How Futurama could have been saved...

[on:]

... and why I'm glad it wasn't....

The more I look into the history of Fox, the more I'm sure that, if Groening and Cohen had gone to Fox and asked for help, the show would have averted cancellation, gotten a better timeslot, and even been advertised--but that it wouldn't have been nearly as good as show anymore.

I could go into examples from various Fox shows, but there's no better example than Ally McBeal.

Season 4: The ratings are in the toilet, and Fox is considering cancellation. David E. Kelley calls up and said, "Hey, guys, can you help me save my show?"

He asked for their creative input, and got it--along with a doubled advertising budget, big-name new stars (Robert Downey Jr. and Christina Ricci don't come cheap), and an all-out blitz to make sure everyone remembered Ally at awards time. Even after months of no return, they still kept throwing good money after bad--they even gave them a two-hour special with Matthew Perry as a guest star--before finally letting Kelley pull the plug himself after five seasons. (And giving him at least one new series, despite Boston Public's ratings going steadily downhill.)

All networks like to have as much creative control as possible, but Fox seems to be especially neurotic about it--their dream situation is to tell the creator, "You can do whatever you want," then have them come crawling back and say, "I want your help, because I truly respect your creatve input." That seems to be more important to them than even money.

If Groening and Cohen had done this--especially after demanding so vehemently that Fox stay out of their way--I think Fox would have had a sudden love affair with the show, and we'd be seeing it for another few years, possibly even at 8:30 on Sunday.

But Fox would have tampered with it--and, even worse, Groening and Cohen would have gotten frustrated and begun to disown the show (can you say "Simpsons" anyone?).

Would you want to watch a watered-down Futurama gradually dying over two or three years? Not me. I'm glad Groening is a crotchety, stubborn bastard.... But I'm wondering if everyone else would agree?

[Reply #1 on:]

i dunno
a not so good futurama is better than no futurama
but then  maybe the cancellation will start matt working on other projects that would be better
than the watered down futurama

[Reply #2 on:]

i would rather have no futurama than a cheap watered down bastardization of it. I want more Futurama, of course, but i want it at the standard and quality that we're all used too.

[Reply #3 on:]

I think it could've still lasted a few more years if not longer.  But a movie would be a good way for more of it rather than the chance of it going downhill. here's hoping for a movie. *fingers crossed*

[Reply #4 on:]

To be honest, I think it ended at just the right time. Already, several episodes were showcasing that lack of intelligent humor that "The Simpsons" was notorious for under Mike Scully's rule (4ACV04 "Less Than Hero", 4ACV16 "Three Hundred Big Boys", 3ACV16 "A Leela of Her Own", etc.), and I wouldn't want "Futurama" Seasons 6-8 to be the same as "The Simpsons" Seasons 10-12.

[Reply #5 on:]

"i dunno
a not so good futurama is better than no futurama"

No way - Futurama has to be excellent or gone. A rubbish Futurama would just be an insult to everyone who worked on it.

[Reply #6 on:]

I think the whole reason we all got into Futurama was that there was no room for shoddy workmanship.  Loyalty to the show is because it doesn't pull punches or fear people's toes getting a good treading. 
Futurama may have died early but it is leaving a very beautiful corpse.

[Reply #7 on:]

 

Originally posted by ThreeDLou:
I think the whole reason we all got into Futurama was that there was no room for shoddy workmanship.  Loyalty to the show is because it doesn't pull punches or fear people's toes getting a good treading. 
Futurama may have died early but it is leaving a very beautiful corpse.

That was the best post I have ever read.

[Reply #8 on:]

I'd rather hold out hope that Cartoon Network will pay for a few new good episodes than watch four more years of Futurama with the jokes dumbed down to make it more marketable.

[Reply #9 on:]

Thank you, bboynfuel.  That was nice to say.

[Reply #10 on:]

On this subject, I kinda have to laugh. While it's true Fox didn't like being shut out creatively, we have to remember that "I, Roommate" was done according to Fox's specifications and everyone who has Season 1 on DVD knows what they thought of that.

Now, if they didn't like that episode, one wonders if control over Futurama could have saved it. I'm not sure honestly. If anything I think as long as it was on Fox, it was watered down. There are still rules about what's too taboo for TV, and they seem to be different for every station. Now, obviously the show got away with a lot, but it could have gotten away with more in my opinion.

Now, can it be watered down more? Sure. Would I have liked this to happen? Of course not. Could it have been saved? Not unless The Simpsons had been frozen instead. In Fox's eyes, it was doomed when they realized the skin pigment wasn't yellow.

I've said my two cents. Thank you.

[Reply #11 on:]

actually, u can still catch Futurama on Cartoon network monday-thursday @11:30pm, only fox cancelled it.

[Reply #12 on:]

Yeh but they are not new episodes Tahir. They are just dumped Fox episodes.

[Reply #13 on:]

I'd rather have Futurama cancelled than continue with FOX tampering.  I shudder at the thought of Futurama being made into a clone of the current Simpsons by "help" from FOX.  I think Allen is has something there.  FOX didn't like Futurama even when they did have input.  I don't think Futurama could survive with the current way the FOX network is run.

[Reply #14 on:]

 

Originally posted by Venus:
i would rather have no futurama than a cheap watered down bastardization of it. I want more Futurama, of course, but i want it at the standard and quality that we're all used too.

Exactly!

And in IMO, things started to get a bit more patchy in Season 4, so I'm kinda glad it's ended on an overall high 

[Reply #15 on:]

As much as I want to go on a monstrous rampage every time someones says "it's good that the show ended because it was already going downhill", the one thing I do agree on is that there are worse fates than cancellation, and FOX would be very capable of subjecting Futurama to them.

[Reply #16 on:]

Giving FOX creative control (or at least joint control) of the show might've saved it, but I'm glad Matt and David told them to stuff it.

From the commentaries on "I, Roommate" is clear that even FOX didn't know what they wanted to do with the show. That episode was made following FOX' pointers almost to the letter, and they hated it. Jeez, way to be logic about things Alfa, Beta and Gamma.

Matt (and I'm sure David agreed) told them; "we're doing this my way". FOX: "We don't like the sound of that". Matt: "That's just too bad. Now get out of my office". As a result we have 72 wonderful episodes (although I'm not too sure about "A Pharaoh To Remember"  ) to cheerish, and not some FOX bastard grinding along year after year (no, this is not a reference to The Simpsons, I'm making a point here).

oops, I just realised I'm simply echoing every single post already made in this thread. I'll shut up now.

</rant>

[Reply #17 on:]

Wow. Until Payn made this thread, I never considered this. Well as Payn mentioned we don't want another show like The Simpsons (still in my top ten favs) that is tampered with, but perhaps Groening could have approched Fox in a different way. Im really not sure how they could have but they at least should have tried. Maybe Matt was secretly tired of the show (doubtful, but maybe).

[Reply #18 on:]

 

Originally posted by Garbage Picker:
Maybe Matt was secretly tired of the show (doubtful, but maybe).

Um, I'd have to say no to that.

[Reply #19 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jesse X Barboza:
To be honest, I think it ended at just the right time. Already, several episodes were showcasing that lack of intelligent humor that "The Simpsons" was notorious for under Mike Scully's rule (4ACV04 "Less Than Hero", 4ACV16 "Three Hundred Big Boys", 3ACV16 "A Leela of Her Own", etc.), and I wouldn't want "Futurama" Seasons 6-8 to be the same as "The Simpsons" Seasons 10-12.

Horay! Someone has the same opinion as me! Finally someone with sense! Season 5 was    compared to season 2 and 3! It was pulling off a Simpsons!

No movie, no movie, your cheapening Futurama!

[Reply #20 on:]

 

Originally posted by alexvilagosh:
 

Originally posted by Jesse X Barboza:
To be honest, I think it ended at just the right time. Already, several episodes were showcasing that lack of intelligent humor that "The Simpsons" was notorious for under Mike Scully's rule (4ACV04 "Less Than Hero", 4ACV16 "Three Hundred Big Boys", 3ACV16 "A Leela of Her Own", etc.), and I wouldn't want "Futurama" Seasons 6-8 to be the same as "The Simpsons" Seasons 10-12.

Horay! Someone has the same opinion as me! Finally someone with sense! Season 5 was    compared to season 2 and 3! It was pulling off a Simpsons!

No movie, no movie, your cheapening Futurama!

I can't even begin to say how much I disagree with you. 

[Reply #21 on:]

and you people call yourself fans! pfft, Zoidberg is the real fan! Hooray!

[Reply #22 on:]

 

Originally posted by User_names_suck:
a not so good futurama is better than no futurama

Are you sure about that? I think a lot of people (like me) would disagree with you on that point.

[Reply #23 on:]

me too

[Reply #24 on:]

 

Originally posted by User_names_suck:
a not so good futurama is better than no futurama

Originally posted by zoidyzoid:
 Are you sure about that? I think a lot of people (like me) would disagree with you on that point.

Any Futurama is better than no Futurama (it's that whole 'division by zero' thing).

I've said it before, I'll say it again:
 
If, by some miracle, CN (for example only) produces new Futurama ep's,
I'LL WATCH THEM!
 
Having said that:
Whether or not I keep watching them depends on the quality of the show.
     
Okay, I'll shut up now...

[Reply #25 on:]

Yes, to hell with those who say season 4 is going downhill! to hell, i say!