" If you could change ONE thing in Futurama, what would you change?"

[Reply #200 on:]

If I had to change one thing in Futurama, I would switch out a couple of the new writers.  The series tone is slightly different between the classic period and the new period, and that's due to the new writers.  It's not much of a difference, but it's noticeable.

this

[Reply #201 on:]

Haven't there only been like two episodes so far in season 6 that were written by new writers?

[Reply #202 on:]

Haven't there only been like two episodes so far in season 6 that were written by new writers?

I think it's just 6ACV02, 6ACV05 and 6ACV08.
Some good, some horrible.

[Reply #203 on:]

Some episodes where it's just Bender, Leela, Hermes, and Amy. 

[Reply #204 on:]

I know this post is from months ago, but no matter:

Haven't there only been like two episodes so far in season 6 that were written by new writers?

I think it's just 6ACV02, 6ACV05 and 6ACV08.
Some good, some horrible.

I'm still convinced that Carolyn Premish, the supposed writer of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela," is just Matt Groening's pseudonym. Maiya Williams is Patric Verrone's wife, and would presumably have more of an insider's perspective on the series anyway, which might explain why "The Duh-Vinci Code" doesn't really have any problems with tone. And Josh Weinstein was a consultant in the third season, and is old Simpsons buddies with DXC and others.

So, with the possible exception of Premish, it's not like they're digging at the bottom of the barrel looking for writing talent. Mostly these are established writers with tangential prior experience with Futurama, and I don't think you can really blame any problems with tone on them. I think tone is something that's dictated not by a single writer but by the group-think going on in the writers' room. I could be wrong, though.

[Reply #205 on:]

Why does Kurt hate Fry?!

[Reply #206 on:]

Huh, I've missed this thread.

I would like more sci-fi action episodes with the crew crash landing on another planet and someone gets kidnapped or whatever. It's always great fun to see cool, new cultures, and it's nice to have some more exciting episodes when it's really a struggle to death (at least once in a while).

[Reply #207 on:]

Why does Kurt hate Fry?!

I don't know if Kurt hates Fry, but I can say for my part that I find it cool when there sometimes is an episode without the most primary characters. As long as it's well executed, that is. To tie this in with my last comment, it would be cool to see an episode where for example Fry is kidnapped (Spanish Fry style, but, you know, his entire body) and the rest of the crew has to go after him. So the entire second act, or both the first and second act, is just the crew, and then in the third act they come to the destination and manages to free Fry.

[Reply #208 on:]

Huh, I've missed this thread.

I would like more sci-fi action episodes with the crew crash landing on another planet and someone gets kidnapped or whatever. It's always great fun to see cool, new cultures, and it's nice to have some more exciting episodes when it's really a struggle to death (at least once in a while).

Kurt would hate that idea. He's had a problem with characters getting kidnapped ever since reading Issue #54....

[Reply #209 on:]

Kurt would hate that idea. He's had a problem with characters getting kidnapped ever since reading Issue #54....

I've only read the Simpsons Futurama crossover so at least I'm safe on that frontier. :P

[Reply #210 on:]

Kurt would hate that idea. He's had a problem with characters getting kidnapped ever since reading Issue #54....

No, it'd be fine if it's Fry who gets kidnapped and the others go to rescue him...

[Reply #211 on:]

Oh yeah, that'd be great.

[Reply #212 on:]

One of the cool things about season 6 was seeing characters you would least likely see going on an adventure like Amy and Nibbler and Hermes and Bender. Variety is the spice of life and it's good to see something different for a change. You can't always have the old stand by: Fry, Bender, Leela.... Fry, Bender, Leela......

Why not have an episode where Hermes and Amy go on an adventure with Leela and Bender for a change? That's why I loved Lethal Inspection so much and thought the episode was a lot of fun! And I hope to see more like it this season!

[Reply #213 on:]

Yeah, I would love seeing such episodes once in a while, just not all the time. A few times a season would be awesome, and I hope to see at least one or two of them in the upcoming broadcast season. I think The Tip of the Zoidberg will have Zoidberg and the Professor a lot and not the others at much, which sounds promising.

[Reply #214 on:]

Yeah, I would love seeing such episodes once in a while, just not all the time. A few times a season would be awesome, and I hope to see at least one or two of them in the upcoming broadcast season. I think The Tip of the Zoidberg will have Zoidberg and the Professor a lot and not the others at much, which sounds promising.

Second. Love eps like that.

[Reply #215 on:]

I would love just one episodes that's all Scruffy

They've done it for all the other PE crew why not him.

[Reply #216 on:]

Because he isn't a primary character. And he is one-sided. And the point of Scruffy is that there is no point with Scruffy.

No episode surrounding Scruffy. No. No. No.

No.

[Reply #217 on:]

Yes

[Reply #218 on:]

No.  That would pretty much ruin his character.

[Reply #219 on:]

Yes

I'd love to see your arguments, but the discussion is pretty one-wayed if all you say is "Yes".

[Reply #220 on:]

They included a bonus episode of Everybody Loves Hypnotoad with one of the DVDs. I could see one consisting entirely of Scruffy reading in the

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD

[Reply #221 on:]

Because every character is one sided until you expand and do an episode featuring them.

So far hes had one liners in episodes here and there.

It might ruin the perspective of the character to you or it might improve it, you never know til it happens.


soooooo

Yes.  Yes.  Yes.

Also funny how you said all my arguement was a Yes when essentially all yours was a No

[Reply #222 on:]

Because every character is one sided until you expand and do an episode featuring them.

So far hes had one liners in episodes here and there.

It might ruin the perspective of the character to you or it might improve it, you never know til it happens.

Yes, but then you are missing the point of the Scruffy character.  He is supposed to be one sided, but more importantly, 'mysterious'.  He has been given so many off-handed attributes (such as Fry saying he never even told Scruffy about the seven leaf clover, him being able to play a bagpipe in Fry's dream or him knowing so much about jail time).  If you start making an episode about him, he would loose his mystery and most importantly his comedy value.

There is no need to take the risk of whether it ruins or improve it.  It is just not supposed to happen.  The mere fact that I have to explain this to you means that you do not understand the character of Scruffy.

[Reply #223 on:]

I 100% disagree with you.  If they did it right it could work.

Sorrrrrry I don't know the themes and character traits of every person in the show.

But based on your holier than thou response I can assume you do right???

Mind forwarding them to me so I can do some light reading?

[Reply #224 on:]

Yes and no.

[Reply #225 on:]

Because every character is one sided until you expand and do an episode featuring them.

Seriously, does this actually need to be explained to you?

Here goes then.

Primary characters are those whom the series follows. They get 99% of the action, they get 90% of the screentime, and they get 90% of the development. Fry, Leela, Bender, Homer, Teal'c, the rugrats.

Secondary or supporting characters get less screen time, less development, and more throwaway jokes or incidental lines. They're essentially there to help us suspend our disbelief, or to re-inforce the fact that we're not on familiar ground. The Prof, Hermes, LaBarbara, Chief Wiggum, General Hammond, the parents of the Rugrats.

Tertiary characters aren't part of the supporting cast, but show up now and again to remind us that the show operates in a large and detailed extended universe. They're not meant to be developed, they're not meant to be expanded upon. They're the indistinct faces in the crowd scenes. They're the one-joke-guys who then show up sometimes but never say anything because they're not really relevant to what the show's trying to put across - they're essentially organic props. Scruffy, Randy, Washbucket, Hans Moleman, The Ancients, the rugrats' parents' bosses.

Scruffy is an extended joke. To stretch a joke too far is to ruin it. Think of an elastic band. Pull it too much and it snaps. Scruffy is funny because he's not been stretched too far. He's a porn-loving janitor with a dour exterior and secret vibrant heart. That's pretty much all there is to Scruffy. To expand upon that would kill any enjoyment we get from him, because he exists for the funny, not to be deconstructed and rebuilt in our minds on an artistic level. He exists for laughs.

He's there to be one-sided or one dimensional. That's his purpose, his raison d'etre. And by expanding on his persona and character, you'd take away that. You'd yank his reason for being right out from under him.

Feel free to disagree, but expect myself and others to simply go into greater depth as to why your opinion is bad, and you should feel bad, and we can prove it.

I 100% disagree with you. If they did it right it could work.

Yet, the right thing do to would be to leave Scruffy as a tertiary character.

Sorrrrrry I don't know the themes and character traits of every person in the show.

Then why the fuck are you acting like you know exactly what is right for Futurama and for Scruffy?

But based on your holier than thou response I can assume you do right???

I wouldn't class Svip as being HTT there. I'd class that little snippet from you as HTT though.

Mind forwarding them to me so I can do some light reading?

Provide me with an email address to forward the themes and character traits of every recurring character in Futurama to, and I'll do so. It might take me a few weeks to get around to it though. I'll be busy using your email address to subscribe to every disgusting niche porn site I can find, for a while.

[Reply #226 on:]

k

its totalnerduk@dbag.com

just forward everything there thanks!

[Reply #227 on:]

Provide me with an email address to forward the themes and character traits of every recurring character in Futurama to, and I'll do so. It might take me a few weeks to get around to it though. I'll be busy using your email address to subscribe to every disgusting niche porn site I can find, for a while.

I hear there is a wiki about Futurama, maybe that could help?

[Reply #228 on:]

Also funny how you said all my arguement was a Yes when essentially all yours was a No

My arguments were
1. He isn't a primary character.
2. He is one-sided.
3. The point of Scruffy is that there is no point with Scruffy.

My only argument was not 'no'. Yours was. I was being nice to you and wanted to see your arguments, and you have yet to deliver any. You did however contribute some ad hominum attacks against both me and Svip, entirely uncalled for. In other words, no more mister Nice Guy.

its totalnerduk@dbag.com

just forward everything there thanks!

Not to be all mean, but isn't taking another user's e-mail and claiming it to be one's own enough for a ban?

[Reply #229 on:]

Oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Not a ban

[Reply #230 on:]

Because every character is one sided until you expand and do an episode featuring them.

In the "worst character" thread, you said this...

I'd have to say Amy,

I don't like any of the episodes where she is featured nor do I like Kif,

She's a good bit/background character just not a character to write episodes for.

Since you made that post before the first one in the quote, I really do have to wonder why you think that a minor character or a background character should be elevated to the status of a major cast member, when you hate what happens when the writers actually do it.

its totalnerduk@dbag.com

That's not a real email address. I see that you have no interest in sincere discussion. So I'm guessing that you're just trolling, and therefore I shall divide my time between ignoring you, and pointing out the various mistakes you make in order to make you look like a jackass. Not that much effort will be required on my part. You're doing a sterling job of that on your own.

[Reply #231 on:]

its totalnerduk@dbag.com

just forward everything there thanks!

Not to be all mean, but isn't taking another user's e-mail and claiming it to be one's own enough for a ban?

I don't think that's an email, but rather a lame attempt at an insult, i.e. 'dbag'.

[Reply #232 on:]

I don't think that's an email, but rather a lame attempt at an insult, i.e. 'dbag'.

Uh, yeah, I noticed that afterwards. :|

So, back to the discussion on Scruffy, I realised what to me sounds like a cool episode. What if there's some thing about Scruffy that the other characters find off - they discover a secret and want to explore it, they try to dig into Scruffy's past and all, but it's clouded in mystery. Scruffy is sometimes in the background but doesn't really care. They travel back to other jobs he has had, the apartment he used to live in, but no-one seems to have ever known him, he has always been in the background. Most people don't remember him even when they see pictures of themselves and Scruffy. The PE crew finally gives up and goes back home. Scruffy still doesn't care.

The end.

[Reply #233 on:]

Wow, this HermesPipe is a real asshole.

[Reply #234 on:]

HermesPipe: calm down dude there is no reasons to rage like that... just dont provoke(does this word exist??) everyone out there...

EDIT: but I must say that totalnerduk didn't help... 

[Reply #235 on:]

Yes pluche, provoke is a word.

[Reply #236 on:]

Yes pluche, provoke is a word.

neat! *take picture*

[Reply #237 on:]

EDIT: but I must say that totalnerduk didn't help... 

I do have to wonder why you'd say that. I posted rather late in the argument, and formed both cromulent and comprehensive replies to the points raised. I also offered to help, quite literally, in HermesPipe's understanding of the characters and their traits within the context of the established canon of the show.

HermesPipe made one comment in response to my post, and it was an attempt to insult me. Which quite frankly failed miserably. I'm well aware that I'm a douchebag. I embrace it, since denying it only leads to confusion and awkwardness all round.

I honestly don't think that you can say I made anything worse. Pipe was already deeply involved in being a prick with two other people by the time I posted here. Of course, feel free to PM me if you disagree with my assessment. I don't think we should clutter up this thread any further with discussions of who is and who isn't an ass though.

[Reply #238 on:]

In fairness, tnuk, I thought we didn't trust French Canadians.

* Svip highfives tnuk.

[Reply #239 on:]

Fry and leela never getting together it just seems strange .