The Onion A.V. Club Interview w/ Matt Groening

[Reply #40 on:]

Well, that's all fine and dandy to know, but my heart still tells me not to expect anything Futurama anytime soon. Stright confirmation would be highly appreciated. I'm in agreeance with Officer 1DBI

TOTPD! Yay! First top post in ages.

[Reply #41 on:]

I fully expect these movies to take longer to appear than the HHGTTG movie did, and to be every bit as disappointing.

Studios kill good ideas. Simple.

[Reply #42 on:]

I fully expect these movies to be every bit as awesome and accurate to the source material as the Firefly movie was.  But then, I'm an optimist.

It's harder to fuck up Recent TV -> Movie than Book/Radio/Old British TV -> Movie.

[Reply #43 on:]

Ugh. An optimist.

Kill it! 

[Reply #44 on:]

More 'speculation'.

-----

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Fox Broadcasting Co. has jumpstarted more
of its 2006-07 primetime schedule with early pickups for two drama pilots,
"Primary" and "American Crime."


"Primary" stars Ron Livingston  and Rosemarie DeWitt as hostage negotiators
who balance their budding relationship and their job. "American Crime,"
featuring "Alias" veteran Victor Garber, is an ensemble about high-profile
defense attorneys.


They join drama pilot "Vanished" and comedy pilot "'Til Death," in getting
series orders from Fox well in advance of the broadcast networks' fall
schedule unveilings, set to take place next week in New York. Buzz was
building on Friday that Fox was eyeing a renewal of the domestic comedy "The
War at Home" as a possible companion to "'Til Death," which stars Brad
Garrett and Joely Fisher as a long-married couple.


There also was speculation that Fox was looking to resurrect the animated
series "Futurama," from "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, on its Sunday
lineup the same way that "Family Guy" was brought back last year. The
network has an option for new episodes, which currently are being produced
for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim late-night block.


Meanwhile, the chatter also was beginning to build last week that NBC is
eyeing a move of its veteran drama "ER" out of the Thursday 10 p.m. slot
that has been its home since the series premiered in 1994. There was
speculation that the network could look to bolster its fortunes on Tuesday
or Wednesday by shifting "ER" to a 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. slot and pair it with
"Law & Order" or "Law & Order: SVU." NBC's new drama "Studio 60 on the
Sunset Strip," which earned its formal greenlight last week, was said to be
the contender for the Thursday 10 p.m. berth if "ER" moves.


At ABC, the industry's focus was centered last week on whether a move was in
store for Sunday dynamos "Desperate Housewives" or "Grey's Anatomy." There
was talk that "Housewives" could be headed for a Monday berth, as ABC
prepares for its first fall launch without "Monday Night Football" in 36
years, and that "Grey's" could be bumped up from its current 10 p.m. slot to
9 p.m. Sunday in order to give a new show the benefit of its lead-in.


The pilot pickup picture at ABC is still hard to read, but good vibes seem
to be surrounding drama "Day Break," starring Taye Diggs  as a cop on the
run; an untitled bank-heist drama; as well as "Drift," "Six Degrees" and the
telenovela adaptation "Ugly Betty." Among comedies, the heat still seems to
be on the rock star comedy "Him and Us"; an untitled project starring Donal
Logue and featuring Mick Jagger; "In Case of Emergency," starring David
Arquette  and Greg Germann; and "Help Me Help You," featuring Ted Danson.
"George Lopez " and "Freddie," two ABC comedies that had been on the bubble
for renewals, are said to be looking good to return.


CBS is said to be poised to add hot midseason drama "The Unit" and midseason
comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine" to its previously announced
roster of returning series, while veteran "The King of Queens" is not
expected back in the fall. Among pilots, the top drama contenders at CBS are
said to include "Jericho," about a small town isolated from the rest of the
world after a nuclear disaster; "Shark," starring James Woods  as a
celebrity attorney-turned-prosecutor; and an untitled legal drama from "CSI"
executive producer Carol Mendelsohn.


Over at the nascent CW, the pilot "Flirt," starring Wayne Brady, looks like
the one to beat on the comedy side. Meanwhile, the WB Network's "Reba" is
not expected to move to CW for a sixth season after UPN and WB fold their
tents in the fall.


The show at present is wrapping up the first year of a two-year pickup
struck last year between WB and "Reba" producer 20th Century Fox TV, which
means its cancellation won't come cheap for CW. Sources said the decision
will cost CW as much as $20 million, including compensating the studio for
lost syndication revenues from the sixth-season episodes that will not be
produced.


Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

[Reply #45 on:]

Ooooh, very nice...

[Reply #46 on:]

Saw it coming. 

Now what really confuses me about this article is, whether they have changed plans again or if this unrelated to the direct-to-video Futurama videos.

Btw, Ralph, was it really necessary to post the entire article and not just the revelant part? Focus! 

[Reply #47 on:]

When are the networks making their fall lineup announcements?

[Reply #48 on:]

Perhaps the direct-to-DVD movies will be a test ground for a continuation of the series?  Maybe they were waffling between whether to produce a series continuation or movies, and they finally decided on movies...

At any rate, there's only one way to get the message across to the produces: $

When (or  if  for you pessimists) the movies arrive, make sure you shell out cash to buy your own copies!  Tell all your friends and family to do the same.  Don't borrow your friend's copy, don't pirate them. Go out and send a message to the producers:  we love Futurama and want more!

[Reply #49 on:]

 

Originally posted by Officer 1BDI:
When are the networks making their fall lineup announcements?

Well, I HIGHLY doubt that Futurama would be ready in any form or another for this upcoming Fall Season.

I don't expect FOX to make an official announcement until work has actually begun on the project...

[Reply #50 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nasty Pasty:
 Well, I HIGHLY doubt that Futurama would be ready in any form or another for this upcoming Fall Season.

I doubt it as well, but I'd like to think they'd make some mention of any Futurama projects in process at that time.

Of course, the more I think about it, the less sense that makes. :P

[Reply #51 on:]

Ya, Maybe we could expect to see the first DVD out by spring\summer of 2007, that would be sweet!!!!

[Reply #52 on:]

Monday night - Adult Swim ran a caption that Groening had confirmed the 4 DVD's and that we would finally see Fry and Leela get married and maybe have little freaks.

Then ran the line if Adult Swin would ever broadcast the DVD's - they had only one word:

FANTASY

If the DVD's do get broadcast, it would either be FOX or Futurama's new home in 2008 - Comedy Central.

Cartoon Network is being very kind to a series that they're losing in 19 months...

[Reply #53 on:]

 

Originally posted by Quimbly:
... there's only one way to get the message across to the produces: $

Halle-FREAKIN'-luiah!

 

I've been saying this for months.

[Reply #54 on:]

WELL..... i remember back in like 6 months ago or so ( maybe longer )>.... there was this guy that said he "met groening" and that groening told him he was making movies..... and nobody on this forum belived him... but i did. and omfg... in ALL OF YOUR FACES ITS COMING TRUE!!!!!!!!

[Reply #55 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ralph Snart:
Monday night - Adult Swim ran a caption that Groening had confirmed the 4 DVD's and that we would finally see Fry and Leela get married and maybe have little freaks.

Oh dear sweet zombie jesus...

[Reply #56 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ralph Snart:Monday night - Adult Swim ran a caption that Groening had confirmed the 4 DVD's and that we would finally see Fry and Leela get married and maybe have little freaks.

You almost had me believing you there for a moment.

What? You were being serious?!

[Reply #57 on:]

@ C-a-B:

That's what Adult Swim ran last week.

This week they ran a blurb before Futurama stating that FOX is not reviving the series at this time and that new episodes are not being made.  The 4 DVD's are a done deal, but Adult Swim won't be airing them.

As for what's going to be on the DVD's, even Groening doesn't know at this point...

[Reply #58 on:]

As much as I like to say I get my news from Adult Swim captions (I don't), my current "Excitement Threat Level" was not raised enough to warrant a color change since the Onion article.  Observe:



Still a strong tangerine, friends.  And "verbiage" is missing an "i".  Clumsy government employees..

[Reply #59 on:]

What about beage? Tangerine has nothing to do with Futurama.

[Reply #60 on:]

Has green been renamed purple in the 31st Century?

[Reply #61 on:]

After reading this page my enthusiasm and my optimism for Futuramas dvd return has been raised.

[Reply #62 on:]

 

Originally posted by futz:
Has green been renamed purple in the 31st Century?

Thank God someone else noticed.  I thought I was going colorblind.

[Reply #63 on:]

i dont know whether they did that for one of those visual things, but it didnt work.

[Reply #64 on:]

No, I just couldn't find a good shade of purple, so I made "purple" green.

[Reply #65 on:]

cool  . i though it was ment to be one of the things where your ment to read the word but your brain makes you say the colour.

[Reply #66 on:]

DrThunder: that is so going on my wall.  Also, color mismatch and all, it still makes more sense and is more useful than the thing it's parodying.

[Reply #67 on:]

Today's episode of Futurama was boring but intresting Amy wasn't in it at all but Fry put graffite on the spaceship for fun,caused a mutainy and saved the day from a planet distruction.

[Reply #68 on:]

Yeah, I saw that one today too! I'm an a beige alert.

[Reply #69 on:]

MarriedtoAmy what episode are you talking about?

[Reply #70 on:]

Tonight's episode is "The Deep South," and last night's was HHRHGB, both with feature Amy, so I'm going to go out on a limb and insist the episode he speaks of only exists in his imagination.

[Reply #71 on:]

The episdoe is question was 'Brannigan Begin Again'.
Do keep in mind that 'Futurama' does come on several channels. My last episode was 'XMas Story'.

[Reply #72 on:]

...*face-palm*

I was wondering why you said you'd seen the episode.      Sorry.  The "grafitti" part threw me off; I couldn't think of what scene he was talking about (I didn't really take the dirt gags as grafitti), and... um... I have no appropriate excuses.  Appologies to MarriedtoAmy.

Edit: Stupid smilies and my inability to properly insert them.

[Reply #73 on:]

It's quite all right. Due to being the best fan fiction writer on the board, you have the authority to do just about anything.

[Reply #74 on:]

No, see, you're thinking of Shiny, Venus, and JBERGES, all rolled up into one great ball of talent. 

On-topic: This has probably been brought up before, but with Matt helping out on The Simpsons Move, how much time is he going to be able to devote to the Futurama quartology?  Would he hand the majority of the reins over to DXC until he was able to devote more time, or would he wait until most of the Simpson movie was complete before moving onto his other project?

[Reply #75 on:]

[digression]What about me? I'm hurt.  [/digression]

On-topic: Perhaps Matt is using this movie to somehow help 'Futurama' as well. Think about how many 'Futurama' advertisments he could fit in that film! Or... Perhaps some other way...