Time Keeps on Slippin'
Encyclopedia
"Time Keeps On Slippin" is the 14th episode in season 3 of Futurama
. It originally aired May 6, 2001. The title is from a lyric in Fly Like an Eagle
by Steve Miller Band
which was featured in the basketball film Space Jam
. Basketball and time-travel play a prominent role in this episode.
homeworld land in Central Park
challenge Earth's honor on the basketball
court, for no apparent reason. Professor Farnsworth
accepts the Globetrotters' challenge, resolving to create a team of mutant atomic supermen to take them on (similar to Space Jam
). When he completes his work, he is left with a team of mutant
infant
s which necessitates the Professor sending the crew to gather chronitons to accelerate their growth. Bender's objection that the particles in question were responsible for the destruction of an entire civilization are ignored. All the while, Fry
is trying to woo
an unreceptive Leela.
The crew returns with the chronitons, and the mutants' growth is successfully accelerated. The game proceeds, with Farnsworth's team of mutants maintaining a lead over the Globetrotters. But at the start of the second half, time begins inexplicably jumping forward. The Professor calls a timeout during which one of the atomic supermen is killed and Fry joins the team. Although the Earth team holds a substantial lead, and there are only minutes left in the game, the Globetrotters win by unknown means during a time skip. The Professor formulates a theory that the crew's collection of chronitons has destabilized space-time, and will lead to the premature destruction of the universe.
With the assistance of the Globetrotters' leader, Ethan "Bubblegum" Tate, Farnsworth builds a "bad ass gravity pump". With the pump, they intend to reposition stars around the source of the problem, thus diverting the time skips to the empty side of the universe. Thankfully, the time skips worked in their favor, with Richard Nixon's Head granting them "all the money on Earth" to build the "bad ass gravity pump" and attach it to the ship. Once they finish moving the required amount of stars, Fry begins buttering Leela up again, but just as she's refusing him, time skips yet again—to their wedding then, seconds later, their divorce. This leaves Fry wondering what he did to win her over. Meanwhile, the time skips are only getting worse with peoples entire lives being lived out in only a few seconds.
With the assistance of the other Globetrotters (the greatest scientific minds in the universe), a new plan is devised. The Planet Express crew will use one of Professor Farnsworth's doomsday device
s to implode the nebula
, creating a black hole
which will prevent the further release of chronitons. Bender releases the doomsday device and Leela allows Fry to pilot the ship to safety. As they leave Fry notices that during one of the time skips, he had spelled out the message "I LOVE YOU, LEELA" with stars. He says to himself that he "moved the stars themselves to write her a love note in the sky," but the message is destroyed by the implosion. Fry asks Leela and Bender if they saw the message before it disappeared. Both of them do not know what Fry is talking about and leave Fry to stare glumly out into space while Bender whistles a slow, sad version of Sweet Georgia Brown
.
used the story "Strange Romance" from the book Y. Cheung, Business Detective by Harry Stephen Keeler
(of no relation to Ken Keeler) as the basis for this episode. Marv Albert
is portrayed by comedian Jeff Cesario
.
as number 15 in their list of the best episodes of Futurama. The episode is included in the list because of the last scene where Fry's star message "I Love You, Leela" gets destroyed. Although the ending is described as heartbreaking it still leaves fans looking forward to the future possibilities for Fry and Leela's relationship.
In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 3.9/8, placing it 80th among primetime shows for the week of April 30 - May 6, 2001.
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...
. It originally aired May 6, 2001. The title is from a lyric in Fly Like an Eagle
Fly Like an Eagle (song)
"Fly Like an Eagle" is a song written by Steve Miller and by Steve Miller Band guitarist Steve McCarty on the album Fly Like an Eagle. The song went to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of January 8, 1977. The single edit can be found on Greatest Hits . The song has an...
by Steve Miller Band
Steve Miller Band
The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of mid-1970s hit singles that are staples of the classic rock radio format.-History:In 1965, Steve Miller and...
which was featured in the basketball film Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
. Basketball and time-travel play a prominent role in this episode.
Plot
Representatives from the GlobetrotterHarlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
homeworld land in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
challenge Earth's honor on the basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
court, for no apparent reason. Professor Farnsworth
Professor Hubert Farnsworth
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...
accepts the Globetrotters' challenge, resolving to create a team of mutant atomic supermen to take them on (similar to Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
). When he completes his work, he is left with a team of mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
infant
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
s which necessitates the Professor sending the crew to gather chronitons to accelerate their growth. Bender's objection that the particles in question were responsible for the destruction of an entire civilization are ignored. All the while, 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:...
is trying to woo
Courtship
Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...
an unreceptive Leela.
The crew returns with the chronitons, and the mutants' growth is successfully accelerated. The game proceeds, with Farnsworth's team of mutants maintaining a lead over the Globetrotters. But at the start of the second half, time begins inexplicably jumping forward. The Professor calls a timeout during which one of the atomic supermen is killed and Fry joins the team. Although the Earth team holds a substantial lead, and there are only minutes left in the game, the Globetrotters win by unknown means during a time skip. The Professor formulates a theory that the crew's collection of chronitons has destabilized space-time, and will lead to the premature destruction of the universe.
With the assistance of the Globetrotters' leader, Ethan "Bubblegum" Tate, Farnsworth builds a "bad ass gravity pump". With the pump, they intend to reposition stars around the source of the problem, thus diverting the time skips to the empty side of the universe. Thankfully, the time skips worked in their favor, with Richard Nixon's Head granting them "all the money on Earth" to build the "bad ass gravity pump" and attach it to the ship. Once they finish moving the required amount of stars, Fry begins buttering Leela up again, but just as she's refusing him, time skips yet again—to their wedding then, seconds later, their divorce. This leaves Fry wondering what he did to win her over. Meanwhile, the time skips are only getting worse with peoples entire lives being lived out in only a few seconds.
With the assistance of the other Globetrotters (the greatest scientific minds in the universe), a new plan is devised. The Planet Express crew will use one of Professor Farnsworth's doomsday device
Doomsday device
A doomsday device is a hypothetical construction — usually a weapon, or collection of weapons — which could destroy all life on a planet, particularly the Earth, or destroy the planet itself, bringing "doomsday", a term used for the end of planet Earth...
s to implode the nebula
Nebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
, creating a black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
which will prevent the further release of chronitons. Bender releases the doomsday device and Leela allows Fry to pilot the ship to safety. As they leave Fry notices that during one of the time skips, he had spelled out the message "I LOVE YOU, LEELA" with stars. He says to himself that he "moved the stars themselves to write her a love note in the sky," but the message is destroyed by the implosion. Fry asks Leela and Bender if they saw the message before it disappeared. Both of them do not know what Fry is talking about and leave Fry to stare glumly out into space while Bender whistles a slow, sad version of Sweet Georgia Brown
Sweet Georgia Brown
"Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard and pop tune written in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard and Kenneth Casey .The tune was first recorded on March 19, 1925 by bandleader Ben Bernie, resulting in a five-week No. 1 for Ben Bernie and his Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra...
.
Production
Ken KeelerKen Keeler
Kenneth "Ken" Keeler is an American television producer and writer. He has written for numerous television series, most notably The Simpsons and Futurama. According to an interview with David X. Cohen, he proved a theorem which appears in the Futurama episode "The Prisoner of Benda".-Career:After...
used the story "Strange Romance" from the book Y. Cheung, Business Detective by Harry Stephen Keeler
Harry Stephen Keeler
Harry Stephen Keeler was a prolific but little-known American author.- Biography :Born in Chicago in 1890, Keeler spent his childhood exclusively in this city, which was so beloved by the author that a large number of his works took place in and around it...
(of no relation to Ken Keeler) as the basis for this episode. Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
is portrayed by comedian Jeff Cesario
Jeff Cesario
Jeff Cesario is an American comedian and writer, who has written for Dennis Miller Live and The Larry Sanders Show...
.
Broadcast and reception
In 2006 it was named by IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
as number 15 in their list of the best episodes of Futurama. The episode is included in the list because of the last scene where Fry's star message "I Love You, Leela" gets destroyed. Although the ending is described as heartbreaking it still leaves fans looking forward to the future possibilities for Fry and Leela's relationship.
In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 3.9/8, placing it 80th among primetime shows for the week of April 30 - May 6, 2001.
External links
- Time Keeps on Slippin' at The Infosphere.