Why did they do it!

[on:]

Hate to open up old wounds but I have been wondering what happened to Futurama.  I did a search and stumbled on to www.gotfuturama.com  which directed me here.  I saw the RIP notice much to my horror.  Why would Fox do something like that?  To replace it with that piece of Japanese show garbage to boot!

I just thought that Futurama was being preemted.  It seems that Fox never really did realize this has been one of there most high quality shows since the first couple of years of the Simpsons.  If they needed to preempt a show, it always seemed like Futurama got the ax for the week.

I wish another network would pick up the show and run with it.  If Fox thinks it is so worthless they should let it go at a bargin.

What a bunch of Bozos at Fox! 

[Reply #1 on:]

Well, Cartoon Network is going to start showing all the episodes, come November.

Also, this has been discussed before, be forewarned that PEELers that have been here longer than me will get on your case.

And welcome to PEEL!

[Reply #2 on:]

I relize it has been discussed.  But I just had to vent.  Sorry.  It's almost like lossing an old friend.

I'm glad CN will be airing the old stuff.  But I'd like to see new shows too.   Adult swim is on a bit late for me, so now I have another reason to buy DirectTV with Tivo!

[Reply #3 on:]

Prepare for thread closing in T-minus [however long it takes a moderator to see this thread] seconds.

[Reply #4 on:]

Welcome to PEEL spinnaker 

Futurama's axing by FOX had nothing whatsoever to do with it's popularity.  By all accounts FOX sabotaged it to make sure it didn't succeed.

[Reply #5 on:]

Indeed! FOX didn't like that it wasn't Jetsons meets Simpsons, while the crew wanted to make Futurama its own identity, which they did mah-velously.

[Reply #6 on:]

FOX executives work in mysterious ways. And by mysterious I mean stupid.

Various theories have been sugested: bad ratings, a pissing contest with Matt Groening over creative control of the show, a completely lack of understanding what the show was about, etc.

Th second and third one probably carry the largest part of the blame, since that resulted in the aforementioned bad ratings when FOX started to preempt it and placed it in the Death Slot.

Welcome to PEEL. Enjoy it here.

[Reply #7 on:]

As above mentioned, it's their stupidity...  As we notice lately Fox likes to copy other station for ratings with crap like Reality Tv....

[Reply #8 on:]

....uhm...and there are no rumours or something that cn might pick up the show AND the production ?  Really ? no rumours...?

[Reply #9 on:]

Of course there are rumours, but there's nothing solid yet. They don't exactly seem to keep the fact that they can't afford it a secret, so all rumours about it can easily be dismissed as gossip.

[Reply #10 on:]

Has there ever been something like that in the tv world ? I mean...a show that was cancelled and picked up by another channel a year or two later ?

[Reply #11 on:]

Of course.

I can't think of any examples, but it HAS happened many times.

[Reply #12 on:]

...i guess good ol´Matt is tied and locked with a lot of contracts to Fox...so that even if a other channel would pick the show it wouldnt be possible...think of all the merchandise...i bet the people of Fox still earning enough from Futurama stuff.

[Reply #13 on:]

I just think it's a shame that Futurama's popularity is beginning to soar only now after it's been cancelled. If only the show was getting THIS much recognition when Fox were considering ordering a fifth season or not... 

[Reply #14 on:]

yeah. Thats true. I mean...nearly all of my friends liked the show from the beginning. Even people who had their probs with the show  got into it...so...i dont know. They wanted something like a second simpsons show...but futurama wasnt for the whole family...whatever...
youre right ..now that the attention rises it could possible be that  ? Wishfull thinking of a poor Fanboy i know.

[Reply #15 on:]

 

Originally posted by Telly:
Has there ever been something like that in the tv world ? I mean...a show that was cancelled and picked up by another channel a year or two later ?

Men Behaving Badly was cancelled by ITV after one season. The BBC then picked it up, replaced one of the actors and kept it going for something like 10 years.

[Reply #16 on:]

Welcome to PEEL spinnaker and Telly (Hey check it out, he's using one of my avatars  )

 

...i guess good ol´Matt is tied and locked with a lot of contracts to Fox

Thus the Prime reason a movie isn't being made.
Rage no like. Bad Medicine.

 

I just think it's a shame that Futurama's popularity is beginning to soar only now after it's been cancelled. If only the show was getting THIS much recognition when Fox were considering ordering a fifth season or not...

Yeah, although it is good to see FOX getting 'beaten' like that. Rather Satisfying, but if new ones were made i obviously wouldn't mind what they're on, just so long as they are...

[Reply #17 on:]

 

Originally posted by Telly:
Has there ever been something like that in the tv world ? I mean...a show that was cancelled and picked up by another channel a year or two later ?

Al Jean & Mike Reiss' The Critic springs to mind.  First it was on ABC.  Then FOX.  Then there were reruns on Comedy Central.  Then it was an online cartoon.

[Reply #18 on:]

The Critic is now an internet cartoon? 

[Reply #19 on:]

They produced about 10 in 2001.  They don't seem to be making more, though.

*searches for link*

Here.

[Reply #20 on:]

cool...a movie ? That would work and would be damn cool..instead of a simpsons movie.

Gawd i hate fox.

Isnt Mister G. tired of all that simpsons stuff ? It surely was a lot of fun while they where into the futurama productions..you can hear that from the voices of Matt and Cohen while they talked about some scenes on the DVDs.  Any rumours from new projects ?

...but i have to say im more interested in seeing Mr.Zoidberg doing his "my life is in danger" ink thing again.

[Reply #21 on:]

The Critic is a internet cartoon? scince whene?

[Reply #22 on:]

 

Originally posted by Telly:
Has there ever been something like that in the tv world ? I mean...a show that was cancelled and picked up by another channel a year or two later ?

Oh yeah.  Not sure about anywhere else in the world, but in the US several shows have been saved from the scrapheap this way.  For some reason the only ones I can think of at the moment are Mystery Science Theater 3000 (cancelled by Comedy Cental, saved by fan outpouring and picked up by Sci-Fi Channel), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I believe cancelled by WB, then picked up by UPN), and the original Star Trek (not picked up by another channel, but the fans petitioned until whatever channel it was on, ABC or something, un-cancelled it).  I'm sure there've been more but I can't think of any of them.  And from what I've gathered, Cartoon Network would like to make new episodes, but they just don't have the budget.  Or rather, Adult Swim doesn't have the budget; I think Cartoon Network itself might, but AS gets very little budget-wise.  Which is silly.

--Bevin

[Reply #23 on:]

Sometimes a large amount of output from fans CAN bring a show back. Fox weren't originally going to give Family Guy a third season, but the response by the fans saved the show (well, at least for another season anyway) in it's 11th hour. However, I doubt things could go this way for Futurama, as Fox reeeally hated the show.

[Reply #24 on:]

Fox canned the sci-fi show Sliders, without giving it a real ending, so when fans petitioned the sci-fi channel picked it up for 3 more seasons then let it die without a real ending.

[Reply #25 on:]

well...its way to late for some sort of output from fans.  This is so weired...i cant believe that there is no chance to see some new episodes.

What makes the production costs that high hm ? I mean to high for CN ? The 3d cell shading stuff ? nah i dont think so. Look at all the 3d crab they got...Action Man or Beast Transformers...ah whatever all tha clean full 3d shows....the costs are low for all that crab. You cant tell me the few scenes with the rendered Planet Express ship are tooo much for CN ?  ...they would earn a lot...Merch and so on.  Gawd. Matt should have his own channel.

[Reply #26 on:]

Crab?

Errr, anyway - the cost of a single Futurama episode is rumoured to be around $1.6 million, I believe. It's not just the Planet Express ship, the show uses quite a lot of 3D effects - not to mention the rest of the animation and the fact that they have some of the best writers and voice actors around. It adds up, you know.

[Reply #27 on:]

Its the quality of the animation, shows like family guy use less pencil milage than futurama, and William Street shows even reuse old animation. I think the 1.6 mil is a bit high, figures I heard were like $600,000

[Reply #28 on:]

 

Originally posted by Grim:
Its the quality of the animation, shows like family guy use less pencil milage than futurama, and William Street shows even reuse old animation. I think the 1.6 mil is a bit high, figures I heard were like $600,000

This sounds more likely figure. Whatever it was, was well worth it.

Those reality shows are said to be cheap to make, but who wants to watch that POS more than once? (or at all, for that matter).

[Reply #29 on:]

I said it was RUMOURED to be around $1.6 mil - well, that's what I had heard anyway. Rumoured, people - RUMOURED!!! 

[Reply #30 on:]

...Matts site is mattgroening.com then his email address must be matt@mattgroening.com or sumthn...lez ask him :-) i mean...we could all donate...we sure get these lousy 1.6 mils together..for at least one episode hm ? :-D

[Reply #31 on:]

 

Originally posted by Telly:
Has there ever been something like that in the tv world ? I mean...a show that was cancelled and picked up by another channel a year or two later ?

Stargate SG-1 was dumped by Showtime after two seasons, then picked up and put back into production by Sci-Fi two years later and is now in its seventh season, and has been renewed for an eighth.

  on fox!

[Reply #32 on:]

ok fox hates Futurama

but, why ? WHYYYYYYYYYYYY ???
*blows nose in tissue*

What the hell makes our beloved show to be despised by this channel ?  *snort*

[Reply #33 on:]

it amazes me that any animation show costs a lot, because there aren't that many new positions needed to be done, so they could just digitally reuse old pictures and anitamtion, and i'd asume the voice dudes are on an annual or per series paying thing, so 1.6 million seems surprizing

[Reply #34 on:]

Granted 1.6 million is a lot (I think it's more around 1-1.2 million), but considering the quality of practically every aspect of Futurama it's not surprising.

Salaries for writers, producers, directors and a bunch of other staff members.

Animation expenses to Rough Draft Studios, 3D renderings, music licenses and other strictly production related expenses.

I would really hate if they brought Futurama back by reusing old scenes. If I wanted to watch a clip-show I would've stayed with Hannah-Barbera.

[Reply #35 on:]

 

Originally posted by Zoop:
ok fox hates Futurama

but, why ? WHYYYYYYYYYYYY ???   
*blows nose in tissue*

What the hell makes our beloved show to be despised by this channel ?    *snort*

They hate it because it isn't reality TV. Their personal taste is drastically different from that of their audience. If truth be known, FOX hates about half of its shows, which is why there's always so much cancellation on the network. They even hate "The Simpsons", but it earns them too much money for them to cancel it without losing all their stockholders.

[Reply #36 on:]

i hate fox now i must bocot them event though i live in england and we dont have fox i must try

[Reply #37 on:]

 

Originally posted by Teral:
I would really hate if they brought Futurama back by reusing old scenes. If I wanted to watch a clip-show I would've stayed with Hannah-Barbera.

Back in the old days The Simpsons re-used old scenes often and just cut up the mouth and added different dialogue, and I personally don't think it affected the quality of the show significantly.

 The chances of Futurama pulling that off with no complaints though, considering the high standards that they've set themselves over the years (with no recycling) are practically anorexic. 

[Reply #38 on:]

 

Originally posted by Teral:
Granted 1.6 million is a lot (I think it's more around 1-1.2 million), but considering the quality of practically every aspect of Futurama it's not surprising.

Salaries for writers, producers, directors and a bunch of other staff members.

Animation expenses to Rough Draft Studios, 3D renderings, music licenses and other strictly production related expenses.

I would really hate if they brought Futurama back by reusing old scenes. If I wanted to watch a clip-show I would've stayed with Hannah-Barbera.

if the last statement is based of Adult Swim's shows from Williams Street Studios, that studio is the only one that does that (it's sort of their staple). the president of Adult Swim even mentioned on IGN that they wouldn't force Futurama to decrease in animation quality. there currently is one show on Adult Swim that's animated traditionally (and by Rough Draft), and that's Harvey Birdman.

[Reply #39 on:]

Even Harvey Birdman has the odd recycled and/or live action moment though.