The television network Fox expressed a strong desire in the mid-1990s for Matt Groening to create a new series, and he began conceiving "Futurama" during this period. In 1996, he enlisted David X. Cohen, then a writer and producer for "The Simpsons", to assist in developing the show. The two spent time researching science fiction books, television shows, and films. When they pitched the series to Fox in April 1998, Groening and Cohen had composed many characters and story lines; Groening claimed they had gone "overboard" in their discussions. Groening described trying to get the show on the air as "by far the worst experience of my grown-up life".