Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse...

[on:]

Hot on the hells of the latest pre-emption, it turns out that Futurama is now on "indefinite hiatus":

 http://www.tvguidelive.com/update/break.html

[EDIT]I meant to say "hot on the heels", but I guess the posted version works just as well...[/EDIT]

[Reply #1 on:]

It's been practically that for a while now.  I hope FOX doesn't hold up the 4th season DVD if they don't plan on ever showing the rest of the episodes.  Simpsons and KOTH reruns for everyone!

[Reply #2 on:]

Fox sucks!
Those people really are idiots, words can not express how stpuid they are!

[Reply #3 on:]

Danm!

[Reply #4 on:]

A boycott, perhaps?

[Reply #5 on:]

...and so I make it a six episode season.  Wow.  Last of the Summer Wine aired more episodes this year.

[Reply #6 on:]

I'm repeating myself from a post on CGEF, but I think I have figured out why FOX is doing this.

They know that any show they place in the 7/6 Sunday time slot next Fall will fail because it will be prempted 3 out of four weeks of any month.  That would mean either paying for a show destined to have low ratings or burning up precious rerun rights to Simpsons and KotH.

OR - they could put a show in that slot that they have already paid for and that they have no expectations for one way or the other.  Something akin to dead air to plug into the 7/6 slot on those weeks that there is no football or that (yeah, right) the game ends on time.

Then come January, they can premiere a new show in that slot that *will* be seen every week and will benefit from "Sunday Comedy Block" advertising of the entire night, as well as some other "new comedy hit" type advertising.

The added bonus, they can pay lip service to Futurama's fans by saying "We listened to you and are renewing Futurama for a sixth season!"  Once January comes and football ends, they will just pull the plug on Futurama and let it quietly dissapear.  Heck - they may even make a few bucks on it thanks to Cartoon Network's hard work to bring the show new fans.

*That* is why Futurama is not cancelled and will probably not be until they use up whatever new episodes are left.  It's a place holder for some new piece of crap to debut next January.  It's that foil wrapped whatever you pull out of the back of the freezer when you have to fix something for dinner but don't feel like going to the grocery store.

It's bought and paid for, so any revenue it does bring in is profit - plus, like a spray on hair infomercial, it fills a time slot FOX knows is the kiss of death no matter what they put on.

Pricks.

[Reply #7 on:]

Or, they'll air a couple more episodes (probably including the series finale) and then be able to claim on DVD releases that they contain "never before seen episodes!".

[Reply #8 on:]

All I can tell you that Futurama have Season 6 planned and haven't started yet.
 Also, fox never liked the first season of Futurama that much! They did only like the last 3 episodes (this is in how the English list seasons).
 Now that is something to worry about.. will we see a season 7? Or are we going to be left wondering all of our lives? 

[Reply #9 on:]

 

Originally posted by Lee Roberts:
 Also, fox never liked the first season of Futurama that much! They did only like the last 3 episodes (this is in how the English list seasons).

Huh? 

[Reply #10 on:]

So Futurama is back on haitus, no supprise.     Futurama isn't even the lowest five rated regular show this season (Fastlane*(3.3), John Doe*(4.2), Pulse(2.2), Andy Richter(4.6), Firefly(2.5)), but has higher ratings than the entire Friday lineup and #3 in the 18-49 on Sudays for Fox, means Fox just wants to kill it off without a formal cancelation. And may not air the last episode so that it can not go to another network.   

* Indicates it is still on the air   

[Reply #11 on:]

If this is word coming down from Fox that means that this is the last nail in the coffin. Indefinite? That could go on forever. This is just a roundabout way of saying we have cancelled Futurama. Much in the same way that last year's non-announcement on the ordering of any new episodes was not going to happen.

As far as airing reruns of KOTH and the Simpsons in the 7pm time block really Fox is better served by doing that then showing Futurama. They have already washed their hands of the situation and have decided to 'cut their losses' and go with reruns of other shows. This may be then end of the 7pm Sunday time slot for Fox as I can't really see them trying to bring in another new show as the results will be the same. The type of viewership that they are after at that time frame is just not available.

I do not believe that Fox is going to be bringing the show back in any form - wether it be for another production season or to air the remaining episodes. I think there will be an announcement by CN in the coming months that they will showing the remaining episodes in prime time and then reshuffle them back into their regular Adult Swim syndication block.

I would like to say that I expected more from Fox but I can't. I pretty much knew they would try and sweep this under the rug in hopes that nobody was looking. I do not think this will delay the release of the Season 4 sets as Season 3 is not due until June of this year? So Season 4 could be out by the end of this year still.
RM

[Reply #12 on:]

Last year I estimates an S4 release date as being Jan/Feb 2004.  I'm sticking with that.

[Reply #13 on:]

"The Wayne Brady Show (Syndicated). Renewed for a second season."

"Futurama (Fox). On indefinite hiatus."

[Reply #14 on:]

Those bastards! I'm tired of the Marge implants episode! It's been on three frickin times! So does this mean no Futurama ever until FOX says so? I was joking around when I said they'd split up the 16 episodes they had and made another two seasons, BUT I WASN'T SERIOUS!!!

[Reply #15 on:]

Maybe they are just doing this to spite the Futurama community and their awesome petition?

If fox dont want it anymore why dont they give it to another network that is willing to make new episodes!!

[Reply #16 on:]

No, they're like Nickelodeon. They want to hold onto their shows in case they want to bring them back. WHICH THEY NEVER DO.

[Reply #17 on:]

I know all the reasons why they wouldnt bring it back or give it to another network, I was just expressing my anguish 
 

[Reply #18 on:]

Indefinite hiatus sucks so much!

[Reply #19 on:]

...and once more the urge to kill bouys to the surface due to Fux. I thought those anger management classes would help.
Kill them all. Live in a cave.

[Reply #20 on:]

It's the ultimate insult, both to us the fans, and to Matt and the guys who made it, who also intended the last season to be one to semi-rap things up just incase FOX canned it at the end, but now they lingo it half way through. How pathetic.

[Reply #21 on:]

 

Originally posted by Shadowstar:
Those bastards! I'm tired of the Marge implants episode! It's been on three frickin times! So does this mean no Futurama ever until FOX says so? I was joking around when I said they'd split up the 16 episodes they had and made another two seasons, BUT I WASN'T SERIOUS!!!

   Yep... Marge Gets Huge Knockers... for the third time... IN TWO MONTHS!!!!  I'm sure they'll show it again in two weeks when another FUTURAMA is scheduled...

[Reply #22 on:]

INdefinate Hiatus whilst they scrape the production team back together again, maybe? They could be rounding up the old team to make a final season, finishing the show on a high in a desperate nod to the fans, who have made an enormous impact on them....

Or maybe my optimism is misguided. Still it could happen.

[Reply #23 on:]

someone from the team would have said something if there was any chance of it coming back

[Reply #24 on:]

Well we never really knew when Futurama was going to be aired and not preempted, so it doesn't change much now that they admit they don't have a clue either.

They are using Futurama as really expensive toilet paper up at Fox.  I hope their asses get some sort horrible rash from it.

[Reply #25 on:]

 

Originally posted by Erage:
Well we never really knew when Futurama was going to be aired and not preempted, so it doesn't change much now that they admit they don't have a clue either.

They are using Futurama as really expensive toilet paper up at Fox.  I hope their asses get some sort horrible rash from it.

   It just goes to show how moronic TV programming execs can be... FOX has shows failing left and right...  and they insist on trashing one of the few good shows they have...  not very good business sense...

[Reply #26 on:]

 

Originally posted by DBCrader:
    It just goes to show how moronic TV programming execs can be... FOX has shows failing left and right...  and they insist on trashing one of the few good shows they have...  not very good business sense...

One would expect business executives to make shrewd, logical business decisions. If they don't, there's something else affecting their judgement that we may not know about. Evidently their 'feud' with Matt G & Co. is more important to them than promoting a quality show, or pleasing their fans.
It's a power thing: Fux has more creative influence over The Simpsons, and it's been on for, what? Eleven years? Matt proved that the Fux ecec's were dead wrong about Futurama & they don't like that one little bit.

Sadly, the result speaks for itself...