Futurama beats Letterman, Leno, Kimmel, Kilborn and Daly

[on:]

"Cartoon's "Adult Swim" animation block caught fire quickly after Turner Broadcasting expanded it from two to five nights a week in January. Replacing kid-friendly fare with off-kilter cartoons ranging from original fare like "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" to acquisitions like "Futurama," "Swim" is draining pools of young viewers accustomed to broadcast fare from 11 p.m.-2 a.m.


From Jan. 13-March 23, "Swim" outdelivered "Kimmel," "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (news - Y! TV)," "Late Show With David Letterman," "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" and "Last Call With Carson Daly" in viewers 12-17, males 12-17 and males 12-24.


Cartoon isn't quite on par in the late-night sweet spot of 18-34, but that's a matter of time, said Jack Wakshlag, senior vp research at the network."

Read the whole article here:  http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=638&ncid=762&e=3&u=/nm/20030422/en_nm/television_cable_dc

[Reply #1 on:]

There's no news like good news...

[Reply #2 on:]

God bless Cartoon Network. Who knows, they might even try to acquire full rights to the show so they could air and order new episodes!
(Hey, I can dream, can't I?)

[Reply #3 on:]

int we agree that would be a bad thing? Interesting news tho.

[Reply #4 on:]

Futurama is the top cable show in its timeslot in the 18-24 group as well. 

Cartoon Network currently is in money problems, their parent company AOLTW is getting rid of Comedy Central and its cable division.  Futurama might get renewed like other shows that live on after cancelation on a network, look at Sliders and MSTK3000.  Most likely if CN wants to order new episodes of Futurama, first Fox Broadcast has to cancel Futurama officially, second CN would needs to by the rights to broadcast Futurama in a non-syndicated contract, third CN would have to buy a new batch of Futurama episodes to be produced from 20th Century Fox TV(They make the TV shows).  If that where the happen , say new episodes would come maybe 1-3 years after Fox Broadcast axes Futurama.

The question is will Futurama be as popular 1-3 years from now?

[Reply #5 on:]

"Popular" is a relative term. Is Futurama popular now? I would say no, due to its mistreatment by FOX. But we'll all still be here, right? We can't abandon our show. And once it airs again (IF it airs again), it will gather an audience just like it did now. Besides, if CN were to start airing new episodes a few years from now, I'm sure they would start by airing all the old ones first.

[Reply #6 on:]

Think of Star Trek! Think of Star Trek! Think of Star Trek! ...

[Reply #7 on:]

I never realised that Sliders was cancelled and was then redone, no wonder it sucked by the end. They should never have split up the group.

[Reply #8 on:]

   

Originally posted by Molten Boron:
Futurama might get renewed like other shows that live on after cancelation on a network, look at Sliders and MSTK3000. 

Good point - Sliders was made by Fox, rights bought my Sci-Fi, but didn't Sci-Fi channel cancel the show after only two seasons? Your point remains, because if the show isn't popular, people won't watch it.

@Australian Guy - Sliders 'split up' due to 'artistic differences' within the team (you're right, the end series did suck)

[Reply #9 on:]

Poor Jerry o'connel look where he ended up, Chasing an Animatronic kangaroo across south Australia by way of some 40 year old mother's S&M Dungeon.
I had a big crush of Sabrina Lloyd tho. Still Do    She trained at NIDA. And didnt the guy who played Acturo die?

I never even realised that the series continued. Channel 10 just stopped showing it, then 4 years later i saw an twisted ep. It was neary a shadow of its former self.

[Reply #10 on:]

   

Originally posted by Australian Guy:And didnt the guy who played Acturo die?

I think it was "Arturo," and the actor, John Rhys-Davies, is fine.  He plays Gimli in the Lord of the Rings movies.

Sci-Fi also cancelled MST3K after three seasons, and they bugged the creators about making changes to the show: they wanted special guest stars (which is why Leonard Maltin was in one episode) and an ongoing plot.  How you could do that on a show where each episode is 80% old movies, I don't know.  Then apparently a new executive came along and asked "Why is this show on the air?" and it was cancelled.

[Reply #11 on:]

 

Originally posted by Action Jacktion:
     

Originally posted by Australian Guy:And didnt the guy who played Acturo die?

I think it was "Arturo," and the actor, John Rhys-Davies, is fine.  He plays Gimli in the Lord of the Rings movies.

Sci-Fi also cancelled MST3K after three seasons, and they bugged the creators about making changes to the show: they wanted special guest stars (which is why Leonard Maltin was in one episode) and an ongoing plot.  How you could do that on a show where each episode is 80% old movies, I don't know.  Then apparently a new executive came along and asked "Why is this show on the air?" and it was cancelled.

At lease Sci-Fi renewed MST3k after Comedy Central canceled it. 
Even though Sci-Fi is no longer showing Sci-Fi, ie Dream Team and such

[Reply #12 on:]

On a slightly related note, the X-Men 2 Preview shown in lieu of Futurama on Fox had a Neilsen rating even lower that Futurama usually did: 1.7 with a rank of 99th. 1.7! Futurama on Cartoon Network is making around that, isn't it?

[Reply #13 on:]

 

Originally posted by SQFreak:
On a slightly related note, the X-Men 2 Preview shown in lieu of Futurama on Fox had a Neilsen rating even lower that Futurama usually did: 1.7 with a rank of 99th. 1.7! Futurama on Cartoon Network is making around that, isn't it?

1.7?! sweet Jesus! how the hell did that happen? And yes, the average Futurama episode on Cartoon Network gets a 1.7/4 or 1.8/4. 1.9 if they're lucky.

[Reply #14 on:]

Can you say "Proof to FOX that any show put in the 7:00PM Sunday timeslot will fail"?

[Reply #15 on:]

If you do that, they'll probably respond with saying 1.7 was exactly what they hoped for, and they're quite happy with that rating. After so many years of Futurama mistreatment of the 7.00 PM timeslot they expect a few rough rides to begin with.

But it's quite understandable, after all who like to see a 30 minute trailer, when 60 Minutes and other programs run on other networks?

[Reply #16 on:]

Wonder what will happen with South Park when Comedy Central gets canned, SOMEONE is going to want that and there will be a whole lot of angry people when it's gone.

I think Futurama has a good shot of being picked up by someone once Fox cancels it, i mean, if niche shows like The Critic and Mystery Science Theatre 3000 can survive the axe, than Futurama probably could make it.

[Reply #17 on:]

 

Originally posted by Red Decapodian:
... if niche shows like The Critic and Mystery Science Theatre 3000 can survive the axe, than Futurama probably could make it.

Much as I want to see Futurama reprieved, I seriously doubt either Critic, or MST3K cost anywhere near as much to produce as Futurama.
It boils down to money and motivation: Fux has the money, but is motivated to see Futurama die, for reasons eloquently described elsewhere in this forum. Cartoon network treats Futurama as it should be, or at the very least a helluvalot better than Fux ever did, but: CN just doesn' have the money to support new ep's - Even if they and Fux reach some agreement over the legal rights for new ep's.
<sigh>
As much as I (and an overwhelming majority of posters to this forum, I daresay!) would dearly love to see new Futurama ep's it's about as likely to happen as the Israeli's and Palestinians kissing an making up, or yours truly winning the Oregon state lottery four consecutive times!
Note that I didn't say it's impossible.
Hope springs eternal...

<edited 'cuz I can't flamin' spell!>

[Reply #18 on:]

Fox has repeatedly said that Futurama does better at 7pm than they ever thought any show ever has or probably could; that's part of the reason they left it languishing there.

So further proof that anything else they put there does badly is no help to Futurama.

[Reply #19 on:]

The Critic cost over a million dollars an episode to produce, it had a VERY high budget, probably bigger than Futurama's which is why it only lasted 23 episodes between 2 networks.