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Christmas Specials Wiki

"Xmas Story" is the first Christmas-themed episode of the animated science-fiction series Futurama, produced as the fourth episode of its second production season and aired as the eighth episode of its second broadcast season (due to the first season's last four episodes being held over until the fall of 1999).

Synopsis[]

While on a ski trip, Fry begins to feel nostalgic for 20th century Christmases. To cheer him up, the rest of the Planet Express staff decide to decorate for Xmas (as Christmas is now called; pronounced "eks-mas"), which includes cutting down an Xmas tree (which are now palm trees, because pine trees are now extinct).

Fry decides to venture into the city to buy Leela a present, although she hadn't felt happy about Xmas when she was an orphan. The others warn him to be back before sundown, or else he will be killed by a murderous robotic Santa Claus. In the year 2801, Mom's Friendly Robot Company had made up a robotic version of St. Nick himself to determine who's been naughty and who's been nice. Unfortunately, due to a programming error, the jolly robotic elf soon turned into a mad murderer when his standards are set too high and he will kill anyone who has been naughty at sundown. Meanwhile, Bender befriends several homeless robots and goes on a robbery spree.

Fry buys Leela a parrot, which escapes. Leela heads out to rescue Fry before Santa Claus arrives. After pursuing the parrot to the top of a tall building, he is saved from plunging to his death by Leela. Unfortunately, Fry's safety for Leela is short-lived, as sundown finally comes and the robotic Santa Claus makes his appearance and attacks the two friends.

SantaInvadesPlanetExpress

Santa breaks into Planet Express

Fry and Leela take refuge in the Planet Express building after being saved by Bender and his homeless robot friends, but Santa breaks in through the chimney. Thanks to some quick thinking by Dr. Zoidberg (the only person in the world who is never judged as being naughty), Santa is forced back into the chimney, where an explosion sends him and his mechanical reindeer tumbling into the stratosphere. Everybody celebrates by singing "Santa Claus is Gunning You Down".

In the credits, Robot Santa vows that he'll be back when no one expects it - next Xmas!

Songs[]

Title Performed by Credits
Christopher Tyng
"O Xmas Tree" John DiMaggio David X. Cohen (parody lyrics)
John DiMaggio
David Herman
Phil LaMarr
Tress MacNeille
"Santa Claus is Gunning You Down" Lauren Tom
Billy West
Katey Sagal
Phil LaMarr
John DiMaggio
David X. Cohen (writer)
Christopher Tyng (arranger)

Availability[]

The episode was made available on the Futurama: Season Two DVD set, released on August 12, 2003.

Notes[]

  • The children skating on the frozen pond (right before Bender crashes through the ice) is a reference to the opening scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas.
  • Bongo, the one-eared rabbit from Matt Groening's comic strip Life in Hell appears as one of the animals in the pet shop.
  • The gift exchange of combs is a reference to The Gift of the Magi.

Voice cast[]

Futurama Christmas group shot
Voice actor/actress Character(s)
Billy West Philip J. Fry
Professor Hubert Farnsworth
Dr. Zoidberg
Conan O'Brien's announcer
Tree voice
Katey Sagal Turanga Leela
John DiMaggio Bender Rodriguez
Man with broken leg
Phil LaMarr Hermes Conrad
Revered Preacherbot
Homeless robot #2
Tress MacNeille Linda
Tinny Tim
Crowd
Maurice LaMarche Morbo
Inglis Raoul
David Herman Skier
Weapons shop clerk
Pet shop clerk
Homeless robot #1
Lauren Tom Amy Wong
Frank Welker (uncredited) Nibbler
Parrot
John Goodman Robot Santa
Conan O'Brien Himself

See also[]

External links[]

20th Century
Movies
Miracle on 34th Street (1955 remake) (1973 remake) (1994 remake) • Die HardDie Hard 2Home AloneHome Alone 2: Lost in New YorkGeorge Balanchine's The NutcrackerTrapped in ParadiseJingle All the WayHome Alone 4The Family StoneDeck the Halls12 Men of ChristmasHome Alone: The Holiday HeistJingle All the Way 2Home Sweet Home Alone
Television episodes and specials
20th Television
M*A*S*H "Dear Dad" • "Dear Sis" • "Death Takes a Holiday" • "All About Christmas Eve"
Tracey Ullman "Santa Baby" • "Kay's Gift" • "Merry Catnip"
The X Files "Christmas Carol" • "Emily" • "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas"
Malcolm in the Middle "Christmas" • "Christmas Trees" • "Pearl Harbor" • "Hal's Christmas Gift
Bones "The Man in the Fallout Shelter" • "The Santa in the Slush" • "The Goop on the Girl"
How I Met Your Mother "How Lily Stole Christmas" • "Little Minnesota" • "False Positive" • "Symphony of Illumination" • "The Over-Correction" • "The Final Page, Part 1" • "The Final Page, Part 2"
Glee "A Very Glee Christmas" • "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" • "Glee, Actually" • "Previously Unaired Christmas"
New Girl "The 23rd" • "Santa" • "LAXmas" • "Christmas Eve Eve"
The Mindy Project "Josh and Mindy's Christmas Party" • "Christmas Party Sex Trap" • "Christmas" • "When Mindy Met Danny"
Last Man Standing "Last Christmas Standing" • "Putting a Hit on Christmas" • "Elfie" • "Wedding Planning" • "Gift of the Wise Man"
Other shows "Christmas Story" • "The Worst Noel" • "Haus Arrest" • "Amends" • "Blue Christmas" • "A Christmas Story" • "Cookies for Santa" • "In God We Trust" • "Road to Tradition" • "Afternoon Delight" • "Christmas" • "The Glitch That Stole Christmas" • "Secret Santa"
20th Television Animation
The Simpsons "Simpson Christmas" • "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" • "Marge Be Not Proud" • "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" • "Grift of the Magi" • "Skinner's Sense of Snow" • "She of Little Faith" • "'Tis the Fifteenth Season" • "Simpson Christmas Stories" • "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II" • "The Fight Before Christmas" • "Holidays of Future Passed" • "White Christmas Blues" • "I Won't Be Home for Christmas • "The Nightmare After Krustmas" • "'Tis the 30th Season" • "Bobby, It's Cold Outside" • "The Way of The Dog" • "A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas" • "Manger Things" • Feliz Navidad
King of the Hill "The Unbearable Blindness of Laying" • "Pretty, Pretty Dresses" • "Hillennium" • "'Twas the Nut Before Christmas" • "The Father, the Son, and J.C." • "Livin' on Reds, Vitamin C and Propane" • "Ms. Wakefield"
Family Guy, American Dad!, and The Cleveland Show "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" • "The Best Christmas Story Never" • "The Most Adequate Christmas Ever" • "Rapture's Delight" • "A Cleveland Brown Christmas" • "Road to the North Pole" • "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls" • "Murray Christmas" • "Season's Beatings" • "Die Semi-Hard" • "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" • "'Tis the Cleveland To Be Sorry" • "Minstrel Krampus" • "Christmas Guy" • "Dreaming of a White Porsche Christmas" • "The 2000-Year-Old Virgin" • "How the Griffin Stole Christmas" • "Ninety North, Zero West" • "Gifted Me Liberty" • "Don't Be a Dickens At Christmas" • "Santa, Schmanta" • "Christmas is Coming" • "Yule. Tide. Repeat." • "The First No L" • "Christmas Crime" • "The Return of the King (of Queens)" • "Family Guy Christmas for Hulu"
Futurama "Xmas Story" • "A Tale of Two Santas" • "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" • "I Know What You Did Next Xmas"
Bob's Burgers "God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins" • "Christmas in the Car" • "Father of the Bob" • "Nice-Capades" • "The Last Gingerbread House on the Left" • "The Bleakening" • "Better Off Sled" • "Have Yourself a Maily Linda Christmas" • "Yachty or Nice" • "Gene's Christmas Break" • "The Plight Before Christmas" • "The Nightmare 2 Days Before Christmas"
Other cartoons "Hook's Christmas" • "A Christmas Surprise for Mrs. Stillman" • Olive, the Other ReindeerIce Age: A Mammoth Christmas • "The War on Grafelnik" • "Miracle on Culpepper Slims Boulevard" • "A Very Solar Holiday Opposites Special" • "Dip the Halls Adventure" • "Xmas with The Skanks Adventure"
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