EVEN MORE Futurama news [Warning: SPOILERS]

[Reply #560 on:]

Futurama is occasionally in the top 10 most streamed series in other countries. I both hope and suspect the series will stay in production for a long time. Before when considering renewal on a television network, the ones making the decision only considered the ratings in the United States and not other countries. Hulu, Disney+, and I guess Star record viewership worldwide. Even if the new episodes are not watched, the only number the executives consider when deciding for renewal is viewership of the series in whole. That could be why Disney+ keeps pushing out Simpsons shorts, though I do admit I am currently streaming the entire series and am on Season 22 and there's still some value to those episodes.

ToTD! Hammurabi looks like a happy Muppet!

[Reply #561 on:]

Obviously I'm hoping for as many seasons as possible, but at a minimum, I'm hoping for 3 production seasons so we can have something close to the previous runs (Fox was 72 episodes, CC was 68 including the movies). Three on Hulu would be 60 episodes.

It does feel like the media landscape has massively shifted in Futurama's favour. I suspect the demographic watching it weren't necessarily the type to show up in Nielsen boxes but, in the age of streaming, things are very different. Look at Community for example (Yahoo Screen went bust but reportedly the show's 6th season brought in phenomenal numbers suggesting FAR more people had been watching all along than previously realised).

Solar Opposites is a great comparison. I like it but it's a relatively mediocre offering in the world of adult animation and yet it's soon to start a fourth season with a fifth already greenlit. Maybe I'm being naive but I can't fathom Futurama not performing better than Solar Opposites.

So you're right. I think a 9th production season is a given -- but whether or not the show has the ability to generate longterm excitement and interest is something else. I recall the first few episodes doing really well on Comedy Central but it died off fairly swiftly.

A theatrical movie to close out the franchise I still welcome. Bobs Burgers has a weirdly big fanbase and lasted a decade on air. Futurama does have a dedicated fanbase, but we’ll just have to see how well those numbers translate to Hulu viewership.

Bob's Burgers is far more popular than Futurama in a mainstream sense but I also suspect the Bob's Burgers audience skewers extremely casual and passive. I think Futurama fans would be FAR more likely to turn out for a movie -- not to mention that the show has far more potential for cinematic scope that would actually justify a movie in the first place. I can't see it happening, but it also feels far more likely than it's ever been before and that makes me very happy.

[Reply #562 on:]

Hulu's plot description for "The Impossible Stream":

"Fry risks permanent insanity when he attempts to binge-watch every TV show ever made."

Episode is listed at 25 minutes long. I'm curious how the show will handle its episode lengths, if it'll generally keep to a roughly 22 minute long runtime, or if there'll be any extended length episodes. Disenchantment had quite a few 28-30 minute long episodes. If they do run episodes longer, I just hope they don't succumb to any pacing issues or bloat like...well, Disenchantment did (along with other Network TV > Streaming series ex. Arrested Development, Community).


A new short clip from a general Hulu animation advertisement:

https://youtu.be/SkEfbi7M6Bo?t=12

Going to guess Bender and Fry are fighting about Leela moving in.


Comic Con panel is Sat July 22nd at 11am PST

https://comiccon2023.sched.com/venue/Ballroom+20

[Reply #563 on:]

"The Impossible Stream" probably starts with Fry, Leela, and the Professor returning to running time but skipping the past ten years. Fry decides to catch up to the present by streaming everything.

The Hulu Animayhem commercial I see on television, for whatever reason, has the Futurama shots mirrored and Fry appears to be holding a broom. Fry and Bender are probably fighting because Fry wants the place to be clean for Leela and Bender wants it to remain their bachelor pad.

I don't know if there's going to be much of a Comic Con this year with the ongoing writers and actors strikes. I don't think either strike permits employees from promoting their projects publicly, be they Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, or a panel.

[Reply #564 on:]

Less than a week until the new Season.

Two new plot descriptions:

Children of a Lesser Bog

"Amy and Kif’s children emerge from an alien swamp."

Zapp Gets Cancelled

"On a routine mission to Komborbulon V, Zapp Brannigan is shocked to find that his past misdeeds have caught up to him."

Short Claudia Katz interview:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/futurama-season-11-to-include-bitcoin-nft-covid-19-and-more-producer-claudia-katz-gives-sneak-peak-into-the-episodes/articleshow/101878894.cms

"While talking to SFX Magazine, Katz said, “We have a vaccine episode. We’ve finally conquered COVID-19 in 3023". She added that it’s a very "fun exploration of science, vaccines" and "a commentary on that whole situation".

Other controversial issues tackled in a fun way will be in the form of a "Bitcoin episode" and "an NFT episode", said Katz. Moreover, one of her "favourite episodes of the season" will have one of the cast members of Futurama being "cancelled for their behaviour", she added."

[Reply #565 on:]

Synopses for Episodes 3-6.

https://mamasgeeky.com/2023/07/futurama-season-11-review.html

Ep. 1103 – “How the West was 1010001”
Logline: Bender and the crew head west to join the bitcoin mining rush.
(Streams Monday, August 7, 2023)

Ep. 1104 – “Parasites Regained”
Logline: After Nibbler falls ill, the crew shrinks down for a dangerous mission into a desert world
contained within his litter box.
(Streams Monday, August 14, 2023)

Ep. 1105 – “Related to items You’ve Viewed”
Logline: Bender uncovers the mysteries of the vast Momazon corporation.
(Streams Monday, August 21, 2023)

Ep. 1106 – “I Know What You Did Next Xmas”
Logline: Bender and Zoidberg travel through time to attack Robot Santa.
(Streams Monday, August 28, 2023)

[Reply #566 on:]

Huh, Bender and Zoidberg is an interesting pairing—it seems this new season is just as interested in Wacky Character Combos (and superfluous time travel!) as seasons six and seven.

Can't say any one of these episode descriptions leave me particularly enthused, though I am kind of looking forward to next week's episode, as "Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch" is one of my favorites of the original run (an underrated gem, as they say) and I'll be interested to see how they follow up on it.

[Reply #567 on:]

Zapp Gets Cancelled

"On a routine mission to Komborbulon V, Zapp Brannigan is shocked to find that his past misdeeds have caught up to him."

While this is pretty obviously just some made up bullshit submitted to IMDb, it was pretty much confirmed as such by one of the show's writers on a panel where he just seemed confused after they read it out to him and said he didn't know anything about it.

That said, I can't imagine the real episode synopsis will be drastically different from that.

[Reply #568 on:]

As a small grace, I'm pretty confident that at least one episode (the amazon corp one) will have at least one package delivery

[Reply #569 on:]

Hulu just posted a preview clip for “Children of a Lesser Bog” on YouTube. Nothing earth-shattering, though I appreciate the return of Amy’s calendar (and some of those appointments—particularly the back-to-back “Call Dad About Mom” and “Call Mom About Mom,” plus “Buy a Church” and “Reassure Kif”—were kind of funny).

[Reply #570 on:]

They released another preview clip today and uh.... it seems like they changed Leo's Wong voice actor. Not quite sure how to feel about the change since Billy West's version of his voice is kinda etched into my memory thanks to "Into The Wild Green Yonder."

[Reply #571 on:]

Heh, the Grand Midwife’s still got it—that was a pretty funny clip. As for Leo’s voice, I imagine they recast with a Chinese actor, but a quick IMDB search of this episode’s cast and crew list didn’t turn anything up. Initially it sounded a bit like Dave Herman doing the voice, which can’t actually be the case. That would be a…perplexing choice, to say the least.

[Reply #572 on:]

So I recognise I am little late on this one, but all the quotes I've seen in this thread seems to indicate that "Zapp Gets Cancelled" uses the British spelling with two l's, rather than the US spelling with one l (canceled).  I mean, I understood why they wrote it "Love's Labours Lost in Space", as an homage to Shakespeare.  But I doubt there is an homage here.

Curiously, looking through all Futurama episode titles, the only times I see them having words, where there is a US/UK spelling conflict, they've sided with the UK spelling.  (Which also happens to be the two cases, I've highlighted.)

Just an odd coincidence.  Perhaps they've decided since "Love's Labours Lost in Space", that they've clearly settled on a spelling standard for episode titles, that they'll persist on?

Or perhaps, the press releases for the episode titles got "Zapp Gets Cancelled" wrong.

[Reply #573 on:]

As far as “canceled” goes, I’ve noticed that most American writers/publications/etc. default to the double-‘L’ spelling. I think the single ‘L’ looks much nicer, but both spellings are technically accepted in the US with (at least in my anecdotal observation) a strong preference for “cancelled.”

[Reply #574 on:]

Damn Americans, cannot even manage to stand up to the British with their own spelling!  Perhaps if they got help from the French again?

But it could be a copywriter's error.  We probably won't know until the DVD release.  Or someone checks the listing on Hulu?

[Reply #575 on:]

Gotta respect their use of English, rather than Simplified English.
:-p

[Reply #576 on:]

Curiously, the Entertainment Identifier Registry lists the title as "Zapp Gets Canceled," whereas IMDB lists it as "Zapp Gets Cancelled." It's not yet listed on Hulu since the premiere date is pretty far out, but I'm assuming whatever spelling they use will be the One True Spelling.

[Reply #577 on:]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27XA8COx85s&t=30s

A few new clips. Looks like Zapp Gets Cancelled involves Leela and Fry joining DOOP.

[Reply #578 on:]

Curiously, the Entertainment Identifier Registry lists the title as "Zapp Gets Canceled," whereas IMDB lists it as "Zapp Gets Cancelled." It's not yet listed on Hulu since the premiere date is pretty far out, but I'm assuming whatever spelling they use will be the One True Spelling.

Good catch! EIDR seems more authoritative but a search for "Zapp Gets Canceled" just returns results with the two-L spelling. I'm very curious about which one turns out to be correct.

[Reply #579 on:]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27XA8COx85s&t=30s

A few new clips. Looks like Zapp Gets Cancelled involves Leela and Fry joining DOOP.

That was actually a pretty neat featurette. If nothing else, it’s nice to see how much love the cast and crew still have for the show. Say what you will about its variable quality since the first comeback in 2007, Futurama’s repeated resurrections have never felt like a quick or easy cash grab—everyone who works on that show genuinely cares about it.

Also, a couple new clips for “How the West Was 1010001” have dropped the past few days. I think both are rather funny—and oddly, randomly violent?—so let’s see if this episode hits the mark in a way last week’s didn’t quite. Hope springs eternal and such.

[Reply #580 on:]

Behold: Two new clips for “Parasites Regained,” the first of which is pretty much the same scene from the season preview trailer and the second of which is…fine. I don’t have especially high hopes for this one, but I am at least pleased that apparently it’s going to be a classic trio (and me, Zoidberg!) episode.

I have zero familiarity with Dune—the book, the original film adaptation, or the more recent movie—so those allusions will be lost on me, and if it goes for a whole-episode-parody thing I’ll be especially out of the loop.

[Reply #581 on:]

A few notable comments Corey Barnes (director of Parasites Regained) has made on Reddit.

“I'm actually in agreement with a lot of people who say the animation looks stiffer now, but that's a consequence of a few factors (no more layout department, higher fidelity = bigger drawings, freelancing timing work) that ultimately boil down not to any individual artist's lack of effort, but simply to cost. We also started using a second animation studio, Digital eMation, alternating with Rough Draft Korea, so it's their first time on Futurama.”

“(responding to ep 2 having bolder outlines/choppier movements) The odd episodes this season are animated by Rough Draft Korea and the even ones are animated by Digital eMation.”

“(responding to if Hulu’s calling them Seasons or Parts) Actually, they didn't do that this time. Season 8 is 10 episodes and season 9 is 10 episodes. 8ACV and 9ACV. They did the right thing, for once.”

“All episodes had been shipped to be animated overseas before the strike happened. If the strike were to impact anything, it would be post-production rewrites.”

[Reply #582 on:]

“(responding to if Hulu’s calling them Seasons or Parts) Actually, they didn't do that this time. Season 8 is 10 episodes and season 9 is 10 episodes. 8ACV and 9ACV. They did the right thing, for once.”

Holy shit. So it’s season 9 next year. Wow. That feels really strange even though it makes total sense.

[Reply #583 on:]

Clip for this week's episode
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dvk2HryfQj_U&ved=2ahUKEwio6eCrtumAAxWDDjQIHc47BZUQwqsBegQIRxAG&usg=AOvVaw0CpLj90KnC7-5QyLpw2bpu

[Reply #584 on:]

^And a second clip can be found here.

Looks like we’re finally getting an episode centered on the trio, and perhaps taking an angle we haven’t quite seen before, with Bender being so jealous of Fry and Leela specifically that he takes some seemingly drastic measures. The Amazon “satire” in these clips—if you can even call it that—is pretty on-the-nose, so I don’t have especially high hopes for that aspect of the episode, but it should be fun to see Mom again and I am curious to learn how the whole Leela-moving-in storyline shakes out.

[Reply #585 on:]

Xmas promo. Everybody has somebody except Zoidberg. Until Bender comes in.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NftYAn_b5rI

[Reply #586 on:]

Xmas promo. Everybody has somebody except Zoidberg. Until Bender comes in.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NftYAn_b5rI

Released almost 2 days earlier than usual? Should we read into this?

[Reply #587 on:]

Xmas promo. Everybody has somebody except Zoidberg. Until Bender comes in.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NftYAn_b5rI

Released almost 2 days earlier than usual? Should we read into this?

I think it is actually now normal to be one released on Thursday and one on Friday.
EDIT: The second sneak peek, more on the plot side this time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_CS1dYWbMU

[Reply #588 on:]

Re: that second clip: God, that was a whole lot of time spent explaining something that probably didn’t need quite so much explanation. I’m reserving judgment on the time travel aspect to all this (beyond noting that it makes me a little nervous), but the Bender/Zoidberg clip was kind of cute and funny so at least that pairing seems like it’ll work nicely. (I mean, if they’re going to lean into this whole Bender-is-a-third-wheel-to-Fry-and-Leela thing, it seems sort of natural for him and Zoidberg to bond over their shared status as social outcasts.)

[Reply #589 on:]

Eager for two final synopsis of the season to drop...

[Reply #590 on:]

Two clips for "Rage Against the Vaccine" here and here.

Of the episodes we have descriptions for, this is the one I've been looking forward to the least...though I guess it's still pretty relevant and well-timed, considering the current summer surge in COVID cases. On that note, my one prediction for this episode is they'll make an omicron joke. I mean, how could they not?

As for the clips themselves, the Bill Nye cameo was unexpected but amusing enough. I was actually more interested in the Hermes/LaBarbara scene (which did give me a legitimate chuckle with the zombie joke)—I'm wondering if this episode will be more of an ensemble piece not unlike "How the West Was 1010001." If so, hopefully it manages its various plot threads more deftly.

[Reply #591 on:]

Yep, I think you’re probably right there. I suspect it’ll go for “Three Hundred Big Boys” or “The Prisoner of Benda” vibe, but with what everyone is up to during the pandemic.

You’ve got Amy dealing with her kids. You’ve got Fry, Leela and Bender all cooped up together — perfect opportunity to explore some of that “this person is getting on my nerves now we live together” relationship stuff. You’ve got probably some subplot about Zoidberg being able to be sociable if he’s socially distant because they can’t smell him. Maybe we’ll get the long awaited Professor / Scruffy team up.

And then there’s this plot with Hermes.

Of course, it might just be a Hermes episode with that trip being the main focus and the rest of the office trying to adjust to remote work being the subplot.

[Reply #592 on:]

Two clips for "Rage Against the Vaccine" here and here.
On that note, my one prediction for this episode is they'll make an omicron joke. I mean, how could they not?

Oh yes, I rememer one clip showing another Omicronian attack, so its given.

[Reply #593 on:]

We now have a description for “The Prince and the Product,” and let me tell ya, it sounds like trash:

The crew members are reborn as toys.

I have to assume (hope?) that it’s an anthology-style episode, because if this is a canon episode of the show it sounds about on-par with one of the lesser scripts for the comics.

[Reply #594 on:]

I have read somewhere - possibly on Reddit - The Prince and the Product has been confirmed as being an anthology episode, but I'm not sure about the source (one of the writers saying as much on Twitter? Pre-strike, possibly?).

[Reply #595 on:]

Well, I don´t know how people here feel about post-FOX anthologies. I think I liked Reincarnation and that was pretty much it. So, I am not looking forward to this but as always, one can be pleasently surprised.

[Reply #596 on:]

I think general consensus is that the CC anthology episodes—with the very important exception of “Reincarnation,” which was hilarious and brilliant—were utter crap. I haven’t rewatched any of them in a number of years, but I recall being mostly unbothered by “Naturama” because it wasn’t so much unfunny or cringeworthy as it was…conceptually perplexing. I don’t know why the show has abandoned the AOI, What-If formula from the original run; some of those individual segments are better than others, but the episodes as a whole are a pretty good time. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, fellas.

[Reply #597 on:]

I think general consensus is that the CC anthology episodes—with the very important exception of “Reincarnation,” which was hilarious and brilliant—were utter crap. I haven’t rewatched any of them in a number of years, but I recall being mostly unbothered by “Naturama” because it wasn’t so much unfunny or cringeworthy as it was…conceptually perplexing. I don’t know why the show has abandoned the AOI, What-If formula from the original run; some of those individual segments are better than others, but the episodes as a whole are a pretty good time. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, fellas.

OK, glad I´m not the only one. I really would like to see AOI continue. Not very interested in either this neither "Futurama Mystery Liberry".

[Reply #598 on:]

Reincarnation was lightning in a bottle. They won't get close to that level again with anthologies. And honestly, the Futurama writing staff were never as good as the Simpsons writing staff at these little triptychs. With the exception of Reincarnation, I guess.

Even the AOI episodes weren't quite as much fun as the Treehouse of Horror episodes of the first half a dozen seasons of The Simpsons. The fact is, the anthology episodes all need a certain je ne c'est quoi to elevate them (including TOH) from filler to genuinely good episodes. And Futurama hasn't managed to get it right as often as it's managed to get it horribly wrong.

And the worst part is, instead of looking for what's missing, it looks like they're as likely to remake Reincarnation seventeen times as a poor copy of itself as they are to actually figure out what's the secret sauce and produce even one more great anthology episode.

[Reply #599 on:]

I really hope it isn't another anthology, because the CC run has shown me nothing good can come from it aside from a half-decent segment or so. I loved Reincarnation, but not so much Naturama or Saturday Morning Fun Pit (although the GI Zapp segment was alot of fun. Kinda wish this season had that zapp-centered episode they talked about wanting to do years ago but it seems it'll never happen now)