Will there be any new Futurama after the movies? Now with added rumormongering!

[Reply #240 on:]

According to Digital Spy, the decision was motivated by the possible DVD sales later on.  So Fox is making a long term investment, but this may also mean for Dollhouse fans that they can expect season 1 on DVD soon.

If DVD sales are now being used in the equation then Futurama's chances have now increased..... slightly.

[Reply #241 on:]

Yeah but Comedy Central would lose money

Apparently, Comedy Central has enough money to order a Futurama rip-off.

Meh, its name suggests it is just going to be toilet humour.

Man that really pisses me off, that a simpsons writer would make something like that, bottom line is futurama is and will always be the best scfi comedy cartoon around now and always. Comedy Central is too stupid to care. Man I can not take more of this bull crap. I am not necessarily saying agree with bringing futurama back out of fear it would be ruined, but making some show a writer probably ripped of from matt groening is not cool either. Do not get me wrong I love futurama though.

According to Digital Spy, the decision was motivated by the possible DVD sales later on.  So Fox is making a long term investment, but this may also mean for Dollhouse fans that they can expect season 1 on DVD soon.

If DVD sales are now being used in the equation then Futurama's chances have now increased..... slightly.

In one of David X. Cohens  interviews, he said that fox was very pleased with the dvd sales, so that aspect your probably right, that would help their chances. It sounds like the dvd sales were pretty good.

[Reply #242 on:]

Man that really pisses me off, that a simpsons writer would make something like that, bottom line is futurama is and will always be the best sci-fi comedy cartoon around now and always.

Are there even any Sci-Fi Comedy Cartoons other than Futurama, Tripping the Rift, The Jetsons, Invader Zim, Spaceballs, and Duck Dodgers? There isn't much for Futurama to compete with in that category.

Tripping the Rift is out. It was on Sci-Fi for like a year so it isn't well remembered but it was an incredibly unfunny CGI series about a For-Hire crew of aliens (one was a lizard while the other two were just random collections of parts and dimensions that were vaguely humanoid) and robots (one of them was essentially C3PO, another was Hal 9000, and the other was a sex-bot).

The jokes were obvious, juvenile, completely lacking in subtlety or wit, and worst of all unfunny. The characters were a bunch of boring stereotypes mainly built around the premise of their "jokes" (Threepio robot is incredibly gay, the Sex-bot is a whore, The Captain is morally deprived in every way, the Lizard Nephew is a surf-dude virgin, and basically anything else along those lines).

The series was dropped by Sci-Fi after it's second season (Wikipedia states that it is still running in Canada (those poor bastards) proving that despite the jokes about their original movies Sci-Fi does have some sense of taste.

The Jetsons is a classic of Sci-Fi cartoons and is probably still synonymous to them to this day. Still, the entire show is irrelevant and mostly exists as a cultural memory. It's not bad, just dated.

Spaceballs is a classic Mel Brooks parody of Sci-Fi films of the 70's and 80's (mostly Star Wars) that holds up pretty well to this day (actually, as long as Star Wars remains a classic Spaceballs will probably remain it's companion piece parody). So I don't think anyone knows why Mel Brooks decided to make an animated series out of it 21 years after it's release (especially since John Candy is dead and thus couldn't even be offered to reprise the role of Mog). While I've never seen the series all reports say it is a bland adaptation of a movie that didn't need one (plus how do you adapt a movie that is a parody of another movie).

Invader Zim and Duck Dodgers are closer to Futurama than the other series. They are both smartly written, funny shows that serve as great a use of Sci-Fi as well as a loving parody of it.

Still, neither of those series are even close to Futurama. While Duck Dodgers and Invader Zim are fantastic their humor isn't nearly as layered, their characters as well written, and their ability to craft epic stories nearly as open.

Futurama is the best Sci-Fi Comedy Cartoon Series up till now but it hasn't exactly had serious competition for that title. Let me rephrase your statement to make it more dynamic: Futurama is and always will be the best T.V. show around, now and always.

I think that statement carries a bit more weight, don't you ?

[Reply #243 on:]

Not cartoon, but Red Dwarf is the best live-action sci-fi comedy.
In a lot of ways, I suspect Futurama may have been inspired by it. Compare Fry and Lister - both temporally-displaced slobs with questionable hygiene who are fated to save humanity.
Although Bender and Kryten couldn't be more different.

[Reply #244 on:]

I've read lots of great things about Red Dwarf but I keep putting off buying the DVD's. One of these days I'll have to make the jump.

[Reply #245 on:]

Not cartoon, but Red Dwarf is the best live-action sci-fi comedy.
In a lot of ways, I suspect Futurama may have been inspired by it. Compare Fry and Lister - both temporally-displaced slobs with questionable hygiene who are fated to save humanity.
Although Bender and Kryten couldn't be more different.

I'm sure there was a post on PEEL somewhere that pointed out the many similarities between Fry and Lister. There were around 15 or so at least.

[Reply #246 on:]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a156296/scorecard-whats-in-and-out-at-fox.html

Here's the list of shows for the Fall season from Fox's upfronts. Note that Futurama and King Of The Hill are still to be decided (TBD). Interesting for King of the Hill as I was under the impression it was to be cancelled. It seems to be joining Family Guy and Futurama as shows that have been or are on the sidelines.

[Reply #247 on:]

Y'know, I think a "TBD" could be better than we think. Why? Well, King of the Hill has the same status, and Fox is ordering a few more episodes in order to give the writers the opportunity to wrap things up. Granted, there's no room on the 2009-10 schedule for King of the Hill, but Fox ordered the episodes, so logically they have to air them sometime. Maybe in December, maybe during Summer 2010... who knows? I'm going by what Futon Critic said about it:

http://thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=8068

A TBD for Futurama could mean something along those lines as well. Maybe something's coming.

[Reply #248 on:]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a156296/scorecard-whats-in-and-out-at-fox.html

Here's the list of shows for the Fall season from Fox's upfronts. Note that Futurama and King Of The Hill are still to be decided (TBD). Interesting for King of the Hill as I was under the impression it was to be cancelled. It seems to be joining Family Guy and Futurama as shows that have been or are on the sidelines.

It's pretty silly to draw a distinction between "cancelled" and "on the sidelines" unless the network gives some explicit indication that it's considering bringing the show back.  Fox Broadcasting has certainly given no such indication for KOTH and Futurama (the little birdie who chirped in Billy West's ear notwithstanding).  I don't remember Fox doing so for Family Guy either, though I may be mistaken.

[Reply #249 on:]

King of the Hill is canceled in the sense that it is not running on the 2009-10 schedule (you know, gotta make room for the Cleveland Show), at all. But it's not totally done either- last night's episode was actually billed as a season finale (not a series finale), and there are a few episodes left. FOX could have easily not asked for a few more episodes, but they did. We all know that it will be done and over with soon, just not now.

[Reply #250 on:]

I'm sure there was a post on PEEL somewhere that pointed out the many similarities between Fry and Lister. There were around 15 or so at least.

Try this.
I recall that Kryten wrote a Futurama/ Red Dwarf crossover fic once, but my search didn't find it.
Also, y'might want to use this little gem:
I'll just... ooze back out under the door now...

[Reply #251 on:]

Fox is slipping "Sons of Tucson" into the Sunday night lineup in January 2010; the proposed midseason lineup is

7:30  American Dad
8:00  Simpsons
8:30  Sons of Tucson
9:00  Family Guy
9:30  Cleveland

Fox hasn't had a successful live-action family comedy since Malcolm in the Middle, so my guess is that they're going to be more patient with Sons of Tucson than they were with Sit Down Shut Up.

American Dad is up for renewal at the end of the 2009-2010 season.  It's most likely going to require one of these shows to disappear in order for Futurama to get back on Fox for 2010-2011.

[Reply #252 on:]

Well, if getting rid of one of those shows means another chance for Futurama, then those are bad chances. FOX ordered a second season of the Cleveland show, already. If they do end up axing Sons of Tucson, they'll sooner put on another Seth MacFarlane show.

You know what they are doing at 7PM during midseason Sundays? Animation Domination recaps. Why not just run another show? (No, I'm not talking about Meet The Quagmires, or the Trisha Takanawa Report.)

And furthermore, why buy a second season of the Cleveland Show without even knowing how the first is going to do? I don't understand how FOX will do something like that, yet they are on the fence about Futurama.

Though, I'm not going from somewhat optimistic yesterday to pessimistic today. I still think that a "TBD" for Futurama is better news than bad news. But who knows?

[Reply #253 on:]

First;

[John DiMaggio Joisy accent]
He-e-e-y, Joisey... I can smells ya...
[/John DiMaggio]

I've not seen you on the forum lo these many months.
Welcome back.

... why buy a second season of the Cleveland Show without even knowing how the first is going to do? I don't understand how FOX will do something like that, yet they are on the fence about Futurama.

First, it seems you're trying to make sense of F*x Broadcast's decision.
Since WHEN have any of their decisions obeyed the constraints of logic, or common sense?

... I still think that a "TBD" for Futurama is better news than bad news. But who knows?

There, I'm inclined to agree with you.
I'll just... ooze back out under the door now...

[Reply #254 on:]

King of the Hill is canceled in the sense that it is not running on the 2009-10 schedule (you know, gotta make room for the Cleveland Show), at all. But it's not totally done either- last night's episode was actually billed as a season finale (not a series finale), and there are a few episodes left. FOX could have easily not asked for a few more episodes, but they did. We all know that it will be done and over with soon, just not now.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a156296/scorecard-whats-in-and-out-at-fox.html
King of the Hill's Gone..

[Reply #255 on:]

WTF! They're giving Wanda Sykes another show! Why? Wanda at Large bombed both critically and in the ratings. To top it all off she isn't exactly in the public consciousness.

Seriously, they could be using the money that will go to this show (let's face it, it's going to suck and it's going to get canceled) towards Futurama. Why does FOX Broadcasting continually have to prove that it is run by the dumbest mouth-breathers on the face of the planet?

[Reply #256 on:]

Because they're too stupid to conceal it.

[Reply #257 on:]

Because they're too stupid to conceal it.

I thought we established that years ago...

[Reply #258 on:]

Well he asked

[Reply #259 on:]

Fans may now turn their attention to Comedy Central for a possible renewal of the show, but some fans regard it as a remaining possibility that Fox could renew for the 2010-11 U.S. television season. Comedy Central may also be a long shot, given how they have already made a purchase of a new cartoon show, Ugly Americans, which commentators are highlighting (in a negative fashion) for its many Futurama similarities.

http://theinfosphere.org/Future_of_Futurama

Really? 

[Reply #260 on:]

I didn't expect Futurama would announce a renewal with the regular primetime season. As much as I hope I did, it really wasn't possible considering that Futurama is off-track as far as program scheduling goes.

I wonder if there's any reports on whether or not Comedy Central wants to keep Futurama around when the next cycle for program renewal comes around. Seems like it makes a good opening before their South Park, the crown of Comedy Central. However, if they want to keep ratings up, they should consider renewing the show in the next year or so.

I guess now's the time to break out the petitions and the chain-emails to Fox. I'll go get my fangirl buttons.

[Reply #261 on:]

I wonder if there's any reports on whether or not Comedy Central wants to keep Futurama around when the next cycle for program renewal comes around. Seems like it makes a good opening before their South Park, the crown of Comedy Central. However, if they want to keep ratings up, they should consider renewing the show in the next year or so.

I think all you have to do is see how CC is running Futurama.  It's being run at really odd hours except for the 9 pm showing (10 pm where I live), then the eps are shown @ 2 am and those get pre-empted by unfunny comedians trying to make their name.

CC hasn't treated Futurama as well as I hoped.  To top things, they're bringing out a cheap ripoff program. 

Also, I just have the feeling that Groening and company really want a theatrical release.  Much like WATCHMEN, it won't fly.  The fanbase just isn't there to support a Futurama theatrical release.  Besides, if they use the same writers who bought us the DVD's, it's sure to be a huge disappointment to the fans since the writers now seem to be writing for themselves and not for the fans.

I guess now's the time to break out the petitions and the chain-emails to Fox. I'll go get my fangirl buttons.

::shrug::

It worked once before...

[Reply #262 on:]

At least it's at two constant time slots. It's treatment is nowhere near as good as AS but it's a hell of a lot better than FOX.

I actually do want CC or FOX (we don't seem to have much of an option) to renew the show soon. Ralph, I don't know how you felt about ITWGY but to me that's the one where they finally got it right. I don't want the writers getting rusty again (or worse, bored to the point where they write for themselves as you have pointed out) so we need them to get back into the action soon.

That new show is looking like a rip-off. However, I doubt it will last. It looks cheap and will probably be unfunny to boot. I just hope CC doesn't take it's future cancellation as a sign that Sci-Fi Comedies don't sell.

[Reply #263 on:]

At least it's at two constant time slots. It's treatment is nowhere near as good as AS but it's a hell of a lot better than FOX.

AS did treat it like gold.  If not for AS, Futurama probably wouldn't have gotten the wide audience it received thus spurring people to buy the DVDs.  I didn't find Futurama until May 2005 during an AS Futurama weekend marathon.

I actually do want CC or FOX (we don't seem to have much of an option) to renew the show soon. Ralph, I don't know how you felt about ITWGY but to me that's the one where they finally got it right. I don't want the writers getting rusty again (or worse, bored to the point where they write for themselves as you have pointed out) so we need them to get back into the action soon.

Yeah, they finally got it right after we were forced to endure two mediocre and one horrible DVD.  That's the reason the numbers of DVDs sold trended downward - the best of the lot sold the least because people were tired of buying something that was barely watchable.  The voice actors were great, the animation surperb, the scripts were honest-to-goodness crap.  Seriously, I can watch Brannigan Begin Again and laugh every few seconds.  I can watch Jurassic Bark or Luck Of the Fryish and have my heart strings tugged.  I can watch The Sting and feel Leela's grasp on sanity slipping.  I felt nothing from the first three DVD's.  No tugging of the heart, no laughs, nothing.  ITWGY did get it right, but to Groening and Company, enough with the fucking green lifestyle shit.  You're a bunch of eco-freeks, we get it.  Concentrate on making a watchable product instead of trying to be Captain Planet.

My biggest fear is the damned reset button.  Suspension of disbelief only goes so far - when the reset button is used too much the fans stay away.  It becomes, "Fry chases Leela, Leela ignores Fry, Fry does something nobel, Leela realizes Fry is worthy of her attention.  Closing Credits.  Rinse, repeat next episode."

Just my opinion. 

That new show is looking like a rip-off. However, I doubt it will last. It looks cheap and will probably be unfunny to boot. I just hope CC doesn't take it's future cancellation as a sign that Sci-Fi Comedies don't sell.

You can be sure that it'll be like Drawn Together - crappy animation, crappy scripts, crappy characters and even crappy voice actors.  They'll probably get Michael Winslow, the guy who made all the wierd sounds in Police Acadamy 25 years ago - I hear he works for food and coke these days.

[Reply #264 on:]

I beg your pardon- "Drawn Together" was not nearly as low as "Lil' Bush", or worse, "Freak Show".

I actually quite enjoy Futurama's consistent timeslot at 9:00 p.m. weeknights on Comedy Central. It'd be too late for me if it was at 11:00 p.m. like it was on Adult Swim, and Comedy Central has kept it strong at that time since it began in January 2008 (Adult Swim was also good at keeping it in a consistent time slot, but they'd make alterations every six months to occupy their "less notable" shows).

[Reply #265 on:]

AS did treat it like gold.  If not for AS, Futurama probably wouldn't have gotten the wide audience it received thus spurring people to buy the DVDs.  I didn't find Futurama until May 2005 during an AS Futurama weekend marathon.

They loved it. I remember when they got the last batch of episodes (fall 2003) they had a caption that read something to the effect of "We just got the last episodes of the most beautiful show on television". I distinctly remember the beautiful part.

Yeah, they finally got it right after we were forced to endure two mediocre and one horrible DVD.  That's the reason the numbers of DVDs sold trended downward - the best of the lot sold the least because people were tired of buying something that was barely watchable.  The voice actors were great, the animation surperb, the scripts were honest-to-goodness crap.  Seriously, I can watch Brannigan Begin Again and laugh every few seconds.  I can watch Jurassic Bark or Luck Of the Fryish and have my heart strings tugged.  I can watch The Sting and feel Leela's grasp on sanity slipping.  I felt nothing from the first three DVD's.  No tugging of the heart, no laughs, nothing.  ITWGY did get it right, but to Groening and Company, enough with the fucking green lifestyle shit.  You're a bunch of eco-freeks, we get it.  Concentrate on making a watchable product instead of trying to be Captain Planet.

My biggest fear is the damned reset button.  Suspension of disbelief only goes so far - when the reset button is used too much the fans stay away.  It becomes, "Fry chases Leela, Leela ignores Fry, Fry does something nobel, Leela realizes Fry is worthy of her attention.  Closing Credits.  Rinse, repeat next episode."

Just my opinion.

My Opinions aren't much different to yours on that: http://www.peelified.com/index.php?topic=17266.msg1021789#msg1021789 (Movie Reviews (this one is a canditate for a TLDR)

http://www.peelified.com/index.php?topic=17266.msg1033260#msg1033260 (On performance (3rd paragraph)

http://www.peelified.com/index.php?topic=17385.msg1035027#msg1035027 (On the Reset button (you actually already read this one)

http://www.peelified.com/index.php?topic=17266.msg1030864#msg1030864 (this one is just a humorous thought I had concerning the movies)

You can be sure that it'll be like Drawn Together - crappy animation, crappy scripts, crappy characters and even crappy voice actors.  They'll probably get Michael Winslow, the guy who made all the wierd sounds in Police Acadamy 25 years ago - I hear he works for food and coke these days.

I was going to mention that show but I decided against it to spare anybody the pain of remembering it.

I beg your pardon- "Drawn Together" was not nearly as low as "Lil' Bush", or worse, "Freak Show".

Let's just agree that they were all abominations. Come to think of it, CC doesn't seem to have ever recovered from the loss of Chappelle.

[Reply #266 on:]

With the exception of Futurama, I find the only two reason to watch CC right now is The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

[Reply #267 on:]

With the exception of Futurama, I find the only two reason to watch CC right now is The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

I don't want to get too off topic here but I think Reno 911 and Southpark are still going strong, Important Things is decent (though nothing to cry about if you miss it), and I quite liked Dave Attell's "The Gong Show" (too bad it was canceled).

[Reply #268 on:]

I beg your pardon- "Drawn Together" was not nearly as low as "Lil' Bush", or worse, "Freak Show".

I didn't watch either one of those.  CC has one thing in common with AS - the animated shows they make are pure crap.

I actually quite enjoy Futurama's consistent timeslot at 9:00 p.m. weeknights on Comedy Central. It'd be too late for me if it was at 11:00 p.m. like it was on Adult Swim, and Comedy Central has kept it strong at that time since it began in January 2008 (Adult Swim was also good at keeping it in a consistent time slot, but they'd make alterations every six months to occupy their "less notable" shows).

There is something to be said for the consistant time slot but they show the other airings at really strange times.  You would think an occasional 4 pm would be Okay.

[Reply #269 on:]

Also, I just have the feeling that Groening and company really want a theatrical release.  Much like WATCHMEN, it won't fly.  The fanbase just isn't there to support a Futurama theatrical release.  Besides, if they use the same writers who bought us the DVD's, it's sure to be a huge disappointment to the fans since the writers now seem to be writing for themselves and not for the fans.

If 20th Century Fox thinks that a Futurama flick can pull in $181 MM worldwide at the theaters, they should ink a deal with Matt Groening tomorrow.

Also the DVD script writers are the core guys who have been with Futurama since the beginning.  (Keeler, Cohen, Horsted, Kaplan, Verrone)

[Reply #270 on:]

WATCHMEN cost over 150 million bucks to make.  It was expected to make much, much more.  The fact that it hasn't grossed over 200 million is disappointing.

The Futurama writers may have been there from the beginning but they sure were rusty with the DVDs.  Groening stated that the writers had to take a cut in pay.  maybe they proved that you get what you pay for.

[Reply #271 on:]

WATCHMEN cost over 150 million bucks to make.  It was expected to make much, much more.  The fact that it hasn't grossed over 200 million is disappointing.

The Futurama writers may have been there from the beginning but they sure were rusty with the DVDs.  Groening stated that the writers had to take a cut in pay.  maybe they proved that you get what you pay for.

A Futurama movie won't cost anywhere near $150 MM to make.  The Simpsons movie cost $72.5 MM to produce, and a decent chunk of that is because (1) they dragged it out over 6-8 years because the show was still running and (2) the voice actors command a king's ransom.  I'd guess that a Futurama movie would cost between $40-70 MM to make, depending on how lush they want the animation to be. 

I also don't understand the charges that the writers were unmotivated/didn't care about the fans/etc. when writing the DVD scripts.  If you think the DVDs sucked, fine -- not every script is going to be a runaway smash.  Asserting that the writers ignored their fans is an entirely different matter.  If anything, it seems to me that the writers tried too hard to accomodate both established fans and noobs while coming up with material that would satisfy CC's demands for a TV season.

If they had a couple years to focus on a proper theatrical release, I'm confident that the Futurama crew would come up with a pretty solid movie.  I too would rather see a new TV season first, but if the networks aren't going to show any interest, then a movie would be way better than nothing.

[Reply #272 on:]

Dude, you have your opinion, I have mine.

Looking at the sales of the Direct-to-DVD with BBS going gangbusters then each one selling fewer than the previous one, I guess a lot of other people agree with me.

[Reply #273 on:]

Well there is that - the disappointment, decreasing in quality, and whatever - but I'd also suspect that a large contributor to the differences in sales was due to the hype BBS received that "Futurama is coming back!!" Even people who might have had no interest in the series prior would have bought in (and then probably lost because, as has been noted, BBS is largely a for-the-fans number). By the time ITWGY comes out, that hype is long gone and it's been over a year. People are fickle and easily distracted so a loss of general excitement (general meaning not us, the hardcore nerds) should reasonably lead to a loss in sales, quality of the actual films here being largely irrelevant in this aspect of it. If the hype preceding BBS can be built up again, then you could still get a very successful movie.

[Reply #274 on:]

Well there is that - the disappointment, decreasing in quality, and whatever - but I'd also suspect that a large contributor to the differences in sales was due to the hype BBS received that "Futurama is coming back!!" Even people who might have had no interest in the series prior would have bought in (and then probably lost because, as has been noted, BBS is largely a for-the-fans number). By the time ITWGY comes out, that hype is long gone and it's been over a year. People are fickle and easily distracted so a loss of general excitement (general meaning not us, the hardcore nerds) should reasonably lead to a loss in sales, quality of the actual films here being largely irrelevant in this aspect of it. If the hype preceding BBS can be built up again, then you could still get a very successful movie.

Despite the handicaps listed above (the declining state of the US economy being another significant one), ITWGY is outselling BG and is likely to surpass BWABB (all the relevant data is at the-numbers.com).

[Reply #275 on:]

Despite the handicaps listed above (the declining state of the US economy being another significant one), ITWGY is outselling BG and is likely to surpass BWABB (all the relevant data is at the-numbers.com).

Maybe that's because people who gave up on the movies started reading about how ITWGY is actually good.

[Reply #276 on:]

Despite the handicaps listed above (the declining state of the US economy being another significant one), ITWGY is outselling BG and is likely to surpass BWABB (all the relevant data is at the-numbers.com).

Maybe that's because people who gave up on the movies started reading about how ITWGY is actually good.

This is almost certainly what is happening.

Just to throw out some more figures/factoids about how viable a theatrical release would be:

I think it's fair to say that South Park and Futurama have comparable "core" fan bases.  If you count each Futurama movie as 1/4 of a season set, then Futurama season 5 and South Park season 12 are on pace to sell about the same number of copies, despite the fact that the Futurama set costs $76. 

The South Park movie was quite a success, pulling in over $110 MM in today's dollars, and this was at a time when South Park was at its most hyped but before it really found its core identity.  A Futurama movie could definitely have similar success.

(EDIT:  link fixed.)

[Reply #277 on:]

Isn't Southpark dirt cheap?

(Waits for Speedracer to disprove him)

[Reply #278 on:]

Isn't Southpark dirt cheap?

(Waits for Speedracer to disprove him)

South Park is made in Flash, so I'd go for ... yes.

[Reply #279 on:]

Whoops! I meant that it is dirt-cheap to make so CC/Paramount could only see profit even with a small audience. Futurama takes quite a of money to make which, along with a relatively small fanbase, gets in the way of FOX going for a theatrical release.

(Continues to wait for speedracer to disprove him)