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith
and Frank Morgan
. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery service, for whom the main characters work. He is the great (×30) nephew of Philip J. Fry
, one of the series' protagonists.
. The creator of the show named him after electronic television
pioneer Philo Farnsworth
, giving him the same first name as University of California
Philosophy professor Hubert Dreyfus
, of whom writer and producer
Eric Kaplan
was a former student. The Professor is a senile, amoral, deranged, and unpredictable old man with a gift for creating doomsday devices and atomic supermen. He has put at least one parallel universe
in peril with his inventions and visited dozens more (see The Farnsworth Parabox
).
The Professor teaches at Mars University and has worked for Momcorp on several occasions, but spends most of his time inventing ridiculous devices and sending the Planet Express delivery crew on suicide mission
s. While at Momcorp, he fell in love with the CEO, Mom
, only to leave her and Momcorp when she decided to weaponize his "Q.T. McWhiskers" toy. What he is a professor of is never explicitly stated. He demonstrates mastery of whatever field of science is convenient for a given episode's plot; however, in the episode Mars University
when asked what he is teaching, he responds: "The same thing I teach every semester, the mathematics of quantum neutrino fields. I made up the title so no student would dare take it." Approximately 100 years ago he taught a young Professor Wernstrom, whom Farnsworth regarded as a prized student. After returning a pop quiz to Wernstrom with a grade of A-minus, the two became bitter rivals (established in "A Big Piece of Garbage").
Being Philip J. Fry's great (x30) nephew, it is likely that he is the great (x29) grandson of Yancy Fry, Philip J. Fry's brother from the 20th century. This would also make him the great (x28) grandson of Philip J. Fry, Yancy's son (named after the series' protagonist), though his exact shared family members with Fry have not been stated. However, since Fry was revealed to be his own grandfather (established in Roswell that Ends Well
and confirmed in The Why of Fry
) he is also Fry's direct descendant, specifically his great (x31) grandson.
In "All the Presidents' Heads
," he reveals that he is descended from Philo Farnsworth (see above); Dean Farnsworth, who created the Farnsworth Lantern Test
to check for color vision
problems in military aviators and sailors; and David Farnsworth
, a colonial-era counterfeiter who was eventually hanged for his crimes.
The Professor's eyes have never been seen, but in Mother's Day
it is suggested he has cataracts covering both eyes.
; he acknowledges this in The Beast with a Billion Backs
. On the very few occasions he has actual good news, he opens with "Bad news, everyone!" After firing Fry in "Law & Oracle", he states that he only says these phrases to make Fry "feel better about his pointless job." Another is his exclamation, "Sweet zombie
Jesus
!" He often says "Wha?" when unaware of the situation, or when someone questions a statement he has just made. The Professor often makes mutually contradictory statements just moments apart; this happens especially often when briefing his employees, with the prevailing second statement canceling a much more reassuring first sentence. For example, in "The Sting
", he tells the crew their mission is to collect "ordinary honey." When told that it doesn't sound so dangerous, the Professor responds angrily, "This is no ordinary honey!"
In early episodes, Farnsworth would often see the crew in peril, but do nothing as he was "already in his pajamas". This was an early attempt at a catchprase that was scrapped after a few episodes.
frozen or are kept alive as heads in jars), a title that he acquired after the events of the episode "A Clone of My Own
", in which it was revealed that upon turning 160 (which he claimed was his 150th birthday), all humans are collected by the Sunset Robot Squad and sent to live out the rest of their days in isolation aboard the gigantic Near-Death Star (a play on the Death Star
). He mentions to his crew that he is actually 160 years old, and has been lying to protect himself. In episode 7 of the first season, "A Big Piece of Garbage," Farnsworth states, "Perhaps 149 is just too old to be a scientist."
In "Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles
" his age is stated to be 161, and after he swam in the Fountain of Aging, he reported that he was "Even older! Huzzah!" His clone Cubert Farnsworth
takes control of Planet Express, claiming the Professor had himself declared legally dead for tax evasion
reasons. The Professor denies this allegation, claiming "you take one nap in a ditch at the park and they start declaring you this and that!" In Bender's Game, he stated that he is 165 years old.
In the episode "The Prisoner of Benda
", Professor Farnsworth mentions in a conversation with Amy that he is entering into his 18th decade, indicating that he is over 170 years old. This age suggests that the world of Futurama progresses in years with the real world.
"). The Professor issues his new crew the previous crew's career chips from a manila envelope labeled "Contents Of Space Wasp's Stomach" ("Space Pilot 3000
").
He frequently sends his crew on dangerous missions even when he has the foreknowledge that they will probably not make it back alive. His missions are typically those other delivery companies will not take, such as serving subpoena
s to Mafia
-controlled worlds or casual deliveries to virus
-infested planets. Even the commercial that he had produced for his company makes several remarks to this effect, including "When other companies aren't crazy or foolhardy enough…" and "Our crew is replaceable, your package isn't."
In one episode when the crew and his ship are sent off to war, he immediately tries to hire another crew, going so far as to assign them similar character roles ('...and you'll be the foul mouthed, alcoholic robot'); he is clearly surprised to be interrupted by his old crew returning, exclaiming "Oh God, you're alive! I mean, thank God you're alive," before telling the would-be new crew to check back in a week. Even his familial relationship to Fry does not do much (if anything) to dampen the glee with which he assigns deadly delivery missions. When asked about the nature of his delivery "business", Farnsworth once clarified that he viewed his company more as "a source of cheap labor, like a family." He also frequently covets his employees' organs and blood; he once mentioned that he keeps Amy Wong
around because they share a blood type. In another episode, he tries to get Hermes Conrad
to kill himself in a way that would not damage his liver because "other people need it".
It is established in the episode "Mother's Day
" that the Professor was once Mom
's lover and employee. However, they could not maintain their relationship due to Mom's lust for power, prompting them to break up (this reportedly happened three times). When Mom takes control of all the world's robots to cause an uprising, her sons Walt, Larry, and Igner attempt to get the Professor to seduce Mom and retrieve the remote for the robots. They get back together briefly, but break up once more when Mom learns the Professor had been initially using her. It is revealed in Bender's Game that the Professor is the biological father of Mom's youngest son Igner — ironically (or not), the one that the Professor despises the most.
It was revealed in "Proposition Infinity
" that he had a relationship with a 'fem-bot', though she later left him for a robot causing him to hate
all robosexuals.
A creepy utilization of his body occurred in "The Prisoner of Benda
", when he trades bodies with Amy. Amy then proceeds to trade bodies with Leela, causing Fry to himself trade bodies with Dr. Zoidberg. Leela used Farnsworth's body to prove that her relationship with Fry is partially physical. At dinner, Leela (in Farnsworth's Body) is disgusted by Fry (in Zoidberg's body), and vice-versa. When Leela-Farnsworth tells Fry-Zoidberg to prove his love, Fry-Zoidberg passionately kisses Leela-Farnsworth. This eventually leads to Leela-Farnsworth having Intercourse with Fry-Zoidberg. this marks the first known time Fry physically slept with a male. Mentally, however, Leela was the one who slept with Fry-Zoidberg.
. This is highlighted during "Future Stock
," in which Hermes shows a pie chart of their income, the larger portion of it (approximately 65%) showing a bank error in their favor; and in "Neutopia
," in which the company faces foreclosure due to missed mortgage payments. In Futurama: The Game
, which may not be considered canon
, the Professor laments that the crew never remembers to charge anyone for the deliveries. The Professor is still capable of funding his experiments and paying for the inevitable repairs after the experiments go awry. The Professor states and/or implies in both "A Clone of My Own" and "Anthology of Interest I
" that he has a vast fortune saved up.
into useful energy. Farnsworth has also received many honors. For stopping global warming
and Richard Nixon
's evil plans ("Crimes of the Hot
"), Nixon awarded him the Polluting Medal of Pollution. He also received the Academy of Inventors award for stopping a giant trash meteor from destroying New New York City ("A Big Piece of Garbage
"). He also invented the first robot capable of qualifying for a boat loan ("A Clone of My Own
") and the Planet Express Ship's dark matter engines. His "Smell-O-Scope", which detects scents throughout the universe, has been used in many important situations. In the film Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs
, Wernstrom mentions that Farnsworth is a recipient of the Fields Medal
, which is awarded only to scientists under 40 years of age. He is also known to have created several doomsday devices, one of which was used to stop time skips.
, who also voices Fry
, Dr. Zoidberg, and Captain Zapp Brannigan
. Farnsworth's design is considered to be somewhat similar to a combination of Mr. Burns, Grandpa Simpson, and Professor Frink
from Matt Groening
's other series, The Simpsons
. West has stated that the voice for Farnsworth is meant to be a bit shaky and that when developing the voice he came up with "a combination of all the wizard-type characters you heard when you were a kid, Burgess Meredith
and Frank Morgan
in The Wizard of Oz
." There is a direct nod to this in the episode Anthology of Interest II
, in which the Professor portrays the Wizard of Oz.
Cartoon series
A cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme...
Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
. He is voiced by Billy West
Billy West
William Richard "Billy" West is an American voice actor. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival...
using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith
Burgess Meredith
Oliver Burgess Meredith , known professionally as Burgess Meredith, was an American actor in theatre, film, and television, who also worked as a director...
and Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery service, for whom the main characters work. He is the great (×30) nephew of Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
, one of the series' protagonists.
Character history
The Professor is a self-described mad scientistMad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
. The creator of the show named him after electronic television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
pioneer Philo Farnsworth
Philo Farnsworth
Philo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. Although he made many contributions that were crucial to the early development of all-electronic television, he is perhaps best known for inventing the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device , the "image...
, giving him the same first name as University of California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
Philosophy professor Hubert Dreyfus
Hubert Dreyfus
Hubert Lederer Dreyfus is an American philosopher. He is a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley....
, of whom writer and producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
Eric Kaplan
Eric Kaplan
Eric Kaplan is an American television writer, producer, and story editor. His work has included such shows as The Late Show with David Letterman, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, Malcolm in the Middle, and Futurama...
was a former student. The Professor is a senile, amoral, deranged, and unpredictable old man with a gift for creating doomsday devices and atomic supermen. He has put at least one parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
in peril with his inventions and visited dozens more (see The Farnsworth Parabox
The Farnsworth Parabox
"The Farnsworth Parabox" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth production season of Futurama. It first aired June 8, 2003, as the tenth episode in the fifth broadcast season. The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and directed by Ron Hughart.- Plot :...
).
The Professor teaches at Mars University and has worked for Momcorp on several occasions, but spends most of his time inventing ridiculous devices and sending the Planet Express delivery crew on suicide mission
Suicide mission
The term suicide mission commonly refers to a task which is so dangerous for the people involved that they are not expected to survive. The term is sometimes extended to, but is not limited to, suicide attacks such as kamikaze and suicide bombings, where the people involved actively commit suicide...
s. While at Momcorp, he fell in love with the CEO, Mom
Mom (Futurama)
Mom, real first name Carol, is a character from the animated television series Futurama. Voiced by Tress MacNeille. Mom is one of the show's two main antagonists, the other being Zapp Brannigan...
, only to leave her and Momcorp when she decided to weaponize his "Q.T. McWhiskers" toy. What he is a professor of is never explicitly stated. He demonstrates mastery of whatever field of science is convenient for a given episode's plot; however, in the episode Mars University
Mars University
"Mars University" is episode eleven of the first production season of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on October 3, 1999 as the second episode in the second broadcast season of Futurama. This episode was written by J...
when asked what he is teaching, he responds: "The same thing I teach every semester, the mathematics of quantum neutrino fields. I made up the title so no student would dare take it." Approximately 100 years ago he taught a young Professor Wernstrom, whom Farnsworth regarded as a prized student. After returning a pop quiz to Wernstrom with a grade of A-minus, the two became bitter rivals (established in "A Big Piece of Garbage").
Being Philip J. Fry's great (x30) nephew, it is likely that he is the great (x29) grandson of Yancy Fry, Philip J. Fry's brother from the 20th century. This would also make him the great (x28) grandson of Philip J. Fry, Yancy's son (named after the series' protagonist), though his exact shared family members with Fry have not been stated. However, since Fry was revealed to be his own grandfather (established in Roswell that Ends Well
Roswell That Ends Well
"Roswell That Ends Well" is the nineteenth episode of the third production season of the TV show Futurama. This episode, which won an Emmy Award, originally aired on December 9, 2001 as the season premiere of broadcast season four. It was written by J. Stewart Burns and directed by Rich Moore...
and confirmed in The Why of Fry
The Why of Fry
"The Why of Fry" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the animated television series Futurama. It originally aired in North America on April 6, 2003. The episode was written by David X. Cohen and directed by Wes Archer...
) he is also Fry's direct descendant, specifically his great (x31) grandson.
In "All the Presidents' Heads
All the Presidents' Heads
"All the Presidents' Heads" is an episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, Futurama. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 28, 2011 as the twentieth episode of the sixth season of Futurama.-Plot:...
," he reveals that he is descended from Philo Farnsworth (see above); Dean Farnsworth, who created the Farnsworth Lantern Test
Farnsworth Lantern Test
The Farnsworth Lantern Test, or FALANT, is a test of color vision developed specifically to screen sailors for shipboard tasks requiring color vision. It was developed by Dr. Dean Farnsworth while stationed at the Naval Submarine Research Laboratory in New London, CT during World War II...
to check for color vision
Color vision
Color vision is the capacity of an organism or machine to distinguish objects based on the wavelengths of the light they reflect, emit, or transmit...
problems in military aviators and sailors; and David Farnsworth
David Farnsworth
David Farnsworth was a Colonial Era counterfeiter. His crimes during the American Revolutionary War caught the personal attention of George Washington and he was eventually hanged for his involvement in a plot to destroy the young American economy by placing counterfeit money into circulation. The...
, a colonial-era counterfeiter who was eventually hanged for his crimes.
The Professor's eyes have never been seen, but in Mother's Day
Mother's Day (Futurama)
"Mother's Day" is episode fourteen in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 14, 2000.- Plot :Every Mother's Day, robots made in Mom's Friendly Robot Company factories around the world give gifts, money and cards to the owner of the corporation, Mom.She,...
it is suggested he has cataracts covering both eyes.
Characterizations
The Professor is characterized by the catch-phrase "Good news, everyone!", frequently followed by very bad news or the announcement of a suicide missionSuicide mission
The term suicide mission commonly refers to a task which is so dangerous for the people involved that they are not expected to survive. The term is sometimes extended to, but is not limited to, suicide attacks such as kamikaze and suicide bombings, where the people involved actively commit suicide...
; he acknowledges this in The Beast with a Billion Backs
Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs
Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs is an animated science-fiction comedy film, the second of the four Futurama straight-to-DVD films. The film was released in the United States and Canada on June 24, 2008, followed by a UK release on June 30, 2008 and an Australian release on August 6, 2008....
. On the very few occasions he has actual good news, he opens with "Bad news, everyone!" After firing Fry in "Law & Oracle", he states that he only says these phrases to make Fry "feel better about his pointless job." Another is his exclamation, "Sweet zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
!" He often says "Wha?" when unaware of the situation, or when someone questions a statement he has just made. The Professor often makes mutually contradictory statements just moments apart; this happens especially often when briefing his employees, with the prevailing second statement canceling a much more reassuring first sentence. For example, in "The Sting
The Sting (Futurama)
"The Sting" is episode twelve in season four of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on June 1, 2003. It is arguably one of the most popular episodes of the series.-Plot:...
", he tells the crew their mission is to collect "ordinary honey." When told that it doesn't sound so dangerous, the Professor responds angrily, "This is no ordinary honey!"
In early episodes, Farnsworth would often see the crew in peril, but do nothing as he was "already in his pajamas". This was an early attempt at a catchprase that was scrapped after a few episodes.
Age and "death"
The Professor is one of the oldest human beings on Earth (excluding those who have been cryogenicallyCryogenics
In physics, cryogenics is the study of the production of very low temperature and the behavior of materials at those temperatures. A person who studies elements under extremely cold temperature is called a cryogenicist. Rather than the relative temperature scales of Celsius and Fahrenheit,...
frozen or are kept alive as heads in jars), a title that he acquired after the events of the episode "A Clone of My Own
A Clone of My Own
"A Clone of My Own" is episode ten in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on April 9, 2000. It marks the first appearance of the recurring character Cubert Farnsworth.- Plot :...
", in which it was revealed that upon turning 160 (which he claimed was his 150th birthday), all humans are collected by the Sunset Robot Squad and sent to live out the rest of their days in isolation aboard the gigantic Near-Death Star (a play on the Death Star
Death Star
The Death Star is a fictional moon-sized space station and superweapon appearing in the Star Wars movies and expanded universe. It is capable of destroying a planet with a single destructive super charged energy beam.-Origin and design:...
). He mentions to his crew that he is actually 160 years old, and has been lying to protect himself. In episode 7 of the first season, "A Big Piece of Garbage," Farnsworth states, "Perhaps 149 is just too old to be a scientist."
In "Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles
Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles
"Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles" is the ninth episode of the fourth production season of Futurama. It first aired on March 30, 2003 as the seventh episode of the fifth broadcast season. The episode was directed by Bret Haaland and written by Jeff Westbrook.-Plot:Professor Farnsworth is chasing...
" his age is stated to be 161, and after he swam in the Fountain of Aging, he reported that he was "Even older! Huzzah!" His clone Cubert Farnsworth
Cubert Farnsworth
Cubert Farnsworth is a fictional character, Professor Farnsworth's clone from the animated television series Futurama. He was created from a growth on Professor Farnsworth's back in 2989. Cubert differs from the Professor in appearance due to his nose being squashed up against the wall of his...
takes control of Planet Express, claiming the Professor had himself declared legally dead for tax evasion
Tax avoidance and tax evasion
Tax noncompliance describes a range of activities that are unfavorable to a state's tax system. These include tax avoidance, which refers to reducing taxes by legal means, and tax evasion which refers to the criminal non-payment of tax liabilities....
reasons. The Professor denies this allegation, claiming "you take one nap in a ditch at the park and they start declaring you this and that!" In Bender's Game, he stated that he is 165 years old.
In the episode "The Prisoner of Benda
The Prisoner of Benda
"The Prisoner of Benda" is the 10th episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, Futurama. It aired on Comedy Central on August 19, 2010. In the episode, Professor Farnsworth and Amy build a machine that allows them to switch minds so that they may each pursue their lifelong dreams. ...
", Professor Farnsworth mentions in a conversation with Amy that he is entering into his 18th decade, indicating that he is over 170 years old. This age suggests that the world of Futurama progresses in years with the real world.
Relationships
The Professor rarely worries about the safety of the crew, viewing them as a means to an end, as evidenced in the first episode. After remarking that he was looking for a new crew for his intergalactic space ship, he was asked "What happened to your old crew?" His response was "Oh, those poor sons of a... — but that's not important! What is important is that I need a new crew!" Farnsworth's employees later discover that their predecessors died while gathering not-ordinary honey from Space Bees ("The StingThe Sting (Futurama)
"The Sting" is episode twelve in season four of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on June 1, 2003. It is arguably one of the most popular episodes of the series.-Plot:...
"). The Professor issues his new crew the previous crew's career chips from a manila envelope labeled "Contents Of Space Wasp's Stomach" ("Space Pilot 3000
Space Pilot 3000
"Space Pilot 3000" is the pilot episode of Futurama, which originally aired in North America on March 28, 1999 on Fox. The episode focuses on the cryogenic freezing of the series protagonist, Philip J. Fry, and the events when he awakens 1,000 years in the future...
").
He frequently sends his crew on dangerous missions even when he has the foreknowledge that they will probably not make it back alive. His missions are typically those other delivery companies will not take, such as serving subpoena
Subpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
s to Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
-controlled worlds or casual deliveries to virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
-infested planets. Even the commercial that he had produced for his company makes several remarks to this effect, including "When other companies aren't crazy or foolhardy enough…" and "Our crew is replaceable, your package isn't."
In one episode when the crew and his ship are sent off to war, he immediately tries to hire another crew, going so far as to assign them similar character roles ('...and you'll be the foul mouthed, alcoholic robot'); he is clearly surprised to be interrupted by his old crew returning, exclaiming "Oh God, you're alive! I mean, thank God you're alive," before telling the would-be new crew to check back in a week. Even his familial relationship to Fry does not do much (if anything) to dampen the glee with which he assigns deadly delivery missions. When asked about the nature of his delivery "business", Farnsworth once clarified that he viewed his company more as "a source of cheap labor, like a family." He also frequently covets his employees' organs and blood; he once mentioned that he keeps Amy Wong
Amy Wong
Amy Wong, voiced by Lauren Tom, is a fictional character, one of the main characters from the Fox and Comedy Central television animated series Futurama. She works as an intern at Planet Express...
around because they share a blood type. In another episode, he tries to get Hermes Conrad
Hermes Conrad
Hermes Conrad is a fictional character in the Futurama animated series. He is voiced by Phil LaMarr.- Appearance and personality :Born in 2959, Hermes is a grade 36 bureaucrat from Jamaica. He manages the Planet Express delivery business with responsibilities that include paying bills, giving out...
to kill himself in a way that would not damage his liver because "other people need it".
It is established in the episode "Mother's Day
Mother's Day (Futurama)
"Mother's Day" is episode fourteen in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 14, 2000.- Plot :Every Mother's Day, robots made in Mom's Friendly Robot Company factories around the world give gifts, money and cards to the owner of the corporation, Mom.She,...
" that the Professor was once Mom
Mom (Futurama)
Mom, real first name Carol, is a character from the animated television series Futurama. Voiced by Tress MacNeille. Mom is one of the show's two main antagonists, the other being Zapp Brannigan...
's lover and employee. However, they could not maintain their relationship due to Mom's lust for power, prompting them to break up (this reportedly happened three times). When Mom takes control of all the world's robots to cause an uprising, her sons Walt, Larry, and Igner attempt to get the Professor to seduce Mom and retrieve the remote for the robots. They get back together briefly, but break up once more when Mom learns the Professor had been initially using her. It is revealed in Bender's Game that the Professor is the biological father of Mom's youngest son Igner — ironically (or not), the one that the Professor despises the most.
It was revealed in "Proposition Infinity
Proposition Infinity
"Proposition Infinity" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama, and originally aired July 8, 2010 on Comedy Central. In the episode, Amy Wong and Bender fall in love and begin a culturally taboo "robosexual" relationship...
" that he had a relationship with a 'fem-bot', though she later left him for a robot causing him to hate
Sexualism
Sexualism refers to either discrimination based on sexuality, or sexuality itself. Its most common form is heterosexism.- Sexual bias :Sexualism is discrimination against a person or group on the basis of their sexual orientation or sexual behaviour...
all robosexuals.
A creepy utilization of his body occurred in "The Prisoner of Benda
The Prisoner of Benda
"The Prisoner of Benda" is the 10th episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, Futurama. It aired on Comedy Central on August 19, 2010. In the episode, Professor Farnsworth and Amy build a machine that allows them to switch minds so that they may each pursue their lifelong dreams. ...
", when he trades bodies with Amy. Amy then proceeds to trade bodies with Leela, causing Fry to himself trade bodies with Dr. Zoidberg. Leela used Farnsworth's body to prove that her relationship with Fry is partially physical. At dinner, Leela (in Farnsworth's Body) is disgusted by Fry (in Zoidberg's body), and vice-versa. When Leela-Farnsworth tells Fry-Zoidberg to prove his love, Fry-Zoidberg passionately kisses Leela-Farnsworth. This eventually leads to Leela-Farnsworth having Intercourse with Fry-Zoidberg. this marks the first known time Fry physically slept with a male. Mentally, however, Leela was the one who slept with Fry-Zoidberg.
Finances
The Professor claims to have created Planet Express to fund his experiments, though the company is frequently on the verge of bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. This is highlighted during "Future Stock
Future Stock
"Future Stock" is the 21st episode in the third production season of Futurama. The episode first aired on March 31, 2002 as the ninth episode in the fourth broadcast season.-Plot:...
," in which Hermes shows a pie chart of their income, the larger portion of it (approximately 65%) showing a bank error in their favor; and in "Neutopia
Neutopia (Futurama)
"Neutopia" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama, and the premiere of Season 6-B. It is the twentieth episode of the sixth season in production order, and the 102nd episode in broadcast order...
," in which the company faces foreclosure due to missed mortgage payments. In Futurama: The Game
Futurama (video game)
Futurama is a 3D platform game based on the science fiction cartoon series Futurama. Versions are available for the PS2 and Xbox, both of which use cel-shading technology. Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance games were planned for release, though they were cancelled due to a belief that their...
, which may not be considered canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, the Professor laments that the crew never remembers to charge anyone for the deliveries. The Professor is still capable of funding his experiments and paying for the inevitable repairs after the experiments go awry. The Professor states and/or implies in both "A Clone of My Own" and "Anthology of Interest I
Anthology of Interest I
"Anthology of Interest I" is episode sixteen in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 21, 2000. This episode, as well as the later "Anthology of Interest II", serves to showcase three "imaginary" stories, in a manner similar to the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of...
" that he has a vast fortune saved up.
Achievements
Professor Farnsworth has pioneered many important inventions throughout the series, including the design of all modern robots and the meta-particles capable of converting dark matterDark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
into useful energy. Farnsworth has also received many honors. For stopping global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's evil plans ("Crimes of the Hot
Crimes of the Hot
"Crimes of the Hot" is the eighth episode of the fourth production season of the television show Futurama. It originally aired in North America on November 10, 2002 as the season premiere of Futuramas fifth broadcast season. The episode was written by Aaron Ehasz and directed by Peter Avanzino...
"), Nixon awarded him the Polluting Medal of Pollution. He also received the Academy of Inventors award for stopping a giant trash meteor from destroying New New York City ("A Big Piece of Garbage
A Big Piece of Garbage
"A Big Piece of Garbage" is episode eight in season one of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 11, 1999. The episode was written by Lewis Morton and directed by Susie Dietter. Ron Popeil guest stars in this episode as himself. Nancy Cartwright also has a brief cameo as a Bart...
"). He also invented the first robot capable of qualifying for a boat loan ("A Clone of My Own
A Clone of My Own
"A Clone of My Own" is episode ten in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on April 9, 2000. It marks the first appearance of the recurring character Cubert Farnsworth.- Plot :...
") and the Planet Express Ship's dark matter engines. His "Smell-O-Scope", which detects scents throughout the universe, has been used in many important situations. In the film Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs
Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs
Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs is an animated science-fiction comedy film, the second of the four Futurama straight-to-DVD films. The film was released in the United States and Canada on June 24, 2008, followed by a UK release on June 30, 2008 and an Australian release on August 6, 2008....
, Wernstrom mentions that Farnsworth is a recipient of the Fields Medal
Fields Medal
The Fields Medal, officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union , a meeting that takes place every four...
, which is awarded only to scientists under 40 years of age. He is also known to have created several doomsday devices, one of which was used to stop time skips.
Production
Professor Farnsworth is voiced by Billy WestBilly West
William Richard "Billy" West is an American voice actor. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival...
, who also voices Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
, Dr. Zoidberg, and Captain Zapp Brannigan
Zapp Brannigan
Captain Zapp Brannigan is a fictional character in the animated sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West, but was originally intended to be voiced by Phil Hartman, with West taking over the role after Hartman's death. Brannigan is a 25-Star General in the Democratic Order of Planets, and captain...
. Farnsworth's design is considered to be somewhat similar to a combination of Mr. Burns, Grandpa Simpson, and Professor Frink
Professor Frink
Professor John Nerdelbaum Frink, Jr., or simply Professor Frink, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely...
from Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
's other series, The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. West has stated that the voice for Farnsworth is meant to be a bit shaky and that when developing the voice he came up with "a combination of all the wizard-type characters you heard when you were a kid, Burgess Meredith
Burgess Meredith
Oliver Burgess Meredith , known professionally as Burgess Meredith, was an American actor in theatre, film, and television, who also worked as a director...
and Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
in The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
." There is a direct nod to this in the episode Anthology of Interest II
Anthology of Interest II
"Anthology of Interest II" is episode eighteen of Futuramas third season. It originally aired in North America on January 6, 2002. This episode, as well as the earlier "Anthology of Interest I", serves to showcase three "imaginary" stories.-Plot:...
, in which the Professor portrays the Wizard of Oz.