'Futurama' finale gets pre- and post-shows from Comedy Central

By Tim Kenneally LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Good news, everyone! The series finale of "Futurama" is going out with a bang. The September 4 finale of the Matt Groening animated series will be bookended with pre- and post-shows that will be live-streamed by Comedy Central. The first show will feature a chat with Groening and "Futurama" executive producer David X. Cohen, which will be moderated by Nerdist's Chris Hardwick, who hosts the AMC after-shows "The Talking Dead" and "Talking Bad." Series voice stars Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, Phil LaMarr, and Lauren Tom will also join the conversation. Following the finale, the second half-hour show will commence, with co-executive producer Patric M. Verrone and supervising director Peter Avanzino joining the group. The second show will include reactions to the finale, along with behind-the-scenes details and answers to fan-submitted questions. After running on Fox from 1999 to 2003, "Futurama" was resurrected when Comedy Central aired four direct-to-TV movies as 30-minute episodes. Based on the popularity of the episodes, Comedy Central ordered new run of the show, which began in June 2010.