Matt Groening Talks About Futurama's Comeback

Joel Keller writes "When I was at the Television Critics Association press tour earlier last month, I briefly talked to Matt Groening about Futurama's comeback. I posted the interview to TV Squad a couple of days ago. The man behind the Simpsons and Futurama talks about the latter's comeback, the fun of doing sci-fi in a comedy format, and a few words about the first episode to air on Comedy Central."

Comments

All I ask

[hsmith]

All I ask is don't make it fucking suck like the new Family Guy.

Re:All I ask

[MaximvsG]

Was thinking the same exact thing. Family Guy seasons 0ne through three were awesome. Complete crap since then.

Re:All I ask

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, don't make it suck like ANY season of Family Guy. Here is every single Family Guy script ever written...

Peter does something stupid.
[Peter] "This reminds of the time where X happened.
Jump cut to X.
Repeat.

Hey "writers," just throwing random pop references together in flashbacks DOES NOT a funny show make.

Family Guy...It's like the Simpsons, for retards.

Re:All I ask

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes I too enjoyed that episode of South Park. Kudos to your original commentary. We could all learn a thing or two from you.

Re:All I ask

[ArcherB]

You need to take that up with the manatees.

Re:All I ask

[dbIII]

I haven't seen a lot of Family Guy, but I saw it as "joke on the horizon flashing it's lights wildly - joke arrives but you already know what it is - joke stays for an extra agonising minute as the character sings the second verse of the song the initially funny reference was to so that everyone will catch the pop reference". To me it seemed as pointless as "Man In The Moon" which seemed to be about how funny racist jokes are if you pretend it's about a country that doesn't exist - there's something in some brands of US humor I don't get. Simpsons, Futurama, Marx Bros, Chaplin and most of Mel Brooks is the stuff I can see as funny.

Re:All I ask

[Anonymous Coward]

Not always...
"...they'll go after you like Peter went after that hockey coach."

...

...

"What, no clip? I thought we had a clip."

Re:All I ask

[Anonymous Coward]

By Chaplin, do you mean British comedian Charlie Chaplin? A funny definition of US humour.

Re:All I ask

[x2A]

yeah that was actually pretty clever i thought, i love the self referencing stuff... when they were brought back after being cancelled; the scene's set just as peter breaks the news to lois that the show's been cancelled, she asks if there's any hope, peter lists all the tv shows on the network, and says "well if all those shows go down the tube, we might be in with a shot!"

Re:All I ask

[Anonymous Coward]

"well if all those shows go down the tube, we might be in with a shot!"

That was Family Guy's best joke. The "no clip" bit was the second best joke.

There is no number three.

Re:All I ask

[gallondr00nk]

The problem with Family Guy is that it parodies itself continuously, and it's nauseating. It doesn't seem to even try to have a story. The entire show is a container for unamusing flashbacks, usually with jokes about Family Guy. Not only that, but it has the most revolting theme song.

1: Take flashback
2: Add B-list celebrity
3: ?
4: Profit!

Re:All I ask

[Anonymous Coward]

...joke stays for an extra agonising minute...

That is the joke. They don't leave it hanging out there so "everyone will catch it", they let it fester in all it's painful glory; then when you can't stand it any more they push a little farther, then move on. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Both Futurama and Family Guy have fantastic subtleties that can often come in unexpected packaging - it's up to the viewer to catch on and appreciate them.

Re:All I ask

[Headcase88]

The evil monkey's got to be worth something.

*thinks about it for a 1/4 second*

No, no, you're right.

Re:All I ask

[Anonymous Coward]

All songs in cartoons are gay and stupid really. Thankfully Family Guy didn't have a lot. And you could see the jokes coming, sure, but I mean, its the fact that they showed them that made them funny. I'm sure a lot of that stuff would be considered "controversial" by the Catholics or whoever. Made it kinda edgy. Your loss however.

Re:All I ask

[dangitman]

The Simpsons did it!

Re:All I ask

[dangitman]

You're all wrong. The funniest joke is when Stewie imitates William Shatner singing "Rocket Man" like he did in that 1978 clip. With the multiple Shatners and the cigarette-smoking.

And I'm going to be ... high ... as a kite by then.
I'm a... Rocket Man... Rock-it man.

To have Stewie covering Shatner was the Best. Homage. Ever.

Re:All I ask

[Dankling]

are you completely stoned in that reply?

Re:All I ask

[DrScotsman]

Hey "writers," just throwing random pop references together in flashbacks DOES NOT a funny show make.

You think THAT'S bad? Remember the time Peter won a date to Mexico with Gary Coleman?

Re:All I ask

[drsquare]

The problem is, that was only funny the first time they did it, not the next fifty. I'm convinced that they only made Family Guy series 4+ because they were told to, rather than because they had any ideas.

Similarly, the Simpsons has outstayed its welcome by around a decade. I don't think Futurama should come back, there's a lot to be said for ending a show when it's still good.

Re:All I ask

[Anonymous Coward]

Agreed, Family Guy is as funny as stepping in dog shit and then walking it all around your house.

Re:All I ask

[elrous0]

Yeah, but Chaplin only really got funny when he came the the U.S. and we showed him what he'd been doing wrong.

Unfortunately, we also introduced him to our prostitutes and bourbon.

-Eric

It Died Because It Was Boring

[curmudgeon99]

Why does every boring TV show deserve a re-birth. Let it die.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[odasnac]

it died because:

  it wasn't given a consistent timeslot
  it was constantly preempted by sporting events
  it was NEVER promoted by fox
fox is stupid

i don't need to cite sources, as all of these are fairly well established (or i'm lazy)

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[curmudgeon99]

It was crude. It was not witty enough to make it as a cartoon that looked like it was drawn by somebody's feet.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[DamnStupidElf]

fox is stupid

Which probably means they didn't understand any of the jokes, either.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[jbrader]

I hate sports as much as the next dork but seriously, if you were a network executive and you had to choose between a guaranteed ratings grabber like FOOTBALL!! or a moderately successful science fiction cartoon which way would you go?

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[roka]

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01100100 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00101100 00100000 01110010 01101001 01100111
01101000 01110100 00111111

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[thhamm]

it died because:

no it did not die. repeat after me: it did not die. it did not die. all glory to the hypnotoad. al glory to the hypnotoad. it did not die.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[thhamm]

two!

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[aichpvee]

I'd have a second network for showing all my good shows so that I wouldn't have to preempt them and then cancel them due to the subsequent poor ratings. That or put them on in the time slots of my crappy shows that will be on for 10 years despite sucking because the American television watching public will watching anything regardless of quality.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[x1n933k]

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[J]

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[geekoid]

"It was just a dream, Bender. There's no such thing as two"

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Monkey-Man2000]

Are you referring to Malcom in the Middle? That's what I immediately think of when thinking of Futurama's cancellation. It took the 8:30 timeslot after Simpsons from Futurama and god did it suck (and for years). But Fox kept it going on and on and on. . .

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[thhamm]

this dream was brought to you by: lightspeed briefs

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[iminplaya]

fox is stupid

Really?

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Drooling Iguana]

There's no such thing as two.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[thhamm]

fox is stupid

LRR: NO THEY'RE NOT! we WANT MCNEAL!

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[harlows_monkeys]

I hate sports as much as the next dork but seriously, if you were a network executive and you had to choose between a guaranteed ratings grabber like FOOTBALL!! or a moderately successful science fiction cartoon which way would you go?

Well, I'd consider that the deal with the NFL is finite, and next time it is up for negotiation, it might move to another network. And then I'd consider the ton of money that The Simpsons has made for the network, and continues to make after almost two decades, and realize that Futurama at least has good potential to be in that ballpark. And then I'd move Futurama to a time slot that wouldn't conflict with football.

Oh, and I'd have done the same with Firefly, for similar reasons. It was from people with an excellent track record, and had a good shot at being one of those shows that grows into a very lucrative long-term franchise (e.g., it could have been Fox's Star Trek).

And for the slot that gets stomped on by football? A couple things come to mind. One would be to develop a skit-based comedy or variety show. Skits each episode would be independent, so that the show could quickly be cut to fit when football goes over, with the cut material usable next week. Or just take the easy way out, and fill any odd times between football's end and the next half-hour boundary with bonus material from the current season of American Idol.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[harlows_monkeys]

Are you referring to Malcom in the Middle?[...] god did it suck

It did have some pretty good stories now and then. It kind of makes me think of what you'd get if you cross-bred the writers of The Adventures of Pete and Pete with sane people. (When I say the writers of APP were not sane, I mean that in a good way).

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Yvan256]

Text-to-binary converter (and vice-versa)

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Yvan256]

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD!

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Nanpa]

Style and comfort for the discriminating crotch

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[scottv67]

It's not really a proper Hypnotoad reference if you don't include the cool sound:

http://tfp.killbots.com/flash/010_hypnotoad.php

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Puff Daddy]

You're an idiot.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Prof.Phreak]

I hate sports as much as the next dork but seriously, if you were a network executive and you had to choose between a guaranteed ratings grabber like FOOTBALL!! or a moderately successful science fiction cartoon which way would you go?

Ironically, in everyday life, I don't run into hardcore football fans. Do they exist?, or is it all a marketing myth trying to turn everyone into fans by hyping up football. Most folks I know only watch the superbowl 'cause of the commercials (not the game).

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Anonymous Coward]

My favorite hypnotoad site: http://r33b.net/

Bookmark it today and go into a catatonic stupor for a few hours at will.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Captain Splendid]

Heh, you must be young, otherwise your standard for shitty animation would be a lot lower.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[tompaulco]

And for the slot that gets stomped on by football? A couple things come to mind....
I vote they just write the script for football games better so that they will always fit in their allotted timeframe.
Either that or always pad the length of the game, and adjust the amount of time that the reminiscing ex-football players prattle on after the game is over, such that the next scheduled show can always start on time.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[drsquare]

Well, I don't think the ratings are a myth. Or the revenues. Or the attendances. Granted a lot of people watch the Superbowl for the commercials, but a lot of people watch all the other NFL games as well. And those college games with 100k+ people in the stadium...

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[aichpvee]

I was actually thinking of Bones. But there are tons of Fox shows that suck that stay on the air when they can stuff that is good. Malcolm in the Middle is actually pretty entertaining, but you basically have to watch all of it otherwise it just seems retarded.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Lars T.]

I hate sports as much as the next dork but seriously, if you were a network executive and you had to choose between a guaranteed ratings grabber like FOOTBALL!! or a moderately successful science fiction cartoon which way would you go? If I were a network executive, I wouldn't expect any program I run whenever football isn't available to do as well as football or any other show with a consistent time slot.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[Anonymous Coward]

Amen - in fact, Futurama's 3D aspect is VERY well used and was quite novel for an animated TV series. Personally, I think Futurama is the finest animated TV show ever, easily better than the Simpsons.

Re:It Died Because It Was Boring

[elrous0]

Fox isn't stupid, they're just non-smart.

-Eric

Crab People!

[Anonymous Coward]

I think the Crab People from Southpark should visit... Come on the simpsons did it ;)

Re:Crab People!

[Anonymous Coward]

It is not off-topic Zoidberg anybody what is he? A Crab Person.

Re:Crab People!

[Anonymous Coward]

He's a crappy Cthulhu.

This is pretty lame

[bendodge]

I find it pretty pathetic that a TV show made it to a Slashdot article. Free advertising, anyone?

Re:This is pretty lame

[spyder913]

the show makes it into the HTML headers every time you load a slashdot page too

Re:This is pretty lame

[Anonymous Coward]

I find it pretty pathetic that a TV show made it to a Slashdot article. Free advertising, anyone?

Tell you what, why don't you post anonymously next time to Keep It Real? Wouldn't want your personal URL to accidentally attract free links.

Oh, and you must be new here. ;)

Re:This is pretty lame

[Anonymous Coward]

html != http

Re:This is pretty lame

[Anonymous Coward]

#!/usr/bin/env python
from socket import *

s=socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM)
s.connect(("slashdot.org", 80))
s.send("HEAD / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: slashdot.org\r\n\r\n")
d=s.recv(2048)
for l in d.split('\r\n'):
    l=l.split(':', 1)
    if len(l) != 2: continue
    if l[0].startswith('X-') and l[0] != 'X-Powered-By':
        print "%s:%s" % (l[0][2:],l[1])

In the words of bender:ism ...

[danalien]

Kill all curmudgeon99's , Kill all curmudgeon99's ....

Re:In the words of bender:ism ...

[93 Escort Wagon]

Zzzz... Hey there sexy mama, how'd you like to kill all curmudgeon99s?

Re:In the words of bender:ism ...

[RevWhite]

"Hey baby, would you like to kill all curmudgeon99s?"

Re:In the words of bender:ism ...

[dangitman]

I'll be blasting all the curmudgeons in the world!
I'll be blasting all the curmudgeons in the world.
I'll be blasting all the curmudgeons,
I'll be blasting all the curmudgeons,
I'll be blasting all the curmudgeons in the world.

ONE MORE TIME!

*whoosh*

[exspecto]

It's a NERD show! (and I love it)

good news everyone!

[Lord Ender]

Futurama now comes in suppository form!

Re:good news everyone!

[bastardknight]

Oh your god .... I'm so excited!

Re:good news everyone!

[Loadmaster]

Zoidberg: Hmm. We'll need to have a look inside you with this camera.
*Fry opens his mouth*
Zoidberg: Guess again.

Swi

Re:good news everyone!

[Anonymous Coward]

Good news everyone, the good news now comes in suppository form!

Re:good news everyone!

[mclaincausey]

Did everyone take their suppositories?

Re:good news everyone!

[tompaulco]

Yes. Stop asking.

Re:good news everyone!

[elrous0]

Zoidberg, with a sigh: Oh well, there goes my only chance for a meal today.

-Eric

Go Back On Your Lithium

[curmudgeon99]

Danalien, Looks like you need to go back on your lithium. Your psychosis is showing...

Re:Go Back On Your Lithium

[Anonymous Coward]

Danalien's post is a quote (modified from futurama) where Bender the robot sleep talks saying 'kill all humans' repeatedly

Re:Go Back On Your Lithium

[Anonymous Coward]

It's pretty lame to support/explain your own joke as an AC dude.

Re:Go Back On Your Lithium

[Anonymous Coward]

It's even more lame that this was said by another AC - oh wait..

obtag

[Anonymous Coward]

obtag: bitemyshinymetalass

Cast/Writers

[kevin_conaway]

Whenever a story about Futurama comes up, everyone always wonders, will the original writers and cast come back? David Cohen answers that

We have the entire cast back, as well as a good chunk of the writing staff. We also have Rough Draft Studios animating once again, and they seem determined to top even their own amazing work from the first time around. To complete the reunion of our original crack team, it looks like we will also have Chris Tyng back to work his magic on the musical score.

Re:Cast/Writers

[Dark Kenshin]

It's nice to see that public opinion had and effect on the show returning, including the original cast. Finally, our combined geek\fan voice was heard.

Re:Cast/Writers

[sconeu]

We also have Rough Draft Studios animating once again,

But will the new episodes be painstakingly drawn before a live audience?

Re:Cast/Writers

[Anonymous Coward]

Good thing it was for something that made a difference like a cartoon show instead of something dull and drab like privacy rights or DRM.

Re:Cast/Writers

[pkulak]

No sconeu, very few cartoons are broadcast live; it's a terrible strain on the animators' wrists.

Re:Cast/Writers

[DavidTC]

I'm reminded of the Clerks cartoon, which in one episode asserted asserted it was drawn by a live studio audience.

Re:Cast/Writers

[jazir1979]

errr the DVD sales more likely had the effect...

Re:Cast/Writers

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't that a joke from Clerks: The Animated Series? At the beginning of one of the episodes it says "Clerks is drawn before a live studio audience", parodying "Cheers" for starting off each episode with "Cheers is filmed before a live studio audience"

Re:Cast/Writers

[sconeu]

No, it's the tagline from the opening credits of "Anthology of Interest I".

Re:Cast/Writers

[Macgrrl]

Check out "Allegro Non Troppo" for some pseudo live action animation.

Re: morbo

[User 956]

Futurama now comes in suppository form!

Suppositories DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!

Why, Fry, Why?

[tomcode]

Is there a single Sci-fi movie, book, or TV series they DIDN'T lampoon in the first four seasons? The Fry-Leela love story ran its complete arc. Every character did everything people do in their 20s. Even the hottie trust fund chick is spoken for. Did I miss something?

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[DamnStupidElf]

Is there a single Sci-fi movie, book, or TV series they DIDN'T lampoon in the first four seasons? The Fry-Leela love story ran its complete arc. Every character did everything people do in their 20s. Even the hottie trust fund chick is spoken for. Did I miss something?

Is there anything Futurama can't lampoon? As long as the characters keep their clichés funny and not annoying, they can time travel or visit alternate universes or just old new york to lampoon whatever they want. It's a funny and scathing social commentary like any of the great satirists have done, but with animated characters to do it because exposition doesn't work quite so well on TV as it does in books.

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[The Good Reverend]

Then don't watch it, and leave the rest of us to enjoy the humor that I think will likely ensue.

Whether Star Trek, Star Wars, Futurama or soemthing else, I've never understood why people think their experience with a piece of popular culture is ruined if other people read/watch new material.

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[roka]

I don't know if you read the Article (lol), but let me quote it for you:

Groening and the show's executive producer, David X. Cohen, were happy that the demand was there, because they both felt they had more to say. "Not that I think our show is like Star Trek, but (the original) Star Trek didn't last that long, but it went on and on and on (after it was cancelled). And David Cohen and I talked about it; we had so many story ideas and so many characters that we hadn't gotten around to introducing yet. So I'm so pleased. You could have said what you said after the first two seasons, but there are so many awesome episodes in season 3 and 4 it proves you wrong (The Sting, Jurassic Bark, The Luck of the Fryish, Godfellas..).
Futurama has gotten better and better.

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[ArcherB]

They better bring that "Walking on Sunshine" dog back. The ending of that episode broke my heart!

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[Loadmaster]

You'll get it.
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/toyfare/002 710592.cfm

And thank God. Every time I watch that episode and I see Seymour wait for all those years then finally just lower his head to die my heart sinks. A powerful image, to be sure, but I just don't feel right after the show. Luckily, watching on the DVD you can just go to the next or to the previous (Bender should not be allowed on TV).

Swi

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[Mex]

A Slashdot poster complaining of Futurama's comeback? Sir, I'm going to have to confiscate your Geek License. Sorry, it's in the rules.

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[Anonymous Coward]

That whole Starbuck / Apollo thing was just dying for Futurama to come back and lampoon it ...

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[kjart]

COHEN: Hypnotoad. By the way, we are looking into producing a full 22-minute episode of Everybody Loves Hypnotoad for the DVD release. I am serious.

Sold.

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[Dabido]

'they can time travel or visit alternate universes'

So, your suggesting that just lampoon the Star Trek Original Series episodes of that nature. :-)

I bet they could introduce a Bender look a like, except he has a goatie and calls himself Flexo. :-)

Nah, I'm yanking your chain, I think it's a good idea. :-)

Re:Why, Fry, Why?

[lonechicken]

They better bring that "Walking on Sunshine" dog back. The ending of that episode broke my heart! That and the episode when Fry learns about his brother's son.

And even that episode with Fry's dog had stuff that had me hyperventilating with laughter. Like the Professor desperately trying to convince everyone how hot the lava is. Ridiculous! The show has that "just right" combination of hilarity, hard sci-fi cleverness, heart, and absurdity. Seasons 2-4 of Futurama easily stacks up to any 3 great seasons from the Simpsons.

In the name of most slashdot:ers ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Whiiipii Ka'yeeeee .... Let the cyclope dump the puny earthling, bender kill all humans, the doctor invent a dark-hole (NOTE: note a "black" one, just a really dark one :-)), the limbo-dancer break his back in the sake of sillyness, and the aristrocrat:ish marsian merry the slimy alien ...

Whiipii Ka'yeee ... ze'R Baaakk !!! :-)

..Now, all fan's of the show, let's break-dance like bender ... till the werecar runs us over :-)

... man I've missed this show, IMHO it was better then he's 1st creation :-) (though, It's only my humble opinion)

That's wonderful

[roman_mir]

that previous form of delivery was uncomfortable and humiliating.

The most important question

[jbrader]

Did you get to ask him if it's going to suck as hard as the last several years of the Simpsons?

Re:The most important question

[Poppler]

Does Matt Groening even work on The Simpsons anymore? It's had a "design by committee" feel to it for years.

Re:The most important question

[SoLoman33333]

I heard he was dead and his head was frozen and in a thousand years they'll thaw his head out and either stick it in a jar or clone him a new body. Well, that's what I heard.

Re:The most important question

[solitas]

MG's head has already cameoed in at least one role - the Lucy Liu-bot episode comes to mind (will now have to dig-out the DVDs to check).

leeway not on Cartoon Network

[Sebastopol]

Cartoon Network notoriously censors The Professor whenever he uses the term "sweet zombie jesus".

I hope Comedy Central doesn't stoop this low.

(I googled for this a year ago when I noticed it and found a website saying it was due to C.N. claiming it was offensive, but I can't find the link now.)

Re:leeway not on Cartoon Network

[sponga]

Isn't Cartoon Network that terrorist cell that was just busted up for planting those 'Light Brights' all around the nation and causing all those civilian casualties.

Re:leeway not on Cartoon Network

[Kelbear]

This IS comedy central y'know. I don't think Futurama is intent on surpassing South Park in vulgarity. Entirely different approaches.

Re:leeway not on Cartoon Network

[pluther]

That is not a question about hair!

Re:leeway not on Cartoon Network

[Anonymous Coward]

That is not (nor was it ever) a joke about funny...

Re:leeway not on Cartoon Network

[NaugaHunter]

They did one episode of South Park in normal prime time with a hundred-whatever 'shit's in it. If they put Futurama on at 10 (and given their success with South Park, Futurama should probably either have its own 10 o'clock night or follow S.P.) the should be able to say whatever they want. But you never know. The initial release of the South Park DVDs bleeped out 'dirty jew', so who knows where they'll be censor-wise on the broadcasts.

Re:leeway not on Cartoon Network

[otie]

It's not the Professor but Hermes who says "sweet zombie Jesus!"...

Re:leeway not on Cartoon Network

[Nasarius]

Comedy Central censors the "god" in goddamn even after 11pm. The Colbert Report even referenced this once with a bullet point during The Word. I truly have no fucking clue why they do that, but have no problem airing South Park episodes like Scott Tenorman Must Die essentially uncensored. They're not bound by FCC rules.

Re:leeway not on Cartoon Network

[Anonymous Coward]

Your memory core is malfunctioning, meatwad. One specific occasion when the Professor said "Sweet zombie Jesus!" was the episode where the crew gets dragged to the bottom of the ocean by a large fish, and they discover the submerged remains of the ancient city of Atlanta ("Hi y'all!"). The phrase was used as the Professor spotted the huge fish. At the time, Hermes was probably more concerned about his manwich.

Ah, here's the link.

Insert witty quote here

[dangitman]

?aaaaaaaaaaammaaaaarruuutuuuF lecnac yeht did yhW

woop woop woop

[thhamm]

in doublevision (tm) where drunk (r).

Re: morbo

[i_ate_god]

one of my favorite quotes from futurama ever

"I bet those windmills will keep those turtles cool"
"WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY! GOOD NIGHT!"

It's my Christmas present! Futurama returns!

[TheMidnight]

I'll stuff coal so far up your stocking you'll be coughing up diamonds!

It's good to see such a great show coming back. I hope they don't go outrageously over-the-top with it like Southpark and the Simpsons did. For a while, both those series were just trying to see how sick and offensive they could get, and it grew less funny. I think they've finally figured that out and are becoming funny again.

It died because it had Boneitis

[Loadmaster]

Which was Groening's only regret.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_secondary_cha racters_from_Futurama#Future_Stock

http://www.sonomawireworks.com/riffcaster/post.php ?/3456

Swi

Both

[ivan256]

They could have aired Futurama after the game, or in a timeslot that didn't get preempted.

Why would you pay to produce a show you don't air? It's not like they have more new content than time in the day.

Re:Both

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Because the idiot from Futurama knocked Single Female Lawyer off the air.
She wears short skirts and is promiscuous damnit!

Re:Both

[pipingguy]

It was too smartish for the perceived audience?

mod 0p

[Anonymous Coward]

steadi7y fucking

OB Simpsons quote:

[Kaenneth]

"Stupid... like [a] fox!"

Keep the shows, fire the schedule planners.

Take that, Fox

[Mantrid42]

You can only destroy so many good sci-fi shows with poor advertising and bad timeslot placement, Fox! If only Firefly could have pulled off the same feat that Futurama has.

Re:Take that, Fox

[OmegaBlac]

Oh please. Shows like Firefly failed because--gasp--no one outside of a few thousands geeks actually found the show interesting. When will you Firefly fanatics get it through your thick skulls that most of the American TV viewing did not give a damn about the show and there was no reason for Fox to continue running since it did so poorly in the ratings. It wouldn't have mattered if it was on during prime time and/or advertised to death. Heck the movie didn't even break even. Accept the fact that most people do not like what you obsess over and that Fox has the right to axe failing shows. Loser...

Re:Take that, Fox

[Anonymous Coward]

If you're going to troll, you should do some searches to find some actual troll forums, and get some advice.

The key to a good troll is to appear reasonable. Your comment is just pure flamebait, and will either be ignored, or modded down immediately and _then_ ignored.

Good luck on practicing your skills :)
(It doesn't beat having a life or dating members of the opposite sex, but if you're as young as you appear from your comment, you should have a few more years until puberty hits anyway ;)

Re:Take that, Fox

[neminem]

You do realize that the vast majority of Firefly-obsessed geeks had never heard of it until many months after it got canned, yes? I certainly hadn't; I heard about it about a month before Serenity came out.

Re:Take that, Fox

[StikyPad]

Futurama is sci-fi like Monty Python is documentary.

Futurama Supporters.....

[IHC Navistar]

Belligerant and numerous! :-)

Re: morbo

[atezun]

Offtopic, but isn't your User 956 a little inaccurate.

Re: morbo

[User 956]

Offtopic, but isn't your User 956 a little inaccurate.

it's a reference to an IBM ad. (which i can't find on Youtube or I'd link it)

As a zombie and a viewer

[2008]

I entirely approve. If Jesus was really a zombie he'd still be undead today, and a union member. Plus, Zm. Lazarus was there, are you calling him a liar?

Random funny

[Dachannien]

Fortune-Telling Gypsy Robot: Have you heard of the Monks of Deshuba?
Fry: (helpfully) I've not heard of them....

bizna/tch

[Anonymous Coward]

dying. See? It's 3ought the farm... sorely diminished.

As The Savior

[gardyloo]

I entirely approve, too. I love to eat my worshippers' brains. Mmmm, brains!

      (Oh, and btw, Lazarus was a frickin' n00b)

fuck him

[Anonymous Coward]

MG outlived his usefulness about 10 years ago. stop celebrating these has-beens like MG and Lucas.

Re: morbo

[k3vlar]

One of my better drunk stories is when I barked that back at my friend's dad when he poked his head in to tell us to quiet down and to say good night. Friend's Dad: "Uhh, goodnight boys, keep it down" Me: "WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY! GOOD NIGHT!" I think he's still confused to this day.

mod do3n

[Anonymous Coward]

NETBSD POSTS ON

Re: morbo

[Anonymous Coward]

I love the newsmonster.

Morbo: Morbo forgot how to read his teleprompter. He forgot how you say that letter that looks like a man with a hat.
Linda: It's a 't'. It goes 'tuh'.
Morbo: Hello, little man. I WILL DESTROY YOU!

Bite My Shiny Metal Daffodil

[jdbartlett]

You're entitled to your opinion, insane though you may be.

Speaking of your opinion, any cartoons you do like?

Family Guy's 50/50

[ChromeAeonium]

Family Guy, I think, could be a lot better than it is if only the writers would grow up. They really do have some funny stuff, but the problem is every other joke is a sex joke that can only possible entertain prepubescent boys and idiots. Sex jokes are like deep fried foods: in moderation, they're not necessarily bad, but overused, they can ruin the show. If the writers would just quit watering it down with the same crap idiots have been giggling about since junior high, the show would have a much higher quality.

Here I come to save the day!

[belg4mit]

a) 'culture' ne 'race'. For instance to mock the Poles is not racist. Bigoted?
      Sure. Racist? No.
b) You clearly do not get Andy Kauffman, which is really what "Man on the Moon"
      was about. But that's fine, most people don't, and even those who do don't
      necessarily dig all his material.

Save your breath..

[Karma Vampire]

Most people who use the word 'racist' don't actually CARE what it means. Its just a word they throw around to make themselves feel a little less inferior. Don't agree with me? You're a racist. Smarter than I am? Atleast I'm not a racist! I don't 'get' a certain brand of humor? Well, why should I - its racist!

Guaranteed to suck...

[evilviper]

I loved Futurama, but I loved Simpsons and Family Guy as well...

Season 13, Simpsons jumped the shark, and turned into pointless, mindless, painfully un-funny crap, and Groening has done interview after interview saying how he thinks the show is better than even now, even though the ratings have dropped.

Family Guy was hilarious originally, but after Fox brought it back, there hasn't been one good episode. It's really a rip-off, by someone who didn't understand why the original was funny to begin with.

Now we're combining the destructive powers of Fox, and Groening, into a show that had already really dropped off at the end of its run, and ceased to be funny for most of the final season.

I can't see how this could possibly turn out good in any way.

Re:Guaranteed to suck...

[benad]

It's coming back on Comedy Central, not Fox. Big difference there, and maybe why it won't suck as much as Family Guy. Remember, it's the Futurama writers and cast that wanted the show back and decided to go to Comedy Central (after negotiations failed with Fox). This is not another case of Fox producers trying to "milk out" the show's fans.

Re:Guaranteed to suck...

[Chaos Motor]

Wow. You are completely wrong. Some of the best episodes were in the last season.

Re:Guaranteed to suck...

[evilviper]

Some of the best episodes were in the last season.

There were a few good episodes left. Most were horrible, however.

Re:Guaranteed to suck...

[Cocoshimmy]

You have to consider the fact that there were many elements at play and many things weren't going their way. For example:
1) Fox had been threatening to cancel the show for some time. The motivation to perform must have been low because of this.
2) Fox was screwing the show around. Bumping the show to different time slots, airing it every few weeks, refusing to market it, etc. This again, could have demoralized the team to a great extent.
3) They were probably trying different, and sometimes unpopular things in an attempt to convince fox that the show was worth promoting and airing in the future.

Despite this and other issues they might have encountered, I still thought the last season was great.

Doesn't he say....

[Cocoshimmy]

Sweet Lion of Zion

Re: morbo

[xeoron]

One of my favorites was when Bender had a nightmare and said, "I dreamt that there were ones and zeros everyone. And, I think I saw a two!"

Re: morbo

[Ultra64]

It's ok Bender, there's no such thing as two.

Simple

[Orig_Club_Soda]

Create an install disk that installs in 5 minutes with no driver problems.

Future Worship

[Lotharjade]

THANK GOD! THE Wonderness (i.e. Bender) RETURNS!!!

Yes, they are both nouns, but..

[StikyPad]

HILARITY ensues. Humor allows you to participate.