Futurama: Can it be True!? 448
foolinator writes "Wired News has reported that Futurama could be making a comeback! From the article: "Last year, Futurama and Family Guy reruns did so well that it's likely both shows (which Fox killed in prime time) will produce new episodes."
" Now if only I could get more Firefly, TV might be worth watching again.
Good news (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Good news (Score:2, Funny)
bend...tvs...got it? no?
sorry...
Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:5, Insightful)
8:00 = The Simpsons
8:30 = Futurama (Oliver Bean was funnier when it was called "The Wonder Years")
9:00 = The Family Guy (Malcome in the Middle should be Malcom in the Unemployment line)
9:30 = Arrested Development (this is a GREAT show, please keep it idiots)
Please note, there are no laugh tracks in any of the above shows...as you don't need to tell us when something is funny. (Animated before a live audience?)
Also, Fox WILL stop from the idiotic news teases such as "Alarming news about a certain new food you could be eating right at this very moment that could instantly kill you...we'll tell you about it at 10pm".
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:4, Funny)
This has been tried before but the artist's hands got very sore half way through the show.
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:3, Funny)
They're called puppet shows. Yuck.
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:2)
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:5, Funny)
Not yet. Anyone remember when Comedy Central picked up "Sports Night" and added a laugh track to it? It was downright creepy.
Imagine someone taking your favorite drama, and adding a laugh track to the 'funny' parts.
Bones: "Damnit Jim, I'm a doctor not a cement mixer!"
[laughter]
Cipher: "I don't even see the codes anymore, just blonde..brunette"
[laughter]
Luke: "More than you can imagine"
Han: "I can imagine a lot"
[laughter]
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:3, Interesting)
"I'm afraid this weekend's no good for me. I was planning on spending the weekend in wine country, which is what I call the room above my garage."
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:3, Insightful)
GTB, on the other hand, made me laugh every single episode. Some didn't like it, others thought it was great. I am clearly in the latter camp.
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:4, Funny)
Hey, Sarah! If you wanted fat and not funny, I could have toned down my sense of humor for you, baby!
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:5, Interesting)
Fox wants to own every show on Fox. Groening owns Futurama. Fox would rather show a stupid show it owns (like Oliver Beane) that gets worse ratings, but gives Fox a lionshare of the profits.
Re:Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you (Score:3, Insightful)
The question is... (Score:5, Interesting)
At least South Park still manages to be fresh and timely after 8 years.
Re:The question is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Due in no small part to the fact that they're able to create episodes in a week, if need be.
Re:The question is... (Score:3, Insightful)
It takes a special show to become more than the sum of its collaboraters. Adult Swim has it a lot of the time. Family Guy had it. South Park had it, lost it, and last season regained it. And Futurama has it in droves...in fact, as The Simpsons slowly became an exercise in self worship, Futurama started slicing at the bleeding edge of parody,
Re:The question is... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:The question is... (Score:4, Interesting)
The shows I mentioned are funny no matter when they're on.
Re:The question is... (Score:5, Funny)
South Park Season 8 (and other topics) (Score:3, Insightful)
Anyway, when these shows come back, I'd be concerned about the voice talent, the writers, the desire of the studio to just crank out some crap hoping the title of the show keeps people watching. I mean, have you seen the Simpsons lately? Definately past its prime.
Maybe, and I hope I'm wrong, these shows were cut down in their prime for a good reason: to avoid jumping the shark.
Now here's a show I'd love to see b
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Let's fighting love (Score:3, Funny)
Re:South Park Season 8 (and other topics) (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:The question is... (Score:2, Informative)
-B
Re:The question is... (Score:3, Funny)
Welcome back Family Guy!! (Score:5, Funny)
Not true (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Not true (Score:5, Informative)
That said isn't Katy Sagal doing something else with her time now?
Family Guy is pretty much confirmed now, as the official site of the voice of Lois (forget her name) says as much.
Re:Not true (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Not true (Score:5, Informative)
That said, back in the early 90s, Yeardley Smith was concurrently playing in Herman's Head and doing the voice of Lisa Simpson. Of course, those were both Fox shows, whereas Sagal would end up on two different networks...
Who knows!?!
Re:Not true (Score:4, Informative)
Voiceover and 'live' acting can and have crossed over.
Re:Not true (Score:5, Informative)
"The Family Guy" Coming Back [eonline.com]
Re:Not true (Score:5, Informative)
I've heard speculation recently that Fox may indeed exercise thier option to show them first -- so we might get new family guy *THIS* year.
But as for futurama, this sounds more like wishful thinking than anything substantiated. I think Futurama cost alot more to produce per episode than family guy (I could be wrong), so there might not be any profit to be had by making new episodes for syndication. Moreover, I don't think Futurama has had quite the same level of success in DVD sales that family guy had.
The key to Family Guy's ressurection was not only beating letterman and leno in it's time slot on adult swim, but also being the number #1 selling dvd/dvd set in the country for several weeks.
All-cartoon prime time? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:All-cartoon prime time? (Score:5, Insightful)
I think I would prefer cartoon primetime over reality TV. Let's see the current Fox lineup on that front
America's most wanted
Cops
My big fat obnoxious fiance
The simple life
Totally outrageous behavior caught on tape
The Swan
And the ever popular American Idol --www.fox.com
The Dead Kennedys had a line in thier song MTV Get Off The Air "Allowing it to sink as low in one year As commercial TV has in 25". The shows listed are the likes of which you'd expect to be in scetch comedy. I'm not saying that Futurama or Family Guy is the apex of modern entertainment... but it's at least entertainment rather then vomit.
Re:All-cartoon prime time? (Score:5, Insightful)
Those kind of shows are so cheap to make and draw such high ratings that they will completely take over the airwaves in a year or two.
Re:All-cartoon prime time? (Score:4, Interesting)
We're headed for what we've always had...a scant few long running shows that get money and the benefit of the doubt, along with a bunch of filler that's on a short leash. Family Guy did well, but it didn't do as well as expected (come on, it was up against friggin FRIENDS, the indestructable behemouth of thursday night. even *I* would tape FG during the first run). So it was dumped as if it were Oliver Beene. Of course, since then, it's done massive syndicated business and had tons of DVD sales, and suddenly it looked a lot more valuable.
Reality TV series are pressed to be more outrageous and as such are becoming more expensive. Yes, you don't pay the actors...but if you think talented editors, tropical locales and hundreds of cameras come cheaper than a ten person cast and a few unchanging sets, you're deluding yourself. And it's not as if you don't need writers on a reality show...you think all that drama sequences and frames itself? You think those voiceovers are ad-libbed? People write out the plots and subplots of reality TV, same as regular shows...they just have to make mountains out of molehills instead of out of imagination.
I think reality TV peaked last year. It won't disappear, but I think what we're seeing is the tail end of reality show development and we can expect something new to excite programming directors for the next five years.
Re:All-cartoon prime time? (Score:3, Interesting)
Notice 3 are cartoons, and one
Re:All-cartoon prime time? (Score:5, Interesting)
I was channel-hopping one night and ran into one of those "Unsolved-Mysteries" UFO shows on Discovery. They were talking about these mysterious lights floating over Phoenix, which are apparently a big mystery in the flake world. I was disgusted to see this kind of World Weekly News crap on a science channel. But I watched it in a horrified trance. And do you know what happened? They debunked it! After listening to all the UFO nuts talking about how the only explanation is the paranormal, they spent the last quarter of the show presenting a credible, rational explanation. Yay for our side!
-aiabx
Actually.... (Score:3, Insightful)
You are one hundred percent wrong.
Decent cartoons actually cost far more than the crap reality shows to make. Alledgedly Futurama cost something like $1 million dollars an episode to produce, due to it's high quality animation.
Thats why Fox canned them in the first place - they did it to bump their short term profits.
However quality shows like Futurama and Family Guy have much greater long term value - they can be shown on TV for years and DVD sales are also very great - whereas who gives a rats ass abou
Is it the money? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Is it the money? (Score:2)
Re:Is it the money? (Score:2)
Re:Is it the money? (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, since we're talking about them cancelling Family Guy and Futurama... and this is the same network that aired The Simple Life... that verdict's up in the air.
You're Fired! (tm) (Score:5, Funny)
Re:You're Fired! (tm) (Score:3, Insightful)
Management can't lose. If they cancel it and fire everyone, they take credit for the cost reduction. If they keep it on the air and it doesn't get the ratings, they fire everyone (because it was their fault) and take credit for the cost reduction. If they keep it on the air and it gets good ratings
I think we know what to say.... (Score:5, Funny)
Kiss my shiny metal ass....
Re:I think we know what to say.... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I think we know what to say.... (Score:3, Insightful)
dave
Re:I think we know what to say.... (Score:3, Interesting)
(It's been 15 seconds since you hit reply....
sorry filters!)
Skeptic (Score:2, Insightful)
What about new FG episodes on DVD? I heard some rumour about that...
Family Guy Series 4 Already Confirmed (Score:5, Informative)
:) hmmm. (Score:4, Funny)
Old News (Score:3, Interesting)
I'll believe it when there's an announcement from Fox.
We can only hope. (Score:5, Interesting)
As for Family Guy, they ARE making new episodes of that. The DVD set sales blew the execs away, they hadn't realized how popular it was, apparently.
Not sure how to make the below a link....first time commenting on Slashdot.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google
Re:We can only hope. (Score:2)
I have to call bullshecockey on that statement..
outside the animation artists and Voice talent it is DIRT cheap to make. Hell all the objects and characters are already created and are lightwave objects... the only thing left is to animate and add the soudtrack.
Hell several people make Animated series in lightwave, maya and even the much poo-pooed but still superior to lightwave, Blender programs. we make an an
Your link was borked......... (Score:2, Informative)
Smaller channels? (Score:3, Interesting)
In addition to the mentioned toons, I read an interview with Kevin Smith and he mentioned that not only have the original 6 episodes of Clerks: The Animated Series been picked up for airing on a channel other then ABC (HBO I think?), but there is the possibility of all new episodes, as they orginally had plans for 4 seasons! Good times indeed....
Invader Zim & The Critic (Score:2, Interesting)
I wish they could bring these shows back.. I heard that Jhonen Vasquez isn't interested in continuing with cartoons though. Ah well.
Invader Zim only got what, one or two seasons?
More than they know (Score:2, Informative)
They never learn (Score:5, Interesting)
Firefly?!? (Score:5, Funny)
Only to be pre-empted by Fox Football (Score:5, Insightful)
During Futurama's last season there was a two-month stretch where no Futurama was shown at all (even though it was in the schedule).
I love futurama (who doesn't) (Score:2, Flamebait)
OBEY THE FIST! (Score:3, Insightful)
SoupIsGood Food
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! (Score:2, Funny)
Except he's a giant killer robot santa with joy-seeking missiles
Everybody sing along now!
He knows when you are sleeping,
He know when you're on the can,
He'll hunt you down and blast your ass from here to Pakistan!
Ohhhhhh
You better not breathe,
You better not move,
You're better off dead, I'm telling you dude,
Santa Claus is gunning you DOWN!!!!
Run for your LIVES!!!!!
God I love Futurama
No one's posted this yet? Shame on you! (Score:5, Funny)
2. Allow FOX to cancel your series after a few seasons.
3. Send out a couple of DVDs that sell millions of copies.
4. Air reruns on Cartoon Network that become insanely popular.
5. ???
6. PROFIT!
News From The Fox Boardroom (Score:5, Funny)
Re:News From The Fox Boardroom (Score:3, Funny)
"Everybody Loves HypnoToad" has been going downhill since season 3.
Sarcasm (Score:3, Funny)
Looks like you'll get your wish (Score:5, Informative)
Movie Tome has an entry for a Firefly movie called "Serenity" that will start filming later this year and be ready by 2005. Hopefully it'll be successful and spawn another set of episodes or at the very least more movies. I'd link it but tv tome and movie tome aren't responding to me right now.
Where's that 'Hopefully' mod when you need it... (Score:3, Interesting)
Movie Tome has an entry for a Firefly movie called "Serenity" that will start filming later this year and be ready by 2005. Hopefully it'll be successful and spawn another set of episodes or at the very least more movies.
You've got to hope that someone holding the money sees the light. A friend lent me the DVD box set of the Firefly episodes (as I'd missed them all first time around) and I'm hooked. I'm also totally pissed off that when I get to the end of Disc 4 there isn't any more to go round, so I'm
Re:Looks like you'll get your wish (Score:3, Informative)
Firefly Movie Gets The Green Light [slashdot.org]
Also check out
FireFlyFans.net [fireflyfans.net] for all new firefly gabbing and info.
and
Whedonesque.com [whedonesque.com] for all Joss Whedon News.
Firefly-related web sites (Score:3, Informative)
Firefly's Hope (Score:4, Informative)
It all will depend on how many people I can drag to the movie.
Yay! More Hypno Toad (Score:2, Funny)
TV: All Hail the Hypno Toad. MMMMMMMM
Fry: This show has been going downhill since season 3.
Family Guy - why it's good (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm very glad they'
Re:Family Guy - why it's good (Score:3, Informative)
Fox Execs (Score:4, Funny)
[as] is like the nice, sweet geek friend who loves a girl (great cartoons) who's with a horrible boyfriend (Fox). He treats her wrong, and she runs to her geek. But as soon as she's feeling better, the dumbass boyfriend wants her back.
I'm not sure how to feel about this. Part of me says "woo hoo! New Episodes!" But another part says "Now it will be in the mainstream again, complete with lots of disgusting, annoying commercials and no funny cards."
Futurama probably won't come back (Score:4, Insightful)
Now, Family Guy, on the other hand, has a shot - I've seen articles about its possible revival thanks to strong DVD sales.
Everyone, put your CSS and region-control concerns behind you, and buy a fuckload of Futurama DVDs.
Spoon! (Score:4, Insightful)
Now if only Fox would bring the back The Tick. (The animated version! The animated version!)
The real reason FG got canceled ... (Score:4, Interesting)
... was because Seth MacFarlane's old school headmaster got the sponsors of the show to pull out [eonline.com].
Of course it's total BS, but he's the real person to blame for this, not the Fox execs, as such. What could they do? No money, no deal, right?
BTW, Family Guy rocks! Go Family Guy! :-)
zRe:The real reason FG got canceled ... (Score:4, Interesting)
Peter: "We need a book to potty train our son."
Clerk: "This is the most popular book 'Everybody Poops'. It has won many awards"
Peter: "Ah, we're Catholic"
Clerk: "Oh in that case you'll want "You're a Very Bad Boy and That's Concentrated Evil Coming Out of You'"
to the numerous episode where the Pope get placed in undignified positions or hob-nobs with the Griffin family members with-a da cheezy-a Italiana accento. Not to mention Peter's stereotypical Irish Catholic father role...and his overly-stereotypical Irish Catholic father.
Anyway, Catholics are a rather large group, and I think enough letters were written to get FOX nervous. Supposedly, outrage from Catholic groups over the first pope episode was the reason it was put on hiatus the first time, only it won an Emmy that year so FOX decided it was worth the risk...but when ratings failed to materialize from the award (thanks to timeslot shuffle) the continued pressure from Catholic groups finally made FOX buckle.
This was like five years ago, so I have no clue where to look for the article, but it made sense to me.
- JoeShmoe
.
Interesting (Score:3, Insightful)
Profits down? Fire people. Ratings down? Cancel it. Not making seven figures pure pocket-stuffing profit a day? Destroy it. What if these guys worked in agriculture? They'd probably bulldoze the whole fucking farm because they weren't shipping truckloads of wheat bread and salsa by Thursday.
This is excellent news (Score:3, Funny)
This is still Fox we're talking about people. If both Futurama and Family Guy do end up coming back, don't expect the second coming or anything. They'll get some hype when they first come back, get thrown into some God awful time slot when American Idol: This Time It's Personal goes on the air, and will be forgotten by 90% of this country inside of 3 weeks.
So many cancellations... (Score:5, Insightful)
I love Futurama, and I don't want it back (Score:4, Insightful)
1. The writers take advantage of that wiggle room -- no, Fry and Leela didn't really get together; he's still pining for her, she's still turning him down. That's depressing, after everything that happened in the finale. I don't want to see that.
2. They DO get together, and live happily ever after. I'm glad for them, but I don't want to watch that. It's boring. That's why "happily ever after" is always at the end of the story. It's a nice place to live, but you wouldn't want to visit.
Alternatively, they could get together, and then have it not work out. That's even more depressing than the first option.
OK, so I'm a hopeless romantic.
Re:I love Futurama, and I don't want it back (Score:4, Insightful)
Futurama... (Score:3, Informative)
That's about all there is on cable these days.
What did Bruce say? Something about "..57 channels and nothin's on.."
t_t_b
Re:FP (Score:2, Insightful)
Do the executives ever watch these programs if they did they would realise what a bad idea killing them off would be. Most programs that have a large audience in there first series usually trail off by the second and third (think of most reality shows). Most quality series build up a fan base slowly by word of mouth, which is what has happened with the re-runs.
Mess
Re:FP (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, yes... they probably do. But, since they're executives, there's a slim chance that they're also geeky enough to "get" Futurama. Futurama was packed with side jokes related to programming, physics, linguistics, etc. No executive worth his washroom key would understand any of that...
the network execubots are here! (Score:5, Funny)
Calculon: Dear God!
[Enter three huge clunky robots on tracks.] Betabot: Presenting the president of the network.
Network President: Greetings gentlemen, you already know my Execubots. Executive Alpha, programmed to like things that are seen before.
Alphabot: Hey hey hey.
Network President: Executive Beta, programmed to roll dice to determine the fall schedule.
[Betabot rolls two dice.]
Betabot: More reality shows.
Network President: And Executive Gamma, programmed to underestimate middle America.
Gammabot: It's funny but is it going to get them off their tractors?
Network President: Now, who put this obnoxious dancing robot on my network?
Director: We were about to fire him sir.
Network President: Silence hack! We've been monitoring our Nielsen families carefully and during the 12 seconds Bender was on screen, viewer eyeball focus was up 90%.
Calculon: Sir, children watch this show. Bender's no role model, he's a filth monger!
Network President: At our network, we love filth! Filthy rich that is! Being filthy rich that is! [He laughs. something fizzles towards the Execubots from the president and they all laugh with him.] "Bite my shiny metal ass" could be a catchphrase.
Alphabot: 80% likely.
Gammabot: It will play in Peoria.
[Betabot rolls his dice.]
Betabot: Gameshows are back.
Re:Hooray! (Score:2, Funny)
Passing anatomy 101?
Zoidberg: Now open your mouth and let's have a look at that brain. (Fry opens his mouth) Zoidberg: No, no no no, no, not that mouth. Fry: I only have one. Zoidberg: Really?
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Hooray for Zoidberg (Score:5, Funny)
Otherwise you're totally right.
Re:Hooray for Zoidberg (Score:3, Funny)
Dumb down tv programming
?
Profit!
Re:Hooray for Zoidberg (Score:3, Insightful)
Every single truly good show Fox gets it cancels.
Okay.
The ratings may be high for those [replacement] shows, [...]because they are extreme.
Now, I'm no TV exec, but something tells me that canceling a show, and then replacing it with one that gets high ratings isn't such a dumb thing to do?
Re:Hooray for Zoidberg (Score:3, Informative)
Re:You're all a bunch of geeks around here! (Score:5, Insightful)