Futurama News (including but not limited to Countdown to Season 7)

[Reply #560 on:]

I'm in two minds about Fry and Leela marrying. The shipper in me wants them to get married, however the writer in me reasons that for the general story of Futurama to continue that a marriage would put several things out of place. I don't Bender would let his roommate go very easily, and hell would break lose if Leela moved in... is there a way we can do this without them moving in together?

Well, there will be no F/L kids in Futurama:

If you introduce a kid into the show and take it too seriously, you change the show—that "Cousin Oliver" thing. We definitely didn't want to have that feel, and by making it a robot, it tones it down a little bit. We tried to introduce him, get our moments of parental joy and heartbreak, and shove him out the door, so you wouldn't feel like the show was changing. [...] We worry about continuity. If [series protagonists] Fry and Leela get married and have a baby, is that where we want the show to be? It might make one good episode, but you lose ten episodes where Fry comes up with the grand romantic gesture. We have to be very careful, but we have gone a little deeper into that [this season], and tried to make it have a bigger, grander arc. It's going to culminate with a grand, grand finale next summer, which—as many times before—may be our last episode ever. But it's our fourth "last episode ever," so...

So we'll see a Bender's son instead. For one episode.

[Reply #561 on:]

I support the idea of there being an overall plan for the series, rather than "well, time to write more episodes. Let's see what the random topic generator spits out... ok, Fry and Leela become mimes and defend Earth from mime invaders by pretending to shoot them. Let's go with that".

[Reply #562 on:]

I agree with TMC 100%.  This reason, and the music, was what made Season 6 feel unfocused and random to me.  The original run had these long arcs like Fry acclimating to his new environment, his quest for love, trying to 'not be a loser in this century', his role as "The Mighty One" (which I don't think is over yet), and probably others that I can't recall.

It sounds like they are going to be focusing on arcs like the F/L thing and also they mentioned that Calculon is going to have his own arc this season too.  Excellent.

[Reply #563 on:]

I agree with TMC 100%.  This reason, and the music, was what made Season 6 feel unfocused and random to me.  The original run had these long arcs like Fry acclimating to his new environment, his quest for love, trying to 'not be a loser in this century', his role as "The Mighty One" (which I don't think is over yet), and probably others that I can't recall.

It sounds like they are going to be focusing on arcs like the F/L thing and also they mentioned that Calculon is going to have his own arc this season too.  Excellent.

I honestly think that there isn't that much of a big difference between the new episodes and the older ones. They're both really good. For example on Mobius Dick, everybody said that Leela acted "too out of character". But I recall during the episode "The Luck of The Fryrish", Fry acted a little bit out of character too for the clover. So I honestly didn't find that to be a big deal on the episode. I personally liked Season 6B (Except for Yo Leela Leela on the first viewing, I thought it was terrible.)  It may not get the old Season 1-4 feel, but we're getting something close to it. Hell, maybe this season will have that feel! You never know! 

[Reply #564 on:]

This reason, and the music, was what made Season 6 feel unfocused and random to me.

This is an excellent point. Season six started out with the potential to be more arc-based, what with "Rebirth" setting up (or refusing to set up, rather) Fry and Leela's relationship; just like seasons three and four built up the will-they-or-won't-they stuff with Fry and Leela, season six could have been about how the two of them could negotiate their relationship now that they, by all appearances, were a couple. But the writing on that front was so inconsistent ("The Late Philip J. Fry," "The Prisoner of Benda," and "Overclockwise"--all three of which treat Fry and Leela as a canonical couple--are the outliers of the season in terms of both quality and their handling of the ship), and I think that the vaguely-defined on-again/off-again stuff gave season six that unfocused, random vibe you're talking about.

To be fair, the show is not solely about Fry and Leela's relationship (though I agree that the shippy stuff--along with maybe Fry's relationship to his loved ones in the twentieth century and Leela's sad orphan upbringing, as revealed through flashbacks--is the heart of the show), and there were other aspects of season six that had an arc-y feel to them. We got to learn more about the secondary characters' pasts ("Proposition Infinity," "Lethal Inspection," "Mobius Dick," "The Tip of the Zoidberg"); Amy was actually shown doing intern-y things ("That Darn Katz!", "The Prisoner of Benda"); Farnsworth's scientific convictions were explored ("The Duh-Vinci Code," "A Clockwork Origin," "All the Presidents' Heads"); Nibbler was more fully integrated into the PE family ("That Darn Katz!", "Overclockwise"); and new character pairings were tested, to varying degrees of success ("Lethal Inspection," "That Darn Katz!", "A Clockwork Origin").

Interesting though most of these story lines were, though, I don't think they were developed fully (or at least overtly) enough to take the place of a cogent Fry/Leela story line. Something about Fry and Leela's relationship grounds the show--grounds those characters--in a way that other stories can't. (I'm a cuh-razy shipper, though, so obviously I'm a little biased. Y'all are free to disagree with me here.)

All that said, though, I think that when you take the aforementioned mini-arcs into consideration, season six ought to be commended as the show's most experimental season. I think the writers were on the right track with some of the stories (it was cool to see Amy taken seriously as a scientist, and Farnsworth had moments were his integrity and intellectual curiosity eclipsed his senility; the Fry/Leela episodes where the two were shown to be a couple were pretty great; the explorations of Hermes' past and the Farnsworth/Zoidberg relationship were interesting), but the end result was very uneven because the show was still lacking one main through-line.

Fry and Leela's relationship, if portrayed consistently, could easily have been that through-line--which is why I'm excited to hear DXC and others say that the shippy stuff is going to be handled a bit more seriously this season. It makes it seem like season seven might improve upon the deficiencies of season six (the lack of a strong story arc), while further developing last season's strong points (fleshing out secondary characters, exploring new relationship dynamics, building up the Fry/Leela thing). And, you know, that's definitely a good thing. 

[Reply #565 on:]

Big Shiny Robot - REVIEW: Futurama Season 7 Premiere

The first paragraph caught my attention:

Futurama hits the airwaves again tonight with two all new episodes that I couldn’t be happier with. This has consistently been the funniest show on the air since it started and now that we’re getting into Season 7, though it’s taken us much longer to get here than it should have, the writers have completely hit their stride and every episode delivers the sort of belly laughs I used to expect out of The Simpsons. But this show has always been much smarter and edgier than The Simpsons and the season 7 premiere bears that out.

Overall, it's a VERY positive review.

[Reply #566 on:]

Here there is news on some new episodes . http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/06/futurama-season-7-preview/ (sorry haven't yet practicity)

[Reply #567 on:]

Enormous amounts of material!

I'm a cuh-razy shipper, though, so obviously I'm a little biased.

Really?  I never would have guessed.

You make a good counter point that in Season 6 they may have tried to flesh out too many arcs, secondary ones coming from the supporting cast.  Not that that's a bad thing, but it did feel a bit like "Well we have all of these other great characters, we should do a bunch of stories about them!" but they need to remember that Fry, Leela and Bender are the core.

Is there no promo today?  Cheapskates.

EDIT: Just now realized how phallic that martian ship looks when it transforms in to 'flight mode'

[Reply #568 on:]

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“And we’re just wrapping our last episode ever — for the fourth time! — in which the professor has invented a button that can take you back 10 seconds in time. Ten seconds sounds small, but it has huge consequences.”

Me likey, me likey a lot! 

[Reply #569 on:]

So there ARE two separate mini-episode compilations:

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“He makes a very, very strange cameo in ‘Saturday Morning Fun Pit,’ which inserts Futurama‘s characters into ’70s and ’80s kids’ cartoons like Scooby-Doo and G.I. Joe,” executive producer David X. Cohen told Wired during a cackling phone chat during which he gave us a sneak peek of the upcoming season. The episode puts Futurama‘s 30th-century spaceballs through three alternating animation styles.

“It’s one of the weirdest things we’ve ever done,” Cohen said.

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Then there’s nature documentary spoof “Naturama,” which Cohen warned has more jokes about actual science than science fiction. It’s a composite episode with three stories, in which Futurama‘s characters are reincarnated as animals eking out an existence in the wild.

“It’s also one in which our animators have heart attacks and collapse in front of us after we hand them the script,” Cohen said. “Because they have to redesign the entire universe and all of the characters three times instead of once. These episodes are always our favorites, but they’re difficult.”

I also like the sound of "Assie Come Home"

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“We also learn that Bender’s ass has a hind brain and heart in next summer’s ‘Assie Come Home,’ so there’s some ass technology for you,” he said.

[Reply #570 on:]

31st Century Fox sounds... interesting.

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Should have guessed the title was literal.

[Reply #571 on:]

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“And we’re just wrapping our last episode ever — for the fourth time! — in which the professor has invented a button that can take you back 10 seconds in time. Ten seconds sounds small, but it has huge consequences.”

Me likey, me likey a lot! 

Bah. It's been done (badly) before by TV shows and movies. I dislike this idea. It's not normally executed well enough to be interesting.

[Reply #572 on:]

Show spoiler

“And we’re just wrapping our last episode ever — for the fourth time! — in which the professor has invented a button that can take you back 10 seconds in time. Ten seconds sounds small, but it has huge consequences.”

Me likey, me likey a lot! 

Bah. It's been done (badly) before by TV shows and movies. I dislike this idea. It's not normally executed well enough to be interesting.

Eh,... that's what they said about 'Roswell That Ends Well'

[Reply #573 on:]

I just saw a 30 minute promo for the new season, and it was all footage! I'm so excited...

[Reply #574 on:]

But, but, spoilers?

[Reply #575 on:]

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“And we’re just wrapping our last episode ever — for the fourth time! — in which the professor has invented a button that can take you back 10 seconds in time. Ten seconds sounds small, but it has huge consequences.”

GWEN:
Why 13 seconds? That’s really not enough time to do anything of any importance.
JASON:
It’d be time enough to redeem a single mistake.

[Reply #576 on:]

I just saw a 30 minute promo for the new season, and it was all footage! I'm so excited...

Who makes a 30 minute promo!? That's longer than a full episode!

[Reply #577 on:]

My bad! I meant thirty seconds!

Should I upload it?

[Reply #578 on:]

Is the Space Pope reptilian?

[Reply #579 on:]

Here you go!

[Reply #580 on:]

I think I came a little when Fry gets his life force sucked out...

And wow, look at all the characters around Zapp and Kif when Zapp falls on him, Mom, Walt, Larry, Igner, Calculon, Monique, Nixon and Agnew.

[Reply #581 on:]

"I wish I could remember with my boobs."

I think this confirms my theory that Fry will be left behind in AFtA.  But why?

[Reply #582 on:]

I heard this on the radio today, and I thought that it sounded like an African-American Zoidberg.

http://youtu.be/XWJrPzAUzAs?t=48s

[Reply #583 on:]

I heard this on the radio today, and I thought that it sounded like an African-American Zoidberg.

Oh God, you're right!

[Reply #584 on:]

"I wish I could remember with my boobs."

I think this confirms my theory that Fry will be left behind in AFtA.  But why?

Because Fry's sole purpose in life is to ensure Leela's well being, and it would be quite egoistic if he cared for his own life

[Reply #585 on:]

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“And we’re just wrapping our last episode ever — for the fourth time! — in which the professor has invented a button that can take you back 10 seconds in time. Ten seconds sounds small, but it has huge consequences.”

Me likey, me likey a lot! 

Bah. It's been done (badly) before by TV shows and movies. I dislike this idea. It's not normally executed well enough to be interesting.

Eh,... that's what they said about 'Roswell That Ends Well'

Not me. Some things have the potential to be magnificent when done properly, and would be easy enough to do properly. Some things have the potential to merely be okay when done properly and would be a complte bitch and a half to do properly, so are done poorly and turn out badly. Consistently.

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GWEN:
Why 13 seconds? That’s really not enough time to do anything of any importance.
JASON:
It’d be time enough to redeem a single mistake.

This is probably the only good example of that particular trope I've come across, to be honest.

[Reply #586 on:]

I'm hoping they keep jumping back 10 seconds after every press, eventually going far back enough to old episodes, messing with continuity and screwing up time.

[Reply #587 on:]

Okay, I've managed to go through this thread without clicking any spoilers. All is well!

[Reply #588 on:]

"I wish I could remember with my boobs."

I think this confirms my theory that Fry will be left behind in AFtA.  But why?

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Well..one character seems to be left behind, and the other allowed to enter the spaceship.
I am with you that it rather seems that Leela is allowed to leave.
In that case, I consider the facial expressions and voices a little off:
Leela does some kind of "That's half as bad" voice, and Fry looks sorry.
The "half as bad" voice usually suits the character that is about to die, while Fry's sad face would rather be reserved for Leela's appearant death.
Should the scene be as you predicted (and I guess you are right), it bears some "So...I am about to leave, you stay behing..pfft? So what? Do I care?" mood...)

[Reply #589 on:]

Because Fry's sole purpose in life is to ensure Leela's well being, and it would be quite egoistic if he cared for his own life

I knew you were gonna say something like that.

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Well..one character seems to be left behind, and the other allowed to enter the spaceship.
I am with you that it rather seems that Leela is allowed to leave.
In that case, I consider the facial expressions and voices a little off:
Leela does some kind of "That's half as bad" voice, and Fry looks sorry.
The "half as bad" voice usually suits the character that is about to die, while Fry's sad face would rather be reserved for Leela's appearant death.
Should the scene be as you predicted (and I guess you are right), it bears some "So...I am about to leave, you stay behing..pfft? So what? Do I care?" mood...)

Tough to tell taken out of context, and not knowing the exact circumstances.  Maybe even though Fry isn't allowed on board, he has a plan.  Obviously the day will be saved somehow and Fry will survive.  Leela might not even make it on board the ship, if that's what this scene is even about.  I didn't see her anywhere on the ship during that clip.

[Reply #590 on:]

"I wish I could remember with my boobs."

Classic Fry
Wonder what Leelas response is to that? xD

I heard this on the radio today, and I thought that it sounded like an African-American Zoidberg.

http://youtu.be/XWJrPzAUzAs?t=48s

Omg it is too!
Love that song  

Edit: just watched the preview again and a thought occurs

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Assuming the two parts I saw were Fry having had the loco
1. Something exploded in his hands, does that mean some things he touches disintegrates? Would explain why he's not wearing clothes later on.
2. Green light coming out of his mouth and eyes - but a milisecond ago his eyes were fine, it wasn't until he opened his mouth did his eyes start going, and his hair is all limp and what is Bender showing him and srsly wtf?

[Reply #591 on:]

Because Fry's sole purpose in life is to ensure Leela's well being, and it would be quite egoistic if he cared for his own life

I knew you were gonna say something like that.

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Well..one character seems to be left behind, and the other allowed to enter the spaceship.
I am with you that it rather seems that Leela is allowed to leave.
In that case, I consider the facial expressions and voices a little off:
Leela does some kind of "That's half as bad" voice, and Fry looks sorry.
The "half as bad" voice usually suits the character that is about to die, while Fry's sad face would rather be reserved for Leela's appearant death.
Should the scene be as you predicted (and I guess you are right), it bears some "So...I am about to leave, you stay behing..pfft? So what? Do I care?" mood...)

Tough to tell taken out of context, and not knowing the exact circumstances.  Maybe even though Fry isn't allowed on board, he has a plan.  Obviously the day will be saved somehow and Fry will survive.  Leela might not even make it on board the ship, if that's what this scene is even about.  I didn't see her anywhere on the ship during that clip.

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Fry on top of the Antenna calling out to Leela might be some "last second idea", similar to "Cold Warriors".
Personally, I do like the plots putting Fry in a hero to the rescue role best. His lack of abilities basically FORCES the writers to come up with a new twist to the plot. On other characters, the writing is often a bit lazier

[Reply #592 on:]

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Fry on top of the Antenna calling out to Leela might be some "last second idea", similar to "Cold Warriors".
Personally, I do like the plots putting Fry in a hero to the rescue role best. His lack of abilities basically FORCES the writers to come up with a new twist to the plot. On other characters, the writing is often a bit lazier

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Agreed.  Actually, Fry has shown a capacity for creative solutions in the past when faced with a no win scenario and he isn't being enabled by Leela.  He'll come up with something.

I'm still not sure what is going on in that image because the perspective is all wrong.  I don't think she's on the ship in that image because in that clip we saw the ship take off and head into space without making a pass by the PE building.

EDIT: Hooray!  I'm teh space captain!  Can I have the keys to the ship now?  I promise I'll drink and drive.

On that note, I'm off to get pizza and beer for the premiere.

[Reply #593 on:]

Wow. That episode was absolutely amazing...

[Reply #594 on:]

If you hurry you might be able to create the review thread for the bender's Bastard episode...

[Reply #595 on:]

I'm going to right after the second episode is done...

[Reply #596 on:]

Putting this in spoiler tags, even though it will cease to be a spoiler in a few hours or so when our non-east-coast brethren have seen the season premiere...

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My initial impression of "The Bots and the Bees" and "A Farewell to Arms" (hah, I just got the title! Yes, I'm that dumb) is that they were both solid 8/10's, with the latter being slightly more enjoyable (and emotionally-persuasive) than the former. There were no cringe-worthy pop culture references (the Shrek joke in TBatB wasn't awful, and the Tron gag in AFtA was equally inoffensive), none of the characters felt out-of-place (I'm not keen on Scruffy essentially being an always-visible member of the PE crew--but he's amusing, so I'll let it go for now), and though the pacing in both episodes seemed rushed, the stories were engaging and the jokes were funny and the emotional beats more or less hit.

So, yeah, definitely the strongest season opener we've gotten since the show's revival; I'm looking forward to the coming week's episodes.

[Reply #597 on:]

I'd give them both 9.5. They seem to have finally gotten comfortable with HD, CGI, and being on a cable channel so they didn't seem to get in the way of some good stories. I was worried that the pre-season hoopla was going to be a round of "I've heard it all before" but I think they may be right in their enthusiam.

[Reply #598 on:]

I think the writers may have been paying attention to our little forum or just hitting their stride, because they just gave us two very strong episodes.

[Reply #599 on:]

I hate everyone that got to watch the new eps before me.  Why?  Why?  Why did I move to California?

Good to hear the positive reception though.