My brothers and Futurama

[on:]

As any jerk-wad knows i love futurama (why else would i be here?). I am however a fairly new fan though. it all started in 2003 when my friend Maggie let me borrow season 2 disk 3. I kept on borrowing more and more till she bought me season 4. my 2 older siblings also enjoyed watching the show with me............for a month or so. after just this short period they began to dislike the show, and now they hate it (they love the simpsons though). They say this is because of character developement (mostly between Leela and Fry). they think that character developement doesnt belong in cartoons. i in a way agree with them, and for that reason soley it is my second favorite show (below the simpsons). Anyone else have a similare experiance?

[Reply #1 on:]

Every program needs character development, or it'll go nowhere fast.

[Reply #2 on:]

The problem is there's this idea that animation is a genre rather than a medium. Many people think animation on TV is supposed to follow a certain formula. Simpsons follows this formula - a formula very similar to the classic sitcom formula actually - to the letter, in a subtle way poking fun at the formula as it does so.

But honestly, how much do things really change even in Futurama? Fry and Leela's relationship is kindof like a hamster in a running wheel - lots of activity, but it never actually gets anywhere. And this is how it's supposed to be, because what's funny is watching a hamster run around without getting anywhere; watching the same hamster run across the room would be less interesting. Unless it was in one of those hamster balls, so it was, like, bouncing off stuff, and you could spin it and watch the hamster stagger around dizzily. I had a hamster once; it died because I forgot to feed it.

[Leela] Remember what I told you about ending all your statements one sentence earlier? [/Leela]

[Reply #3 on:]

 

Perfect, Gopher my man.  Also true. 

Oh, Sorf: some of us like the character development best of all.  It's what makes Futurama more appealing to us than Simpsons, because we can enjoy it on a whole 'nother level, in addition to enjoying the wit and absurdity.


Wait a minute, Gopher....  Died because you didn't feed it?

*Thinks about poor, starving hampster, suffering in his little cage...*

 

 

Oh, god, you "Jurassic Bark'ed" me!  WAAAAAAHHHH!

[Reply #4 on:]

It's very hard for me to like a show that doesn;t have character development. The only show i can think of that i like that doesn't have character development is Drawn Together. I don't know why i like it, probably cause it's politically incorrect.

[Reply #5 on:]

I agree with Venus.  I really liked the character development in Futurama, which is another reason why I like to watch it.  The character development truly is what sets it apart from The Simpsons.  Whereas The Simpsons, it's just the same old same old.  It's not like that with Futurama. 

Futurama has something new each time.  It's always fresh and original.  The only people in my family who watch the show are me and my sister. 

[Reply #6 on:]

I agree with Gopher, really.  There isn't actually that much that changes in Futurama.  Fry and Leela is the main thing, and that's in, what, five episodes of season four?  Character development (when defining that as continuous development between episodes) isn't as big a part of this show as people seem to think.

Now, character development within episodes is another story, but there are very few shows (Simpsons included) that don't have that.  What sets Futurama apart from most other programs is that it's much better at the character stories than most other shows out there.

But no, I don't have a similar experience.  "Cartoons" are just a medium, and there is absolutely nothing that says that a cartoon can't have any kind of content the creators want to put into it.  Saying character development shouldn't be in cartoons is the exact same as saying it shouldn't be in movies or novels.  Not all of them should have character development, but it's all subjective to the intention of the cartoon/movie/novel/whatever, not the medium.

[Reply #7 on:]

now i agree with what youse is all saying but the simpsons isnt same thing each time.........well not exactly. but would like it if fry and leela actually dated? in my opinion that would take out to much conflict

[Reply #8 on:]

Like said so many times already: Character developement is indeed needed. That Fry and Leela came closer throughout Futurama's run, but never actually really close is what kept it alive and was useful for quite a lot of jokes like "Fry, you are a man, I am a woman - we are to different!".
I guess it would be fatal for a big part of Futurama's quality if Fry and Leela actually would a become a couple - even though it would be nice.

In other news:

Futurama changed throughout its run
and
Changed

[Reply #9 on:]

Aparently the Simpsons died as they ran out of ideas. Perhaps character development would have avoided this.

I don't know for sure about the Simpsons, because I stopped watching it. It got boring.

[Reply #10 on:]

The Simpsons is great but Futurama still remains my favourite as I think character development gives the cartoon a more solid plot line which makes the show better to follow and so more enjoyable so mI disagree with you there