To All The New Season Haters

[on:]

I only lurked through these message boards.  But now I have something I want to say......

When it 'ended' in 2009, everyone seemed to be happy for Fry and Leela kissing at the end. Then once word came out it was coming back, everyone was excited.

And then in 2010 when it did come back, what had to happen? Everyone kept complaining! They kept complaining about how terrible the episodes are, how bad the characters are, and some even wished it was cancelled and/or never came back. Now look where we fans are. It's going to get cancelled again and they're all trying to save the show just so you all can make fun of it again.  We fans should be more supportive of the new episodes!   Even long before that.  The compliants started back in 2008 with Beast With A Billion Backs  and Bender's Game.  All because Fry dated Colleen.  WHO CARES!   SO WHAT?!

Every episode since 2010 has gotten a negative review. The only ones that had positive reviews were the ones about Fry and Leela.  In 2009, "Into The Wild Green Yonder" was the favorite movie. In 2010 the best episode was "The Late Philip J. Fry" In 2011 is was "Overclockwise" in 2012 it was "Fun On A Bun". Matt and David have worked hard to get Futurama back on the air and this is how they're repaid? I blame the internet for Futurama's demise.

If Futurama really did end in 2009, you'd all be wishing it did come back. Then it comes back and it's hated and dispised and should be cancelled. Now it's getting cancelled again and everyone wants it back. Pure irony.  

I have loved the new episodes of Futurama since it's been back. Sure, there's been a few disapointments just like everything else in life. All fans have ever done was try to find fault with the new episodes. Such as the different character pairings of 2010.  Was it really such a cardinal sin to see Amy with Nibbler, Leela with Lrrr, and Zoidberg with Cubert? Then in 2011, it was the way Leela acted. She didn't act any differently. Then last year, it was Bender dominating the show. What's next?

It will continue on through the comics, and that's fine. I will always be a a loyal and faithful fan. I have loved every episode expect for a few since the new Futurama has started.

Now that Futurama is over, all that's left is endless seasons of The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Cleveland. Not only that, now we're stuck with stupid reality shows, singing shows, and teenage/20-something slacker sitcoms or 90210-esque drama series.   And Futurama was the perfect show to rebel against all of that.

Next year when Futurama is replaced with '21 and Over: The Animated Series' or 'Youth In Revolt: The Animated series', you'll all look back on this with regret that you all never took the time to see just how super awesome and radical the new episodes of Futurama really were. Nothing's changed about them.  It still had the intellengent humor it's always had.  There was no 'potty humor' or anything like that.  Futurama's new seasons and episodes were the best ever made!    Only a few were bad.

Almost everyone on these message boards and possibly on Twitter and Facebook, too, just wasted their time saying, "Mehhh, this episode was okay...." Or "I hated this episode!" And "I didn't really like this one so much." But if it was one about Fry and Leela everyone was like "YAY! Best episode ever!" And then as the season progresses, more complaints. What's going to take Futurama's place? Out There?

Arrested Development is back. Is everyone going to complain about that, too?   Hope you're all happy, the internet is what killed Futurama.  All the negative comments on the internet is probably what inspired the low ratings.    Other than the fact that production costs were expensive and maybe CC's contract to air expired.    Have fun watching reality/singing shows and crappy sitcoms!


Sometime soon everyone will be like "Bring It Back"  "Boo-Hoo!   I want my Futurama"  and the most insulting, "Gently Put it to Sleep"!


You all claim to be big fans of Futurama!   But in reality, you're all just a bunch of HATERS!

[Reply #1 on:]

Tnuk is needed.

Wow, I just... this... the internet is not what killed Futurama. I'm sorry if you can't handle everyone's opinions, but it really was going a little downhill.

EDIT: I feel pretty tired... I'll edit this again later. Or tomorrow.

EDIT 2: Well, everyone's already explained it excellently.

[Reply #2 on:]

Dear Not4You2Know, why would you think people on the internet are the only ones watching the show? My husband and I watch it together (for better or for worse, as does my two year old when she finds what's onscreen more interesting than her coloring book) but he doesn't post here. There's always going to be a vocal few who take the time to write out their opinions but anything voluntarily provided should be taken with a grain of salt as it's not representative of a random sampling of viewers. I've enjoyed the new run a great deal even though I've had to wait for the DVDs or watch on iTunes since I don't have cable. As much as anything, I'd say it's network failure to capture such non-traditional audience viewership that gives Futurama "low ratings," not comments made by a few on the internet. Critiquing isn't the same as criticism either, as a lot of the people here really do respect the level of effort put into production even if a few of the jokes fall flat on occasion.

[Reply #3 on:]

I can see where you are coming from but, we are all dedicated Futurama fans simply expressing our opinions. That's all! We all love Futurma and we hate to see it go. Please don't think we hate the new episodes. Some of these episodes have been great and some have been poor. That's all, it happens with every show. Once you have a lot of episodes the quality of the show starts to drop but, we understand that and we still continue to watch this show every week why? Because we are dedicated fans. If we were haters we would have stopped watching this show a long time ago. And about your comment that we only enjoy the Fry and Leela episodes. Sure those always make great episodes because their story provides emotion to the show and that's what makes up a great episode ex. The sting, the late Philip J. Fry, etc. There are plenty of Futurama episodes that are great that don't involve Fry and Leela like Lethal Inspection, or Jurassic Bark. So please don't say we hate this show because we love it and we are fans not haters!
Sincerely,
A Deticated Futurama Fan!

[Reply #4 on:]

Oh god, so many things to respond to and so little desire to do so. I'll try to address your main points here:

Now look where we fans are. It's going to get cancelled again and they're all trying to save the show

I have had mixed feelings about the new episodes. I thought 6A was more or less good (not as good as the original run, but at least on-par with the movies); 6B was doomed a bit by the front-loading of the season with Bender-centric episodes, but the last three episodes of the (broadcast) season--"Cold Warriors," "Overclockwise," and "Reincarnation"--were very, very good; 7A was an improvement on the sixth season to the extent that there were no out-and-out atrocious episodes, but there were very few truly outstanding or overly-memorable episodes (I'd agree that "Fun on a Bun" was the best); and so far I've been pretty pleased with 7B and have high hopes for the rest of the season.

That said, however, I am certainly not sad to see the show go. I am glad it came back, because we were graced with some truly amazing episodes--"Lethal Inspection," "The Late Philip J. Fry," "The Prisoner of Benda," "Reincarnation," "Fun on a Bun"--but I think it has finally run its course. It is for that reason that I am not signing any "Bring Back Futurama" petitions: I love this show, but I don't want it to continue to decline; the new seasons were not all-out awful, but they did not match the quality of the original run; the show is still on average good, but I think it should end now before it embarrasses itself too much (a la The Simpsons).

In short, I don't really see a lot of the hypocrisy you mention regarding people who hate the new episodes but are still crying out for an eighth production season. A lot of posters have signed those petitions to bring the show back, but on the whole these seem to be fans who, like yourself, are still content with the new episodes; I know a fair number of posters who haven't signed those petitions because they want the show to be allowed to die with dignity. I am one of them.

The compliants started back in 2008 with Beast With A Billion Backs  and Bender's Game.  All because Fry dated Colleen.  WHO CARES!   SO WHAT?!

For starters, the complaints about "The Beast With a Billion Backs" were not solely about Fry so quickly rebounding with Colleen after the super-shippy events of "Bender's Big Score." I'll grant that a lot of people--myself included--were irked by that development; however, I think most complaints about TBWaBB are directed towards the movie's general tone and plot progression. For my part, I think this is the most laugh-out-loud of all four movies--though I prefer BBS and "Into the Wild Green Yonder" overall.

And people tend to dislike "Bender's Game" because it is disjointed and the LotR stuff goes on for too long and the Bender-is-crazy stuff is a retread of "Insane in the Mainframe." Also, Leela's characterization is awful. I think those are all valid reasons, and none of them have a thing to do with residual anger about the Fry/Colleen thing (which is what the wording of your post implies).

The only ones that had positive reviews were the ones about Fry and Leela.  In 2009, "Into The Wild Green Yonder" was the favorite movie. In 2010 the best episode was "The Late Philip J. Fry" In 2011 is was "Overclockwise" in 2012 it was "Fun On A Bun".

So what? In the original run, a lot of the most well-received episodes were focused on Fry and Leela: "Parasites Lost," "Time Keeps on Slippin'," "The Sting," and "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings." This has less to do with the fans' apparent obsession with shippy episodes, and more to do with the fact that those emotional episodes tend to be among the best-written of the series. This is even more noticeable in the new run, where truly amazing episodes are few and far between; I think it's just a coincidence that Fry and Leela episodes are among the highest-rated, and that it has nothing to do with the fans only liking those types of episodes. I think fans respond to well-written, well-constructed, innovative episodes--and it just so happens that, in the new run, such episodes ("The Late Philip J. Fry" sticks out to me as the most carefully-constructed and groundbreaking episode of the past three and a half seasons) also have a shippy component. I guess what I'm saying here is that you're making a bit of a generalization, and your reasoning behind it is faulty.

I blame the internet for Futurama's demise.

Yeah, because how people on the internet respond to broadcast television shows has anything to do with whether those shows are canceled or not. It's not like the networks look at, you know, ratings or merchandise sales or anything.

All fans have ever done was try to find fault with the new episodes.

On the contrary, I think so many of us have tried to find good in the new episodes. We have gone out of our way to love these episodes, and have been repeatedly disappointed. I don't think anyone who still watches the show is truly hate-watching it; it seems to me that all of us still essentially like Futurama, and would like to think the best of it. It's just that, in many cases, the writers don't give us much to work with.

Such as the different character pairings of 2010.  Was it really such a cardinal sin to see Amy with Nibbler, Leela with Lrrr, and Zoidberg with Cubert?

Um, no? I don't think anyone really ragged on 6A because of those new character pairings. On the contrary, I seem to recall a lot of fans appreciating these new combinations for fleshing out some secondary (or even tertiary) characters. I know a lot of people have been annoyed by the lack of trio (that is, Fry/Leela/Bender)-focused episodes--I am certainly one of them--but I don't think anyone criticized 6A for branching out in new directions and putting new characters together. Hell, "Lethal Inspection" does just that with Bender and Hermes, and it is among the best episodes of the new run.

Then in 2011, it was the way Leela acted. She didn't act any differently.

I agree with you that Leela got a lot of flak in 6B for her behavior in episodes like "Yo Leela Leela" and "Mobius Dick"; I also agree that she probably didn't act much differently in those episodes than she ever had before. (I happen to love Leela--she's my favorite character--and I (along with a handful of like-minded posters) have defended her in various threads.) Still, you can't say that people disliking Leela is some new phenomenon: a lot of Leela-centric episodes of the original run--"A Leela of Her Own" being the most obvious example--are considered by many to be the worst episodes ever. People have always had hang-ups with Leela, and these were merely exacerbated by some less-than-stellar Leela-focused episodes in 6B.

Then last year, it was Bender dominating the show.

I seem to recall that being a bigger problem with 6B; last season, the main complaint seemed to be that there were no stand-out episodes. There were no truly awful episodes, but there were no truly stellar episodes, either. I think 7A's general mediocrity is the reason a lot of people aren't sad to see the show go. You might see that attitude as one of negativity--but I happen to see it as one of mercy. I want the show to end on a relatively high note, which I think it is still capable of doing; if it goes on for two or three more seasons, though--hell, even one season--I don't see that happening.

you all never took the time to see just how super awesome and radical the new episodes of Futurama really were.

Oh, yeah. They were totally...tubular? And, like, gnarly. Or whatever the kids are saying nowadays.

Nothing's changed about them.  It still had the intellengent humor it's always had.  There was no 'potty humor' or anything like that.

Sure there was potty humor. I mean, remember that goat in "Attack of the Killer App"? However, Futurama has always had potty humor; most fans aren't reacting too terribly to its presence in the new run. The main tonal change people have taken issue with in seasons six and seven is the reliance on pop culture references that make very little sense in a show about the year 3000. Such references are not particularly intelligent, and are in fact quite cringe-worthy.

Futurama's new seasons and episodes were the best ever made!    Only a few were bad.

I have to ask: When did you start watching the show? I find it hard to believe that anyone who first came to love Futurama between seasons one and four could look at some of the episodes from seasons six and seven and be anything but disappointed. I find, generally, that people who did not discover the show until the movies were released (or afterwards)--and were thus exposed to the "new" Futurama before learning to appreciate the "old" Futurama--are more forgiving of the new seasons than more long-term fans are. I don't mean to sound elitist or condescending here--people can't help at what point in time they were exposed to a new show--but I certainly think those of us who have known and loved the show for longer are harsher on the new episodes out of a sense of (perhaps misguided, but still sincere) loving, stubborn nostalgia.

All the negative comments on the internet is probably what inspired the low ratings.

I know I've said this elsewhere before, but the people who are making harsh remarks about the show online are still watching the show. They're complaining about it, yes, but they obviously have to be seeing the new episodes in order to form their aggressively negative opinions in the first place. The low ratings were not caused by people griping about the show on the internet; rather, the low ratings were caused at least in part by the show's declining quality. The fans can't be blamed for killing the show just because they happened to notice that the new episodes weren't all as awesome as the old episodes.

You all claim to be big fans of Futurama!   But in reality, you're all just a bunch of HATERS!

I love Futurama. It has been a huge part of my life for ten years now. I have watched the episodes and listened to the commentaries so many times that I can recite a lot of them verbatim. This is my favorite show, and PEEL is one of my favorite places on the internet. You have no right to say I'm not a true fan of Futurama just because I happen to be willing to criticize something I love.

[Reply #5 on:]

I get it, Not4You2Know, you think it's hypocritical to say bad things about one's favorite show and you see the correlation between negative comments in internet and ratings.
Sorry, but for the reasons others have pointed out:
(that .gif is not meant to be taken too seriously)

If there is people that liked old Futurama and hate new Futurama so much they won't even watch it anymore, they are just a marginal minority. Futurama is a show that is watched by nerds and by that I mean people who watch the show critically and care things like continuity. That's probably one reason to low ratings - Futurama doesn't appeal to most of the people like Family Guy does.

(Some) Futurama fans are haters, but in a good way.

[Reply #6 on:]

Someone give Gorky a PEELie. Right now.

She's absolutely spot on.

When I'm critical of an episode (such as last week's, which is the most critical I've been of a Futurama episode for a long time) it's not because I hate Futurama and want the creators to feel bad. It's because I love Futurama and want to see it be as excellent as possible. Unfortunately though, the last season hasn't been the strongest in my opinion which is why I'm trying to be honest.

 Would you rather a forum where the Futurama staff can pick up constructive criticism, or a circlejerk worshipping the ground Matt Groening walks on?

[Reply #7 on:]

It's preeeeeety unlikely that whiny internet fans make up a significant proportion of viewers. Otherwise The Simpsons would have been cancelled in 1993 or something. As much as I agree with you, OP, in the sense that I think the new seasons have been overly-maligned, there's really no chance that the cancellation is due to poor internet reviews (which would only be from some corners; there are plenty of people on the internet who still clearly love the show). It's purely due to ratings, which could be for a lot of reasons that don't even have anything to do with perceived quality.

This is anecdotal, but one of the predominant things that I find from people who also love Futurama is that they haven't really kept up with it. No joke, I've met tons of reasonably big fans who even own a few of the DVD sets but were either not really aware it had come back or just haven't seen many of the new ones. Those who have kept up with it, have often done so either through the DVDs or Netflix or other sources (illegal streaming sites, for instance). It isn't that they don't love the show, but real life gets in the way, and the fact that the show operates on fairly limited episode-to-episode continuity (as opposed to something like Breaking Bad where you have to watch each episode in order to follow it, and you might be "spoiled" if you don't keep up) makes it less essential for a lot of people to keep up with immediately. When it first came back there was probably more immediate interest just because it was a show that had been long-gone and was now back from the dead, but once it had been back a little while it probably just seemed less necessary for most people to keep up with it when they could always watch the episodes later. I even remember myself eagerly watching each of the first half of the 6A (2010) episodes as soon as I possibly could, but gradually falling behind as the season progressed, and watching most of the rest of them days or weeks late. It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying them...but the show was just "back" at that point. It wasn't completely important to keep up, and life got in the way.

I'm bummed that it's ending. Unlike a lot of people here, I do truly think that the Comedy Central seasons have been basically up to par with the original run, and most of the arguments otherwise seem to me to be putting the original seasons on a pedestal that no show really deserves. With that said, after 7 seasons and 140 episodes, I think there's just less demand for more, even from the general fanbase that still enjoys them just as much as the old episodes. And as a fan personally, I find myself a lot less desperate for more now as opposed to in 2003. I love this show, but it's had a good run, and whatever you might think of the state of television, there are plenty of other good shows to watch. (If you're hungry for more good comedies, might I suggest some Parks and Recreation and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?) In the meantime, why not just appreciate the fact that it came back at all, and that we still have some episodes left to see? We can always watch these 52 newer episodes forever and ever in reruns and in our collections.

[Reply #8 on:]

Wow. This guy has gotta be wrong on every ground.

I agree with most PEELERS on here, that New Futurama isn't as good as it's first 4 seasons. I don't think the New Futurama is anywhere near bad, either. It's actually quite enjoyable to a certain level. The main problem with it, is that the show started to go along with all these sitcom-ey jokes when it came back, instead of the clever science fiction jokes we all love. I don't hate it. In fact, I almost kind of like it's little change. But I do most preferably like it's younger seasons. Season 5 and 6 can be a little fun, at times. And Season 6 does get progressively better.

For me though, Season 7 is the closest we've ever gotten to Original Futurama. Last season didn't disappoint, (except for one horrible episode). It didn't exactly have any memorable episodes (except for Fun on a Bun), and that's what I liked about it so much. But again, not enough clever sci-fi jokes in there, let alone a good sci-fi PLOT. Just an overall solid season. This  other half season......has been a big bag of meh so far. I liked Big Fling, Inhuman Torch, and SMFP alot. The other three, not a whole lot.

So in a sense, the show has been declining. Whether it's going to pick itself back up with these final episodes or not will just have to be something we gotta wait and see. And we will give the show the support it needs. What the show doesn't need though, is for somebody like you to go around criticizing us, calling us crazy because we didn't enjoy the new run as much as you do, when you probably have never even watched the originals to begin with.

[Reply #9 on:]

Just dropping into this thread to state that I love all Futurama, new, old, it doesn't matter, I'll watch it and love it. (Of course there are plenty of bad episodes that I dislike, but I still love the show overall, new and old episodes alike.)

My main complaint about the new episodes, though, would have to be they feel less-and-less like they're set in the future. Too much modern technology or non-futuristic things are used, and although it's not a major complaint, but it's occasionally distracting, I guess.

[Reply #10 on:]

The CC episodes to me are overall not a single bit worse than the original run. And yes I've seen the original run. Many times.

Season 7A in particular was highly consistent for me and I honestly loved it.

The CC run HAS had some stinkers (especially TFHS, AOTKA, and 40%LB), but so has the original run (TROAE, APTR, WTBR).

I can't agree that the negative opinions on here have caused the show's cancellation, but I do wish that people would be more positive about the CC run. Sure it's all opinion, but some of the stuff I read on here seems like real nitpicking. I'm willing to bet that nostalgia for the old run is clouding people's judgement. But who knows.

Is SMFP really only worthy of 53% on CGEF?

The show has gone now anyway. It's tragic. It's so much more entertaining than most of the other adult cartoons (infact, all of them), and has way more potential than endless seasons of The Simpsons (which is blatantly going to keep getting renewed until Dan Castanaletta is dead).

I do have to admit though - 7B has overall been disappointing to me so far. I loved 6A, 6B, and especially 7A, but 7B isn't making the cut for me so far. The Inhuman Torch was good though.

The main thing that annoys me on here though, is that sometimes when people praise some newer episodes, they are accused of never watching the original run. I find that pretentious and just silly. It's all opinion. Not fact.

[Reply #11 on:]

Don't feed the troll.

[Reply #12 on:]

As far as adult cartoons go, I continue to love South Park to death. People have recommended Archer and Bob's Burgers to me, but the former has so many bro-y sex jokes that I eventually tired of it, and in the case of the latter I just can't get past the annoying voices of the kids (and all the yelling). And nothing else on "Animation Domination!" is even worth discussing anymore.

There are other great comedies on the air, though. Even if Futurama is leaving behind it a dearth of quality animated ones.

As far as new vs. old, I will always maintain that seasons 3 and 4 have most of the show's truly worst episodes. They also have a lot of the best ones...but it's seriously rose-colored glasses, I think, to believe that the newer dud episodes aren't representative of the original run as well (and Three Hundred Big Boys is seriously way worse than any CC episode I can think of so far). I do think the true classic ones were particularly concentrated in seasons 3 and 4 compared to now, but most of the new episodes are at worst just perfectly average Futurama. When I show random episodes to friends or my girlfriend, they don't seem to notice any difference at all.

I even remember showing a bunch of the new ones (everything off 6A) to my sister, her bf, and a bunch of her friends in a couple marathons, and when we got up to Holiday Spectacular I started saying "uh, this one isn't too popular, just a warning..." But when they actually watched it, they laughed the whole way through and had no complaints. I don't think internet fan reaction is really representative of general audience reactions, and furthermore I would doubt if the general audience is even particularly aware of what a few whiners (disclaimer: I have been that whiner with multiple shows) are saying on a few obscure corners of the internet.

[Reply #13 on:]

I didn't feel it like a troll as everyone else says, don't worry I also complain that mostly of the people only care about Freela's relationship and not for the show itself, so yeah you're free to have your own opinion, there isn't nothing wrong with it. In fact I'm happy that someone have the guts for say what you said, but we aren't haters either.

Anyway, I agree with Danny, that is basically my opinion I still loving the show but I'm not blind and I can see the flaws in the writting and I think that the writters are trying too hard to make some fans happy mostly who enjoy sci-fi and romance and not it's "natural" as before and is when you feel that they do it becuase they are "forced" to do it. So it's normal feel in that way when you like the show for another reasons.

But,please don't say that all the fans/fandom are haters, also this is a discussion forum and as your opinion it's allowed to be respected, you should respect everyone else opinions about the show even if aren't possitive all.

And,welcome to PEEL!

[Reply #14 on:]

The main thing that annoys me on here though, is that sometimes when people praise some newer episodes, they are accused of never watching the original run. I find that pretentious and just silly. It's all opinion. Not fact.

Just to clarify: In my initial post, I did not mean to suggest that people who were first introduced to Futurama when the movies or the Comedy Central seasons came out have never seen the original run; rather, I'm saying that people who were first exposed to the show after its revival in 2007--as opposed to during its reruns on Adult Swim or its initial airing on Fox--seem to have a different way of comparing the old episodes to the new episodes. This way of looking at the show is not inherently flawed or false--it's just that I don't happen to see the show in the same way.

I was first introduced to Futurama around 2003; I saw a handful of latter-season episodes in their original airing on Fox ("The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" is the one of which I have the most vivid memory), and after the show's first cancellation I swiftly got my hands on the available DVD releases (at that time, only seasons one and two were available in the U.S.). I quickly became obsessed with the show: I watched the episodes, I listened to the commentaries, I bought the comics, I joined PEEL. The original 72 episodes of Futurama were a huge part of my life for many, many years; I am deeply, deeply fond of them.

I guess my point here is that, to me, Futurama is like a childhood friend: I love it so much, and I feel like I know it so well. But we lost touch with one another for four years, and when it came back into my life, I was disappointed by the changes I saw. My criticisms of the new run have not all necessarily been fair--undoubtedly I am biased into preferring the Futurama of my formative years to the Futurama of my adult years--but I simply do not feel as strong a connection to the new run (even to episodes I love, like "The Late Philip J. Fry" and "Reincarnation") as I do to the old run. This has way more to do with me and my own relationship with the show than it does with any actual changes in quality the series has undergone.

That said, though, the new run has faltered more frequently than the first four seasons. I agree with DtB that the original run wasn't perfect: I'd say that season three has the highest amount of meh-to-outright-bad episodes ("Bendless Love," "I Dated a Robot," "A Pharaoh to Remember"), but I truly believe season four is the greatest thing ever and has not a single miss among its eighteen episodes. Obviously this sounds effusive, and I know I'm being hideously blinded by my nostalgia here. But the fact remains that I am in many ways predisposed to prefer the old run to the new run. I can't help it.

But I certainly don't mean to imply that I am a greater fan than people who got into the show years after I did. All I'm saying is that we see the show differently, because we were first exposed to it at different points in its history--and, more importantly, at different points in our lives. I was eleven years old when I first began watching Futurama; I spent much of my lonely, unfulfilled pre-teen and teenage years watching this show. I feel a connection to it that I don't think I would feel if I hadn't become a fan until I was, like, seventeen. This show (and, while I'm at it, the first fifteen seasons of The Simpsons) is tied up in so much of my development as a human being; for that reason, I have very strong feelings and opinions regarding the original run.

This doesn't mean that I hate all new episodes sight unseen, because I just don't think they'll ever match up to the first four seasons; on the contrary, there are many, many episodes from the new run that I enjoy. There are a handful of episodes that I would consider on-par with the greatest episodes of the original run ("Lethal Inspection," "The Late Philip J. Fry," "The Prisoner of Benda," "Reincarnation"). And there are many aspects of the new run that I am highly impressed with, chief among them being the progress in Fry and Leela's relationship.

I'm not sorry the new run exists--but I'm not sorry it will soon be ending, either. That's all I'm trying to say here.

[Reply #15 on:]

I watched the show back when it was on Fox. Not from the beginning, but probably at least off and on from sometime during season two, and then pretty regularly afterward. I used to be an annoying Futurama evangelist at school, trying desperately to get other people to watch it (when Adult Swim first started running the show, they finally did). I wrote letters to Fox trying to save it, and bought each DVD set on the day of release. I've been watching this show since I was a teenager, and the original episodes are certainly extremely nostalgic and important to me.

So I can say in all sincerity that when I watch seasons 6 and 7, and then watch the original episodes, I scarcely notice a difference. That's not to say there is NO difference - there's simply no way that any TV show won't change and evolve over the course of that many seasons and episodes, even without being cancelled and revived so many times in between - but compared to most shows, they've if anything really kept the difference to a minimum. Watch the earlier seasons of The Simpsons and try to tell me that the difference between them isn't practically seismic compared to these (seasons 3 and 5 are, like, barely even the same show. And 5 isn't nearly as good, by the way). Watch any show that lasted seven seasons and try to tell me that there wasn't a difference from where it started vs where it ended. There are (relatively) vast differences between season 1 and seasons 3 and 4 of Futurama, as well. Such is the way of things.

But in the grand scheme, I scarcely notice a difference. I could slot almost any of these episodes randomly into the old seasons, or watch them randomly in repeats without knowing the seasons, and save for the widescreen presentation I honestly don't think I'd notice any real difference. The difference just isn't that big - unless you're applying a thick coat of nostalgia to them and not looking at them objectively.

Then again, my own long history with the show is partly why I can only take internet complaints about the newest episodes so seriously. Because frankly, most of the complaints I'm hearing now are not new, and have been with the show since about 2001 when I first started reading CGEF and this board and just couldn't believe all the negativity I was seeing. Episodes that are considered unimpeachable classics now were pretty much eviscerated back then. One day, a lot of today's episodes will probably be in the same boat. And then a bunch of people will start whining about its cancellation once again.

[Reply #16 on:]

The best thing to come out of this thread is that everyone seems to be super logical and smart all of a sudden.

I agree 100% with those that say there have always been people complaining about the show's current state, from as early as season 2. Loads of fanbases are like that. Look at some of the really old Simpsons episode reviews on SNPP, in season 4 people are talking about how the show sucks now. It's all about perspective and, to a lesser extent for the sake of reviews and opinions, retrospect when deciding the quality of a show. No one is "right" when talking about how a show or episode sucks, no matter how loudly they say it. They are opinions, and the opinions of fans, particularly fans on the internet, don't really matter in determining a shows success. Why? Because internet fans will usually see a show they are devoted to through to the bitter end. If they're complaining, they're still watching, and if they're watching, the show will continue. Lame ratings and a tightening budget is what's causing the cancellation of Futuama.

Take CGEF. Don't worry about how the reviews are at a lower percentage. Worry about how there are less reviews, period.

Oh, and re: People only liking the episodes that are shippy, if I can draw your attention to this (admittedly dated) list of my personal favourite episodes, you'll find precisely one episode where the focus is the Fry and Leela relationship.

[Reply #17 on:]

I don't have the time right now to respond in depth, but Gorky, whoever you're dating now, tell him to kiss you on behalf on the entire board.

And to the OP, I suggest you look up the Greek warrior Achilles and the choice offered to him by the Fates - have a life that is long and boring, or short, and glorious. Futurama has already come back from the dead twice - and who knows, it may happen again - but I'd rather see it end well.

[Reply #18 on:]

I agree with Gorky. She deserves the "Best PEELER of 2013" award. She was more point on than this trolling little kid. Like he just got served! Ahaha just kidding, but my point about Gorky still stands.

[Reply #19 on:]

Dear original poster, I will reply with a few points, numbered for your convenience should you choose to reply to me.

1 - If you really think people's reviews on a fan board are responsible for a show's cancellation or renewal, perhaps you have lost sight of the fact that money talks. If every person here did nothing but complain all the time (which we generally don't, you're focusing on the negative) but the show garnered big ratings and sold tons of merchandise and DVDs, obviously the money would make it a simple decision to renew.

2 - Even if everyone here WAS panning every episode, do you really think that many people are looking at the internet in 2013 to decide what to think about a show that has been on the air since 1999?

3 - You call us haters, but you offer no explanation for how we turned from being loving fans into horrible hateful monsters that tear down every episode. Did we change or did the show?

[Reply #20 on:]

Gorky has said almost exactly what I would have, and she's said it a lot more nicely.

Anything I say now is going to be nothing more than a summation of what's come before, but here goes anyway:

The internet is not to blame for Futurama's demise, and neither is PEEL. What's to blame is the handling of the show by the parent network, the decline towards mediocrity and Simpsons-esque (not that I think it actually got to that point, it's just where it started to be headed) treatment of the show's universe by the writing staff, and ultimately, the fact that it just doesn't seem to be profitable anymore as a TV enterprise.

The comics are still popular, and they'll continue. The merchandise continues to sell like hot cakes, and will presumably be around in one form or another for a while. The show itself has become an unprofitable entity, and has gone the way of all commercially inviable items.

[Reply #21 on:]

I actually agree that a lot of people here are too harsh on the new episodes. But is "You're all just a bunch of HATERS" the best way to articulate such a point? I mean, seriously, it makes you sound like you're 12 years old. And no, the collective response of a small online forum does not have anything to do with whether or not shows get renewed. Tv shows cost millions to make and the networks in charge are massive corporations. I can guarantee you, when the executives are deciding whether or not to renew their high-cost contracts, nobody's in the meeting room citing anything from PEEL. It boils more down to the fact that Futurama is pretty expensive to make in comparison to most animated shows (this is the main reason why they were splitting every production season into two broadcast seasons), and Comedy Central just doesn't have the budget to keep it going. As far as network politics go, it's actually mind-boggling that we EVER got a single run of 13 episodes on Comedy Central, much less four.

Look, even the harshest critics of the new episodes here must agree, Futurama has never, ever been totally consistent. The first 72 episodes had their share of absolute great, relatively average and very unpopular installments. Now, I'll concede that the hit-and-miss ratio has changed with the new run and we're getting a slightly lower percentage of brilliant episodes, but come on, they're working on a lower budget with a smaller writing staff, it was practically a given. Not to mention the fact that, yes, there's going to be some shakiness when any show goes back into production after being off the air that long. But, the show still makes me laugh on a very frequent basis, and it still manages to impress me and make me think on occassion too. The dip in quality is practically unnoticeable when compared to other shows that went drastically downhill in their later years.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, a lot of fans who've been with the show since its beginning (and I've been watching since the pilot first aired here) have a tendancy to put the original run on a pedestal for various reasons; and I'm sure there's some strong nostalgia associated with them. Maybe those who grew up with the show watch the new episodes with a more critical mindset as they've since reached adulthood? Maybe what was once unique and inspiring has lost its impact with age and the concept of the show now takes a back seat in those who once greeted it with awe? Plus, anything held with as much affection and regard as Futurama was with its fans in its original run is bound to be more scrutinised post-revival; people tend to get more upset about "their show" being brought down by things they don't agree with as time goes on - if any of these episodes were produced in the original run, they probably would have been accepted differently.

But, of course, everyone has their own opinion, and if somebody can make a good argument for theirs with reason and conviction, they're unlikely to be ever persuaded otherwise. But, I can at least respect their ability to MAKE that argument cohesively and intelligently, as opposed to you basically just saying "YOU all got the show cancelled by being mean!" I don't personally think that the show's quality has dropped significantly since coming back; my all-time bottom ranking episodes list contains some from both runs, as does my all-time favourite list.

[Reply #22 on:]

I really liked 3 out of 4 of the movies.

After having some time to let it settle in and compare it to the original run, I'd actually rank TLPJF as the best episode of Futurama ever made. The episode combines this crazy epic sci-fi plot with loads of jokes and maximum shippiness, it is everything good about futurama condensed into an episode. There's even a song!*

It hasn't been quite as good as the original run, but when it has managed to hit the mark it has really done a brilliant job of it. I'd happily keep watching it for many more seasons, not something I can say for simpsons/ family guy/ south park which have gotten kinda stale.

*Songs happened a lot in the original run and were awesome, they're mostly absent from the new eps which is a shame (main reason I loved yo leela leela). Who can't recite the entire robot devil song?

[Reply #23 on:]

As I said in the "Crossover" thread, there are two kinds of fans:  The kind who enjoy the references to pop culture and the little "in" jokes and there are the fans who only want a cheap laugh (and don't 'get' why everyone isn't laughing as much as they are).

Both sides will never agree because the "classic era" fans hate the lack of depth and the "just for laffs" fans think the "classic era" fans are watching the show with a stick up their ass and are all "Haters".

[Reply #24 on:]

That's a bit of an oversimplification, since both eras still contain a mixture of both humour styles. I appreciate the show for its emotional depth and love it when it gets profoundly intellectual/existential, but I still lose my shit at lines like "the 30 years squirts." Futurama has always been a mix of very smart and very dumb things; it's practically the driving force of the show.

Again, I still think the differences in the new episodes boil down to the smaller writing staff; which means less collective input during re-writes and fewer people's perspective/objections during the collaborative stages of the writing process. Not to mention, even a show written by just one person would still have a noticably different voice behind it after going off the air for several years.

[Reply #25 on:]

I have NEVER been disappointed in Futurama.  One thing I have learned about the internet though, is that people tend to sound much more negative than positive, even when they are members of something they are allegedly a "fan" of...  I personally don't get it.  The show has been consistently awesome ...  well, ever.

Anyone can nitpick their own personal taste.  But for someone to say "it's gone downhill" seems ridiculous to me.

I have about 6 or 7 friends who are HUGELY into Futurama who don't visit this or any other message board, who just absolutely love the show, no complaints...

[Reply #26 on:]

Anyone can nitpick their own personal taste.  But for someone to say "it's gone downhill" seems ridiculous to me.

Everyone has their own opinion. If someone started watching Futurama from its beginning and liked some aspects of show very much, they may think show is going downhill when these aspects don't feel so fulfilled anymore. TV-series change over time, of course, and some people don't like that change. Also, Futurama has had budget cut after original run and that must affect to quality somehow by itself.

Those things are already said and now I repeated them. Opinion of "it has gone downhill" is as acceptable as "it's as good as always", so don't say it's ridiculous (especially when it has some basis). Personally; I could almost say it's as good as always.