What was once just internet gossip that spread across the web like a persistent skin rash has now become confirmed fact.

20th Century Fox and Comedy Central are not only reviving Futurama, but they want double the initial number of episodes that Collider.com reported meaning fans can look forward to 26 new episodes the sci-fi comedy series around the middle of 2010.

Variety also reports that actors Billy West, Katey Sagal and John DiMaggio have also signed up to once again provide the voices for Fry, Leela and Bender. I believe that sound you just heard was the universe being ripped open by this awesome time loop.

So what gave the series a new set of legs? Why it was those wily and loveable fans. The ratings for the reruns and the new feature-length films had Comedy Central drooling harder than Nibbler at the Westminster Dog Show.

"As evidenced by the strong performance of the extended length epics, there remains a deep and passionate fan base for this intelligent and very funny show that matches perfectly with our audience," 20th Century Fox Television senior vice president David Bernath said in a released statement. "It's fantastic that we can add brand-new installments of Leela, Fry and Bender's adventures to our existing library."

So give yourself a pat on the back, all you fans out there. You're responsible for bringing what could have been a long, forgotten television classic back to life. I'd say in a way, you're heroes. Certainly not firefighter pulling a helpless baby out of an alligator pit heroes, but still heroes.

I wonder if there'll be new heads in the jars of the new Star Trek cast??