FOX's Official Reason For Cancelling 'Futurama'?

[on:]

What were the main reasons behind FOX's cancelling of 'Futurama'???

[Reply #1 on:]

Most likely low ratings, I feel guilty since I myself stopped watching(yes, I know I wouldn't have been counted and all with the raing system, but still). I stopped watching because I thought they had cancelled it many months before, turns out it was just pre-empted a lot for football. I managed to tune into the last episode just in time though. It's ironic, because I thought it had made a come back, then I found out later on a non-futurama message board that it was actually the last episode and it was cancelled.

[Reply #2 on:]

I really don't know why FOX cancelled Futurama (other then the fact FOX is a bitch), but here is a link to a thread that might answer your  question. It's sorta recent. Oh, and welcome to PEEL.   

[Reply #3 on:]

Welcome to PEEL Jaffas85. (Didn't I greet you in another thread?).
Check out the following link for some info on this board. http://www.thefryhole.co.uk/peelfaq.php 

'Futurama' would probably never be very popular, but it would be popular. (Probably 3rd behind 'The Simpsons' and 'Family Guy'.) I'm being honest. I think it's #1.
FOX was just stupid, and never treated it properly. (Timeslot, promotion, etc...)
But this has been discussed many times before. I've seen the episodes so many times, I hate to say it, but 'King Of The Hill' is making me laugh more. (But I still like both shows.)

[Reply #4 on:]

So did FOX preempt the episodes because of bad ratings or did the show receive poor ratings due to FOX preempting the show?

[Reply #5 on:]

So FOX also felt the show didn't appeal to a broad enough audience?

[Reply #6 on:]

FOX preempted them (as far as I know) because of football and movies. (Like 'Ice Age' did a few Sundays ago.)
But it recieved poor ratings because FOX never gave a good timeslot to 'Futurama'. It never promoted it, so people didn't know about it, or where to find it. And the premeptions contributed greatly to the ratings.
And when it got officially cancelled, FOX cited poor ratings. (It was true, but it was 100% their fault it got poor ratings.)

[Reply #7 on:]

Perhaps there can be a 'Futurama' movie to tie up loose ends?

Any talk of that?

[Reply #8 on:]

Use the search function. I'm sure there're some threads about it.

The mods will probably close this thread, since it has been talked about before.

[Reply #9 on:]

Matt Groening has expressed desire to make a Futurama trilogy. Where there is a will, there is a way.

[Reply #10 on:]

There have been numerous threads about the possibility of a Futurama movie. However, it's mostly hearsay and false hope, causing most of the threads to get spammy and then closed. This one is a prime example. In this thread, people post their ideas about what they'd want the movie to be like, but it's strictly hypothetical. Talk of a movie was even used as an April Fools' Joke two years in a row. This thread is mostly useless, but it has one great post that sums up the situation pretty well.   

Originally posted by CyberKnight:
To summarise what we know:

Both Groening and Cohen have expressed interest in doing at least one movie, and possibly a trilogy of movies. However, the critical issue is funding, and as FOX would have to be a partner, it gets more difficult (they aren't enthusiastic).

As for more episodes, CN has expressed an interest, but at the moment, the cost is prohibitably expensive, and CN would have to look for a network partner.

That's pretty much all we know, so far.

That post was made August 2003, and we don't know much else. Except that it's gotten a lot less likely as time has passed.

As for your original question, here's the stock answer: When Groening pitched Futurama, Fox jumped on it, hoping for "The Simpsons in space." Instead, they got the show we all know and love. Fox didn't like it, didn't think anyone else would like it, didn't know what to do with it. They gave Groening and Co. all kinds of notes, hoping to change it into something acceptable. When the writers tried to indulge Fox's suggestions (namely, in the episode I, Roommate), Fox still hated it. At about that point, they decided they'd just make the show they wanted to make, and to hell with Fox. Now, the network execs didn't like that. It turned into a battle of wills. Groening insisted on full creative control and refused to give it up. Fox responded by treating the show like dirt, shuffling it from crappy timeslot to crappy timeslot, rarely advertising it, putting it on frequent hiatus, and preempting it for football. Naturally, the ratings fell, since all these factors made it nearly impossible to develop a solid fanbase. And so, with low ratings, the show was cancelled.

[Reply #11 on:]

So thats deffinitely the case of what happened between FOX and Futurama??

Why was FOX so vehemently against a show by Groening that was different to the 'Simpsons'?

Couldn't they see that the show's concept was interesting and entertaining in it's own right?!

You'd think they'd realise that having 3 or 4 shows quite similar to 'The Simpsons' on TV would only work against them.

They should have atleast given the show a fair go by putting the show on after new 'Simpsons' episodes.

Ridiculousness......

[Reply #12 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jaffas85:
So thats deffinitely the case of what happened between FOX and Futurama??

Based on what we know, it is the most likely theory.

 

Why was FOX so vehemently against a show by Groening that was different to the 'Simpsons'?

Who knows? Most likely money. Futurama was a very expensive show, and was probably worried about how audinces would respond to it. Like executive Gamma they're programmed to underestimate Middle America. Many of the notes they send Groening & Co revolved around smoothing out the dystopian aspects of the show (suicide boots, Robot Santa, etc) and turning the show more into "Jetsons meets Simpsons". As business men they didn't care about "new and inovating", they cared about "return on investment".

 

Couldn't they see that the show's concept was interesting and entertaining in it's own right?!

Sjort answer: no.

Longer answer: No. If you listen to the audio commentaries you'll hear how FOX bashed the show even from day one. Demanding changes, removal of various concepts, etc. It all stems back to the "TV execs doesn't care about new and inovating, they care about profit".

 

You'd think they'd realise that having 3 or 4 shows quite similar to 'The Simpsons' on TV would only work against them.

And yet we have about a bazillion reality shows on tv, 75 quadrillion of them on FOX alone. TV execs are like lemmings, when someone strikes gold everyone wants one. And more is better.

Anyway try a search, I made some better posts about this subject a few years back. Some of them even quite convincing.