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Futurama: Can it be True!?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the bite-my-shiny-metal-ass dept.

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.

19 of 448 comments (clear)

  1. Good news by geirlk · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Good news everyone, we're canceled!"

  2. The question is... by Jharish · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...will they be able to get back the same writing talent that made us fall in love with it, or is the quality of the shows going to be compromised?

    At least South Park still manages to be fresh and timely after 8 years.

  3. Welcome back Family Guy!! by justinmc · · Score: 5, Funny

    Stewie Griffin: [After Lois tries to feed Stewie his broccoli "airplane style"] Damn you, Damn the Broccoli, and Damn the Wright Brothers.

  4. Not true by lxt · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is simply a exagerration by the reporter - a wishful comment. It's simply not true, as has been said on all the Futurama sites for some time now.

    1. Re:Not true by ideatrack · · Score: 5, Informative

      The sad fact is that it may just be too hard to get all the right people back together. On the messageboards on Billy West's website (the voice of Fry, Zapp, Zoiberg etc but you know that) he said that the production team had broken up. At least I think that's where he said it anyway. But he has said he'd love to make more so who knows?

      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.

    2. Re:Not true by Cyberllama · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yeah its definately confirmed that family guy is coming back. They're working on new episodes now to begin airing in January of '05 on Cartoon Network. Fox has an option to air those episodes or sell them directly into syndication without ever airing them.

      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.

  5. Is it the money? by zora · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It seems like too much of a coincidence that while the Simpsons actors are holding out for $8 Million / season that Fox suddenly takes an intrest in Futurama? Say it aint so!

    --
    In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet, and say to us, "Make us your slaves, but feed us." - Dostoevsky
  6. You're Fired! (tm) by aixou · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hope someone at Fox got the axe for cancelling the two shows in the first place.

  7. I think we know what to say.... by Scrab · · Score: 5, Funny

    to the people that had Futurama canned...

    Kiss my shiny metal ass....

    --
    RoseColor red={0, 0xffff, 0x0000, 0x0000};VioletColour blue={0, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0xffff};find / -name *mybase*|chown you
  8. Family Guy Series 4 Already Confirmed by Mr.+Smoove · · Score: 5, Informative

    For those who don't know, Family Guy will be back early next year for a fourth series. Alex Borstein (Lois) has recently commented on her first week back.

    --
    Mr. Smoove
  9. We can only hope. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    At the last convention that I saw him at, Matt Groening said he would LOVE to make new episodes of Futurama, but it is a extremely expensive show to make. It's more a money issue than anything else.

    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/ in dex.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040326005446& newsLang=en

  10. Firefly?!? by Sieni · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sheesh, did they have to change the name of Phoenix/Firebird/Firefox/whatever again?!?

  11. Only to be pre-empted by Fox Football by shoppa · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I'm a huge fan of Futurama and Family Guy, but I'm convinced that Fox is only doing this as "fodder" for pre-emption by football games.

    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).

  12. Re:All-cartoon prime time? by zakezuke · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I still think we're headed for an all-cartoon prime time. It's so much cheaper to make cartoons compared to other shows

    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.

    --
    There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
  13. Hooray for Zoidberg by bangular · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't know if anyone else remembers what Futurama was replaced with. Oliver Beane. One of the shittiest shows ever. People joke about Fox executives being a bunch of monkeys that have no clue about programming, but it's really true. Every single truly good show Fox gets it cancels. What is it replaced with? Midgets, people injuring themselves, TV bloopers, weddings, police chases, reality shows, absolute shit. The ratings may be high for those shows, but they are only high because they are extreme. Once people become censatized they must become more extreme. It's an arms race. Just look at the wedding shows of 3 years ago compared to todays. There's nothing about these shows that have lasting value or anything that's fundamentally entertaining about them.

    Zoidberg, now he's entertaining. The rubber band is on the other claw now!!

    1. Re:Hooray for Zoidberg by cosmo7 · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think when you said censatized you meant sensitized by which you meant desensitized and were really after the word inured.

      Otherwise you're totally right.

  14. No one's posted this yet? Shame on you! by SuperMo0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. Create insanely funny, brilliant show. Allow critics and internet forum readers to rave about said brilliance while it airs on FOX.
    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!

  15. Hey Fox, Let me program Sundays for you by ScottGant · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here's the new Fox lineup starting at 8pm, 7 central:

    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".

    --

    "Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
  16. News From The Fox Boardroom by cdavies · · Score: 5, Funny

    *Buzzing Sounds* (Together) We will reinstate Futurama... All glory to the hypnotoad.