Futurama: 10 Things It Did Better Than The Simpsons
3. Less Interested In Social Commentary
One of the things The Simpsons does best is cover whatever may be happening in the zeitgeist in a relatively timely manner. That's impressive given the show is animated and takes months to complete a single episode. When it comes to Futurama, the series is less-concerned with the goings-on in the world and more focused on its characters.
While this sets the two series apart, it allowed Futurama to maintain its focus in a way The Simpsons can't. What worked for one series, wouldn't work for the other, but this isn't something Futurama suffered from; it's something the series was better for lacking.
Futurama told the story of its characters without focusing on some crazy new law or politician making their rounds in the United States. Whatever new drug may have been popular or issues related to sexism in the media remained the property of The Simpsons while Futurama focused on Planet Express and the folks working there.
In a way, The Simpsons easily handles social commentary better than Futurama, but seeing as the series are written so differently, that's a good thing.