Futurama Guest stars: RIP

[on:]

One of the wierdest things about Futurama was that if you were a guest star, 4 times out of 5, you were doomed to die in the last 10 minutes.

Dark writing? (that guy)
Desire for continually diverse characters, by killing off those, so they couldn't become Sideshow Bobs? (Sygoney Weaver's P.E. ship)
Homage to "Red Shirt syndrome" (WELSHYYYYYY!)


Just what was the deal with killing off all these great charcaters?

It's long been to me one of Futurama's greatest and most dissapointing aspects.  Now I want to thread it into PEEL.

[Reply #1 on:]

Does getting beheaded count as dying?

*references Where No Fan Has Gone Before*

[Reply #2 on:]

That Guy was always GOING to be a one-off character. Remember, if he didn't die - Planet Express would've been sold off, right? Same with the PE Ship - if she didn't die, everyone else would have. It's just for the script, that's all. I mean, look at The Simpsons. Many side characters who at first were one-off guest stars eventually returned, and now look how many Simpsons sub-characters there are. If you don't kill off guest stars, chances are that they will come back - and the Futurama writers obviously didn't want a whole heap of side characters piling up like what happened in The Simpsons.

[Reply #3 on:]

Actually After thinking about it for a few moments I've determained some condtions underwhich a guest star may be able to survive the episode:

1) You must have a romantic relationship with one, but no more than one of the major characters.
2) If you are a robot or some other form of AI, getting into a relationship with Bender is NO guarantee for survival, but it may improve your odds.
3) Be increadibly rich or powerful
4) Be an influential 20th century icon.
5) Be or appear to be a child.
6) Be some organic race other than human.
7) See #6, plus go to war with earth.
8) Be a main character's bitter rival

Here are some signs you won't survive:

1) Be conniving.
2) Be stupid.
3) Have the last name "Waterfall"
4) Side with Nixon, Mom, or some other large evil.
5) Become employed by Planet Express.

I'll keep working on this.

[Reply #4 on:]

Hell, if I was on Futurama - I'd LOVE to be killed off. Unfortunately, I don't think there'll ever be a death as good as That Guy's one.

[Reply #5 on:]

Even when the guest stars weren't killed off, they usually didn't return.

[Reply #6 on:]

Lucy liu's head was in 2 eps...

[Reply #7 on:]

... and the world was a better place for it.

[Reply #8 on:]

Yeah, but Lucy recorded both her parts for "I Dated a Robot" and "Love & Rocket" at the same time. They had her say a couple extra generic phrases when she was done recording her main part, and they wrote the little callback later on based upon what they had.

Kinda like what they did with Pamela Anderson, starring both as herself and Slurms McKenzie's blonde babe later in the series. she recorded both at the same time.

Hey, there's another dead Futurama one-off character - Slurms, even though he was voiced by a regular. He still got to be referenced in later episodes, though (eg. Spanish Fry, in the photo demonstrating what Fry's nose looked like).

[Reply #9 on:]

Speaking of Slurms, you ever notice how you only ever see one half of Glermo in subsequent episodes? It's always the one with Billy's famous "Peepeye" voice.

[Reply #10 on:]

but beamer you say its a bad thing that there's so many side characters in simpsons, i think its good, something that was lacking from futurama you can get bored of the main characters so you involve others, it can make for different plots

[Reply #11 on:]

I think the coolest guest star of all times would be Jay Leno in South Park (kitty).
I think it would be completely smack-my-thigh funny if Weird Al had been brought in to do his character for TCW, seeing as he has no lines.
But why did Slurms have to die? I mean, the roof collapsed because the music was loud, not because a squishy slug was pertying next to the boombox... He could have cranked up the music and then made a run for it.
BTW- his very last facial expression is jut hilarious... freeze frame it and just look. Then laugh. Then look again. And laugh again. Repeat as necessary.
And of course we only see half of Glermo. I mean- he was beat in two. He can't just recombine. But why did ALL of his clothes clone itself besides the hat? Weird.

[Reply #12 on:]

What would have actually happened to Morgan? Just lock her up?