Length of Episodes

[on:]

Are there any episodes that you feel have a plot that could fit into a movie format or short seven-minute episode

For me, the obvious "Overclockwise" and "The Late Phillip J. Fry" could easily be the length of a movie while "Yo Leela Leela" and "That's Lobsterentertainment!" stories are just too dull to be a full length episode...

What do you think?

[Reply #1 on:]

TLPJF was fine, but Overclockwise was way too short. I think TTOTZ was affected by the run-time too.

[Reply #2 on:]

None of the eps are movie stories to me. The closest is Overclockwise because it was just too much for an episode, but it's not movie material either. Two-part episode material would be more suitable for that, and maybe then the relationship stuff could have had time to be natural instead of painfully forced like a bad fan-fiction...

As for seven minute eps, that would be akin to a segment of a trilogy ep, and Yo Leela Leela even shaved down would be far too shit to bother with, even at seven minutes a total waste of time and resources. As Reincarnation proved there are still far better stories left, many more ideas, along with actual funny jokes that can be told rather than that crap. That's Lobsertainment would make for a dull seven minute ep as well, not bad, just dull because the story is, dull. I'd say they should just write fresh...

[Reply #3 on:]

When I think about it many Zoidberg centric episodes would work better as short(er) stories...

A Taste of Freedom is fine but it does suffer from containing lots of filler and is sort of anticlimactic. Lobstertainment I've mentioned above while Crustation in Love is also Ok but the story is just so cliched it would make a good subplot...

[Reply #4 on:]

When I think about it many Zoidberg centric episodes would work better as short(er) stories...

A Taste of Freedom is fine but it does suffer from containing lots of filler and is sort of anticlimactic. Lobstertainment I've mentioned above while Crustation in Love is also Ok but the story is just so cliched it would make a good subplot...

the things i like about the 'filler episodes', as you say, is that they spend more time showing the culture. the reason i love all of the zoidberg-centric episodes is because we get to learn about a unique alien culture. being a sci-fi fan, i especially enjoy these episodes.

The Decapodian National Anthem, FTW!

[Reply #5 on:]

I never said I disliked Zoidberg episodes (I only said that A Taste of Freedom contained a few filler moments)

I see where you're coming from saying that Zoidberg episodes are more relaxed and their plot flows more naturally (Just a little two natural for a Futurama episode in my opinion) Causing the majority of his episodes to feel as though they could be a subplot to a more 'interesting' episode...

[Reply #6 on:]

I don't think any of them are dull enough to be shortened into an AOI segment. The premise of YLL could probably be written to fit a 7 minute segment, but I actually kinda liked that episode, and it being bad in the view of many doesn't warrant it being shortened that much.

I am not really a fan of Zoidberg episodes, although Taste of Freedom isn't terrible. I just find his character most effective when it is used for one-liners and I'm not that interested in his backstory.

[Reply #7 on:]

A Taste of freedom beautifully lays bare the hypocrisy of the popular jingoistic western mindset.

The full episode was necessary to make the point in a way that any person with a semblance of an open mind should be able to grasp.