A Nightmare Scenario

[on:]

An unsettling thought hit me over the weekend.

From the information we have on Futurama's fourth production season, the writers were going to great lengths to tie up loose threads.  For example, "Leela's Homeworld" solved the mystery of Leela's origins, "The Why of Fry" is supposed to reveal why Fry was brought to the future, and "The Devil's Hands..." concerns Fry's feelings for Leela, and according to David X. Cohen, was written to provide some kind of satisfying cap to the show in case it was cancelled.

Now we don't know too much about "The Devil's Hands...", but for all we know it might be a really great way to finish the series.

Which brings me to the "nightmare scenario" - What if FOX did decide to renew the show, and it either jumps the shark totally, or in some way detracts from the first four seasons?

[Reply #1 on:]

If that ever happened, whish is very doubtful. But we could just banish the episodes to a forbidden planet, maybe Melllvar would like them 

[Reply #2 on:]

They didnt know they were going to be cancelled, so if it is renewed (yeah right!) it would have been written such that its a good ending, but not so that the show is un able to be continued.

[Reply #3 on:]

Who cares!  As long as they renew it!  (I wish!)

[Reply #4 on:]

If they renew it before those episodes air then maybe they won't be shown...

It's not like FOX plan to show them anyway!

[Reply #5 on:]

DXC has always maintained that even though Idle Hands will tie up some loose ends and will bring some finality to the series it is also designed to be open ended in the event that the series is brought back. So really no worries here if it were to be renewed or brought to the big screen as no matter what there would be more avenues to explore in the future.
RM

[Reply #6 on:]

Also, DXC said that Fry would die by a radioactive monkey bite on the last episode. If they were renewed, he'd come back as Radioactive Monkey Man.

[Reply #7 on:]

Radioactive Monkey Man? The show would suck after that.

[Reply #8 on:]

Lol at evan
Is the monkey guntah?

[Reply #9 on:]

I'm completely serious. It was in the April 2002 Cinescape. The same issue where we got all the new information about the final 'season 5' episodes.

[Reply #10 on:]

I can't believe we're discussing the possible renewal of Futurama as a "nightmare scenario", however unlikely the possibility is.

As for Fry dying by monkey bite, that may have been a joke, but even if it wasn't, they wouldn't do that unless they were absolutely sure that it was the last episode they were making, not just "possibly" the last episode.

[Reply #11 on:]

Yeah, but that would also piss off a lot of fans, causing them to flood FOX's inbox with hate-mail.  ...Imagine the chaos!  x___x  Scary.

[Reply #12 on:]

im positive it was a joke. it came off as one when i was reading the article.

[Reply #13 on:]

I haven't read the article, but I doubt DXC meant it seriously.

For one thing why would the executive producer of a show be giving away such crucial plot points about an as yet unaired episode?

Besides, killing off Fry would be like TNG killing off Data.  It'll never happen! 

.
.
.
.
  Bastards

[Reply #14 on:]

data was killed off in the latest movie star treck nemisis...but I doubt it'll stay that way for long.  They'll find a way to get him back easily enough, but it'll suck if they kill off fry....  I don't even wanna think about it.

[Reply #15 on:]

Even if Data stays dead, they've got that other android to replace him.  But it may be a moot point if Nemesis turns out to be the final TNG movie.

[Reply #16 on:]

All I know is... it better all be a joke!--or else.  >:P  Rarr.

[Reply #17 on:]

 

Originally posted by LittleMiss:
Yeah, but that would also piss off a lot of fans, causing them to flood FOX's inbox with hate-mail.  ...Imagine the chaos!  x___x  Scary.

Pfff... as if Fox would give a flying crap.

[Reply #18 on:]

Well, I kinda agree that more Futurama is better than no Futurama, and I really hope that the writers, whether old or new, keep to the same kind of show we all know, rather tan flying off somewhere, turning it into a sitcom like Friends.
But of course, this is all if Futurama is renewed....

 

Originally posted by PCC Fred:
Even if Data stays dead, they've got that other android to replace him.  But it may be a moot point if Nemesis turns out to be the final TNG movie.

Hmm, I don't know. From all the adverts the phrase "one final journey" came out suggesting that it might be. But I haven't seen the film, so I don't know how it wraps up things.
Except Data. Noooooooooooooooooooo! 

[Reply #19 on:]

Supposedly, due to the dire box office figures, "Nemesis" has indeed been declared the last "pure" TNG film (by which I mean future films may have characters from DS9, VOY or a hybrid). Patrick Stewart has also indicated this, saying the TNG cast "don't want to outstay their welcome".

[Reply #20 on:]

Fred, I've also had this thought. It is indeed disturbing, and I've now gotten over Futurama's death with this thought:

Futurama  died with dignity, and will be remembered as a great show. Matt Groening's next project will be even more successful, and will gain recognition or FOX will suffer his mighty wrath.

It's cold comfort, but it's all that's available.

[Reply #21 on:]

It's explicitely stated that the final episode DOES NOT bring closure to the series. It just caps it. It's Futurama's hat. Besides, it'll just be a Parasites Lost clone. Something happens to Fry that has good aspects (the same aspects) and bad, and stuff happens, and their's holophoners. Personally, I'm much more worried 'Why Of Fry' could take something away from it. *Whimper*

Hopefully it'll be a silly little Terminator spoof, and we can get on with our lives.

[Reply #22 on:]

Since DXC said it wasn't open-ended, that would imply that there was some kind of closure.  You can acheive closure without stopping the series dead.

Example: If Fry and Leela were to get together at the end of the episode, that'd be a nice ending in the event of the series being cancelled, but it would still be possible to carry on the series if it was renewed.

[Reply #23 on:]

Yeah, but it would suck with them together, (like mad about you [sucked even MORE] when they had a baby) despite what everyone on this board says, and it would feel incredibly cheap having them splitup on the series 5 premiere, or thereabouts. So I guess I see what you mean, somewhat. Now I'm wondering if they're still together at the end of the ep...

[Reply #24 on:]

Data 's dead? Oh thanks for spoiling it for me.

Christ, I haven't even seen any trailers in local cinemas, only on the net.

[Reply #25 on:]

I haven't seen it either. BECAUSE IT'S FOR NERDS! AHAHAHA. Nah, I kid. I was up really late one night for some reason, and saw the ep 'Data's Day'. Then also for some reason, I was looking up Star Trek stuff, and I saw that posted. That sucks. Data rules.

[Reply #26 on:]

 

Originally posted by ZombieJesus:
Data 's dead? Oh thanks for spoiling it for me.

Christ, I haven't even seen any trailers in local cinemas, only on the net.

Ditto. I've been ambushed by spoilers, in a Futurama thread.

Anyway, it's about time they made a DS9 movie. Lot's of interesting loose ends to pick up in that part of the franchise.

If FOX renews Futurama it wont suck. It will probably feel a bit different (depending on how many of the original cast can be brought back), but it wont suck.

I'm pretty sure they wont stumble into the same trap "Friends" fell into. I don't think "Idle Hands.." will end with Leela and Fry as a couple, but rather have them standing at the beginning of what could be a beautiful relationship.

See my post on the "Leela/Fry" thread in "Human resource" to read my take on "Idle Hands Are The Devils Playthings" (or whatever, I can never remember that episodetitle).

[Reply #27 on:]

 

Originally posted by PCC Fred:
Now we don't know too much about "The Devil's Hands

Speak for yourself, from the brief synopsis I've read I've (probably) worked out the entire episode.

And yes a DS9 movie would be cool. I can see it now, Star Trek: The Search For Sisko's Baseball.

[Reply #28 on:]

What makes me think about the fry death theorie is this sketch from "the devils hands...."

[Reply #29 on:]

Actually, that's from "The Sting", Bender-1729. The TLZ guys made a mistake.

[Reply #30 on:]

Sure?

Ok. Forget everything I said. 

[Reply #31 on:]

 

Originally posted by Bender-1729:
Sure?

Sarge told us a couple of months back.

I don't know I have a lot of memories about that post. ::presses button:: And now they're gone.

[Reply #32 on:]

 

Originally posted by ZombieJesus:
Data 's dead? Oh thanks for spoiling it for me.

Christ, I haven't even seen any trailers in local cinemas, only on the net.

Yeah, ditto here.  I'm kind of pissed right now that I just read that - I haven't watched Nemesis yet.  I'm kind of a big Star Trek fan, but I decided to wait for the DVD of Nemesis.  Now, apparently, the ending is ruined for me.  Shit.  Just a suggestion, but if you're going to give away a major spoiler for anything, put it in spoiler code, or at least warn about it
 

Anyway, I'm pretty convinced now that Fry will not die from monkey bite, and that he most likely won't die at all - lets face it, you don't kill of the main character in a comedy.  It's just not funny.

[Reply #33 on:]

   

Originally posted by Teral:
  Ditto. I've been ambushed by spoilers, in a Futurama thread.

I can see how that would be annoying.

   

Originally posted by Teral:
Anyway, it's about time they made a DS9 movie. Lot's of interesting loose ends to pick up in that part of the franchise.

Personally, I feel VOY fans (such as myself) got throughly and totally somethinged      by "EndGame". That episode was pathetic for a season finale, let alone a series finale. Not having seen the DS9 finale (or even most of DS9 for that matter), I can't quote specifics, but

Show spoiler

isn't Sisko "dead"?

. Sounds like a pretty major plot point to write around, certainly more significant than Worf's "coincidental"
      encounters with the TNG crew in the movies.

I won't for a minute state that Voyager was better than DS9 (those DS9 eps I have seen, I really enjoyed - I know it's shallow, but the huge space battle at the Battle of DS9 is one of my favourite CGI scenes ever), but it has to take the cake for ["drumroll"] "Most Plot Threads left Untied".

I still think that rather than risk "Jumping The Shark", as it were, by rushing into a new season of Futurama (if it's renewed) with a new pool of inexperienced writers (god forbid, current "Simpsons" writers     ), it could be better to wait a few months or even a year to see how much of the original team can be swayed back. But I understand that the American TV market moves too fast for that.

BTW, here's a question I've been dying to ask regarding US TV - what's the significance of February for "Sweeps"? Did Network execs just pick the one month when everybody's working all the time to compete for ratings?

EDIT: And now I'm a Bending Unit. Hooray for me!   

[Reply #34 on:]

 

Originally posted by CyberKnight:
    Personally, I feel VOY fans (such as myself) got throughly and totally somethinged      by "EndGame". That episode was pathetic for a season finale, let alone a series finale. Not having seen the DS9 finale (or even most of DS9 for that matter), I can't quote specifics, but

Show spoiler

isn't Sisko "dead"?

. Sounds like a pretty major plot point to write around, certainly more significant than Worf's "coincidental"
      encounters with the TNG crew in the movies.

In order not to drag this thread completely off-topic, I'll refrain to comment on V'Ger, but as for your spiler-question:

Show spoiler

Sisko's mother was one of the Prophets, meaning Sisko is a Prophet too. In the last episode (What You Leave Behind) Sisko and Dukat fall into the inferno of the Fire Caves. Whereas Dukat sadly died (or at the least suffers with the Pahwraiths), Sisko was taken to the Celestial Temple by his mother. He was told that the time has come for him "to rest" for a while. So he isn't dead as such, but probably reside in limbo, so bringing Sisko back would not be a problem. It was even hinted in WYLB that he would return someday.

I won't for a minute state that Voyager was better than DS9 (those DS9 eps I have seen, I really enjoyed - I know it's shallow, but the huge space battle at the Battle of DS9 is one of my favourite CGI scenes ever), but it has to take the cake for ["drumroll"] "Most Plot Threads left Untied".

I agree on both accouints, that's why a DS9 movie sounds like a good idea, lots of stories to pick up, and not to mention some of the most interesting characters ever seen in Trek.
 

I still think that rather than risk "Jumping The Shark", as it were, by rushing into a new season of Futurama (if it's renewed) with a new pool of inexperienced writers (god forbid, current "Simpsons" writers      ), it could be better to wait a few months or even a year to see how much of the original team can be swayed back. But I understand that the American TV market moves too fast for that.

It would be a good idea to get as many of the riginal cast back as possible. If it meant postponing production a few weeks it might be possible as David and Matt could write the first few episodes themself. But more than a month doesn't sound possible.

[Reply #35 on:]

 

Originally posted by CyberKnight:
BTW, here's a question I've been dying to ask regarding US TV - what's the significance of February for "Sweeps"? Did Network execs just pick the one month when everybody's working all the time to compete for ratings?

Sweeps is a time period where the metered ratings is expanded to National rather than top 50 markets.  This will decide which broadcast networks get the most money in ad revenue since it is the most accurate indicator of what people in USA watch. 
Since Fox don't advertise Futurama in the USA, it would be unwise to air it.  Sweeps happen on during the middle of the broadcasting seasons months of a year November and Febuary are sweep period.

That is also when broadcast stations use gimicks to make people watch, like the millions of Michael Jackson news programs. 

[Reply #36 on:]

What was the thread about again? Star Trek or about an unlikely Futurama renewal?

Three things to add:

1. About DS9
   

Prophet:
"He is "the" Sisko!"

2. About ST:Nemesis
Data's Death was overdue, and he acted in that film like an android with suicidal tendencies...       

3. About VOY
   

Q:
"And that's what you get, when you put a woman in the Captain's Chair!"

------------------
vIta'pu'be

[Reply #37 on:]

Hm they might kill Fry in what if story =P
Since Fry was person who havent died yet in neither of AOI;s

[Reply #38 on:]

I'm not totally sure on this, but I don't think there's another "What If?" story.

[Reply #39 on:]

I was under the impression that the farnsworth parabox was possibly a THOH format episode, I could be wrong tho