I am – Hercules!!

A year ago, Fox pulled its X-mas episode of “Futurama,” fearful that it was a bit much for 7 p.m.

Fox finally debuts it Sunday night at 9:30 p.m.

Here’s some excerpts from a scifi.com interview with “Futurama” creator David X. Cohen on the topic:

And they finally have scheduled our "X-Mas" special from last year. This is our long-lost episode. Christmas is actually known as X-Mas in the future. Due to overuse of that contraction, people have forgotten the original name. This episode was supposed to be on a year ago and the people at the Fox network decided that it was not appropriate for broadcast at 7 p.m. They probably replaced us with some kind "Island of Naked People" or something like that [laughs]. So we've been waiting a year, and finally they've [scheduled it] to show at a later time slot. So the current schedule claims, and I'll believe it when I see it, we're actually on their schedule for Dec. 23 in the X-Files timeslot.

Your readers can judge for themselves whether it was too mature for 7 p.m. Coolio is the guest star in the new episode, and he plays Kwanzaabot. He co-exists along with the other one. It's a multicultural society.

What does TV Guide say?

A Tale of Two Santas. The gang has another encounter with the evil Santa Claus robot. After securing their building against the murderous Saint Nicholas, the Planet Express crew is ordered to deliver children's letters to him. So they fly to Santa's HQ on Neptune, where the poverty of his mistreated elves offends even self-absorbed Bender. He, Leela and Fry inadvertently trap the robot, freeing the oppressed elves to make toys again. But delivering them is a job for a robot, and Bender is the only one around. He dons Santa's apparel---making himself a target for earthlings unaware of the switch. John DiMaggio does the voices of Bender and Santa; Coolio is the voice of Kwanzaabot.

BONUS! Our limey cousins are apparently getting “Futurama” DVDs. Here’s a glimpse at what is being denied god-fearing Region 1 Americans for the forseeable future:

Price: £39.99

• Disc 1
• 'Space Pilot 3000', 'The Series Has Landed', 'I, Roommate', 'Love's Labors Lost In Space' Commentary for each episode (doesn't say by whom, though)
• 4 deleted scenes
• Script and storyboards for 'Space Pilot 3000'

• Disc 2
• 'Fear Of A Bot Planet', 'A Fishful Of Dollars', 'My Three Suns', 'A Big Piece Of Garbage', 'Hell Is Other Robots'
• Commentary for each episode
• Season 1 trailer
• 2 deleted scenes (Amy fans note that neither is from 'Garbage', so Lauren Tom's credit for that episode - where Amy appeared but never spoke - will remain a mystery forever...)

• Disc 3
• 'A Flight To Remember', 'Mars University', 'When Aliens Attack', 'Fry And The Slurm Factory'
• Commentary for each episode
• 'Special featurette' (no details given - Matt Groening/David Cohen interview?)
• 1 deleted scene
• Stills and concept art - 44 pics and 4 video segments

I am – Hercules!!