Futurama News (pre-season 7)

[#40 :]

Oh crap, these sound awesome! I'm guessing Zapp Dingba is the new Blue Munda.

By the way, what has Chris Rock done? Maurice LaMarche, CGEF and a few others have gone on a rant at him on Twitter, something about voice acting and Chris getting a million dollar paycheck a day?

Basically, I think Chris has completely put down the Futurama voice cast, claiming he is better and whatnot. I enjoy this tweet from Maurice:

@chrisrock, a black v/o actor never plays white? @phillamarr plays white, black, green, purple, blue and, well, you, on our show #Futurama.

[#41 :]

I'm so excited for 7-A! It just seems like an awesome season. I have a bad feeling in my gut that Naturama is going to become the next FHS. But I have hope in Eric Rogers that it'll be a solid and very humorous episode. Keeler's episode this season is "The 6-Million Dollar Mon". I'm confused, I thought "Farewell To Arms" was when Hermes became a cyborg. Surprisingly, the weird-named "Fun On A Bun" is the episode that Rogers said was "EPIC" and "Possibly the best episode of the broadcast season". I'm really excited now!

[#42 :]

But I have hope in Eric Rogers that it'll be a solid and very humorous episode.

He's only writing 1/3 of it.

[#43 :]

Oh crap, these sound awesome! I'm guessing Zapp Dingba is the new Blue Munda.

By the way, what has Chris Rock done? Maurice LaMarche, CGEF and a few others have gone on a rant at him on Twitter, something about voice acting and Chris getting a million dollar paycheck a day?

Basically, I think Chris has completely put down the Futurama voice cast, claiming he is better and whatnot. I enjoy this tweet from Maurice:

@chrisrock, a black v/o actor never plays white? @phillamarr plays white, black, green, purple, blue and, well, you, on our show #Futurama.

It was his speech he made while presenting the AA for Best Animated Feature.

[#44 :]

[sarcasm]Yeah, you always want to make sure you belittle someone before giving them an award.[/sarcasm]

[#45 :]

Awesome! I've been waiting to find out the episode titles. So "The Bots and the Bees", "A Farewell to Arms", and "31st Century Fox" are the ones that Eric said were is favourites, yes?

I've got a bad feeling about Naturama. But "The Six Million Dollar Mon", "Near-Death Wish", and "Free Will Hunting" all sound like they could be great. I've got high hopes for this season.

And other thing: for some reason, I like the order. So I really hope that CC doesn't mess with it.

[#46 :]

Fantastic news! It's great to see so much info about the new season up.

I've got a bad feeling about "Zapp Dingba". I've always liked Morris and Munda, and I have a bad feeling the episode might mess with their characters...in a bad way. I can see Zapp hitting on Munda just to get in closer contact with Leela, but the synopsis of the episode seems really...off. I really hope that I'm proven wrong.

What is "Dingba", anyway?

[#47 :]

I was worried about Naturama too, but then I remembered Eric Rogers had a fit of joy over it more than I have seen him have with any other episode. Should be good.

What is "Dingba", anyway?

I thought it was Dingbat without the 't'.

[#48 :]

Perhaps it has something to do with this?

I'm actually a little excited to see what Morris is going to do about it. I'm sure that him and Leela will team up in order to try to win her back. Wait, win her back? What if Morris did something, then Zapp took advantage of her? I'm really interested in how it's going to happen!

[#49 :]

Awesome news.

It's interesting that "A Farewell to Arms" isn't a working title for "The Six Million Dollar Mon". I wonder what that episode's about. I suppose there could be a plot about pacifism but I still think it's likely to be a pun about actual arms.

The fact that "The Six Million Dollar Mon" is a Ken Keeler episode has elevated it to my most anticipated episode of the half-season (for now).

I'm also very much looking forwards to "Free Will Hunting". The plot has a lot of possibilities and with David X. Cohen writing, it ought to be good.

And I'm actually pretty excited to see what "Naturama" is about. I suppose it's probably going to be this season's enviornmental effort again. It's nice to see them reverting back to a one writer per segment structure, though. I wonder if that's partly down to the failiure of "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" and how repetetive it was.

This is also confirmation that "The Inhuman Torch", "2-D Blacktop" and "Forty Percent Leadbelly" are 7B episodes (unless they're just working titles, I suppose).

Which one of these titles do we think is the end of the world prediction one? I suppose it'd be nice and tidy if it was "Decision 3012" but the implication seemed to be that those were two separate episodes when David X. Cohen spoke about them.

[#50 :]

And I'm actually pretty excited to see what "Naturama" is about. I suppose it's probably going to be this season's enviornmental effort again. It's nice to see them reverting back to a one writer per segment structure, though. I wonder if that's partly down to the failiure of "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" and how repetetive it was.

But "Reincarnation" was also a one-writer effort, and it was brilliant. I am convinced that the Holiday Spectacular sucks not because only one guy had a hand in it (to the extent that this can ever be true for any episode; the writing and rewriting processes seem so collaborative), but because it seems like the producers only went all-out on the (admittedly good) Robanukah segment. It has the best song, the funniest (or only, rather) jokes, the most solid plot--it's the only thing that makes the episode worthwhile. The Holiday Spectacular would have been awesome had it just been, like, the Robanukah Spectacular, but of course the writers stupidly committed themselves to doing another trilogy episode. Great in theory (three winter holidays, three discrete segments), but awful in execution.

Which one of these titles do we think is the end of the world prediction one? I suppose it'd be nice and tidy if it was "Decision 3012" but the implication seemed to be that those were two separate episodes when David X. Cohen spoke about them.

Good question. I'm thinking it could be "A Farewell to Arms" (I agree that the "arms" part seems literal, but the "farewell" part makes me think of death (or the anticipation of death)--which would obviously come into play in an episode about the end of the world), but who knows? It would be nice if they could get all the 2012/3012 paralleling stuff out of the way in just one episode, though. Maybe the reelection plot in "Decision 3012," which seems like it would have little to do with the PE crew, might include the end-of-the-world stuff as a subplot?

[#51 :]

And I'm actually pretty excited to see what "Naturama" is about. I suppose it's probably going to be this season's enviornmental effort again. It's nice to see them reverting back to a one writer per segment structure, though. I wonder if that's partly down to the failiure of "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" and how repetetive it was.

But "Reincarnation" was also a one-writer effort, and it was brilliant. I am convinced that the Holiday Spectacular sucks not because only one guy had a hand in it (to the extent that this can ever be true for any episode; the writing and rewriting processes seem so collaborative), but because it seems like the producers only went all-out on the (admittedly good) Robanukah segment. It has the best song, the funniest (or only, rather) jokes, the most solid plot--it's the only thing that makes the episode worthwhile. The Holiday Spectacular would have been awesome had it just been, like, the Robanukah Spectacular, but of course the writers stupidly committed themselves to doing another trilogy episode. Great in theory (three winter holidays, three discrete segments), but awful in execution.

If I recall correctly, they began production on season 7 well after "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" had aired, but before "Reincarnation" so they didn't know what our reaction to it would be.

So, whilist you're absolutely correct, I still wonder.

[#52 :]

I'm calling it now:

A Farewell to Arms is about NNY/Earth signing a petition/document/or something to ban all weapons (guns only), then an alien invasion or something along those lines happens and they have to defeat the aliens using some kind of science-y method or something.

This could be the perfect opportunity for Morbo and his species to attack. I can imagine it now, Morbo on the News talking about the banning of weapons, then it suddenly hits him, the chance opening up right in front of him.

[#53 :]

If I recall correctly, they began production on season 7 well after "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" had aired, but before "Reincarnation" so they didn't know what our reaction to it would be.

Ah, fair enough. And I do agree with you that it's better for them to return to the one-writer-per-segment rule for trilogy episodes; it's probably fair to call "Reincarnation" a fluke of sorts--or perhaps just one of those episodes that everyone on staff knew would be awesome, and therefore devoted a lot of extra energy to. I don't see them having done the same thing with the Holiday Spectacular (and, you know, I can't really blame them).

[#54 :]

I'm calling it now:

A Farewell to Arms is about NNY/Earth signing a petition/document/or something to ban all weapons (guns only), then an alien invasion or something along those lines happens and they have to defeat the aliens using some kind of science-y method or something.

I'm hoping it's literally about losing limbs.

[#55 :]

A Farewell To Arms would make a good title for The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings. It sounds really epic, and since it's a Josh Weinstein episode, I'm really looking forward to it.

Which one of these titles do we think is the end of the world prediction one? I suppose it'd be nice and tidy if it was "Decision 3012" but the implication seemed to be that those were two separate episodes when David X. Cohen spoke about them.

I'm pretty sure that it has to be The Butterjunk Effect. It seems like that episode is about destruction and chaos. Perhaps that's what causes the Doomsday Reaction and so on...

[#56 :]

I really hope Hermes keeps one or two of his robotic limbs after the episode in which he recieves them. His character is a little bland (physically), dull colours... Would be cool for him to have a silver/gold robotic arm, plus, he could do all his bureaucrat stuff 100x faster! (Not that he really needs to, you saw what he did to the wrecked PE building in an hour...)

HEY! Just had a pretty good idea about The Butterjunk Effect. Now, if I remember correctly, at the end of A Big Piece of Garbage, they say the second ball of garbage will return to Earth in "hundreds of years."... So let's say the second ball is somehow returning now, the second ball knocked the first one and replaced it's path, the garbage is technically junk, it could be the end of the world plot... Butterfly effect, butterjunk? Makes sense.

RETURN OF THE GARBAGE BALL?!

[#57 :]

I'm hoping that episode is actually about people spreading churned diary products on their reproductive organs.

[#58 :]

I hate to be a title speculator, but the David X. credit on Freewill does make me wonder if it's another Nibblonians thing. Something about Fry and/or Leela (the "other") and how much freewill they really have with those critters controlling their destinies.  

Of course it's probably something else entirely and this post will look stupid in a few months.

[#59 :]

I hate to be a title speculator, but the David X. credit on Freewill does make me wonder if it's another Nibblonians thing. Something about Fry and/or Leela (the "other") and how much freewill they really have with those critters controlling their destinies. 

Of course it's probably something else entirely and this post will look stupid in a few months.

I hope you're right. The Nibblonian plotline is one of my favourite parts of the series.

I'm sure that The Six Million Dollar Mon will be my favourite of 7A.

dull colours...

Racist. 

[#60 :]

I really hope Hermes keeps one or two of his robotic limbs after the episode in which he recieves them. His character is a little bland (physically), dull colours... Would be cool for him to have a silver/gold robotic arm, plus, he could do all his bureaucrat stuff 100x faster! (Not that he really needs to, you saw what he did to the wrecked PE building in an hour...)

HEY! Just had a pretty good idea about The Butterjunk Effect. Now, if I remember correctly, at the end of A Big Piece of Garbage, they say the second ball of garbage will return to Earth in "hundreds of years."... So let's say the second ball is somehow returning now, the second ball knocked the first one and replaced it's path, the garbage is technically junk, it could be the end of the world plot... Butterfly effect, butterjunk? Makes sense.

RETURN OF THE GARBAGE BALL?!

Not a bad theory or anything, but I really hope not. I doubt the show's staff have much desire to revisit a plot as one-note as that, and I hope they don't want to for the same reasons that I doubt they'd want to.

[#61 :]

I know that the title for Farewell to Arms is based off the book, but did anyone else think of this first?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udd-5g08U7o

[#62 :]

Racist. 

I'm talking about his green suit! The red shoes are cool though...

[#63 :]

I really hope Hermes keeps one or two of his robotic limbs after the episode in which he recieves them. His character is a little bland (physically), dull colours... Would be cool for him to have a silver/gold robotic arm, plus, he could do all his bureaucrat stuff 100x faster! (Not that he really needs to, you saw what he did to the wrecked PE building in an hour...)

HEY! Just had a pretty good idea about The Butterjunk Effect. Now, if I remember correctly, at the end of A Big Piece of Garbage, they say the second ball of garbage will return to Earth in "hundreds of years."... So let's say the second ball is somehow returning now, the second ball knocked the first one and replaced it's path, the garbage is technically junk, it could be the end of the world plot... Butterfly effect, butterjunk? Makes sense.

RETURN OF THE GARBAGE BALL?!

I like continuous episodes, so I like that idea (though I consider BPOG2 rather unrealistic....but I would still like the writers to prove me wrong about my assesment;) ).
But should they do so, the Garbage Ball's return would imhO work best as some "plot starter", leading to a different story. The environmentalist aspect and Armageddon spoof were already done in ABPOG, so they should no stuck to close to the original

[#64 :]

I hate to be a title speculator, but the David X. credit on Freewill does make me wonder if it's another Nibblonians thing. Something about Fry and/or Leela (the "other") and how much freewill they really have with those critters controlling their destinies. 

You know, I'm inclined to hop aboard this Soul Speculation Train, particularly because DXC's episodes tend to be more emotional than most ("Xmas Story") and/or involve the Nibblonians in some way ("The Why of Fry"). And your thoughts on the meaning of "Freewill Hunting" make sense to me; I would love if they revisited that whole Fry/Leela/the Other thing. In fact, there's probably a new spin they can put on the storyline now that the PE crew knows that Nibbler can talk and has a more involved relationship with him than they did in the original run.

[#65 :]

I know that the title for Farewell to Arms is based off the book, but did anyone else think of this first?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udd-5g08U7o

Everyone cool immediately thought of Evil Dead II.

[#66 :]

I'm really happy that we're getting two of the three 7A favorites of Eric Rogers in the same night! Perhaps for the first time in the new run, we'll actually have 2 great ones instead of a crapper and a huge success. God, these titles are so good! And I'm still in shock that A Farewell To Arms is  another episode, rather than a working title for The Six Million Dollar Mon. (That's an awesome title!) I'm looking forward to another Hermes episode, especially since it's a Ken Keeler one!

[#67 :]

I'm looking forward to another Hermes episode, especially since it's a Ken Keeler one!

You and me both, I have high hopes for this one. Hermes works surprisingly well in large doses despite his secondary character nature. Should be good, as long as it doesn't get too wacky...

[#68 :]

I'm wondering if the machine is going to take him over, or if he'll try to kill everyone. How funny would it be if a brainslug messed up the machine parts of him and saved him? Ah, I love irony. I'm expecting a lot of "Sweat [Insert noun] of [Insert Place]! [Insert Explanation/Observation]"

[#69 :]

I'm expecting a lot of "Sweat

Eeeeew.

[#70 :]

The writing staff is identical to last season (plus some production assistants getting their first credits). It is interesting that no freelance writers have popped up in the first half. Hopefully some former scribes can contribute a script à la Lewis Morton, J. Stewart Burns, and Aaron Ehasz. I would like to see David A. Goodman write again (now that he's off of "Family Guy" and "Allen Gregory" failed).

The 7ACV-- production line features a slight shift in directors. Ray Claffey is not slated to direct, and it seems Lance Kramer of "The Simpsons" will fill in Dwayne Carey-Hill's slot after [7ACV03] Decision 3012. I wonder what Claffey and Carey-Hill will be working on next, and I also wonder if Kramer is officially off "The Simpsons", or if he will direct an episode during a "Futurama" hiatus. He has only directed one "Simpsons" episode per run for the last three seasons.

Now that we have a bit more information, I cannot wait for the summer episodes, as last season boasted some amazing entries in the "Futurama" world.

[#71 :]

Now that we have a bit more information, I cannot wait for the summer episodes, as last season boasted some amazing entries in the "Futurama" world.

Finally, someone who recognizes the awesomeness of Season 6!

[#72 :]

Welcome to PEEL Handsome Invader! You'll fit right in with the optimists here! And not those that hate an episode with the tiniest flaws.

[#73 :]

Eric:

I think @alexpensive would be particularly pleased with my "ShuBot Theater" broadway joke that just got into a script. #punnyman

[#74 :]

"Naturama"? Ugh, can they stop using "-ama" in titles? A bit unoriginal.

Also surprised that Million-Dollar Mon and Farewell to Arms are two different eps, but okay. I like Hermes. I feel like a lot of people don't, but I think there's more left to explore in his character that we haven't seen yet. There's potential there and I hope they take advantage of it.

[#75 :]

I don't like the "-ama" trend that seems to be beginning either. Very un-creative in my eyes. Other than "Naturama" though, most of the titles are pretty good.

[#76 :]

So its gone back to being called Farewell to Arms?

Good, I thought that was a much better title then Million Dollar Mon which felt like the kind of thing a stoned fratboy in a Che Guavara t shirt would come up with.

Oh wait, they're two different episodes now? Okay...


I agree with the "ama" thing.  Please put some effort in guys.

[#77 :]

Both titles remain, apparently they are both separate eps...

[#78 :]

Sounds interesting, let's hope it is!

I actually am keen on what naturama is going to be about.  Maybe some space hippies force Earth to abandon technology and let nature reclaim the planet, the Professor starts harnessing organic technology, or... everyone goes naked?

I really really hope Zapp doesn't have any success with Munda.  I really like how the Turungas are probably the only perfectly happily married couple in Futurama, and I would actually hate Zapp if he got Munda to cheat on Morris.    Some of Zapp's behaviour recently crosses the line from hilarious to despicable (I would say him coldly manipulating Amy in TBWABB is the worst thing he's done at best, and disturbing at worst.)

[#79 :]

Wait, "'-ama' trend"? Can 2 episodes out of 52 really be called a "trend", or am I forgetting some other episode title that ended with "-ama"?