Futurama comecack confusion?

[on:]

Hey!
Just found the site, excitedly read the news to hear about any comeback progress and was confused about "talks with Fox". Fox?

I met Billy West at the Palisades booth at the Chicago Wizardcon a few minths back in August where he was signing for their "Ren and Stimpy" figures debut, and my one question was, of course, "with Family Guy's DVD's selling so well that Fox brought back the show, are the Futurama DVD's selling well enough to maybe have Fox bring it back as well?"

Billy was very passionate about Futurama and just a very nice guy. He told me (how he must have told a thousand other fans, but with as much enthusiasm as though he was telling the story for the first time)how Fox boned them over (he actually went into the politics and told the story), and why would they want to go back to Fox? Fox purposely buried the show. They would NEVER bring it back.
He said they were deep on talks with Cartoon Network (as of August)to produce new episodes, but their meeting the dollars and cents was the tricky part.

He was so negative about the way Fox treated them, it's surprising to even hear Fox mentioned in the interviews and arcticles you have on the newspage about it possibly coming back there.

Just thought I'd share in case anyone has any more to ad to it.

[Reply #1 on:]

I think I'll be the first to welcome you to PEEL, Acroyear (Once again, I'm too lazy to post GFF's welcome image or a link to the PEEL FAQ). There have been doesens (if not hundreds) of threads about the comeback of futurama, but none of them have been true. An article on CGEF a while ago talked about David X. Cohen and Matt Groeningtalking with FOX execs and lobbying for futurama's return every month, so I think that if it is going to return at all, it will be FOX who funds it. Besides, I think FOX owns the production rights to Futurama, so even if Cartoon Network did want to make new episodes, they wouldn't be able to.

[Reply #2 on:]

As of yet, there's been no concrete information of Futurama coming "cack."   

Just rumours, talk, etc. but still, nothing official. Anyway, welcome to PEEL. This thread will probably be closed since there's dozens of similar ones. You might want to read this.

[Reply #3 on:]

Maybe Cartoon Network could make a new show called Aloha Mars!, with a quirky 20-something year old from the year 2002 named Hamilton Burger, a three-eyed space babe named Orla, a sassy robot named Notbender, and other whacky characters and their adventures in the year 2999?

[Reply #4 on:]

Wow! You met the man! *is jealous*
Well in summer there have been a lot of rumors about the return of Futurama around, but it was prety obviously that they were all wrong, at least David X Cohen proved the to be wrong.

And like hobojobo said, there won't be any new episodes without FOX, since they own the show and refuse to release it, but it is realy cool to hear that Matt Groening and DXC are still pushing on new episodes.

Welcome to Peel acroyear,

I'm able to give you a link to this FAQ hobojobo mentioned 
And here it is.
It covers some help how to use the board and how to cope with its behaviour.

Afterall: Enjoy your stay here at Nerd-world!

@hobojobo: the pictures have been indirectly outlawed 

[Reply #5 on:]

So there is or isn't a chance that the new episodes might show up on Cartoon Network? Of course, I wouldn't think Cartoon Network would have the necessary funds, since Futurama cost, what, two million dollars an episode?

[Reply #6 on:]

Yes, I think you're right about the cost of new episodes. As far as I know they are about 2 Million Dollars each, because of the expensive usage of CGI.
There allways is a chance of new episodes to be made, but this chance is not directly up to us (Well it is, if you buy all the merchandise there is, perhaps). However, as long as there is merchandising, FOX won't sell the show to another network, and as you already said, CN wouldn't have the funds to buy and produce it. FOX itself kind of "hates" the show.
Afterall, we have summed up the discussion about it in this thread: Futurama is over, and there's not much you can do about it.

Welcome to Peel, guythatlikesus   

Enjoy your stay here at Nerd-world.

[Reply #7 on:]

The bottom line appears to be that as long as there is still people like Matt Groening and David X. Cohen pushing the show, networks like Cartoon Network, companies like Time Warner (who own Cartoon Network), and fans like us, there is always a possibility of a come back. Unfortunatly, the further away we get from the final episode and the release of the DVDs I fear the possibility of a return gets worse.

[Reply #8 on:]

Hm. Does anyone have sales figures for the DVDs?

And thanks for the welcome.

[Reply #9 on:]

It's nice to hear some news about a return, you kepep your hopes up, however once you hear and read of more and more you lose these hope. 

Welcome to PEEL acroyear and guythatlikesus

[Reply #10 on:]

if tv channels owners are the same in us as in my country, and i think they are, there is very little hope of seeing futurama again.. someone big doesn't like it

[Reply #11 on:]

there probably isn't much hope to get the show back on.  Howevr, I always say that it dosn't hurt to try.
 http://www.peelified.com/cgi-bin/Futurama/1-003633/

[Reply #12 on:]

What I don't understand is how Family Guy got a second chance but Futurama didn't. I mean, family guy is awesome, but it doesn't seem very fair.

[Reply #13 on:]

Somehow you answered yourself already...

Family Guy is much cheaper to produce (about 1 Million per episode I guess). Also it reaches a much wider audience than Futurama can ever do, simply because it concentrates on humor, and not on many emotions. 

While Futurama is for Nerds like us, who love the quality of the jokes, emotions and Sci-fi in general, Family Guy throws out jokes every minute, even if they are lamer than ever.

[Reply #14 on:]

It's true about the need for founding for the new episodes, but I have obseved that "family guy" and "futurama" have almost the exact same audience. Whenever someone mentions "family guy's" return, they can help but sneak in futurama, whenever someone mention the fact that futurama is cancelled, they mention that "family guy" is returning.

People like both "Futurama" and "Family guy", it's just that apart from some nerdy types, they like Family Guy much more.

[Reply #15 on:]

 

Originally posted by germanfryfan:
Somehow you answered yourself already...

Family Guy is much cheaper to produce (about 1 Million per episode I guess). Also it reaches a much wider audience than Futurama can ever do, simply because it concentrates on humor, and not on many emotions.   

While Futurama is for Nerds like us, who love the quality of the jokes, emotions and Sci-fi in general, Family Guy throws out jokes every minute, even if they are lamer than ever.

Family Guy also lacks a decent story. It's just crazy dumb stuff in every episode.

[Reply #16 on:]

That's the exact point of Family Guy. They're not trying to tell a story, they're only trying to make the audience laugh. Futurama caters to much more.

[Reply #17 on:]

Family Guy is a great show to me, but I can understand why people can get sick of that show. The problem with FG is the fact that is really driven by the jokes, which is fine, but once you see an episode once, you have seen it a thousand times.

[Reply #18 on:]

I love Family Guy too, I'm just saying that while Family Guy is funnier (at least the first time you watch it, anyway), Futurama has more re-watchability and is better on more levels than just humour.

[Reply #19 on:]

I agree with you Beamer, Family Guy is one of my favorite shows, but I have gotten sick of it because I have seen every episode probably a hundred times. I can't wait until the new episodes come out.

Futurama, is probably better in alot of ways, because it's so story driven that you can watch episodes and enjoy them more than once.

[Reply #20 on:]

Sorry, but I need more than mindless stupidity in shows I watch.

[Reply #21 on:]

I guess I'm in the minority then. I can't stand "Family Guy".

[Reply #22 on:]

I cant stand family guy either! it just really annoys me!

[Reply #23 on:]

Hooray! 3 people who hate it! Lets go form our own support group, meeting on Thursday to play pinball and watch Futurama! (Anything for human contact, I say)

[Reply #24 on:]

i like family guy, it hasnt got the depth of futurama though, thats why im not writing something similar to this on a family guy message board. I love Billy West, i am very jealous, i must meeet him one day....

[Reply #25 on:]

Im free on thrusday! although i haven't had humen social interaction for 6 years!

[Reply #26 on:]

Found these (DVDs released and revenue produced in 2003)

Futurama Vol. 1. released March 25.  $ 8.7 million.

Futurama Vol. 2. released August 12. $ 7.3 million.

They beat out MASH season 3 & 4.
They beat Dawson's Creek season 1.
They beat Alias season 2.
And they beat South Park season 3

No numbers for 2004 yet that I could find.

[Reply #27 on:]

am i the only person who thinks "comecack" sounds really dirty? 

anyways, FG is a good show and all, but nowhere near futurama. the whole flashback thing is sort of gimmicky.

[Reply #28 on:]

Futurama has much more plot than family guy(like everyone has already said), and episodes like The Luck of the Fryish and The Devils hands are Idle Playthings are actually emotionally moving. I'd have to say, though, that Family guy is funnier.

[Reply #29 on:]

What are the chances of a spin off then? I know Fox owns Futurama but do they own all the characters? I mean they could easily do a spin off like 'the adventures of captain brannigan' that would regularly feature all our favourite charcters

[Reply #30 on:]

I'm sorry, but I don't like the idea of a spin-off!  I would like to believe that there will be new episodes of Futurama that can be shown on CN and not FOX.  I'm still holding onto some hope for that!  Perhaps a show called, "Doomsville" can be made!  It's about a quirky nerdy girl named Lynn-Marie Shake who's from 2004 and works as a Chinese Food delivery girl.  Then she gets frozen for 1000 years and meets a four eyed man named Laszlo, and a female robot named Girdie! 

Then she'll work for an old lady who's her great-great-great-great-etc. niece and they'll all work for a mail service!  Plus, there can be a rich Japanese male intern named Andy a female squid nurse named Nurse Goldstein, and a female Hungarian woman who's a beurocrat named Hermoine! 

[Reply #31 on:]

Hmmm. Interesting. I heard Billy West speak at DragonCon last Oct. and he said that if the DVDs sold well, that everyone wanted it to come back. There is, however, the $$$ issue. My question is: Why can't they simply ditch some of the CGI? Before you stone me for blasphemy, I think that Futurama had some of the greatest, most seamless CGI of most any cartoon today. But, if that's one of the main sticking points, I say that we can do without it. Of course, that's just my opinion. *ducks, then runs for cover*

[Reply #32 on:]

Futurama is my second fav show (after South Park) and I even prefer the NEW simpsons episodes to Family Guy (thats how much FG sucks)
but I really do not want a return of Futurama. I mean if it does come back then I'll start saying ‘hell I even like the NEW Futurama eps better than the new simpsons!’ Futurama was really getting to its last years at Season 4 and I like how it went down with some dignity (unlike the Simpsons). I would however like to see a trilogy of Futurama Movies. I think we should start urgin Fox about Futurama movies rather than eps. Season 4 was in the words of CBG: worst season ever.

[Reply #33 on:]

 

Originally posted by ShaBuBu:I would however like to see a trilogy of Futurama Movies.

I'm reminded of the quote said by Lisa in "The Ziff Who Came to Dinner"... Which, even though I searched and searched, I couldn't find. It goes something like: "It's a movie version of the cartoon family that you can see for free, only they stretched out the plot and added a wildebeest."

Other than that, I agree with everything you said. Futurama ended on a very good season, on a very good episode, and on a very good moment. Sure, one or two more seasons would be nice, but meh.

[Reply #34 on:]

I think one more season should do it and a movie.

[Reply #35 on:]

I'd agree about maybe letting it go with just the nice ending it had if Groening didn't say they had more to do.
"David and I worked for a couple of
years [planning the show] before we even pitched it, and we haven't revealed all of the secrets that are embedded in it. There are even characters that we created back in the beginning of the series that we never got around to
introducing."

[Reply #36 on:]

Add me to the list of Family Guy haters. What's the point of a TV show if it has zero re-watchability? That's the biggest flaw of a show or movie that's one joke after another: you get tired of them and start wanting plot.

I'm sure "Why'd the chicken cross the road" was funny the first couple times, but...well...that's FG...except make the chicken impossibly stupid...then remarkably smart with a British accent...then drunk...now the chicken farts...farts again...now the chicken looks back and forth for 20 seconds to ellaborate on a 2-second joke that wasn't very funny to begin with.

Ooh, I made a double-funny. My joke about FG making a quick joke, then ellaborating on it for longer than necessary was ellaborated on unnecessarily. 

[Reply #37 on:]

Heheh. Good one. I wish that we could know all the secrets yet to be revealed in the show. If it gets to the point where there truly is no hope for Futurama's rebirth, then perhaps we should request to know these secrets from Matt or David X.