27 Years Later, The Greatest Opening Line In Sci-Fi TV Remains Unchallenged

Aug 23, 2026 - 04:14

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27 Years Later, The Greatest Opening Line In Sci-Fi TV Remains Unchallenged

Publicity still from Futurama featuring a space orb.

Published Aug 22, 2026, 8:45 PM EDT

Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV.

Sci-fi TV has never been a space that lacked memorable dialogue, but despite decades of lines that could be the greatest of them all, one series' opening line has stood strong as the best of them all for nearly 30 years. For years, the sci-fi genre has produced sweeping observations about humanity in its highest highs and lowest lows. With shows focusing on the vastness of existence itself, about civilizations beyond belief, and about the dangers of technology on the human race, sci-fi shows have run the gamut when it comes to spinning stories asking questions about the great unknown.

Sci-fi TV's most celebrated lines have come from a variety of shows, which means they all have different cadences and implications. From the optimism of the Star Trek universe to the dark warnings of Black Mirror, existential reflections have been found throughout the genre as a whole. The greatest lines in sci-fi recognize that the universe is awe-inspiring, but absurd all at the same time, giving perspective to viewers who may be looking for one thing or the other. Some of the genre's sharpest observations come from comedic moments rather than serious ones, with jokes taking on a bigger role.

While there are some shows that could be expected to have the greatest lines in the sci-fi genre, one dark horse show has managed to take the top spot while flying under the radar. Futurama's opening moment, even nearly three decades after it aired, still remains an unmatched, iconic line.

Futurama's Opening Line Feels Like A Tribute To An Iconic Sci-Fi Author

Bender, holding Fry and Lila in Futurama

Although Futurama is an animated series, its sci-fi nature is still the most important part of its identity. In the first episode of the series, the opening line encapsulates the tone of the show right away, with Fry (Billy West) explaining, "Space, it seems to go on and on forever... but then you get to the end and the gorilla starts throwing barrels at you." The line begins exactly how audiences would likely expect a sci-fi show to start, with a classic idea about space going on forever, but then the joke arrives.

Instead of completing the original thought with philosophical insight, the narration quickly pivots to a completely different idea, bringing in elements of pop culture with a Donkey Kong reference and making it clear that the series is unlike any other sci-fi show audiences have ever seen. The style also strongly recalls the work of Douglas Adams, the author of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Adams, known to take on the absurdity of the universe and enmesh them with casual observations about everyday life, is likely the inspiration for the iconic opening line of the long-running, darkly comedic sci-fi series.

Futurama Captures The Offbeat Humor That Makes Sci-Fi Great

Fry pointing enthusiastically with his foot up, with a picture of Hypnotoad behind him, in Futurama.

As one of the longest lasting sci-fi shows, especially in the animated realm, Futurama is able to straddle the line between genres. While it's, in part, a traditional sci-fi series that dabbles in the technologies and ventures of the future, the show is also a traditional fish-out-of-water sitcom. With a sense of humor and a point of view, Futurama does some interesting work that harkens back to other classic sci-fi shows, bringing in elements that make them great while simultaneously keeping itself grounded in its own way. Like other sci-fi shows, relying on humor can be a great foundation.

Other sci-fi shows have done similar things in their trajectories, with series like Doctor Who and Red Dwarf both keeping a comedic tone while dealing with straight-forward sci-fi concepts. Futurama belongs comfortably alongside these series because it understands that the future, as a concept, is inherently strange. While it may be more comedic than some of its counterparts, Futurama is a series that started off from the jump telling viewers what it was and how it would function.

Release Date March 28, 1999

Showrunner Matt Groening

Directors Peter Avanzino, Brian Sheesley, Crystal Chesney, Frank Marino, Edmund Fong, Stephen Sandoval, Bret Haaland, Rich Moore, Ron Hughart, Dwayne Carey-Hill, Raymie Muzquiz, Mark Ervin, Susie Dietter, Gregg Vanzo, Swinton O. Scott III, Ira Sherak, James Purdum, Corey Barnes, Lance Kramer, Ray Claffey, Chris Sauve, Jeffrey Lynch, Pat Shinagawa, Wes Archer

Writers Eric Rogers, Dan Vebber, Maiya Williams, David A. Goodman, Ron Weiner, Aaron Ehasz, Kristin Gore, Brian Kelley, Evan Gore, Heather Lombard, Jason Gorbett, Michael Saikin