Futurama characters are still popular at fan conventions

Animated comedy Futurama is to return to US TV screens with 26 new episodes - seven years after it was axed by Fox.

They will air in 2010 on cable network Comedy Central, which shows repeats and previously commissioned four specials.

Futurama tells the story of pizza delivery boy Philip Fry, who was cryogenically frozen at the end of 1999 before being defrosted in 2999.

Creators Matt Groening and David X Cohen said they were "excited and amazed" the show was returning.

'Passionate fans'

The show, which follows the space-age adventures of Fry, his love interest Turanga Leela, and Bender - a cigar smoking misanthropic robot - originally ran on Fox between 1999 and 2003.

The popularity of the repeats of the 72 original episodes - bought from Fox in 2006 - as well as strong DVD sales for the four feature-length specials have led to the resurrection.

Groening, who also created The Simpsons, said: "We're thrilled Futurama is coming back.

"We now have only 25,766 episodes to make before we catch up with Bender and Fry in the year 3000."

Comedy Central's David Bernath said there remained "a deep and passionate fan base for this intelligent and very funny show that matches perfectly with our audience".

"It's fantastic that we can add brand new instalments of Leela, Fry and Bender's adventures to our existing library," he added.

In 2005, Fox resurrected another animated comedy, Family Guy, which it had cancelled in 2002.

I wasn't a huge Futurama fan but I know a lot of people who will be excited. I wish someone would bring back The Oblongs, but since it was a WB show, I don't see it ever happening.