Futurama May Strike Back (on DVD)

Nik writes "Hot on the heels of Family Guy's revival, Can't Get Enough Futurama is reporting that 'there is renewed talk at FOX about bringing fresh Futurama content directly to DVD.' While nothing is confirmed at this point, it is apparently the first time that a division of Fox has considered producing new episodes of the animated sci-fi series in some time."

Comments

If they bring this back..

[Nifrith]

.. the Simpsons can kiss my shiny metal ass.

Re:If they bring this back..

[SamSim]

BITE. BITE. BITE MY SHINY METAL ASS. It was the first thing Bender said in the series. Variations include "glorious golden ass" and "splintery wooden ass". He said it at least a dozen times. It was his catchphrase. I don't know how you could forget it.

Re:If they bring this back..

[orkysoft]

Huh? Red hot glowing ass!?

Sound Great

[knoebelsPT]

No commercials, new episodes, no network censors. I'll be the first in line

Re:Sound Great

[Fyz]

Unless of course the commercials are for Molten Boron.

Nobody doesn't like Molten Boron

Re:Sound Great

[Stephen Williams]

This Futurama DVD is brought to you in association with Thompson's Teeth! The only teeth strong enough to eat other teeth!

-Stephen

Re:Sound Great

[Scrameustache]

No commercials, new episodes, no network censors. I'll be the first in line

Leela: Didn't you have ads in the 21st century?"

Fry: Well sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio, and in magazines, and movies, and at ball games... and on buses and milk cartons and t-shirts, and bananas and written on the sky. But not in dreams, no siree.

Maybe there won't be commercial breaks, but as sure as [consummer food brand name] is delicious, there will be ads in those DVDs.

Re:Sound Great

[BeaverCleaver]

Oh dude, I'm surprised I'm the first sad fan to correct your correction. On the audio commentary for that episode on the DVD they explain how they had to cut & paste the sound to make that song. And they definitely explain that the line is "doesn't".

Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[PornMaster]

Well, it makes sense that if they didn't see enough financial benefit to broadcasting it, but there's a strong enough fan base, to sell it to them directly. Capitalism working well. Bravo!

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[jericho4.0]

I don't understand the economics of this. Most TV watchers have access to dozens of channels, and that number goes up all the time. Futurama is a widely liked show, compared to much of the content available at any one time, yet it's still not cost effective to broadcast?

This seems to me to indicate that something is fundamentally wrong with the model, and it will continue to push quality off the airwaves in favour of crap.

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[balthan]

yet it's still not cost effective to broadcast?

It's probably not so much that's it's not cost-effective to broadcast, but that it's not cost-effective enough. Networks make most of their money from the "hit" shows, so it's easier for them just to churn out new shows and cancel them after 3 episodes until they land the next hit. Futurama may have been profitable (I have no idea), but they were probably looking for Simpsons type numbers and regarded it as a failure.

One day someone's going to start pandering to the niche markets and make a comfortable living doing so. Sci-Fi had that oppurtunity early on, but blew it trying to follow the major networks.

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[Captain Splendid]

Well, it's obviously cost-effective enough to run on at least two channels I get: Cartoon network and TBS.

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[OrangeTide]

Basically you can only slice your channel 48 ways (assuming you have 24 hour programming with 30 minute shows). Public corporations need to increase profits due to outside and internal pressure from share holders and board members. But given that the amount of programming you can present has a hard limit, you need to increase the number of viewers to achieve greater profit. Which is why we see these companies pushing the next Survivor or Friends rather than the next great sci-fi cartoon sitcom.

Cable networks have it a bit easier, often they aren't publicly owned. Or they are some smaller business unit of a larger corporation. As long as the cable network brings in some profits and doesn't seriously compete with the main programming then they have a pretty free hand. Also being subscription based changes the business model a bit.

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[SamSim]

Animation costs much more to make than, say, reality shows. For a reality show all you really, honestly need is, I dunno, one camera and an idea. And most seem to get away with just the camera.

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[zaffir]

The adult swim show block on Cartoon Network is doing great by offering this "niche" content. They run Futurama and Family Guy reruns every night in addition to anime and some of their own original shows.

If you get the chance, walk down the hallway of a college dorm building a little after 11:00 PM EST. Nearly every room with a TV in it will have Adult Swim on.

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[nunchux]

Futurama is a widely liked show, compared to much of the content available at any one time, yet it's still not cost effective to broadcast?

Futurama was also a very expensive show. There's a huge list of writers, producers and God-knows-what-they-do executives who are paid quite a bit of money per episode. That's the real problem with the networks-- it's not the actual cost of making a show, it's that every production is top-heavy with people in suits who are paid ghastly sum to give notes. I'm speaking from experience here-- the contact list for a typical network production (animated or live) has more executives than cast and crew. And with so many people with veto power, it's really difficult for something without a very broad appeal to survive.

Futurama is and was great, but it should have been a cable show. With a low overhead it would have found a comfortable audience and could have lasted for years. But at a network, the cost per episode was literally dozens of times what it costs to produce a cable show like Spongebob or Aqua Teen-- and since it wasn't a hit on the scale of The Simpsons, it had to go.

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[Cutterex]

Network President: "Greetings gentlemen, you already know my Execubots. Executive Alpha, programmed to like things that are seen before. Executive Beta, programmed to roll dice to determine the fall schedule... And Executive Gamma, programmed to underestimate middle America."

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[chameleon3]

unless South Park, The Daily Show, or Chappelle's Show is on.

Re:Niche marketing vs. Broadcasting

[RedBear]

Well, it's obviously cost-effective enough to run on at least two channels I get: Cartoon network and TBS.

You misspelled "rerun". The main point of this whole conversation is that Futurama was axed a couple of years ago, and we want new episodes, not reruns. I can already buy the entire series on DVD, which I have done, and was very sad to find out at the end that there simply would not be a 5th season box set forthcoming (I don't have cable which is why I got the DVDs in the first place) because the series is no longer being produced. Apparently the networks think it isn't cost-effective to make and broadcast new episodes.

YEY! Adult swim helps us all out~

[cocoacow]

I think this is proof that adult entertainment is really evolving. And who do we have to thank for all this wonderfullness? Adult Swim.
They have really shown the world that we want more animation, just like they get in japan. And what better then more episodes of my most favorite show of all time, (besides the simpsons). Seems the quick dissemination of television shows to DVD also really helps show those network borgs just how much we really love a show. Take that Nielsen!

Re:YEY! Adult swim helps us all out~

[Tim Browse]

Hmm...except, I love the Simpsons and Futurama, but the fact that they are animated has nothing to do with it - it's mainly because they are well written and acted comedies.

Obviously both shows get some mileage from being animated, in that you can do things that would normally be expensive (esp. in Futurama), but that is for me, very much a side issue.

I don't ever think "Yay! Futurama's on! I love animation!", I think "Yay! Futurama's on! Bender is great! Deal with it!"

Re:YEY! Adult swim helps us all out~

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

Don't ask Fox. Ask Adult Swim and Cartoon Network. That's how we got a second season of Big O..

Re:YEY! Adult swim helps us all out~

[Scrameustache]

I think this is proof that adult entertainment is really evolving. And who do we have to thank for all this wonderfullness? Adult Swim.

Yeah, er, you do that.
I'm gonna keep thanking Japan and Europe for leading the way.

Sweet

[Lullabye_Muse]

I just started my futurama collection yesterday volume one is better than the Simpsons, season one content wise.

Re:Let it die

[Coneasfast]

WRONG! family guy is completely different, the whole comedy style is NOTHING like the simpsons. (family guy is freaking hilarious and senseless, while simpsons has an interesting plot/story every week).

as for futurama, it has a more sci-fi/geek based comedy style that you wont find in the others.

Good news everyone!

[koinu]

This is my favorite series.

Better than the Simpsons

[vitalyb]

I'd hate to offend anyone this is really just what I believe Futurama is. Shows continue if they hit the largest common dominator of the mob watching the show, sadly (aka "2 Fast 2 Furious") the common dominator is quite low.

Result:
Simpsons are on their what? 10th season? Futurama was canceled after 5 seasons (and correct me if the numbers are wrong, that's not the point).

I like Simpsons as well (even if not too much) but as far as humor goes, Futurama is more witty, complicated and deep.

Re:Better than the Simpsons

[ejdmoo]

Simpsons are finishing up season 16 now, FYI. :)

They are contracted through another 1 or 2 seasons, and they are contracted through 2010 for syndication.

Please correct me if I'm wrong...

Re:Better than the Simpsons

[MikeXpop]

Futurama was cancelled after 4 seasons actually. The show ran 5 "seasons" because FOX kept screwing Futurama over (placing it RIGHT after sports events for one), and they had nearly a whole season worth of episodes left over by the time "season" 4 ended.

That's why there are 4 volumes for sale on DVD.

Fox is also experimenting with Web downloads

[prostoalex]

Last year Fox started airing "My big fat obnoxious boss" - a reality show, a blatant rip-off of NBC's The Apprentice, but with a bunch of humorous twists, and parts of it were pretty funny.

Well, they unexpectedly pulled the show after Episode 5, apparently could not compete with Desperate Housewives during the same time slot, so they figured some show about UFOs was worth it, while Obnoxious boss was not.

They posted the remaining episodes on www.fox.com/bigfat (the link doesn't work anymore) later, with a new episode published every Friday. I am not sure what their traffic numbers were, but a lot of fans of the Boss downloaded the complete episodes.

I'd assume Fox would be pretty open to the scheme where they charge $1 or so per download (the obnoxious boss ones were not-DRMed, just regular WMV files, as far as I can remember). Makes sense with the amount of shows they keep cancelling and each show having a "long tail" following of maybe tens of thousands fans, but not millions, to make it justifiable to air on primetime TV.

Re:Fox is also experimenting with Web downloads

[mrgreen4242]

Most TV shows seem to be in the $40-50 range per season, so maybe 20-24 episodes, depending on the show and the season.

That's somewhere around $2/ episode, plus your getting extra's like deleted scenes and commentaries, etc. However, by the time a show makes it to DVD they've already made the money on it from advertising, so the DVD sales are just gravy.

I think there is a market for either direct to DVD or downloadable new syndicated content, though. Throw in some clever product placement, charge $2.50 an episode, or $40 for a season pass, make them available weekly, and keep old episodes available for purchase during the whole season. After the first 6 or 8 weeks make the first episode available for free, DRM-less as well, so it can get swapped around, and I think you could probably do pretty well. Couldn't sell one of the very popular/expensive to produce shows that way, but you could sell a lot of niche content.

Doing business this way wouldn't even preclude DVD sales either. Take the season offline when the new one is going to begin, and sell DVD sets with bonus features, etc, to people who missed it or to really big fans who want everything to do with the show. The bonuses would have to be really good though. Well produced behind the scene's stuff, deleted scenes tat have been finished in post-production and re-inserted where they belong in the episode (as an optional playback feature) and the first episode of the next season or a free download of it a week before it is available to the public, etc.

Good news about Futurama tho! Great show. I think Fox discussed doing a direct to DVD 24 spin off that would sell in the summer months. Eight one hour episodes on DVD that would come out 2 to a disc every other week or something for about $12, with some behind the scenes stuff and special sneak peeks at next seasons 24, etc. Dunno what happened to that idea. Maybe they will make this a regular trend for the summers, when TV is down but DVD sales generally seem to be up (due to having nothing good on TV?)?

Re:Sci-fi series?

[forkazoo]

I'd assume the "sci fi" misconception stems from the fact that it takes place in the future, and there are space ships and aliens, and they travel to different planets, and a robot is a main character. It amazes me the number of people who don't realise that it is a historical medical drama. Really just a Dr. Quinn rip off.

How long...

[Cyno01]

Before TV is nothing but a preview for DVDs or some sort of streaming on demand system. How many cancled shows have been released on DVD with a bunch of episodes that never even aired?

I'll believe it when I see it

[SpryGuy]

I'm not sure how they really expect to do this if they're going to go direct to DVD. It seems to me that if they were interested in funding new episodes, they'd want to show them on their station, collect the ratings numbers and ad revenue, and THEN release them on DVD some time later. Wouldn't that end up making them more money, or at least give them a better shot of making a profit?

I do hope they create more episodes though. I loved Futurama. I worry, though, if they can get all the same cast and talent back.

Re:I'll believe it when I see it

[ucblockhead]

Not necessarily, as airtime is a limited resource. They probably assume that they can put another show in its place that'll bring in more ad revenue. This is quite rational if a show has a strong fan base but gets low overall numbers.

The shows that do best are stuff that appeals enough to lots and lots of people so that they watch it instead of the other channel. (Roughly speaking.) Lots of people watch stuff on TV just because it's there. A show that most people don't care for but that a few people love will do horribly.

DVD sales are the opposite. A show makes lots of money on DVD if it can convince someone to pay $59.95 or more for a season. The only people who are going to do this are rabid fans. So on DVD, a show with a bunch of rabid fans will do better than a show that everyone sort of likes but no one loves.

That's why a "Firefly" can sell more DVDs than "Everybody Loves Raymond". Fewer people like "Firefly", so it got poorer ratings. But the number of people who loved "Firefly" is greater than those who loved "Everybody Loves Raymond", so it sold more DVDs.

If shows start going "straight to DVD", it could be very good for those of us who likes niche shows. Producers will have to worry less about appealing to the entire TV viewing population and will pay more attention to the rabid fanbase.

Re:I'll believe it when I see it

[Scrameustache]

It seems to me that if they were interested in funding new episodes, they'd want to show them on their station, collect the ratings numbers and ad revenue, and THEN release them on DVD some time later.

You got your "they" confused.

They are the Fox DVD execs, they want to sell more Futurama box sets, because Futurama box sets have brought them great profit.
The other batch of execs, the Broadcasting subdivision, don't want to air Futuramas, but the DVD people don't care if the Broadcasters want to air them or not, they want to sell DVDs.

A company as large as Fox isn't one big "they", it's a hydra with many heads. Just because the TV head doesn't like the taste of Futurama, that won't stop the DVD head from feeding on it.

Re:I'll believe it when I see it

[Dhalka226]

But the number of people who loved "Firefly" is greater than those who loved "Everybody Loves Raymond", so it sold more DVDs.

But I thought everybody loved Raymond?

(I can't believe nobody took that one before me!)

Re:Let it die

[akeru]

Clearly you have never watched Futurama. The Simpsons, Family Guy and (now) American Dad: all pretty much the same "let's make fun of the 'Leave It To Beaver' family" with appropriately similar jokes involving the idiocy of the father. Futurama does away with almost all of that. The only similarity is in the "stupidity jokes". Think before you speak.

Re:Let it die

[kv9]

short answer: yes.
long answer: yes -- family guy died once and it did matter for the fans so fox revived it.

and to be on topic, i for one cant wait for our futurama overlords to be back. even on dvd.

thats what it would have been like ..

[torpor]

.. if i'd invented the finglonger ..

Someone state the obvious

[tfcdesign]

Bring new episodes to TV on Adult Swim! Geeze, you'd think these guys who are running the show would have a clue about market and demographic.

Re:Theres just one thing to say...

[saigon_from_europe]

It doesn't look so shiny to me.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, pretty much the only reason Futurama and Family Guy died in the first place is that Fox doesn't know how to properly manage award winning shows. Futurama was constantly preempted by NFL games and played at the oddest times. Also, the DVD commentaries of Futarama are amazing. One can't help but be amazed at the talent of the writers, actors and everyone behind the show.

And look at what they've done with Arrested Development, definetily one of the top sitcoms (if you can call it that) on television right now. I just think it's not fair that Fox has the ability to somehow get all these great shows but totally screw it up every time.

Re:Firefly

[Scrameustache]

Firefly/Serenity needs to be next!

Hold your horses, the comics are coming this summer, then the movie this fall, and then we'll see.

Personally, I'd prefer if they kept their new alliance with Universal instead of going back to the deepest pits of hell to meet with the Fox execs.

obligatory quote

[ZeroExistenZ]

"That's not why people watch TV. Clever things make people feel stupid and unexpected things make them feel scared."

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but if you read slashdot's headers there'll be random futurama quotes on each server reply. eg:

X-Bender: Well I don't have anything else planned for today, let's get drunk!

Puny Earthicans!

[Anonymous Coward]

Morbo is pleased.

Yes!

[radarsat1]

I cannot freaking WAIT to downl.. I mean... BUY this!

("I kid, I kid!")

iTunes video downloads

[Jesse_132]

It would be great if apple could leverage their iTunes music store by adding the ability to buy episodes directly.

NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN

[mrshowtime]

Every few months or so a "story" pops up that Fox is thinking about renewing Futurama or doing the straight to dvd thing. This is usually drummed up by some Futurama Fan site that is Jealous of Family Guy's success and thinks that because "crappy Family Guy" was renewed that Futurama should be renewed also. Discounting the fact that Family Guy is one of highest rated shows on Adult Swim and the second highest selling dvd-t.v. show of all time.

Problem is, Fox does NOT OWN FUTURAMA, Matt Groining does. The main reason Fox let Futurama die in the firtt place is because of that very reason. Dvd sales of Futurama have not been a barn burner and given the very high cost of producing a Futurama episode I doubt even if Cartoon Network picked up some of the bill it would even be profitable.

Everyone seems to forget that Fox was contractually obligated to the four seasons that aired, and sneakily pre-empted Futurama so that there would be a backlog of episodes so they could tell M.G. "Sorry Matt, there is a backlog of episodes, so we don't need a fifth season," without upsetting the Goose that laid the Golden egg (Simpsons being that egg).

The ONLY way Futurama would see the light of day is if M.G. paid for it himself. End of Story.

Re:NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN

[aslate]

Every few months or so a "story" pops up that Fox is thinking about renewing Futurama or doing the straight to dvd thing. This is usually drummed up by some Futurama Fan site that is Jealous of Family Guy's success and thinks that because "crappy Family Guy" was renewed that Futurama should be renewed also. Discounting the fact that Family Guy is one of highest rated shows on Adult Swim and the second highest selling dvd-t.v. show of all time.
Wrong: The Futurama community knows that it's basically dead, we accepted that about a year after it was cancelled. CGEF still posts all the relevant information, and has been posting all the info they get from the production team, although they always say "Don't get your hopes up", as we know it's basically dead.

Problem is, Fox does NOT OWN FUTURAMA, Matt Groining does. The main reason Fox let Futurama die in the firtt place is because of that very reason. Dvd sales of Futurama have not been a barn burner and given the very high cost of producing a Futurama episode I doubt even if Cartoon Network picked up some of the bill it would even be profitable.
Half wrong: FOX own the rights for Futurama on television, whereas Groening retained the rights for other media, hence the comics are still going strong. Futurama does have a high production cost, however the DVD sales were massive and it reached #1 on Amazon repeatedly. However, FOX set out to kill it. Futurama was the most watched TV premier, and did well. But there's only so many years you can survive being pre-empted by sports and cancelled as they over-run.

Everyone seems to forget that Fox was contractually obligated to the four seasons that aired, and sneakily pre-empted Futurama so that there would be a backlog of episodes so they could tell M.G. "Sorry Matt, there is a backlog of episodes, so we don't need a fifth season," without upsetting the Goose that laid the Golden egg (Simpsons being that egg).
I don't know about the contract for 4 seasons, but Groening was annoyed at Futurama's treatment from the word go, they weren't keeping him happy by keeping it on the air but not producing any more.

Re:NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN

[Dachannien]

Except that Billy West (voice of Fry, Prof. Farnsworth, Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan) has indicated that David X. Cohen (writer, exec producer) has talked with the Fox executives, and they were very open to going forward with this. This isn't just rumors from some comic con, this is coming from the actual people who make the show.

Re:let the quotes begin!

[aslate]

Fry: You got that off the internet? In my day we only used the internet for pornography.

Professor: Oh, that's still true.

Hermes: Behold the internet!

Fry: My God! It's full of ads!

How about new episodes of alternate-Enterprise?

[davidwr]

I want to see more of the intrigue and backstabbing of The Empire between the undoubtedly short reigh of Empress Sato and the arrival of "our" Spock and Kirk in Mirror, Mirror.

Send those direct to video, or if it's too expensive to film, direct-to-the-bookstore.

"Fresh Futurama content"

[Stephen Williams]

How horribly buzzwordy. What's wrong with simply saying "new episodes of Futurama"?

-Stephen

Re:Sci-fi series?

[TylerL82]

Cartoon Network said ti best when they called it an "Action Cartoon Sci-Fi Comedy Drama that redefines Action Cartoon Sci-Fi Comedy Dramas".

Futurama Family Guy

[miyako]

I'm really glad to see that it's being considered, though I'm not going to hold my breath. It always stuck me as odd that Family Guy got so much more support than Futurama. While I think familiy guy is a perfectly good show as shows go, I think that Futurama is perhaps the best pure-comedy show I've ever watched.

tremble in fear puny earthlings

[blah-Hipo]

"PUNY FOX EXECUTIVE, you will bring back futurama or suffer the wrath of MORBO!!!"

"aah hah hah. that's nice."

Re:let the quotes begin!

[Anonymous Coward]

Announcer at the races: "It's a quantum finish..."

Prof: "Damn you! You changed the result by oberving it!"

Genius.

if its like the last several seasons of simpsons..

[arazor]

If its like the last several seasons of the simpsons then I am not interested. Matt Groening in his Life In Hell comic strip during the 2004 US presidential election cycle made some sort of promise that it would be just anti-bush only. I took that to mean just the life in hell comic strip but it turned out to be in the Simpsons. I applaud him for making good on his word (even though I am obviously on the other side of the political spectrum).

If Matt Groening takes that kind of work to Futurama I would rather go without new episodes of Futurama.

The last Simpsons episode I found funny was Tree House of Horror 12.

Carl: You know, I was hexed by a troll and a leprechaun cured that right up.
Lenny: Hey you know what's even better is Jesus. He's like.. 6 leprechauns!
Carl: Yeah, but a lot harder to catch. Go with the leprechaun.

Planned cancellations, office politics

[Scrameustache]

it makes sense that if they didn't see enough financial benefit to broadcasting it

Futurama, like firefly, was scheduled during a "sport overtime" timeslot, i.e. it aired rarely, and sometimes only the confusing second half of the 24 minuttes would air, etc.

Your options are:

1. The person in charge of the schedule has never watched sports in his life and doesn't know that it tends to go long, and therefore made a mistake.
   
2. The person in charge of the schedule didn't like Futurama and decided to have it cancelled by making sure no one can watch it regularly (that person cannot make the call on which show get financed and which get the plug pulled, but they have power over scheduling, and timing is everything on TV).

Mind bogging incompetance, or mean spirited abuse of power. I'm gonna go with mean spiritted: I don't think someone that incompetant would ever earn the right to make that decision, especially since it happened again to a similar show on the same network not long afterwards.

They Forgot The Important Link!

[aslate]

Quoted from Billy West's Message Board:

Well, I spoke to David X.Cohen because we did promos for a new Futurama compilation and he said that they did have talks with the top guys at FOX and they were extremely impressed with the sales of the Futurama DVDs. The idea was to make a Futurama movie right to DVD and then a 2nd and a 3rd. That's what's being discussed. Fox is trying to figure out a budget for the whole project, and it sounded like David X. was very jazzed!

I would love more than anything to do that show again. I thought it was best experience on every level... creatively, voice-wise, writing, animation and the laughs. The laughs. Writers and performers that respected each other.

It's got a bit more effect when you have a quote from a voice-actor talking with a producer.

Drawing a blank

[Scrameustache]

Who are the pricks who modded me -1 Troll? Asking for a torrent was obviously a joke. Christ on a cracker, go fuck yourselves, you humorless right wing son of a bitch bloggers.

I can't possibly imagine why anyone would mod you down for trolling.

Firefly

[Digitus1337]

I can't be the only one here that wants to see Firefly back on the air (or DVD for that matter). I don't know how Fox does it, but they let the best shows get started and then cut them down in their prime. Does anybody know what the survivability of a show is like on these stations?

The Hypnotoad says......

[Beechmere]

(.....Bring back Futurama.....)

Annoyingly hypnotic buzzing sound convinces all that this is wise.

the only problem is...

[sootman]

...when I go to buy it, will there be a bunch of football videos on the shelf where Futurama should be?

Misinformation

[XBoyAdv]

Umm... Firefly episodes were aired on Friday nights. No NFL football on Fridays. Fox didn't schedule any sports during that day.

Only Futurama was on an American sports day (Sunday) during its last couple of seasons. Before Sundays, it was aired on Tuesday nights with the Guinness World Records, P.J.s (the short lived Eddie Murphy claymation show) and King of the Hill in early 2000's.

Much better than the Simpsons.

[Anonymous Coward]

I've heard a lot of people say that Futurama was a funnier show than the Simpsons but that, unlike the Simpsons, it lacked any emotional appeal or character development. While I think the latter assertion is untrue and sort of perplexing, there are a couple other logs to throw onto the inevitable Simpsons/Futurama flamewar.

I would have to agree that a randomly selected episode of Futurama is probably going to be much funnier, wittier, and better-written than any episode of the Simpsons. Futurama was consistently great in terms of writing and directing. The Simpsons had many excellent episodes in seasons 3-4, and since then, it just hasn't been enjoyable to me.

Futurama was really just hitting its stride when Fox pulled the plug, and that's part of what is so remarkable: it was great from the very beginning, and it was turning into something Insanely Great(tm) towards the end of its abortive stint on network TV. It baffles me to hear the "no emotional resonance" criticism in light of this fact, because a lot of what made Futurama great was precisely its humanity, its emotional appeal. I feel little emotional response to the characters of The Simpsons, and I don't know if it's the annoying voice acting, the flaccid writing, or what. But think about, for example, any number of "Fry-Leela episodes": "Parasites Lost," "Time Keeps on Slippin'," and "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings" come to mind. Every one of these episodes is wonderfully written, acted, and directed, and every one is both funny and emotionally resonant without being melodramatic. Strange as it seems, I care about Fry and Leela more than any other TV sitcom couple or almost-couple--Ross and Rachel, etc., etc.

And it's not just the Fry-Leela relationship; "Jurassic Bark" comes to mind as an episode very characteristic of later Futurama with its witty humor and genuinely heartbreaking ending.

The examples are too numerous to cite, but Futurama was a great show (while the Simpsons is just an above-average sitcom) because it succeeded at being funny, humane, witty, literate, and entertaining. Too bad it failed at surviving the scheduling abuse of the Fox network.