When Family Guy returned to the air in 2005, as a result of viewer petitions, strong DVD sales and ratings-grabbing reruns, a precedent was set. Determined fans of defunct series now had conclusive proof that a major network (or at least Fox) could take a step back and re-evaluate its decisions. Given that few fans are more determined than sci-fi fans, it should come as no surprise that Futurama has been revived for its full-length, direct-to-video debut, Bender’s Big Score, with three more feature-length episodes set to follow.

Fortunately, the Futurama staff seem as excited as anyone else about the show’s return. The DVD’s commentary track — featuring series creator Matt Groening and executive producer David X. Cohen, along with most of the key voice actors and episode writer Ken Keeler — is nothing if not enthusiastic. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm translates into an episode so full of winks, nods and nudges to fans that it barely has room to breathe.

One of Futurama’s biggest strengths is that, unlike other animated sitcoms from Family Guy to Harvey Birdman — Attorney at Law, it keeps its absurdity measured. Sure, there’s randomness, and the richly satirical future that Groening and company have created allows for sight-gags and one-offs aplenty, but the stories have always taken priority. In fact, some of the series’ best episodes have been its tear-jerkers, a feat few cartoons have even attempted. Bender’s Big Score features one of the most convoluted plots the show has ever entertained (it involves nudist e-mail spammers, time travel and a narwhal named Leeloo) — which makes sense, given the extra time the writers have to work with in the longer episode. But with every spare moment crammed with some nod to the show’s cancellation or a shout-out to a past episode, things get needlessly muddled.

Still, Bender’s Big Score bodes well for the forthcoming features. After all, beneath all the fan appeasement is a pretty solid episode, with the same balance of silliness and heart as the series at its best. Now that it’s out of their system, Groening and company should be able to get back to what they’re good at, and what they clearly want to do — churning out some of the best sci-fi stories this side of Omicron-Persei 8.

In addition to the aforementioned commentary, bonus features on Bender’s Big Score include deleted storyboard scenes, an animated promo for Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (Gore also lends his voice to the episode, and inspired the producers to make the DVD release a carbon-neutral production), the full first-draft script for the episode and even a math lecture to explain some of the series’ more obscure jokes. Plus there’s a full 22-minute episode of the future’s most popular television show, Everybody Loves Hypnotoad — sure to be a hit at parties.