The End.

[on:]

From the Houston Chronicle:

   

Fox Fates Smile on 'Simpsons,' Bag 'Futurama'

  By MIKE McDANIEL

  Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

  HOLLYWOOD -- The Simpsons will be back for two more seasons, making it the longest-running TV comedy of all time, Fox Entertainment chief Gail Berman said Saturday. Futurama will not be back next year, and the future of the sitcom Andy Richter Controls the Universe is in doubt. But King of the Hill has been given a thumbs-up for the 2003-2004 season.

The fourth-place network hopes to recover some substantial ratings declines with the continued success of Joe Millionaire, the return Tuesday of American Idol and a March lineup that includes three new comedies, the most promising with stand-up comedian Wanda Sykes.

For the February sweeps, Fox has scheduled the return of 24 on Feb. 2, the return of the news magazine The Pulse on Feb. 6, a Married ... With Children Reunion special on Feb. 16 and the 300th original episode of The Simpsons, also on Feb. 16.

The network will also do some stunt casting in February. Jack Osbourne, Jessica Simpson and Seth Green will guest star on That '70s Show. Cloris Leachman will return to Malcolm in the Middle on Feb. 2 when Hal and Lois discover that another child is on the way. American Idol contestant Tamyra Gray will appear on four episodes of Boston Public beginning Feb. 17. Wesley Snipes guest stars on The Bernie Mac Show when it moves to its new time, 8 p.m. Wednesday, on Feb. 5. On Feb. 28, two days after sweeps concludes, Mitch (David Hasselhoff) will get married on the movie Baywatch Hawaiian Wedding.

In March, the network will add three comedies to the lineup. Oliver Beene (March 9) centers on an 11-year-old (Grant Rosenmeyer) who's surrounded by a family of eccentrics. Wanda at Large (March 26) stars Sykes as a stand-up comedienne who takes a job as TV correspondent for a Washington, D.C., political talk show. The Pitts (March 30), starring Dylan Baker, is about a family eternally cursed by bad luck.

Fox will make 8 p.m. Mondays a home for reality shows. After Joe Millionaire concludes, Married by America will take its place on March 10. The public will play matchmaker for two men and two women looking for love, deciding which of five potential mates are matrimonial material for the four singles.

The renewal through May 2005 of The Simpsons means the series, winner of 18 Emmys and a Peabody since its Christmas 1989 debut, will have aired for more than 15 seasons, surpassing the 14-season run of ABC's The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, which debuted in 1952.

I also want to apologize for only posting depressing things, but the only news you'll be seeing of Futurama in the future are depressing articles, unless Cartoon Network saves the day.

Otherwise, it's fruitless. It's all fruitless. Our efforts will all be in vain and the only thing we can do is to watch the show's final episodes. Petitioning won't work. It never does with FOX. Not the FOX of the new millenium.

But, sadly, FOX won't even give us that. Futurama is gone in February. Futurama will not air in March, or in April, or in May. The Pitts and Oliver Beene will take the place of the KOTH and Simpsons repeats.

It's over.

I guess, then, the only thing we can do is... uh... sigh.

[Reply #1 on:]

News flash: Jack and Kelly Osbourne were pronounced dead today. The cause of death is listed as 'over-exposure'.

Well, I think we all saw this coming, but it really hurts to see it in writing. Perhaps "The Simpsons" can comeback and make more kick-ass episodes. Then again, monkeys might fly out of my butt.

I'm also taking bets. How many of those shows listed do you think will survive until the next fall season? One? Two?

[Reply #2 on:]

Is "none" an option?

[Reply #3 on:]

The article says that Futurama will not be back next year, which means that they will have to air them THIS year to get rid of them.  Doesn't Oliver Beene and The Pitts take the 7:30 PM time slots?

[Reply #4 on:]

Since when did Fox have to air anything?  I'm curious what happens with the remainder of season 5, and if CN airs them instead of Fox, it could compromise my (sssh...) episode downloading.

[Reply #5 on:]

Is this the official word from Fox about Futurama?

[Reply #6 on:]

I'm wondering the same thing Carbito. I don't trust anything outside Fox saying that Futurama is officially dead (which sadly I believe it is).

Also not to get your hopes up but it's HIGHLY unlikely that Cartoon Network would try to produce new episodes of Futurama. Well, not highly but elevated levels of unlikeliness that they will produce new episodes.

[Reply #7 on:]

Yeah, it seems unlikley that it will come back but we have to keep hope and keep trying to the very end!

[Reply #8 on:]

Fuck. 

This could be the second worst event of the century.

[Reply #9 on:]

Whats the number 1 worst even of the centuary?

[Reply #10 on:]

I'd be very careful with that report. He seemingly does nothing but rely on the "Simpsons, KotH renewed" news from earlier this week. The Houston Chronicle isn't exactly the normal source for LA events. Especially as this is already a week old and we haven't heared anything in Variety or the likes since.

The news is from the 20th and I talked to one of the "more important" guys at Curiosity Company on the 23rd the latest. He would've told me.

[Reply #11 on:]

Hmmm. You have a very convincing reason for me to calm down. Not that I'm going to. 

I just think that there's not much hope left now of the show ever being renewed, or any more episodes being made. So I'm expecting the official cancellation anytime soon.

[Reply #12 on:]

According to the TV Guide website, Futurama still hasn't been officially cancelled.

[Reply #13 on:]

   Face it guys... IT'S OVER!!!  I think the current schedule on FOX proves that...  they are going WAY out of their way to take up that 7:00 p.m. timeslot with repeats and movies...  like, who HASN'T seen INDEPENDANCE DAY already???  And with advance looks at the schedule showing that FUTURAMA isn't scheduled thru April, at which time, Cartoon Network could begin airing the 10 or so episodes we haven't seen...  that pretty much spells out the news... crystal clear, as a matter of fact...  Lord only knows why they officially refuse to cancel... maybe they're worried about Matt and keeping The Simpsons aboard for another year...

[Reply #14 on:]

I won't contest that Futurama being renewed is unlikely, but this was about confirmation, which I don't think we have. May I ask where you got the "no Futurama through March" info from? FOX doesn't schedule that long ahead (at least not publicly)

[Reply #15 on:]

Last Sunday, practically every American was watching the Super Bowl. Why bother airing new episodes. But, did it have to be Independance Day?!?! They've aired it practically fifty times already!!!

[Reply #16 on:]

 

who HASN'T seen INDEPENDANCE DAY already

uh, not to be mentioned, but me. and have no attitude towards seeing it.

and, oh, on topic...

stop skinning a bear till he's finally dead!

[Reply #17 on:]

I shouldn't make the assumption that Futurama won't air in March, April, or May, but The Pitts and Oliver Beene will be taking up two timeslots on Sunday nights, and which timeslot do you THINK they'll take? I would expect the schedule to look something like this:

7:00 - King of the Hill
7:30 - The Simpsons
8:00 - Oliver Beene
8:30 - The Pitts
9:00 - Malcolm in the Middle

It's possible that one of the shows will air at 9:30, but if that were so, I would bet FOX would place a Simpsons repeat at 7:30 and a new one at 8:00, as they've been doing all along.

If you ask me, I'm putting my money on FOX dumping the rest of Futurama out during the Summertime. Or placing Futurama on Thursdays like last year around this time, where it will be constantly pre-empted by movie specials (and they didn't even premiere new episodes on Thursdays either).

[Reply #18 on:]

Not to be fatalistic or anything, but game over man, game over.

[Reply #19 on:]

Ah, the final "fuck you" from FOX.

Actually wait, scratch that...I think the final "fuck you" will be when they decide not to release the unaired episodes on DVD, nor will they let Cartoon Network air them, since they "haven't debuted on FOX yet".

Fuck you, FOX.

[Reply #20 on:]

this is so stupid.first fox said that we have to wait for a few months for the new episodes to show and now rumour has it that they not goning show the new episodes of Futurama at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fox likes to screw arond the futurama fans don't they. we can only hope that cartoon network won't let us down. especially for the ones who are downloading the episodes

there is only one thing I like to say last
FUCK YOU FOX!!!!!!!!!           

[Reply #21 on:]

I'm a little behind the ball.  I know what Oliver Beene is, but what is The Pitts?

P.S.  FOX can lick my ass.

[Reply #22 on:]

If Fox could just offer a valid reason as to why they appear to have canned Futurama, and at least cancel it PROPERLY (as in give a valid reason, and finish showing new episodes)...to mess the show about like this is just insulting.

[Reply #23 on:]

I'm going to wait until the official annoucement from fox (don't deserve capitals anymore) or via mArc's backdoor method "The Curiosity Company"'s secret mole. 

If it is true, then it's the best case of cutting off your nose to spite your face, I've ever come across.  Getting rid of the cartoon with most potential I've seen, in a fair while makes no sense at all, which does actually sum up TV execs as a rule, they apparently have none.

One last thing :- Viva Futurama, may it live on forever where it is appreciated - Cartoon Network, hopefully they can raise funds to keep it alive with new episodes (For the sake of Krytem, we need another 36 series, so he can see if Jade (Amy and Kif's daughter (one of many, I'd guess) according to a fic he's writing, going to write) would ever exist  ).

[Reply #24 on:]

 

Originally posted by evan:
News flash: Jack and Kelly Osbourne were pronounced dead today. The cause of death is listed as 'over-exposuse'.

Is that true? I haven't heard anything.

But seriously, is anyone suprised? Anyone?

[Reply #25 on:]

 

Originally posted by FishyJoe:
Ah, the final "fuck you" from FOX.

Actually wait, scratch that...I think the final "fuck you" will be when they decide not to release the unaired episodes on DVD, nor will they let Cartoon Network air them, since they "haven't debuted on FOX yet".

Fuck you, FOX.

If that happened I'd break into Fox HQ and steal the episodes myself, and give them to someone that can put them on the net. They WILL be seen 

[Reply #26 on:]

When I seize control of Britain and then the world, Futurama restoration will be one of the biggest items on my imediate agenda, should Otis fail.

[Reply #27 on:]

fucks, the only show to keep me in and entertained for the last few months gets cancelled before i get to see all episodes?

to much like the fuckin company i work for, tossers, i will make a mental note to spit at the pricks who are responsable when i come over to the good ol' US of A

damn chumps...

[Reply #28 on:]

I can see that Fox is making the fans angry again.     

[Reply #29 on:]

 

Originally posted by Zed 85:
When I seize control of Britain and then the world, Futurama restoration will be one of the biggest items on my imediate agenda, should Otis fail.

Me? fail!...erm... probably

[Reply #30 on:]

 

In March, the network will add three comedies to the lineup. Oliver Beene (March 9) centers on an 11-year-old (Grant Rosenmeyer) who's surrounded by a family of eccentrics.

Hmm, since i'm not American i don't know about much over there, but it sounds like a Malcolm clone!

Although there is no hope (really) of Futurama on FOX, you have to wonder why they haven't canned it. The only reason i can think of is the support of Matt, but it's a bit stupid as he knows it's as good as dead...

[Reply #31 on:]

 

Originally posted by aslate:
 

In March, the network will add three comedies to the lineup. Oliver Beene (March 9) centers on an 11-year-old (Grant Rosenmeyer) who's surrounded by a family of eccentrics.

Hmm, since i'm not American i don't know about much over there, but it sounds like a Malcolm clone!

Although there is no hope (really) of Futurama on FOX, you have to wonder why they haven't canned it. The only reason i can think of is the support of Matt, but it's a bit stupid as he knows it's as good as dead...

No, it's not a "Malcolm" clone...this show is set in the 1950s! It's completely different!    And, it will probably be gone by this time next year.

I think the real reason Fox has been stringing along Matt and Futurama is pretty obvious. If they toss Futurama, then Greoning's going to be really pissed off. He might start to fuck with The Simpsons, or go out into public forums and start yelling about the shitty treatment he's gotten from Fox. And one thing Fox doesn't need is to have the creator of it's longest running (and most popular) show bad-mouthing the company.

[Reply #32 on:]

 

Originally posted by FishyJoe:
Ah, the final "fuck you" from FOX.

Actually wait, scratch that...I think the final "fuck you" will be when they decide not to release the unaired episodes on DVD, nor will they let Cartoon Network air them, since they "haven't debuted on FOX yet".

Fuck you, FOX.

I second that "fuck you".  Fox sucks. 

And who else is VERY worried that FOX will do exactly that - not allow Cartoon Network to show the eps yet not even air the eps themselves?  We may never see those episodes if this keeps up.  It seems to me like someone needs to raid FOX headquarters and steal those episodes and flood the internet with them 

But seriously, the same thing happened to a show on MTV called Sifl & Olly (a wierd little sock puppet show) that was without a doubt the best programming on MTV, and it was cancelled also.  Basically because of an inconsistant time slot, also.  Well, the creators of the show made a season 3, that MTV decided not to air, and it took a while for the creators to get the rights back to those episodes.

I could see FOX, in one final "up yours" to all us Futurama fans, to withhold (sp?) the final episodes from Cartoon Network and not show them either. 

 

[Reply #33 on:]

They won't fuck with the show if they cancel it> They might just never cancel or renew it so that they can keep fucking with it.

It's been known in the UK. can anyone say Red Dwarf?

[Reply #34 on:]

I don't know when the BBC is showing Red Dwarf

[Reply #35 on:]

They aren't. They're still making the film aren't they?

[Reply #36 on:]

 

Originally posted by Matt Wilson

But, sadly, FOX won't even give us that. Futurama is gone in February. Futurama will not air in March, or in April, or in May.

Who says? I haven't seen this! February, yes. I think it will be slipped into random timeslots so that it will air, but nobody knows when it's on so they can watch it.

[Reply #37 on:]

I'm pretty sure that FOX will eventually air them considering how much it cost FOX to get them, and I'm sure Matt wouldn't allow them to be unaired forever.

[Reply #38 on:]

 

Originally posted by aslate:
They aren't. They're still making the film aren't they?

When?

[Reply #39 on:]

I'm sorry, but if Fox can't support them well enough for 5 production seasons, then I really doubt there'd be a Futurama movie. That would require getting the entire crew back together, and having them cancel their other projects, on the off-chance of making a movie.

If a Futurama movie is released, I hate to say this, but I doubt it will do well in the box office. It's not like Fox gave it a large audience or anything that could translate to a theater. If they're holding on a Simpsons movie, then it'll be years before we hear anything about a Futurama movie.