Matt Groening has faith in the relaunch of Futurama

[What Exit?]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio...086846734.html
Due to large DVD sales and high popularity on Cartoon Network and in Australia, Groenig & Cohen may relaunch Futurama.

Originally Posted by Cohen

"Three months ago, I would have said we were going to start tomorrow," says writer David X. Cohen, who collaborated with Groening on Futurama. "And one month ago I would also have said we were going to start tomorrow. So ..." He pauses. "My current estimate is that we're starting tomorrow."

I really hope they do.
Jim

[MacTech]

Originally Posted by jrfranchi

http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio...086846734.html
Due to large DVD sales and high popularity on Cartoon Network and in Australia, Groenig & Cohen may relaunch Futurama.

I really hope they do.
Jim

Holy Zombie Jesus, i really hope Futurama comes back

Morbo DEMANDS more Futurama!

[GuanoLad]

I think in the next five years, the DVD market is going to be a viable alternative to TV and movies, rather than just a byproduct.

If Futurama doesn't make it back on TV, it might make it as DVD-only entertainment, which could very well net them a healthy income.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by MacTech

Holy Zombie Jesus, i really hope Futurama comes back

Morbo DEMANDS more Futurama!

Robot Devil take them if they don't.

[Khan]

That's some fertile ground for a discussion there, GuanoLad. I wonder what it is about DVDs that makes that possible while it never happened with VHS?

I don't know how much DVDs cost relative to VHS for domestic releases, but I would imagine it has something to do with extra features and the ability to jump around much more easily than with fast forward or rewind.

As for Futurama, I find myself conflicted. It'd be nice to have some more to watch, but getting cancelled just forced them to quit while they were ahead. The new Family Guy episodes have been good for the most part, but they've been getting unsettlingly self-referential. And with Futurama, the tension between Fry and Leela was getting resolved right there at the end. Do we really want to see that built up more (or fall apart)?

Not to be a downer or anything...

[Fern Forest]

I have somewhat the same feeling Khan. The ending, such as it was, worked well for me. But I've also been buying the comic books which have been way to few and far between so I guess I really crave more Futurama.

I think I'd rather see them start with a movie. I'd like to see what they can do with 90 minutes or more while there are still storylines that haven't been touched upon. Then start up the series again.

[Tuckerfan]

Originally Posted by GuanoLad

I think in the next five years, the DVD market is going to be a viable alternative to TV and movies, rather than just a byproduct.

If Futurama doesn't make it back on TV, it might make it as DVD-only entertainment, which could very well net them a healthy income.

Already what's known as the "back end" of the entertainment industry (i.e. DVDs, merchandizing, etc.) is beginning to drive the "front end." Several films which didn't make money at the box office, but have had sucessful DVD sales have inspired theatrical sequels (The Transporter being one). Indeed, now, there's a war in the board rooms about how long a film should stay in the theaters, because the less time it stays in theaters, the sooner they can start on the DVD sales. Those of you who remember the Eddie and the Cruisers movie, will remember how the film did almost nothing at the box office, but when it hit HBO (or whatever premium cable channel), the ratings took off, and the film was put back into the theaters, and then an absolutely hideous sequel was made.

Family Guy is the first TV show to be axed, but because of the popularity it had in syndication was brought back in just a short period of time.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by Tuckerfan

...snip...
Family Guy is the first TV show to be axed, but because of the popularity it had in syndication was brought back in just a short period of time.

I assume this means you don't count Star Trek?
There have been a few rescued shows over the years.
Even Taxi got a reprieve by jumping Networks when ABC canceled them.

Jim

[Silentgoldfish]

Yes but how many shows have been cancelled, stayed cancelled for 3 years, not shopped around, and THEN picked up by the same network that cancelled them in the first place?

I didn't realise Futurama was doing well here (don't watch terrestrial TV) but I'm glad it is. I've decided that speaks well for the country!

[Tuckerfan]

Originally Posted by jrfranchi

I assume this means you don't count Star Trek?
There have been a few rescued shows over the years.
Even Taxi got a reprieve by jumping Networks when ABC canceled them.

Jim

Star Trek doesn't figure in this, since TAS wasn't live action like the original, plus, the original crew wasn't brought back for the later TV series. Taxi's also different because the show didn't spend a year or so in syndication before being "revived," like the original Star Trek, or Buffy, it merely jumped networks.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by Tuckerfan

Star Trek doesn't figure in this, since TAS wasn't live action like the original, plus, the original crew wasn't brought back for the later TV series. Taxi's also different because the show didn't spend a year or so in syndication before being "revived," like the original Star Trek, or Buffy, it merely jumped networks.

That's fair, but most of the Original cast did do the Cartoon (TAS) and the movies.
It is similar but different.

Taxi only lagged for a few weeks and didn't even start the next season late, so I get your point. Not the same thing, just a stupid network decision.

How about BattleStar Galactica coming back after a year as Galactica 1980?

Jim

[Tuckerfan]

Originally Posted by jrfranchi

How about BattleStar Galactica coming back after a year as Galactica 1980?

Jim

Again, similar but different. Galactica 1980 was an almost completely retooled show, with most of the cast replaced (and not in a good way). Family Guy hasn't been retooled, the original cast is all back, as well as most of the original staff.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by Tuckerfan

Again, similar but different. Galactica 1980 was an almost completely retooled show, with most of the cast replaced (and not in a good way). Family Guy hasn't been retooled, the original cast is all back, as well as most of the original staff.

Okay, I'll conceed and just hope that Futurama will soon follow the Family Guy Model.

[Martin Hyde]

This is the best entertainment news I've heard in a long, long time.

I have to admit when Futurama came out, I liked it, watched the first 5-6 episodes. Then I lost track of things and missed it for awhile. In the back of my mind I knew it was around, knew it was considered pretty good by people with similar tastes to me. Then I turn on Fox one weekend and can't find it, it seems like the show was only aired once every month or something, with little to no warning of a new episode coming.

I honestly thought the show had been cancelled two years before the fact because it was such a hassle to both find Futurama on the lineup AND be lucky enough to catch a new episode.

So basically by the time Futurama had been cancelled I'd effectively only seen about 1 season's worth of episodes. I fell in love with Family Guy ever since it hit the airwaves, and followed it faithfully to Adult Swim and DVD. And since AS has consistently sandwiched Futurama and Family Guy together, I watched more and more Futurama.

And a funny thing happened, as the years passed after Family Guy had been cancelled, after repeat viewings, I came to appreciate Futurama as the superior show for several reasons.

Firstly Futurama has some really beautiful animation at certain points, and a cool mixing of computer graphics in with traditional animation that worked very well in my opinion.

Secondly, while Family Guy at one point made me laugh so much I couldn't imagine an animated show that could surpass it, after awhile you start to realize a huge portion of FG's comedy relies on the fact that it comes at you out of nowhere, hits something very taboo, and leaves you in a stupor of shocked laughter.

My favorite Family Guy episodes are the ones where the storyline actually gets some notice, but then very sparingly the write's have dropped in the insane flashbacks or ridiculously over the top moments. In the more recent episodes of Family Guy (and you started to see this some near the end of the original run) it seems like the writers are overusing certain comedic devices and such, which is why I think the show isn't as funny as it used to be (still great, though.)

Family Guy stands on its over the top antics, while Futurama relies on, I guess, more "traditional" humor. Situations that are just funny in and of themselves without need for something over the top like a random fight with a giant chicken or a ludicrous appearance of Optimus Prime at a synagogue.

Anyways, Futurama is actually one of the most amazingly consistent cartoon comedies ever. Several major plotlines are obviously developed from day one.

For example in the very first episode of Futurama, long before Nibbler was even introduced into the show, you can clearly see a small hand push Fry's chair backwards, propelling him into the cryogenic freezer. This all ties in with the larger "evil brains" plot arch and Fry's unique situation in the universe caused by being his own grandfather.

That's why I think Futurama would actually benefit, if not from a full fledged rebirth, at least another season or a short series on DVD. There were a lot of major plot arcs that I think could be seen as unresolved by anyone who watched a good chunk of the show's episodes. And additionally, and most importantly, all of these plot lines were advancing to what appeared to be some conclusion eventually. The Fry and Leela romance, and Fry's unique situation in the universe (I think Groening planned another 2 episodes at least based on foreshadowing that Nibbler gives after the second defeat of the flying brains.)

[Tuckerfan]

Originally Posted by jrfranchi

Okay, I'll conceed and just hope that Futurama will soon follow the Family Guy Model.

AFAIK, everyone involved with Futurama has said that they'd love to come back, and given that it's voice work, it should be fairly easy for them to schedule it around their other work (I mean, practically every Asian female on Cartoon Network is voiced by Lauren Tom, who also does live action work, so if she can do it. . .).

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

I have all 4 DVD sets, & I see this as great news!

[Wash]

Sweet Llama of the Bahamas! I'd love to see Futurama back on our screens again. Why it was axed, when the ever more bizarre and unfunny Simpsons continues to this day, I'll never know.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by Wash

Sweet Llama of the Bahamas! I'd love to see Futurama back on our screens again. Why it was axed, when the ever more bizarre and unfunny Simpsons continues to this day, I'll never know.

Simpsons have a loyal audience and still gets good ratings.
Futurama never was left alone long enough to find a niche. It should have been the show following the Simpsons all those years and then Fox would have another Hot Property on its hands.

Instead Futurama

Jim

[bouv]

Originally Posted by Wash

I'd love to see Futurama back on our screens again. Why it was axed, when the ever more bizarre and unfunny Simpsons continues to this day, I'll never know.

Like many great shows canceled pre-maturely, the producers dicked around with it, probably because one or two of them didn't like it, so therefore they thought no one did (or no one should.)

It's easy to get killer ratings for a show that has millions of loyal fans and has been in the same time slot (which, BTW, is oine of the best timeslots ever) since the mid-90's. But a show that keeps getting moved around? And when it finally DID have a "permanent" timeslot, it was one of the worst? (7 PM on a Sunday?) And then it was always preempted by baseball in the summer, football in the fall, and about a dozen Fox ""World's Blankiest Blank" shows, it's hard to keep a loyal fan base, since they have no idea when it's going to be on!

I will never forgive those bastards over at Fox for killnig Futurama. They are quite possibly the WORST people ever to take a great show too. They have a track record of canceling great shows. I think ther's just one producer over there who apparantly hates everything that isn't crappy reality shows, and puts to axe to the good stuff that's quirky and funny, but he just doesn't get it.

"What? A talking lobster? That makes no sense! No more Futurama!"

"What? Coybows in space? That makes no sense! No more Firefly!"

"What? Teenagers in college? That makes no sense! No more Undeclared!"

[Ponder Stibbons]

I never expected Futurama to come back this way ... but I'd always hoped!

Well, when it does come back, you can expect me to be glued to my screen sipping my Diet Slurm!

Hey, where's Hypnotoad?

[Trion]

This reminds me of the story of the grasshopper and the octopus. All year long the grasshopper kept burying acorns for winter while the octopus mooched off his girlfriend and watched tv. But then the winter came and the grasshopper died, and the octopus ate all his acorns! And also, he got a racecar! Is any of this getting through to you?

[pizzabrat]

Originally Posted by Martin Hyde

Family Guy stands on its over the top antics, while Futurama relies on, I guess, more "traditional" humor. Situations that are just funny in and of themselves without need for something over the top like a random fight with a giant chicken or a ludicrous appearance of Optimus Prime at a synagogue.

::sigh::, Family Guy is "absurdist", and there's nothing new about that type of humor to call any other types "traditional". Other absurdist comedies include the recent seasons of Saturday Night Live, and Arrested Development (wait...that's not helping my case...oh well, I can't think of any classic absurdist examples off the top of my head). Sure, there's some wit, irony, and even satire mixed into Family Guy, but its stamp is its absurdism. Futurama is mainly satirical. You can tell that without ever watching the show, because si-fi as a rule is allegorical, and allegory + comedy=satire.

[Ike Witt]

Originally Posted by Khan

That's some fertile ground for a discussion there, GuanoLad. I wonder what it is about DVDs that makes that possible while it never happened with VHS?

Have you checked out DVD releases? Every crappy TV show gets a DVD release, ASAP. FTR, I am not saying that Futurama is crappy, in fact I have gone on record saying that this was the show that Fox should have brought back instead of Family Guy and I like Family Guy.
Shows that I have never heard of, mainly because I don't get WB or UPN have boxed season sets. FIrst and foremost it is greed on the part of the network to capitalize on a show, but it also shows what sort of popularity a series may have that isn't reflected in the ratings.

There is a DVD set of the fucking Apprentice for crying out loud. Granted the Fucking
Apprentice would probably be more entertaining than the standard Apprentice....

[Khan]

Originally Posted by adam yax

Have you checked out DVD releases? Every crappy TV show gets a DVD release, ASAP ... FIrst and foremost it is greed on the part of the network to capitalize on a show, but it also shows what sort of popularity a series may have that isn't reflected in the ratings.

Well, yeah. I'm just interested in why this is happening with DVDs now but didn't with VHS 15-20 years ago. Is it the flexibility of the DVD interface? The solidifying of fan communities because of the internet?

[Trion]

Originally Posted by adam yax

Have you checked out DVD releases? Every crappy TV show gets a DVD release, ASAP. FTR, I am not saying that Futurama is crappy, in fact I have gone on record saying that this was the show that Fox should have brought back instead of Family Guy and I like Family Guy.
Shows that I have never heard of, mainly because I don't get WB or UPN have boxed season sets. FIrst and foremost it is greed on the part of the network to capitalize on a show, but it also shows what sort of popularity a series may have that isn't reflected in the ratings.

There is a DVD set of the fucking Apprentice for crying out loud. Granted the Fucking
Apprentice would probably be more entertaining than the standard Apprentice....

Well, sure. But not every season set sells all that well. I remember hearing that some quality classic shows have only done one or two season sets and stopped there because not enough people were buying them.

My own feeling is that most current shows will probably sell well enough to make some kind of profit. But I don't think they'd bother making new stuff unless the sales of the season sets indicate a potential profit above the production cost - something you don't need to be concerned about when you're just repackaging previously broadcast programs. And I have heard that the sales for the Futurama DVDs were pretty high.

[cmkeller]

Khan:

I wonder what it is about DVDs that makes that possible while it never happened with VHS?

Are you kidding? Shelf space, clear and simple. And entire season set of a show on DVD takes up the same amount of shelf space as a single VHS cartridge. The entire run of M*A*S*H will take up less space on my shelf than a single season would have if released in VHS format.

Also, VHS sort of killed itself in the home-consumer market when, in the early days, studios were charging exorbitant amounts to buy one. I think I recall videotapes of movies being something like $80 to buy back in the late 80's. (That's why rental took off so well.) The prices eventually came down, but the momentum was lost, and studios never gave real thought to releasing TV shows that way, because they didn't expect them to sell. DVDs hit the stores at $20 per movie, at the same time that DVD players went on the market.

[Evil Captor]

All right! New Futurama goodness ... Real Soon Now! Let's Get Tomorrow!

[Troy McClure SF]

Originally Posted by cmkeller

Also, VHS sort of killed itself in the home-consumer market when, in the early days, studios were charging exorbitant amounts to buy one. I think I recall videotapes of movies being something like $80 to buy back in the late 80's.

I seem to remember buying T2 for anout $119 at Tower when it came out.

Don'r forget that because of the great capacity-to-size ratio, DVDs can include a bunch of stuff besides the movie itself. For the most part "Extras" were either limited to a music video after the movie's end credits, or would be on sale separately. Now, any yutz with eleven dollars at a Walgreens can buy their favorite movie plus several hours worth of commentary and other goodies on a format that'll play until you lose it (my dad sent several copies of Dune to their demise simply from overuse).

Some of the success of DVDs can be attributed directly to the DVD format, and some to studios realizing the power of more content for less price.

[Marley23]

Can I be the first to say this is Good News, everyone!

I'd never even bothered to hope for this.

Originally Posted by GuanoLad

If Futurama doesn't make it back on TV, it might make it as DVD-only entertainment, which could very well net them a healthy income.

True. That could definitely work. On the other hand, we'd get fewer episodes that way.

[Evil Captor]

Originally Posted by Marley23

Can I be the first to say this is Good News, everyone!

I'd never even bothered to hope for this.

True. That could definitely work. On the other hand, we'd get fewer episodes that way.

Yeah, and a lot less censorship. Look at Japanese OVA series for adults.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by Evil Captor

Yeah, and a lot less censorship. Look at Japanese OVA series for adults.

The censorship is fine, I want to be able to watch Futurama with my kids.

I can't with Family Guy. Thankfully it is on after 9pm.

Jim

[Gangster Octopus]

You know, I live about four blocks from Rough Draft Studios. Maybe I should pop in and start interrogating them. I'm sure they won't mind.

[Tuckerfan]

Originally Posted by Gangster Octopus

You know, I live about four blocks from Rough Draft Studios. Maybe I should pop in and start interrogating them. I'm sure they won't mind.

I dunno, there was that one episode of the Simpsons where they clearly showed the animators being chained to their desks and getting whipped. The same thing could happen to you if your not careful!

[Khan]

Originally Posted by cmkeller

Also, VHS sort of killed itself in the home-consumer market when, in the early days, studios were charging exorbitant amounts to buy one. I think I recall videotapes of movies being something like $80 to buy back in the late 80's. (That's why rental took off so well.) The prices eventually came down, but the momentum was lost, and studios never gave real thought to releasing TV shows that way, because they didn't expect them to sell.

Eighty bucks, huh? I had no idea. I only started to buy movies and such on my own back around 1998 and they were all under $20 by then. Was this a gradual transition or was it more of a price collapse?

Eighty bucks for a video tape. Kinda hearkens back to $7999 for a 386 with VGA, doesn't it?

[Tuckerfan]

Originally Posted by Khan

Eighty bucks, huh? I had no idea. I only started to buy movies and such on my own back around 1998 and they were all under $20 by then. Was this a gradual transition or was it more of a price collapse?

Eighty bucks for a video tape. Kinda hearkens back to $7999 for a 386 with VGA, doesn't it?

It was sort of a gradual transition, combined with a price collapse. Big, blockbuster movies were sold at a high price, while lesser known films were sold cheaply. Eventually the bean counters realized that the cheaper films sold more copies and the refridgerator light came on. They started selling many movies at what was called a "sell-thru" price, and sales picked up, but occassionally, one of them would release a big budget movie at a high price. The Hunt for Red October originally retailed for around $100, and there was an uproar in the industry. Even the video rental places were ticked at the price, and apparently, the only thing you got for that extra price was a red tape. (The tape cartridge was red plastic.) The high price didn't stick around too long, and that was pretty much the end of high dollar tapes, unless they were "anniversary editions" with all kinds of extras like copies of the film scripts, etc. etc. etc.

[friedo]

This story has been picked up on Slashdot thanks to Yours Truly.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by friedo

This story has been picked up on Slashdot thanks to Yours Truly.

Sniff Sniff, I get no credit?

That's cool though, I see a lot of Slashdot stuff spread rapidly by word of mouth and maybe we'll set of enough incidental buzz to get the Show back on.

I can dream, can't I?

Jim

[Excalibre]

Originally Posted by Martin Hyde

Secondly, while Family Guy at one point made me laugh so much I couldn't imagine an animated show that could surpass it, after awhile you start to realize a huge portion of FG's comedy relies on the fact that it comes at you out of nowhere, hits something very taboo, and leaves you in a stupor of shocked laughter.

It took you awhile to notice that? Family Guy is sort of like if South Park was written by someone with severe, untreated ADD. I've probably only sat through two episodes of it; it's amazing to me that it's as popular as it is. I remember when it first came on - the commercials for it were hysterical, but then I realized that the show was exactly the same as the commercials: zero plot, just a bunch of disconnected gags that stopped being very funny after, say, ten minutes of watching.

Family Guy impressed the hell out of me in terms of occasionally hitting on a really funny joke. But that wasn't often enough to justify sitting in front of a TV show that made no sense at all. And complete, utter nonsense just isn't all that funny anyway. Family Guy always struck me as seriously lazy writing: come up with a lame excuse for an episode of a TV show, and then cram it full of easy sight gags. It's to the creators'

My favorite Family Guy episodes are the ones where the storyline actually gets some notice, but then very sparingly the write's have dropped in the insane flashbacks or ridiculously over the top moments. In the more recent episodes of Family Guy (and you started to see this some near the end of the original run) it seems like the writers are overusing certain comedic devices and such, which is why I think the show isn't as funny as it used to be (still great, though.)

Family Guy stands on its over the top antics, while Futurama relies on, I guess, more "traditional" humor. Situations that are just funny in and of themselves without need for something over the top like a random fight with a giant chicken or a ludicrous appearance of Optimus Prime at a synagogue.

Anyways, Futurama is actually one of the most amazingly consistent cartoon comedies ever. Several major plotlines are obviously developed from day one.

For example in the very first episode of Futurama, long before Nibbler was even introduced into the show, you can clearly see a small hand push Fry's chair backwards, propelling him into the cryogenic freezer. This all ties in with the larger "evil brains" plot arch and Fry's unique situation in the universe caused by being his own grandfather.

That's why I think Futurama would actually benefit, if not from a full fledged rebirth, at least another season or a short series on DVD. There were a lot of major plot arcs that I think could be seen as unresolved by anyone who watched a good chunk of the show's episodes. And additionally, and most importantly, all of these plot lines were advancing to what appeared to be some conclusion eventually. The Fry and Leela romance, and Fry's unique situation in the universe (I think Groening planned another 2 episodes at least based on foreshadowing that Nibbler gives after the second defeat of the flying brains.)[/quote]

[What Exit?]

Excalibre: That was strange, I got a strong sense of Deja Vu all over again from that post.

[Excalibre]

Originally Posted by Martin Hyde

Secondly, while Family Guy at one point made me laugh so much I couldn't imagine an animated show that could surpass it, after awhile you start to realize a huge portion of FG's comedy relies on the fact that it comes at you out of nowhere, hits something very taboo, and leaves you in a stupor of shocked laughter.

It took you awhile to notice that? Family Guy is sort of like if South Park was written by someone with severe, untreated ADD. I've probably only sat through two episodes of it; it's amazing to me that it's as popular as it is. I remember when it first came on - the commercials for it were hysterical, but then I realized that the show was exactly the same as the commercials: zero plot, just a bunch of disconnected gags that stopped being very funny after, say, ten minutes of watching.

Family Guy impressed the hell out of me in terms of occasionally hitting on a really funny joke. But that wasn't often enough to justify sitting in front of a TV show that made no sense at all. And complete, utter nonsense just isn't all that funny anyway. Family Guy always struck me as seriously lazy writing: come up with a lame excuse for an episode of a TV show, and then cram it full of easy sight gags. It's to the creators' credit that many of those gags really were funny, but they weren't funny enough to make the show watchable for me. I feel sorta like I'm the only person in the world who doesn't like that show.

:: sigh :: It's a trial, let me tell you, having sophisticated tastes. Enduring the entertainment that so amuses you plebians is extremely taxing at times.

Originally Posted by Martin Hyde

Family Guy stands on its over the top antics, while Futurama relies on, I guess, more "traditional" humor. Situations that are just funny in and of themselves without need for something over the top like a random fight with a giant chicken or a ludicrous appearance of Optimus Prime at a synagogue.

Anyways, Futurama is actually one of the most amazingly consistent cartoon comedies ever. Several major plotlines are obviously developed from day one.

For example in the very first episode of Futurama, long before Nibbler was even introduced into the show, you can clearly see a small hand push Fry's chair backwards, propelling him into the cryogenic freezer. This all ties in with the larger "evil brains" plot arch and Fry's unique situation in the universe caused by being his own grandfather.

That's why I think Futurama would actually benefit, if not from a full fledged rebirth, at least another season or a short series on DVD. There were a lot of major plot arcs that I think could be seen as unresolved by anyone who watched a good chunk of the show's episodes. And additionally, and most importantly, all of these plot lines were advancing to what appeared to be some conclusion eventually. The Fry and Leela romance, and Fry's unique situation in the universe (I think Groening planned another 2 episodes at least based on foreshadowing that Nibbler gives after the second defeat of the flying brains.)

I'm surprised, actually, that people like both Family Guy and Futurama, because the shows strike me as such polar opposites. At least for me, a lot of the pleasure I got from Futurama was simply the great characters, with backstories that were referenced later on, and overall just that the show seemed like a genuine story involving real people (who happened to have only one eye or be robots or whatever.)

Plus, Bender was simply a brilliant comic nucleus for the show. And Futurama had so many hysterical supporting characters it was ridiculous: the professor, Zapp Branigan, Mom ("Jam a bastard in it, you crap!" has to be the best swearing without actual swearwords in all history), Morbo ("Kittens give Morbo gas. In lighter news, the city of New New York is doomed. Blame rests with known human Professor Hubert Farnsworth and his tiny, inferior brain.")

Futurama was based on absolutely brilliant writing. Not only was an overarching plot for the show apparently established in the first episode - with Nibbler's pushing Fry into the cryo-booth - but it simply had some of the funniest writing and best situations of any comedy I've seen. It's very similar to the Simpsons in that respect, only possibly better as it's a tad less syrupy: the humor in Futurama is very rarely "easy" humor - it was always based upon funny situations revolving around plot and character. That sort of thing is not easy to do. I miss that show dearly; it certainly ended on a strong point, but I'd still love to see it return no matter what.

[Excalibre]

Originally Posted by jrfranchi

Excalibre: That was strange, I got a strong sense of Deja Vu all over again from that post.

Dammit! Halfway through, and I accidentally hit the tab and clicked the submit button! I figured I hit stop in time.

Could any passing mod do me a favor and kill that post?

[Ponder Stibbons]

Originally Posted by Excalibre

Dammit! Halfway through, and I accidentally hit the tab and clicked the submit button! I figured I hit stop in time.

Could any passing mod do me a favor and kill that post?

Since you axed nicely, maybe you'll get it for Ecksmas.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by Excalibre

...snip...
I'm surprised, actually, that people like both Family Guy and Futurama, because the shows strike me as such polar opposites. ...snip...
Futurama was based on absolutely brilliant writing. Not only was an overarching plot for the show apparently established in the first episode - with Nibbler's pushing Fry into the cryo-booth - but it simply had some of the funniest writing and best situations of any comedy I've seen. It's very similar to the Simpsons in that respect, only possibly better as it's a tad less syrupy: the humor in Futurama is very rarely "easy" humor - it was always based upon funny situations revolving around plot and character. That sort of thing is not easy to do. I miss that show dearly; it certainly ended on a strong point, but I'd still love to see it return no matter what.

I agree with everything you said.
I loved early Simpson's (Let us say first 8 years) and I loved Futurama. (The Star Trek Episode and Blurnsball was as funny as the best Simpsons episodes)
I like South Park and some episodes are brilliant. ("Lemiwinks" and "The Return of the Lord of the Rings" as examples or "Simpsons did it")
No Family Guy show was a great show. They have funny skits and funny jokes but no great shows.

Jim

[Bryan Ekers]

In order to get all the references on a typical Family Guy episode, you have to have watched a lot of television between 1975 and 1995.

In order to get all the references on a typical Futurama episode, you have to have been a serious computer/sci-fi geek.


I qualify on both counts, but Futurama is simply more intellectually challenging.

[Excalibre]

Originally Posted by Bryan Ekers

In order to get all the references on a typical Futurama episode, you have to have been a serious computer/sci-fi geek.

You really think so? Maybe I'm a bigger geek than I figured, then, because either a lot of references sailed over my head without my even noticing, or else I must have understood them and just didn't even think about what a geek I was to recognize them.

[BluePitbull]

Originally Posted by Evil Captor

Yeah, and a lot less censorship. Look at Japanese OVA series for adults.

Futurama is fine the way it is.

[Tuckerfan]

Originally Posted by BluePitbull

Futurama is fine the way it is.

I dunno, given that censors on AS have cut out things like, "Great zombi Jesus!" and Fox censors are notoriously fickle (see the Wish Upon a Weinstein episode of Family Guy) and I doubt that Groening would seriously entertain the idea of a Fry/Leela/Amy threeway scene.

[Bryan Ekers]

Originally Posted by Excalibre

You really think so? Maybe I'm a bigger geek than I figured, then, because either a lot of references sailed over my head without my even noticing, or else I must have understood them and just didn't even think about what a geek I was to recognize them.

How's'about "'CHR$(77)=>"many things she gave me" ?

It's the geek equivalent of "Sneed's Feed and Seed".

[Larry Mudd]

Originally Posted by pizzabrat

Family Guy is "absurdist", and there's nothing new about that type of humor to call any other types "traditional". [...] I can't think of any classic absurdist examples off the top of my head.

Little help: Hellzapoppin'

Much of the sensibility of Warner Brothers' cartoons was borrowed from Hellzapoppin'. (1941)

A typical example of the sort of absurdist humour that drives Hellzapoppin':

Periodically, the action is interrupted by a uniformed messenger coming through the scene, pulling a potted plant, holding a waybill, and plaintively calling, "Mrs. Jones? Mrs. Jones!" Everyone watches without comment as he passes through, and then resumes whatever they were doing. With each appearance, the plant is bigger, until finally it's the size of a giant redwood, and the messenger is riding on top of it.

The stage play it was loosely based on featured a Yiddish Adolph Hitler as an opener.

[Excalibre]

Originally Posted by Bryan Ekers

How's'about "'CHR$(77)=>"many things she gave me" ?

It's the geek equivalent of "Sneed's Feed and Seed".

I don't get it - character 77 is "M", right? I don't remember ever seeing that anyway. So at this point, we can assume that I'm not a geek, but simply so out of it that I missed most of what was going on in each episode.

I have seen every episode several times, incidentally.