To A Cartoon Dying Young

[on:]

   While we all agree it's tragic that Futurama was cut down in its prime, I also detect among posters here some measure of relief that, in dying early, the show was spared the indignity of "jumping the shark."  Especially in light of the slow and painful decline in quality on the Simpsons, which provides an ideal and accessible object lesson in the fate of shows people just can't let go of in time.
   This all reminds me very much of the philosophy of the turn-of-the-century English poet A.E. Housman.  His view is that, while it is tragic to die young, it is pathetic to grow old, and the one evil may be lesser than the other.  It is better to burn out, they say, than fade away.  This is very movingly captured in his poem "to an athlete dying young."  This, in an ironic twist, is the very same poem Krusty excerpts in one of his innumerable attempts to retire, on the Simpsons.  Whenever I read this poem (which is in the public domain), it always reminds me of the fate of Futurama:

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

   This isn't really one of those yes-or-no questionnaire threads, I'm sure questions like this have been asked before, but I want to find out what people think of this philosophy regarding Futurama; who will travel the stoic road and agree that an early death at the height of the show's glory and dignity befits it best, and who says "screw dignity as long as we get more Futurama!"

[Reply #1 on:]

I'm glad its over because I find it already dropping off... I like the season 2 and 3 episodes much better than the recent ones.

I also don't want a movie and I'm not too happy about the game.

[Reply #2 on:]

Wow, quite a naysayer alexvilagosh. But I agree somewhat, I think a movie would be really cool and a game even cool though. But I agree the episodes have been slipping.

[Reply #3 on:]

I disagree completely. I think Futurama died *before* its prime. Sure, 4ACV had some mediocre episodes, but it also had some of the best ones. Futurama's fate is the exact opposite of that of The Simpsons.

[Reply #4 on:]

Sure the game is cool and a movie would be good, it would cheapen and crappen the whole of Futurama.

[Reply #5 on:]

How so?

[Reply #6 on:]

What he said.^

 

Originally posted by alexvilagosh:


I also don't want a movie...

How can you not want a movie?

[Reply #7 on:]

I'm somewhere in between. I am glad that Futurama never 'Jumped the shark' but I think there was at least one good season left. A movie would be great in a way, but it would have to be at the standard of one of the better episodes, or else it would "cheapen and crappen the whole of Futurama".

[Reply #8 on:]

It will cheapen Futurama. It is meant for 22 minute episodes. For a movie something really crappy and unimaginative would have to happen, like Fry and Leela getting together or something. I'd rather be held wondering for the rest of time.

[Reply #9 on:]

SLIPPING!?  No, I LOVE these recent ones!  Or maybe you feel that way cause they're trying to wrap up the series in just a few eps.  A movie would so ROCK!!!!

[Reply #10 on:]

 

Originally posted by *alexvilagosh*:
*For a movie something really crappy and unimaginative would have to happen,*

Either that or they would get to use the bigger budget to make something that causes your eyeballs to liquify from pure ecstasy.....

[Reply #11 on:]

to the people who are relieved Futurama died early:

ok, jumping the shark is bad, we all agree. But lets say that if allowed to continue Futurama didn't begin to jump the shark till the begining of season 9. Well by ending it at season 4 we just lost out of 4 quality seasons And if each season was about 20 eps and lets say each season had 5 bad eps, that's still 60 quality eps we will never see. As far as i'm concerned, Futurama was getting better, not worse it hasn't even begun to hit it's prime. At the very least i want a movie to tie up all of the loose ends.

[Reply #12 on:]

 

For a movie something really crappy and unimaginative would have to happen, like Fry and Leela getting together or something.

On behalf of all the shippers in the Futurama community, I give you a virtual bitchslap for that remark.
Heh, just kidding.    Seriously though, Futurama had some excellent plotlines that spanned the entire length of the show. They could easily come up with grade-A movie material. It doesn't *have* to be written to last 22 minutes to be good and to be Futurama. And working something like Fry and Leela getting together into the movie can be done in a very good way, without making it "crappy and unimaginative".

[Reply #13 on:]

i think u only like the earlier eps cos u didnt analyse them so much when they came out, try watching the new ones with the eyes u used to

[Reply #14 on:]

Think about it, if they made Leela and Fry together, how would they end it? WOuld they stay together and live happily ever after? Too corny. Would they break up? And destroy the dreams of you shipper folks? I would think not.

 

SLIPPING!? No, I LOVE these recent ones! Or maybe you feel that way cause they're trying to wrap up the series in just a few eps. A movie would so ROCK!!!!

They recent ones have been tying ends really, and not all that funny, and TOO BLOODY SHIPPY, and 300 Big Boys was 14th season Simpsons material.

 

On behalf of all the shippers in the Futurama community, I give you a virtual bitchslap for that remark.

Bitch! That really hurt! :P

It's better to quit while your ahead!

[Reply #15 on:]

 

Originally posted by alexvilagosh:
Think about it, if they made Leela and Fry together, how would they end it? WOuld they stay together and live happily ever after? Too corny. Would they break up? And destroy the dreams of you shipper folks? I would think not.

Well, they can maybe have an ending simular to Farnsworth Parabox.  Besides, if there is a movie, I think the shippiness should be a sub- plot.  Also Like in Farnsorth Parabox.

[Reply #16 on:]

Hey why don't they do a movie where the professor creates another universe in a box and the people in there are like the real characters! And there is a Leela with red hair! And she's married to Fry!

[Reply #17 on:]

happy ever after isn't corny. Theres only really 2 ways to end any movie. with a happy ending or a sad one. Romantic movie or not you either leave feeling good or not.

[Reply #18 on:]

That's why a movie wouldn't be a good idea...

[Reply #19 on:]

Three ways, Venus. Happy, sad, and bitter-sweet.

[Reply #20 on:]

oh yeah, bitter-sweet, that too.

Those three ways also apply to tv shows Alex, only with the added option of just stopping in its tracks. Which Futurama is way to good for.

[Reply #21 on:]

A movie could work, but it could alo suck. And as you can see from the mixed reviews and opinions of most, if not all episodes, it's hard to please everyone.

[Reply #22 on:]

A movie would also probably be (co)written by DXC, and the two eps he wrote were pure genius.

[Reply #23 on:]

I think a Futurama movie would work because it is more of a story then, say, Family Guy.

[Reply #24 on:]

Also, keep in mind that Futurama was always intended for a bigger stage than TV.  Matt Groening has said that he wanted to build a theme park.  I'm sure his original vision is plenty broad to include anything we might ever want to see in a feature film.

[Reply #25 on:]

What episodes did DXC write?

[Reply #26 on:]

I think the modern obsesion with timelessnes is somewhat missused in the place of Television.

While yes we grow fond of characters and yes we enjoy seeing what new wonders occur them. Not everything has to last forever.
 
Is a Summer of discovery and wonder cheapened by the fact that it ends mere months after it starts? Is a sunset less breathtaking because it lasts but six minutes? Is the wonder of Life on earth meaningless because in less then 5 billion years there will be no earth left in the universe?

Futurama was what it was. And a Movie may happen. or it may not. But because it ends does not lessen it's greatness. I prefer to look back and enjoy what Futurama is for all 72 episodes. It's after all not a bad number really.

[Reply #27 on:]

Originally posted by alexvilagosh:
What episodes did DXC write?

Written by David X. Cohen:

• "Space Pilot 3000" (with Matt Groening)
• "Xmas Story"
• "Raiders of the Lost Arcade" from AOI2
• "The Why of Fry"

[Reply #28 on:]

I haven't seen The Why Of Fry yet, but the others are all top notch.

[Reply #29 on:]

 

Originally posted by mazaite:
I think the modern obsesion with timelessnes is somewhat missused in the place of Television.

While yes we grow fond of characters and yes we enjoy seeing what new wonders occur them. Not everything has to last forever.
 
Is a Summer of discovery and wonder cheapened by the fact that it ends mere months after it starts? Is a sunset less breathtaking because it lasts but six minutes? Is the wonder of Life on earth meaningless because in less then 5 billion years there will be no earth left in the universe?

Futurama was what it was. And a Movie may happen. or it may not. But because it ends does not lessen it's greatness. I prefer to look back and enjoy what Futurama is for all 72 episodes. It's after all not a bad number really.

Yeah, this is the kind of response I was looking for.  A lot of the discussion has revolved around either saying "Futurama should continue because it hasn't started to suck yet" or "yes it has started to suck."  But who has the guts to say "Futurama should remain dead precisely because it was still so damn good when they stopped it."

[Reply #30 on:]

I am really torn about this. While I do feel that a show should leave on top, I think that a movie could tie up some things that the final season won't. Of course we would have to see what's left over after The Devil's hands are idle playthings. I think that if Groening and company leave several unanswered questions, a movie or just a special one hour series finale would not be out of the question.

[Reply #31 on:]

Why is everybody always knocking season 4?

There's no doubting that it had overall problems (overlly pretentious shippyness) and bad episodes (Kif gets knocked up) but so does every season of every show.

IMO, the worst part of season 4 is the jumps in style. Drama/Comedy/Abstract Randomness. But even that's not a huge problem.

Stop whining, you stupid whiners. If you don't like Futurama... DON'T WATCH IT!

[Reply #32 on:]

shippiness isn't a problem. At least it isn't for a good number of us.

[Reply #33 on:]

Originally posted by Mercapto:
  Written by David X. Cohen:

• "Space Pilot 3000" (with Matt Groening)
• "Xmas Story"
• "Raiders of the Lost Arcade" from AOI2
• "The Why of Fry"

Didn't he also write the third What-If story for AOI1 (the one where Fry doesn't get frozen)? And I also thought he co-wrote The Day The Earth Stood Stupid, too?

[Reply #34 on:]

Right, I forgot about Fry's segment in AOI1.

"The Day Earth Stood Stupid" had teleplay by Jeff Westbrook, and story by Jeff Westbrook and David X. Cohen.

[Reply #35 on:]

i just want closure. that was why i was so pissed about Farscape's cancellation, no closure at all. actually if you watched the last episode it had the complete opposite of closure.

[Reply #36 on:]

@evilmonkey
*Not 100% sure about this* The last episode in season 5 (futurama not farscape) was whipped up just before the show got cancelled, just in case it did get cancelled, so we should get a 'final' episode and not a 'last' episode if you get my meaning.

EDIT: Got this idea from CGEF or www.TVtome.com  cant remember which one

[Reply #37 on:]

Ditto on the FarScape comment, that was a brilliant cliff hanger, but crap for an ending.

Dignity?  Screw it.

I still think a movie would be best, but only if it's done well.  My fear is that it would become a "slap something on the screen to make $$$ only" proposition, and would suck.

[Reply #38 on:]

Do you have like no faith in Groening at all? if they did do a movie it would probably be written or at least co-written by Groening and Cohen, and they wouldn't allow it to be just scrapped together. They legitimately love the show and would want it to translate well on the big screen. You all act like Fox itself would write the script. No. They would just supply the money. (or not)

[Reply #39 on:]

53% new footage

HAvnt seen the  last ep of farscape, but i for one, hate definitive endings. LEaving unanswered questions is the best way to do things, and a way of silencing the fanboys.