While creating a team of mutants to play the Harlem Globetrotters, the Professor accidentally causes a disruption in time that threatens the existence of the universe. Meanwhile, Fry tries to win an unreceptive Leela's heart.
WAR
75.4
Wins Above Replacement
“Time Keeps On Slippin” ranks #7 of 170 Futurama episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.2 — Elite. The episode packs 67 scored jokes at 3.8 per minute, averaging 7.3 on craft and 7.0 on impact, with Bubblegum Tate landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
Get weekly comedy rankings
Join comedy fans getting new analyses, score drops, and the funniest moments each week. Free, no spam.
Top Jokes
Fry: That's how I did it. I moved the stars to write her a love note.
Fry Setup/Punchline Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Fry · Leela: Did you see it? / The explosion? / No, not the explosion. / Then what? / Nothing.
Fry Leela Irony/Sarcasm Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Leela · Minister: there is absolutely, positively no way that you and I will ever... / man and wife. You may kiss the bride.
Bubblegum Tate: I thought you knew that algebra was all razzmatazz. A Globetrotter always saves the good algebra for the final minutes.
Sweet Clyde: You got to Globetrotter that explosion up a little. Make it an implosion.
All Jokes — 67 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Fry · Leela: Those aren't swan boats. They're swans. / That explains these boat eggs.
Fry Leela Setup/Punchline Absurdist ★ Rewatch Bubblegum Tate: Sweet Clyde, laugh derisively at him.
Professor Farnsworth: I may be an old man... In fact, I'm fairly sure I am...
Professor Farnsworth: They're only a foot high. / They're still young. Mere atomic superboys, really.
Hermes · Professor Farnsworth: Those destroyed an entire civili... / Good news, everyone.
Fry · Leela: Your face can take a lot of punishment. Good to know. / There's a lot about my face you don't know. You and it should get acquainted.
Leela: No, I mean, cool your jets... they're melting Bender's face.
Leela Misdirection Visual Gag Professor Farnsworth: The Trotters held a news conference to announce that I was a jive sucker.
Marv Albert: in what should be a by-the-numbers contest with no surprises whatsoever.
Announcer · Bubblegum Tate: That one grabbed his behindus. / Quiet! Who dares laugh at the Jesters of Dunk?
Bubblegum Tate: We came to terrify and humiliate you, not tickle your funny bones.
Announcer: He's showing us what a man with a cannon in his chest can do.
Professor Farnsworth: No showboating, you atomic hotdog.
Marv Albert: Surprisingly dull so far.
Bubblegum Tate: Also, what game were the refs watching?
Fry: Did everything just jump around? Or did my brain just stroke off there?
Fry Character Comedy Observational Professor Farnsworth: We're lurching forward in time... like a needle skipping on a record.
Amy Character Comedy Absurdist Professor Farnsworth: Oops.
Bubblegum Tate: Now, on top of everything, we need a new fifth man.
Hermes: We're 35 points ahead with two minutes left. What could possibly...?
Hermes Irony/Sarcasm Misdirection Marv Albert: Globetrotters win, 244-86. A dark day for humanity, folks.
Hermes · Bender: Now all the planets are gonna crack wise about our mamas. / I'm glad my fat mama isn't alive.
Professor Farnsworth: Enough about your promiscuous mom...
Bubblegum Tate: This chronological wang-dang-doodle could destroy the matrix of reality.
Professor Farnsworth · Bubblegum Tate: You're that Bubblegum Tate? / I sure ain't his grandma.
Professor Farnsworth: At this rate, by Tuesday it'll be Thursday. By Wednesday it'll be August. And by Thursday, it will be the end of existence as we know it.
Janitor: I have to ask you to clear out. The circus needs to set up for tomorrow's...
Janitor Awkward Silence Visual Gag ★ Rewatch News Anchor: teen singer Wendy might be the... Won three Grammys last night... Found dead in her bathtub.
Professor Farnsworth: Interesting.
Professor Farnsworth: Not if you grant me the same liberty.
Bubblegum Tate: Shut up, turkey.
Bubblegum Tate: That sucker's shaking like fine booty.
Amy · Everyone: I hope you find out what's wrong before we skip my birthd... / Happy birthday, Amy.
Amy: I hope we all have as much fun tomorrow at my birth... What?
Amy Escalation Character Comedy Callback Fry: Because when we're together in here, baby, time will stand still.
Fry Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Leela: does the worst W.C. Fields imitation I've ever seen. Zoidberg?
Leela Visual Gag Character Comedy Leela: I love his boyish charm, but I hate his childishness.
Leela Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Zoidberg: So he's not perfect. You don't wanna end up old and lonely like Zoidberg!
Fry: What's that funky jazz?
Fry Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Professor Farnsworth · Bubblegum Tate: Let Bubblegum tell it. / Pretend these balls are time particles.
Amy Character Comedy Reaction Beat Bubblegum Tate: Moving stars requires a bad-ass gravity pump.
Nixon's Head: We can't spend all of Earth's money every day.
Bubblegum Tate: A jim-jam this complex might take months or even...
Professor Farnsworth: Off you go, apparently.
Bubblegum Tate: Hello, lawsuit.
Leela: Moderately priced, non-vintage champagne? How did you know?
Leela Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Leela: You're a man. I'm a woman. We're too different.
Leela Deadpan/Understatement Absurdist Fry: I got her champagne. What does a guy have to do?
Fry Character Comedy Observational Bubblegum Tate: Eighty-six the chump stuff. It's time to win Leela's heart with a showy, three-point romantic gesture.
Leela · Minister: there is absolutely, positively no way that you and I will ever... / man and wife. You may kiss the bride.
Fry: And hypnosis is for losers with big eyebrows.
Fry Character Comedy Observational Leela: The divorce is final.
Leela Escalation Deadpan/Understatement Callback Leela: I'll take the NFC helmets, and you can have the AFC.
Leela Character Comedy Visual Gag Zoidberg: but you still have Zoidberg. You all still have Zoidberg.
Zoidberg Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Bubblegum Tate: I thought you knew that algebra was all razzmatazz. A Globetrotter always saves the good algebra for the final minutes.
Cubert: Stupid senior citizens! Why should we pay for their benefits? I deserve free money!
Cubert Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Curly Joe: An explosion big enough to destroy that mama would take out half the universe.
Sweet Clyde: You got to Globetrotter that explosion up a little. Make it an implosion.
Professor Farnsworth: I suppose I could part with one and still be feared.
Bubblegum Tate: Too late, hot plate.
Bubblegum Tate · Fry: But ask yourself, are you funky enough to be a Globetrotter? / Are you? / I mean, with time my funk level... / Are you? / No. / Deal with it.
Fry: My life, and, by extension, everyone else's, is meaningless.
Fry Character Comedy Escalation Bubblegum Tate: Sorry, buddy. I too know what it's like to have a dream I'll never achieve.
Fry: That's how I did it. I moved the stars to write her a love note.
Fry Setup/Punchline Escalation ★ Rewatch Callback Fry · Leela: Did you see it? / The explosion? / No, not the explosion. / Then what? / Nothing.
Fry Leela Irony/Sarcasm Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback