The Series Has Landed
"The Series Has Landed" is the second episode of the first season of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on April 4, 1999. The episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Peter Avanzino. In this episode, several main characters, including Doctor Zoidberg, Amy Wong, and Hermes Conrad are first introduced, and the crew goes on their first mission. After completing their delivery a series of mishaps occurs which puts Fry and Leela's lives in danger and nearly leaves all of them trapped on the moon.
Plot
Professor Farnsworth shows the new Planet Express crew (Fry, Leela, and Bender) his latest commercial for his company, which features a large, prehistoric bird. He tells them it will air during the Super Bowl–but on a different channel. Fry asks if the bird is real, but Farnsworth says that it was created with special effects. When Farnsworth goes to the kitchen to make eggs for breakfast, a baby prehistoric bird hatches from its egg and clamps down on Farnsworth's head with his beak. Settling into their new jobs, Fry, Leela, and Bender are introduced to the other Planet Express employees: Doctor John A. Zoidberg, intern Amy Wong, and bureaucrat Hermes Conrad. It becomes apparent that the ship needs a captain, and Leela is chosen. On their first mission, a delivery to the Moon, Fry undergoes severe culture shock. No longer a daring voyage of exploration, lunar travel has become a day trip to an amusement park called Luna Park. By the 31st century, the actual details of Project Apollo are lost and have been replaced by musicals about whalers on the moon and goofy gophers. This upsets Fry, who wants to see the real moon.