# IS Futurama Cancelled? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661 "2003-08-16T23:07:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/21 "2003-08-18T16:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Regardless, I don’t think the show could work as strict 2D – or maybe it could, but it wouldn’t be the same. Wouldn’t affect my appreciation of it one bit. Cartoons cannot look realistic, so whether they’re really, really, really unrealistic looking, or merely really, really unrealistic looking is of no consequence to me. Just IMO, and I could be alone on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/22 "2003-08-18T17:23:18Z")
IMO, it’s plain that the creative team loved the 3D so much that they made it an integral part of the show. The thing that makes it critical is that it’s part of almost every scene transition. You don’t notice that stuff frequently, but its absence would make the whole show feel “off.” –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/23 "2003-08-19T02:35:09Z")
> [@](#): > > IMO, it’s plain that the creative team loved the 3D so much that they made it an integral part of the show. The thing that makes it critical is that it’s part of almost every scene transition. You don’t notice that stuff frequently, but its absence would make the whole show feel “off.” I agree. While I would rather have more CGI-less Futurama than no Futurama at all, it would lose a lot of its distinctiveness with those elements taken out. When the show first premired, I remember how impressed I was by how well they integrated the CGI into the cel animation. It really is beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/24 "2003-08-19T03:18:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hail Ants \* > \*\* > If they had just left it as a lead-in or lead-out to The Simpsons it would have done fine. They tried moving King of the Hill to tuesdays and the ratings plummeted. They moved it back to sundays and it bounced right back. I love KOTH too but I think Futurama is (was) better. > \*\* You said it. I’m no big fan of Futurama, but it blows KOTH out of the water. The local Fox affiliate runs KOTH and Simpsons reruns from 6-8, interspersing them. When I watch, I start with the Simpsons, then turn off the volume and play on the computer till they are back on again. I’d at least watch Futurama if it were between Simpsons episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/25 "2003-08-19T03:25:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bouv \* > \*\* > > There is a chance that Cartoon Network will buy new episodes, but the negotiations between them, Fox, and so forth are going to be hard. Fox might not want to air the show, but they sure as Hell want to keep the rights to it. Bastards, \*\* I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure Fox doesn’t have the rights to it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/26 "2003-08-19T03:29:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hail Ants \* > \*\*Rumor has it that Fox only greenlighted Futurama because Groening leveraged his ‘Simpsons’ power over them. Consequently Fox treated the show like shit. The didn’t promote it, they rescheduled and pre-empted it constantly, and then basically shelved it in early 2002 for no reason. > > If they had just left it as a lead-in or lead-out to The Simpsons it would have done fine. They tried moving King of the Hill to tuesdays and the ratings plummeted. They moved it back to sundays and it bounced right back. I love KOTH too but I think Futurama is (was) better. > > I don’t hold much hope for it being renewed on a cable station. In one set of ‘bumpers’ (promos before & after commercials) Cartoon Network said that Futurama cost over **3 meeellion dollars** per episode! I doubt either CN or SciFi will risk that on a non-original production. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/27 "2003-08-19T04:24:21Z")
3 Mil. and episode? That doesn’t sound _that_ bad…how would that compare to, say, **Friends**? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/28 "2003-08-19T04:28:01Z")
“3 mil. _an_ episode,” of course. Curse my feeble brain. ---
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/29 "2003-08-19T04:53:29Z")
Cartoon Network makes money syndicating, but could they handle the $3M? IIRC, it was 3.4. I wouldn’t mind a 2D Futurama. In fact, I think it would be cool to have a less-futuristic looking sci-fi show.l I don’t think a Futurama movie would do very well. My friends yesterday were talking about how they were SURE that it has been picked up again already. I guess I’ll go tell them how wrong they are. When’ll the season 3 be on DVD? Have the big rental chains picked up 1 and 2? Where I am, Futurama and Family guy are on at 11 and 11.30am on TBS (iirc). ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/30 "2003-08-19T21:03:11Z")
Depending upon a lot of variables, it _might_ be possible to get the cost of the show lowered, without affecting the quality of the show. If the majority of the folks who worked on the show were passionate about the show, they might be willing to take a lower salary in exchance for higher royalties from merchandising, etc. The only one that I can think of who _might_ not be willing to go for such a deal is Katey Segal. I can’t really picture her being a sci-fi geek, but you never know. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/31 "2003-08-19T21:56:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cliffy \* > **IMO, it’s plain that the creative team loved the 3D so much that they made it an integral part of the show. The thing that makes it critical is that it’s part of almost every scene transition. You don’t notice that stuff frequently, but its absence would make the whole show feel "off."** The major 3D things that appear in each show are the establishing shots of the Planet Express building, and the ship itself. I guess you _would_ need 3D. Scene from a hypothetical 3D-less episode: Farnsworth: “Good news, everyone! I’ve sold the ship. You’ll be making deliveries on foot from now own.” Leela: “But how are we going to get to other planets?” Farnsworth: “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.” ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/32 "2003-08-20T00:50:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > [If the majority of the folks who worked on the show were passionate about the show, they might be willing to take a lower salary in exchance for higher royalties from merchandising, etc. Sadly, the folks who worked on the show have been gone for nearly two years now. The staff that made it so incredibly good has moved on to other things, and it would be essentially impossible to put them back together again. Dreams of new episodes are, I’m quite sure, nothing but dreams. Damn you, Fox! Damn you to hell! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/33 "2003-08-20T01:20:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minty green \* > \*\*Sadly, the folks who worked on the show have been gone for nearly two years now. The staff that made it so incredibly good has moved on to other things, and it would be essentially impossible to put them back together again. Dreams of new episodes are, I’m quite sure, nothing but dreams. > > Damn you, Fox! Damn you to hell! \*\* Not necessarily. For the writing staff, it might be a bitch to get away to work on new episodes, but for the voice talent, it _could_ be possible. From what I understand from watching the cast of _The Simpsons_ on Inside the Actor’s Studio, they pretty much cut the vocal talent for the episodes like how Krusty the Clown does his recordings for his talking dolls. He shows up, does a bunch of really quick takes and is gone. _The Simpsons_ cast seem to show up random times, record their lines and then are off onto other projects. Many times with only one cast member in the room, recording their lines for the entire episode. While it _would_ affect some of the give and take of the episodes, to do something like that for _Futurama_, I don’t think that it’d be so noticable as to ruin the episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/34 "2003-09-17T04:14:58Z")
Well, it looks like [url"[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=211727](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=211727)"]Katey Sagal’s going to be free pretty soon. And if the [_Family Guy_](http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/030603.htm) movie does well, then it _might_ convince Fox to do _Futurama: The Movie_ ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661/35 "2003-09-17T04:22:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\*Well, it looks like [Katey Sagal’s going to be free pretty soon.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=211727) > > And if the [_Family Guy_](http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/030603.htm) movie does well, then it _might_ convince Fox to do _Futurama: The Movie_ \*\* Crap. Fixed the link. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-futurama-cancelled/195661.md?page=1)