PCC Fred
Space Pope
|
|
|
« on: 07-26-2002 04:55 »
|
|
The following article appeared today on Channel 4 Teletext. Read, digest, then spend many happy hours picking holes in it. Article by Derek Robins
FUTURAMA HAS A FUTURE
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening says his sci-fi cartoon Futurama is not doomed, even though US network FOX is threatening to wield the axe.
FOX has halted production, featuring Bender the robot, though there are still 16 episodes which have not yet been broadcast.
Groening said "It's not over. We are trying to keep it alive with movies, cartoons, video games, toys and comic books."
More than 142,000 fans have signed a petition to stop US channel Fox from axing Futurama.
Creator Matt Groening has given them hope by announcing that he has big plans for the show, which began in 1999.
The show started with pizza delivery boy Fry being transported to the 30th century where he met up with a host of zany characters, including one-eyed alien Leela and Bender the robot.
Futurama creator Matt Groening has backed the team behind the sci-fi cartoon which is facing the axe.
The team has developed Futurama computer games and other merchandise, and Groening says he will continue to work with them if the TV series, shown here by Sky, is dropped.
He said "If it's not Futurama, we are going to work on another project. I have a couple of series in the works and TV shows I want to do." We're boned, aren't we?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Timo
Bending Unit
|
|
Just to add a little more info, this article was posted on the SCI FI Wire page yesterday: http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2002-07/24/13.00.tv A Future For Futurama? Matt Groening, co-creator of Fox's animated SF spoof Futurama , told SCI FI Wire that he has big plans for the show, even if Fox doesn't resume production on the series once it airs the remaining 16 or so episodes that have already been completed. "Futurama's not over," Groening said in an interview at Fox's fall preview party in Los Angeles. "We're going full-steam ahead with keeping the universe alive in whatever form we can. And there are stories and movies and cartoons and comic books and toys yet to come. And video games." Groening's Futurama partner, David X. Cohen, added that the game is due in January. "We have a Futurama video game for all the major home platforms: Xbox, PlayStation, GameCube," he said. "And I think there was much more input from the creative team, partially because we're not having to spend our time on the show, for some reason. So [J.] Stewart Burns, one of the original writers on the show, has written the script for the game. And there's actually so much material in there that basically you get a whole episode of Futurama sort of in the interstitial segments of the game." Fox ordered the end of production at the end of last season and will air the remaining episodes starting in the fall. <Spoilers removed.> Groening said he's eager to continue working with the creators of the show, whether or not Futurama has a future. "I love this group of people that I worked with on Futurama, and we're going to work on another project," he said. "If it's not Futurama , I'm going to try to keep as many of the same people as I can to work on another animated project. I've got ... a couple of [SF&F] movies in the works, and I've got a couple of TV shows as well that I want to do. And we'll see. As many people as I can work with, I will go for."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tzlk
Professor
|
|
I would to kryten....even though i would miss the $300 or so dearly. And out of curiosity has futurama comics # 10 come out yet??!
|
|
|
|
|
Teral
Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
|
|
While the comics, calendars, the figures and probably the video game are/will be great merchandise, the episodes are the driving force in the Futurama universe. We need those new episodes. And it's good to know that Matt still fights for the show, even though this He said "If it's not Futurama, we are going to work on another project. I have a couple of series in the works and TV shows I want to do." paragraph sort of could be the first sign of doom for the show. Heres hoping it's not. Originally posted by Lesotho_Leela: I have hear somewhere however, that antoher U.S TV station has made an offer to but the show. Lets Hope Matt takes it there.
Now this is interesting. Any info on who the station was? Although no big love is lost between Matt and FOX, it just doesn't feel like his style to just jump ship. He even refused to use The Simpsons as leverage to improve FOX's treatment of Futurama. But I do hope he change as soon as another station gives him a favorable offer. And release the bloody video game on PC!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Guy
Professor
|
|
Atta Boy Fred, give 'em hell till they give in to our crazy demands! What network do you think Matt would take Futurama to? Would he take the Simpsons with him?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Teral
Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
|
|
Originally posted by Guy: Atta Boy Fred, give 'em hell till they give in to our crazy demands! What network do you think Matt would take Futurama to? Would he take the Simpsons with him? Matt's already stated that it really wouldn't be his style to use The Simpsons as a barganing tool. Besides I'm under the impression that FOX holds the exclusive rights to The Simpsons anyway. Ofcourse I could be wrong. Then again, you have a standpoint until you get a new one. Maybe it is possible for FOX to push Matt far enough. At any rate I think they've just about destroyed every chance for Matt ever to approach them again with a new project. Serves them right.
|
|
|
|
|
Guy
Professor
|
|
Yeah, Matt wouldn't take a new project to FOX, out of common sense. They don't deserve it anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Teral
Helpy McHelphelp
DOOP Secretary
|
|
Anyone seen Graham's latest update at TLZ? Just a single line from it(taken out of context, read for yourself): "Fox having unlimited rights to Futurama and that the giant media company refused Matt the option to move the show onto another network or production company." If this holds up, they're bigger assholes than I imagined. Yeah, yeah sure it's all about money. But considering that huge cashcow called The Simpsons, they could at least try to show a little compassion for the guy they own their very existence as a network. It'll be interesting to read Leandro's next update.
|
|
|
|
|
Guy
Professor
|
|
I agreee, Matt Groening made FOX what it is. If he did use the Simpsons as a weapon, FOX would probably give in. It depends on how much power Matt has over the Simpsons. FOX has probably taken full control of it so that Matt can't take it away....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bart182
Professor
|
|
I think its really sad that shows like greg the bunny, king of the hill, and game shows that shouldnt have ever been made get more attention than futurama does on fox. Its just wrong. People list futurama as one of the best tv shows ever made, period. yet fox wont give it a chance or listen to what people say. Futurama has been nominated for an emmy every single year, doesnt that say a lot?
what sucks is that matt groening will start working on a new show now that futurama is gone, meaning we wont get full attention of futurama anymore since matt's brain will be in other places :/ Thats what happened with the simpsons and why it turned into crap.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ben
Space Pope
|
|
|
« Reply #38 on: 08-03-2002 09:48 »
« Last Edit on: 08-03-2002 09:48 »
|
|
Wow, did they have a clearance sale of those rose coloured glasses recently? Groening can't (and I suspect wouldn't, even if he could) just get up and take a program or programs that Fox owns to a rival network. It's rather naive to think that Fox would have developed a business case and invested cash to develop these programs if at any moment the guy who thought of the concept could just get up and leave.
Oh, Kryten, I wouldn't waste my money. Licenced games have always sucked and will continue to suck as long as the concept exists (Goldeneye was good compared to the rest of the piss-poor N64 catalogue at the time it came out, but it was no Quake). I'm sorry, but you'd be in the same boat as the kids who buy 'Britney's dance whatever' for playstation or any game based on a disney movie.
As for a movie. If you were rich (like matt) and you had once ounce of common sense, would you blow a large chunk of your fortune on a movie based on a show which, lets face the facts here, was a ratings failure? And that would be the only option for a movie, because I highly doubt any self-respecting studio would finance such a risky concept.
|
|
|
|
|
|