In a way, yeah… But, AFAIK, Futurama is going to have a couple of DVDs that will also air on Adult Swim (not network TV).
Of course, I’m thrilled about this (any Futurama is better than no Futurama), but it’s not exactly coming back as a regular network TV series unless I missed a memo.
The way I understand it, they’ve made four DVDs that will air in parts, as episodes. And I think it will be on Comedy Central, since they bought the rights.
I can’t see South Park being filmed with real-live elementary school kids. It would be very entertaining but some people might not approve. It would be killer to see a kid dressed up as a young Hitler or gaining 50 pounds in one episode however.
Still not broadcast TV, but thanks for the info. I hadn’t heard about CC buying the rights to Futurama.
I really do wish Fox would pick it back up, though. Between the brilliant comedy, fantastic story arc, and the sense of continuity rivaled only by King of the Hill, it was truly one of my favorite shows.
That’s right. Futurama moves to Comedy Central in 2008. The new episodes will be cut-downs of the made-for-DVD movies, the first of which is coming in November 2007.
Mine too. But I’m not sorry it’s off Fox: on Comedy Central, you won’t lose the first 15 minutes to a football game that runs long.
ARHHH!
EARWIG!!
Wait 'til your father gets, until your father gets,
Wait 'til your father gets home!
Whatever channel it’s on, I just wish that it could be a continuing series again. Whenever the games ran long on Fox, I’d just obtain the episodes through… uh, ways that can’t be discussed on this board, so it didn’t bother me all that much. 
trademarked goods. perhaps it is easier to sell cartoon toys and assorted paraphernalia than action figures, although real life appearances can be a pain.
Nitpick: Bobby has aged- he’s at least gone from sixth grade to seventh, if not more, and Joseph’s gone through puberty and grown an ugly 'stache.
If movies of the last few years are anything to go by (Scooby Doo, Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Cat in the Hat, Fat Albert, et al), a live-action South Park movie will be coming to theaters in about 30 years.
Holy crap; it’s For Better Or For Worse in Texas!
Well, for that matter, Bart’s finished 4th grad at least twice, and there’s been a couple of summer vacations in there too.
To be fair, there’s a rather huge range of animation quality, with a corresponding variability in cost. Futurama incorporated a few 3D shots here and there, typically during ship battles, and I bet that got pricey. Contrast this to typical Japanese animation (or at least the stuff that gets picked up for television broadcasts) which is pretty much static, with talking simulated by a mouth-dot that alternates between tiny and slightly less tiny, and running simulated by two frames rapidly alternated.
As far as I can tell, the only positive element of the imports is the occasional female character with a compellingly short skirt that makes me just want to bend her over a table and sailor her moon, if you know what I mean.
I forgot about Joseph. And LuAnne turned 21 a few seasons ago. The point is, characters can age slowly in animation. It doesn’t matter if the voice actors age, since most child characters are voiced by adults and they can keep a consistent voice for their character.
Yeah, but try doing that live action. The R&D costs just to develop the ships would be astronomical. 
Re: animated vs. live action: Some Japanese studio is doing a live-action remake of Sailor Moon, with teenage actresses in wigs and sailor suits. What I’ve seen of it looks kind of weird, at least to me.
There have been various versions of these things getting made for years…Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, for one, not to mention random videos of cosplays passed around on the internet. You’re right, they’re pretty weird, and a lot of fun to watch with friends when you’re hammered (this and the one anime con I attended being the only reasons I know these things 
).
What I find interesting is that the viewing public seems to accept unconventional comedies from animation in a way that they don’t tolerate for live action shows.
Most of the modern animated shows are quirky and unconventional - south park and family guy, certainly, are nothing like most network sitcoms. King of the hill seems like an exception, but I haven’t seen much of it.
When it comes to a new live action comedy, it has to painfully generic, safe, and comfortable, the same thing as dozens of other shows before it, to have a chance at success. But it seems like animated shows get a license to be creative and break the mold and not be rejected by the audiences. I wonder if that’s also some sort of comfort/familiarty thing - they expect conventional, generic stuff from live action, but quirky stuff from animation because that’s what they’ve experienced in the past, and that’s all they’ll accept in the future.
If you think that’s weird, try the (live action) musicals.