Fresh Question: Cartoon Network, Good or Bad for Futurama?

[on:]

You may not know this Futurama fans, but I'm going to give you an overview of Cartoon Network info.

During football season 2001, CN showed heavy hitters Samurai Jack and Justice League during Monday Night Football. Than CN moved the brand-new episodes of Justice League to 7:00 PM during spring 2002 (the only season Futurama airs). Also Samurai Jack was moved to Cartoon Cartoon Fridays; instead of running up against new episodes of King of the Hill: a cartoon that was already syndicated. Instead Batman: The Animated Series ran at 7:30 PM.

Now, CN is talking about getting the syndication rights to Futurama. After reruns in summer 2002, new SJ and JL episodes are coming back this fall, but are now premiering during Cartoon Cartoon Fridays.

You think CN pit JL against Futurama to make the ratings worse? Would the syndication rights be cheaper for a show with bad ratings?

[Reply #1 on:]

True

[Reply #2 on:]

CN = very good for Futurama. At least I think so. Knowing CN, it would be on adult swim, and knowing the network plans to extend Adult Swim into weeknights, it'd be nice (this is a hope) if Futurama could air on weeknight Adult Swim when it premieres. Maybe 10:30 PM or something. Either way, weekdays = good. And it wouldn't be cut to death like Simpsons or KOTH syndication because those channels need to make room for more commercials.

Oh, and of course new fans get to see old episodes. 

[Reply #3 on:]

I agree. Welcome to peel Ifv

[Reply #4 on:]

Here's my argument: Airtime for Futurama = good

[Reply #5 on:]

Thank you. Jimmy up there knows who I am. Wink wink.

[Reply #6 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jimmy Kustes:
You may not know this Futurama fans, but I'm going to give you an overview of Cartoon Network info

Why don't you tell us all about John Krisfalushi's hassles working with Ralph Bakshi on Mighty Mouse. 
(PS....Olive Avenue is a death trap.)

[Reply #7 on:]

 

Originally posted by lfv:
Thank you. Jimmy up there knows who I am. Wink wink.

This must be livingfruitvirus.


------------------

Jimmy "Duncanzits" Kustes: Top Ten, The WB Animation Archive, CCF: The Fansite, and Toon Zone News

[Reply #8 on:]

   

Originally posted by Sarge:
   

Originally posted by Jimmy Kustes:
You may not know this Futurama fans, but I'm going to give you an overview of Cartoon Network info

Why don't you tell us all about John Krisfalushi's hassles working with Ralph Bakshi on Mighty Mouse.     
(PS....Olive Avenue is a death trap.)

I don't follow Spumco or pretty much any cartoons outside of WB and Hanna-Barbera.

[Reply #9 on:]

I say the more people who discover the beauty that is Futurama, the better. And Cartoon Network getting the syndication rights can only mean more airtime and more viewers.

As for the whole dump the price by pressing the ratings. Hmm, maybe, but I'd be hard pressed to believe that FOX would fall for a stunt like this.

[Reply #10 on:]

Absolutely. Syndication saved Star Trek, it could save Futurama.

Plus, syndication = Region 1 DVD releases.

[Reply #11 on:]

I am probably one of the few who think Futurama going to Cartoon Network will not make much difference. It will be great to be able to see an episode on any given night but as far as bringing in new viewership I do not think it would do much. I am assuming that we are talking about CN only showing reruns and not first run episodes - from what I have read that is the way I understand it.
CN has got to have lower viewership than Fox so the amount of people that it would reach would be fairly minimal compared to Fox even with it showing Futurama at 7pm on Sundays. If Fox were planning on renewing Futurama syndication would be a boon for it but still in that scenario I don't think CN is the way to go.
In regards to what Jimmy Kustes originally posted are you theorizing that maybe CN put JL up against Futurama to purposely weaken its raitings thereby giving them a better shot at getting the syndication rights? If that is what you are saying I would disagree with that assumption. Again, Fox reaches many more viewers than CN.
As far as CN showing Samurai Jack and Justice League against Monday Night Football that is called alternative programming. They are going after viewership who would rather not watch football much the same way the other networks typically program family type entertainment against MNF. They know MNF will get the bulk of viewership they are just after the leftovers in a sense.
I still think Futurama's best bet is get syndicated on a network station and have them show reruns during the week (much like the Simpsons are now) and for Fox to pick up Futurama for another season. This is its strongest possibility for growing viewership in my opinion.
RM

[Reply #12 on:]

for the most part, cable ratings can't hold a candle to the network ratings, so i find it hard to believe that CN was behind some huge plot to sink Futurama's ratings.  And I'd rather see Futurama anywhere than nowhere.

[Reply #13 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jimmy Kustes:
You think CN pit JL against Futurama to make the ratings worse?

With "60 Minutes" on CBS at the same time, I don't think Futurama needed much help in getting bad ratings.

And Bendo, I get the feeling Futurama moving to CN could turn out to be the worst thing that could possibly happen.

[Reply #14 on:]

I think you are underestimating the fan following of Justice League. It's a brand-new show and already the Internet (Comics Continuum, Wizard, etc.) drools over it. I'm sure it took more of a ratings chunk than you think.

Besides, CN didn't need to get higher ratings than Futurama. CN beats broadcast very rarely (when Courage the Cowardly Dog and Ed, Edd, and Eddy bring in the most kids on Friday nights is about the only time).

What they needed to do was make Futurama look bad compared to The Simpsons' performance. I mean what was airing up against Simpsons? Toonheads? Bob Clampett Show?

[Reply #15 on:]

Futurama's been getting bad ratings compared to the Simpsons since long before Justice League started.

[Reply #16 on:]

 

Originally posted by Bendo:
As far as CN showing Samurai Jack and Justice League against Monday Night Football that is called alternative programming. They are going after viewership who would rather not watch football much the same way the other networks typically program family type entertainment against MNF. They know MNF will get the bulk of viewership they are just after the leftovers in a sense.
RM

Yeah, but if CN wanted to go up against football, they still could have put JL on at 7:00 PM Sundays like they did in the spring. It would have been up against the double headers on CBS and FOX and that late night football on ESPN. It's NOT altenative programming to have brand-new cartoons up against brand-new cartoons. Both of which appeal to the same demographics. It's strange that CN waited till football playoffs to move the JL to Sundays: http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16924

Of course, CN operates their schedule very wierdly, so this could all be a coincidence.

[Reply #17 on:]

i agree with the "Any airtime at all = Good" statement. It cant make things worse, can it?

[Reply #18 on:]

everyone knows that internet geeks don't count, if they did then Futurama would be a hit show too, since we all like it 

[Reply #19 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jimmy Kustes:
Besides, CN didn't need to get higher ratings than Futurama. CN beats broadcast very rarely (when Courage the Cowardly Dog and Ed, Edd, and Eddy bring in the most kids on Friday nights is about the only time).

what do you want CN to air opposite Futurama? a test pattern? a commercial telling people a turn to FOX to watch Futurama?

It seems logical for me that CN wants people to watch it's new shows. And it stnads to reason that JL is great football counter-programming. And since CN shows Cartoons all the time, you could essentially say that ANYTHING they put on opposite Futurama would be seen as trying to lower Fox's ratings...

That's what networks DO, they try to get the best possible ratings for their shows. that's what they've always done. it's capitalism

[Reply #20 on:]

 

Originally posted by VelourFog:
everyone knows that internet geeks don't count, if they did then Futurama would be a hit show too, since we all like it   

star trek is a hit, right? and geeks generally like star trek, right? still futurama is no hit? hmm, perhaps it is simple a question of alerting the rest of the ignorant geeks out there to futuramas presence?

[Reply #21 on:]

Yeah, but it took Star Trek 25 years to move from geek cultdom, into mainstream populism. I don't want to wait 25 years for new futurama episodes. But maybe if we made FOX realise that vast armies of geeks out here that'll watch Futurama it could work. But we have to make FOX realise this, by mailing them letters etc. Now where is Dogbert and his VENOD when you need it the most?

About CN: Wouldn't it be putting a little too much into it, to expect a cable station to plot this long it advance, just to get the rights to one show. To plan their programming around one timeslot, just so they, maybe, can lower the ratings of another show, on one particular broadcasted station, and get the syndication rights at a discount in the future. For all CN knew at that point, Futurama might not have been up for syndication anytime soon. Seems a bit too machiavellian to me.

Still more "airtime = good" in my math.

[Reply #22 on:]

 

Originally posted by static:
 star trek is a hit, right? and geeks generally like star trek, right? still futurama is no hit? hmm, perhaps it is simple a question of alerting the rest of the ignorant geeks out there to futuramas presence?

maybe i didn't wink loud enough

[Reply #23 on:]

i usually use a " " for that 

[Reply #24 on:]

 

Originally posted by VelourFog:
 maybe i didn't wink loud enough

With a one-eyed avatar, it's kinda difficult to tell a wink from a blink...

[Reply #25 on:]

 

Originally posted by VelourFog:
 

[Reply #26 on:]

 

Originally posted by VelourFog:
 

*checks up on the thread*
...
me blind, no mind me.

[Reply #27 on:]

This spring, Futurama's ratings were the lowest they had ever been. It had to be due to something. I'm guessing brand-new episodes of a hot cartoon would hurt Futurama more than Toonheads or Hong Kong Phooey repeats or whatever Futurama had to compete with in its beginning years.

Also January 2002, isn't too far off for CN to plot in advance. Before they even launched Adult Swim in August 2001, Betty Cohan wanted a hit show like The Simpsons for the block. I'm sure CN was making long-term plans to get something like Family Guy or Futurama all along.

[Reply #28 on:]

maybe due to the fact that fox doesn't promote it? that fox doesn't air it?

[Reply #29 on:]

Jimmy, I gotta say that that is one really far-fetched conspiracy theory...

*Waits for a JL episode where the Flash says "What, we have to save the world AGAIN? But I'm missing FUTURAMA!"*

[Reply #30 on:]

Jimmy, did you go to Cal Arts?

[Reply #31 on:]

I don't care how many nerds watch Justice League, I seriously doubt that there's enough of them to seriously affect Futurama's ratings/syndication prices.

Also, cartoon network is good and I think having Futurama on it will also be good. Better than syndication, probably.

 

By Bendo:
I still think Futurama's best bet is get syndicated on a network station and have them show reruns during the week (much like the Simpsons are now) and for Fox to pick up Futurama for another season. This is its strongest possibility for growing viewership in my opinion.

Syndication is good in theory, but would the show have a reasonable timeslot/promotion in any major markets? I have a feeling Futurama would get screwed yet again, left to rot away in latenight timeslots, sandwiched between Roseanne reruns and second-airings of Jenny Jones.

Cartoon Network will actually promote the show(I'm assuming). The audience may be a lot smaller, but still, it's "hip" and crap. Reruns could catch on with the kiddies, and good word of mouth could get better ratings for first-run episodes on FOX.

I don't expect the show to really take off, at least not enough to get it renewed or anything. But still, I'd say we've got a better shot with Cartoon Network than with syndication.

[Reply #32 on:]

I have a question.  Besides "Star Trek", how many dying TV shows have been elevated to the status of major hits due to syndication?

[Reply #33 on:]

Fishy Joe, I guess I was looking at it from a purely optimistic point of view and that being Futurama on 5 days a week at a reasonable time like 6 or 6:30. That and that the reruns would be showing during the next season of Futurama and not after it completes its run.
Still, while CN would promote it much better than a network station I still think that the number of households that it could reach would outweigh the promotions that a cable station like CN could provide. I guess the way I look at it is I want Futurama to be taken seriously - much in the way that the Simpsons is. It is a good enough show that it should be shown on network television and not a cable channel. It will be years before we see that on the Simpsons and probably only come after the show is off the air for a few years.
And I agree with you also in that at this point there could be no substantial increase in viewership that would change the minds of Fox. Futurama would have to shoot to number 1 in the ratings for them to have a change of heart.
RM

[Reply #34 on:]

I'm already looking forward to the first promo.

(AS music plays. Old people in the swimming pool)

Announcer: We've got a brand new show! It's got robots!

Bender: Bite my shiny metal ass.

Announcer: Mad scientists!

Prof: Good news, everyone! I've taught the toaster to feel love!

Announcer: And... this guy.

Zoidberg: I feel as frisky as an eel...

Announcer: From the mind of Matt Groening... Futurama!

[Reply #35 on:]

[Bart] Testify [/Bart}

[Reply #36 on:]

You dont need to put fresh question before your topic name. This isnt Toon-zone.

The difference is I wasn't kicked from PEEL

[Reply #37 on:]

 

Originally posted by KENNEDY:
You dont need to put fresh question before your topic name.

I know, I'm just being goofy.

[Reply #38 on:]

 

Originally posted by PCC Fred:
I have a question.  Besides "Star Trek", how many dying TV shows have been elevated to the status of major hits due to syndication?

Just thought I'd repeat the question.

[Reply #39 on:]

If by "elevated to major hits", you mean "jumping from obscurity to being watched and appreciated outside the circle of hardcore fans, while generating a little money": NONE!