Comedy Central Cancels Futurama

[#40 :]

I don't ever want to see South Park being tarnished with the Family Guy brush. They're worlds apart.

South Park is intelligent (for the most part) and funny.

[#41 :]

Yeah, the comparison makes me sad. Reminds me of Matt and Trey's statement a long time ago that the most insulting thing anyone has ever said to them is when their show is compared to Family Guy.

[#42 :]

Edit: Not worth it...

[#43 :]

If anything the FOX Home Media Division could always do straight to dvd seasons instead of more dvd/tv film four part episodes.

EDIT: DOTHEBARTMAN IS AWESOME!!

[#44 :]

Unfortunately, I think the DVDs would have to sell crazy well in order for that to be workable....Eric Rogers was asked recently if DVD sales could have an impact and he basically said they'd have to be selling way better than they are for that by itself to revive the show. I think the straight-to-DVD movies were workable because they already had Comedy Central paying part of the tab through licensing rights to the "episode" versions of them. If they're just selling DVDs and there's no network paying a piece of the production costs, I don't think Fox is likely to do it.

[#45 :]

In that case.. I say make a film, and end it.

[#46 :]

The DVD movies were a more economically viable project than a traditional direct-to-dvd season. They can make more money selling 4 separate movies for $15 each than they can selling an entire season for $30.

[#47 :]

DVD movies are very profitable compared to theatrical releases, too. Disney cottoned onto that a while ago, giving rise to the ridiculous number of follow-ups to their big-screen animated hits, like a chain of sequels to The Lion King, and "next-generation" style cash-ins on The Little Mermaid and Cinderella.

One drawback is that people often buy a single copy, then watch it as a large group (and if not all of that group enjoy it, not all of the group are going to buy their own copy).

This has lead to people releasing films and TV series online. Companies like Netflix are now producing their own series, with people downloading or streaming the content that they want to watch, and more people paying for it (but paying smaller amounts). In the future, we might see more web releases, fewer home-media releases, and more reliance on TVs that are connected to the internet (maybe even fees paid according to the number of people actually watching, or advertisements targeted to a specific group of people who have "signed in" in order to avoid paying to watch their TV).

This is all just speculation, of course. But that's what science-fiction is about. Partially, anyway.

[#48 :]

And the 4 Futurama movies were released on DVD a long time before they were shown on TV and that was the only way to see them. The DVDs of the most recent TV series episodes were released after they've already been shown on TV and are in periodic reruns so fans aren't missing much by not hurrying out to buy the newer episode DVDs.

[#49 :]

Dear Mr. Nuk,

While the direct-to-DVD marketing scheme has worked well for Disney, I must point out that there are differences between Disney's massive empire and the plucky Futurama team.

1 - Disney markets to kids, and to people who fell in love with Disney when they were themselves kids. For generations now, showing your kids Disney movies has been a way of life. Futurama doesn't have that whole "75 years ago your grandmother was a child watching Futurama" angle.

2 - Disney continues to release box-office hits. Their direct-to-DVD sales are fueled by this steady stream of mass releases that keep the public aware of and interested in Disney.

3 - Disney markets to children. Children are not necessarily the most discerning audiences. If your kid fell in love with Lion King, they will also love any mediocre crapola served up to them, so long as it features the same brand name and characters. If they axe the famous voice actors (Robin Williams, Jeremy Irons, etc) and hire on a bunch of nobodies, are the 5 year olds going to care? Probably not. Their parents might notice, but hey, they bought the movie for the kid, right?

So there you have it.

1 - Futurama DVDs are not able to get by on 75 years of cultural importance.

2 - Without public releases to keep Futurama in the public's consciousness, its DVD sales would dry up.

3 - Futurama's not a children's show. It needs to maintain quality and appeal to adults, not to their slobbery little undiscerning offspring. People are by and large not going to buy crappy Futurama for the sole purpose of amusing their little bed-wetters.

[#50 :]

Listening to old commentary tracks.. it sounds as though Matt and DXC wanted the show to do about ten seasons.

So if Futurama some how can back for more seasons on Netflix or Amazon.com or WHATEVER... I hope it only goes for three more seasons anyway.

If seven seasons is it (ten US broadcast seasons), then that is still a damn fine legacy.

I really do wish CC would reconsider and do three more 10-13 episode seasons and end it proper.

But if this is it, then at least Futurama went out before it got sour like the Simpsons.

[#51 :]

Ridiculous that this has been cancelled. Ok I can understand those wanting the show to end while it's ontop and all, but the show is a thousand times more creative and interesting than many other shows, including the simpsons (from about series 12 onwards). Futurama is, and always was, the most interesting of all the animated shows (or maybe South Park.... but my point is, NOT Family Guy, even though I do love it for the laughs). Brickelberry? Bob's Fuckin' Burgers? The Cleveland Show (which isn't even officially cancelled for some reason)... Society have no taste in anything anymore.

I love Futurama but the last few seasons were extremely uncreative.  They pulled way too much from current events to supplement plots (ie Susan Boil) that are supposed to take place in 1000 years.

[#52 :]

True. ^

It's like the writers forgot who they were as sci-fi nerds (at times), and slowly got burnt out after all these years of work.

So we were still treated to amazing new episodes, but also some of the all time worst.

[#53 :]

Untrue.

Sure, there may have been some pretty weak plots recently, but there's also been an equal number of really creative ones. "The Duh-Vinci Code" for example, is possibly the most unique Da Vinci plot I've seen.

Really, the only recent episodes I'd call uncreative are "Attack of the Killer App", "Proposition Infinity", "Lrrreconciliable Ndndifferences", "Yo Leela Leela" and maybe "Near-Death Wish". While my opinion obviously doesn't speak for everyone, that looks like a pretty good ratio to me.

The show may have some issues, but I don't think creativity is one of them.

[#54 :]

That's what I said.

Oh... whatever.

[#55 :]

Most of my post was typed up when you only had "true" written in your previous post, but you had to ruin it by editing.

[#56 :]

The other thing about those DVD features is that they already had Comedy Central essentially paying for part of their production (since CC had already bought the airing rights to them) and their being designed as multi-part "episodes" also meant they could sell them into syndication later; in fact, since they officially pushed the show's episode number to 88 (the new minimum standard for syndication), even if Comedy Central didn't order new regular 30-minute episodes, Fox could potentially have finally sold the show into syndication just based on those films. The overall benefits of doing them were greater than just doing a standalone film (or series of them) would be at this point. I would love to see one last movie, though.

[#57 :]

Dear Mr. Nuk,

While the direct-to-DVD marketing scheme has worked well for Disney, I must point out that there are differences between Disney's massive empire and the plucky Futurama team.

I was just pointing out that the direct-to-DVD model can be profitable compared to theatrical releases these days... it was more of a "there probably won't be a theatrical release" thing than "Futurama should do what Disney do".

I really don't think that churning out direct-to-DVD movies like some kind of Disney sweatshop would be good for Futurama, or profitable.

[#58 :]

it's a shame that they cancelled it.  I'm finding it a little hard to complain, though.  We did get four years of new episodes and four movies out of it after they cancelled it the first time, so it's not like the show didn't have a chance to run its course. 

[#59 :]

Good thing, it was becoming stupid!

[#60 :]

TbH, I am rather neutral on that one.
- Should new episodes be aired, and I enjoy them: Fine.
- Should I NOT enjoy them, so what? Just stop watching it. Most probably there will still be some fans left drawing enjoyment out of the new episodes.

A "cancellation before it becomes stale" would hardly do me any good:
- I do not want to watch further episodes, so I think no one else is allowed? I do not really take myself that important as the absolute authority in taste (nor would I take anyone serious who does ) .
- I stop watching after 144 episodes, so the official production stop ALSO has to be after 144 episodes? No reason for that.

Though -in all due fairness- it's still the preferable option to wait some "regeneration" years, for the show to return with some high quality episodes, instead of wishing for "as soon as possible, even it they are crappy" episodes.

[#61 :]

Good thing, it was becoming stupid!

[#62 :]

Good thing, it was becoming stupid!

Are you trying to answer cleverly to my post or were you just trying to be funny posting an image you didn't create to express a negative opinion about me?

I still think it's a good thing that Futurama has been cancelled, the last seasons were mainly disappointing with only a couple of good episodes. It's better to end it now or it will be like the Simpsons and no show deserves it.

[#63 :]

Heyyyooooo!


Futurama will come back for more dvd movies I bet.

[#64 :]

I don't see how you think the show is only just becoming stupid. I mean, you're willing to accept cryogenics, flying/talking brains, shapeshifters, robots powered by alcohol, a microwave blasting a spaceship back in time, a planet inhabited by only robots, parallel universes, superpowers, a curse that turns a robot into a car, bouncing balls that can talk, a man at least 150 years old, a gazillion famous dead people still being kept alive as heads in jars, a spaceship engine that moves the universe around the ship and not vice versa, an evil Santa robot, a Robot Hell, a hat that makes a monkey talk and a bajillion other things that someone may consider "stupid" yet you think the show is just now getting stupid?

[#65 :]

Actually a lot of things you've listed are not stupid and are actually believable if we accept it is a science fiction show set in the year 3000.
What differs from the old times is that it is not clever, look at Attack of the Killer App for example, it's just a bunch of Twitter jokes which are neither subtle or funny, and let's not forget the puking goat and susan boil. It's not the only episode though, I could find a lot more and that's the problem.
The show is stupid because the main characters have become stupid, as have the plots and the jokes.

[#66 :]

I just saw the preview, thanks to the start of the Countdown to Futurama!

[#67 :]

Oh shit it's started!

Can someone upload the clip to YouTube for us non-American fans please?

*edit*

Huh, it says "2-D Blacktop" is one of the premiere episodes? So it's gonna be "2-D Blacktop" and "Fry and Leela's Big Fling", I guess? (7ACV15 then 7ACV17, okay...)

[#68 :]

I liked it lots, and I MAY start up another Futurama channel.......

I'll PM you about it Danny.

[#69 :]

Wait, what is this all about? I lost you both there...

[#70 :]

Wait, what is this all about? I lost you both there...

Sorry you lost them.
But, here, have a Futurama preview to cheer you up;)

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/countdown%20to%20futurama

[#71 :]

Haha! That ending xD

The beginning tough, not as good

[#72 :]

I wonder wether that 2D surrounding might (among other plot aspects) also refer to South Park.

[#73 :]

I don't see how you think the show is only just becoming stupid. I mean, you're willing to accept cryogenics, flying/talking brains, shapeshifters, robots powered by alcohol, a microwave blasting a spaceship back in time, a planet inhabited by only robots, parallel universes, superpowers, a curse that turns a robot into a car, bouncing balls that can talk, a man at least 150 years old, a gazillion famous dead people still being kept alive as heads in jars, a spaceship engine that moves the universe around the ship and not vice versa, an evil Santa robot, a Robot Hell, a hat that makes a monkey talk and a bajillion other things that someone may consider "stupid" yet you think the show is just now getting stupid?

Win.

I don't care how Futurama comes back, if it's as movies, episodes on TV, straight to dvd seasons or on Netflix. It's too good a show to end now.

Creatively these past few seasons have been as good, if not better than ever and some of the best episodes they've ever made have been made since the show was brought back.

Even if you think it's gone downhill, it's still one of the best shows on television today (maybe the only better one would be South Park, but it's too close to call). And if you don't like it anymore, you don't have to watch it.

BRING IT BACK.

[#74 :]

That clip was very unfunny.
 
The episode "2-D Blacktop" is written by Michael Rowe, so I expect this to be the final truly awful episode of Futurama.
I mean this one will suck balls.. I'll bet on it in advance.

[#75 :]

The episode "2-D Blacktop" is written by Michael Rowe,

Micheal Rowe?? Oh, no! But hey, "Fry Am The Eggman" was a great episode. Let's try and watch this one with an open mind. I mean, all his recent episodes involved LEELA. Hopefully this one involves more of a Professor kind of plot, and maybe it will be pretty good!

[#76 :]

Clip isn't loading for me, maybe it'll work on my PC.

Or somebody could put it on YouTube.

[#77 :]

As much as I disagree with Benderlover, I don't think the show becoming too crazy was ever something he suggested or stated as part of his argument. Counter the argument that the show has gotten too crazy if someone actually makes it in the first place.

That new clip isn't super funny, but I feel like we're missing a lot of context. I don't think we have any idea yet what that.....green...creature thing is, for instance. The episode looks creative at least, though the other clip that was shown from that episode before was also not anything special.

[#78 :]

Yeah, I wasn't terribly impressed with the clip. Honestly though, I'm not going to dismiss it just because Mike Rowe's history is less than stellar. The premise still sounds interesting, and I'm not too worried about the jokes since as far as I know, the writers all work together in that area anyway.

However I did like the Professor's line "Okay, you can't see. But take my word for it."

[#79 :]

Indeed, the new clip does not appear to be too funny.
Yet, it obviously was not meant as a joke, but rather a "briefing" giving as background about said episode:
- The crew did for some reason (not necessarily voluntarily) end in a 2D world
- The lacking digestive system and impending starvation leave the crew with the task to get out of this world.
So, it get it's job done giving us some more background about the episode.

Yet, for an opener, I would have expected something more impressive, like the Martian Starship launch, or the hopping robots in "Fry am the Eggman"'s intro.