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David X. Cohen Talks About Futurama's New Season
joelkeller writes "I spoke to David X. Cohen, executive producer of Futurama, about the upcoming season, which premieres on June 24 on Comedy Central. He talks about the season finale (!) and how the show is always on the precipice of cancellation."
Don't forget to set your DVR's for the new episodes starting tomorrow...
Personally, I think it's always on the precipice of cancellation because it's never been as good as The Simpsons (although The Simpsons has been less and less entertaining over the last few years).
I saw the first two episodes last night, and they were just okay. *shrug* I'd say the second episode is better than the first, though, especially Amy's reaction to the potential end of the world.
The reason why Fox ruined the original airings of Futurama was because they slotted it at 7:30pm on Sundays... a time slot that got murdered by NFL runovers in the Eastern and Central time zones. Fans couldn't reliably tune in because they didn't know if the episode would air, if the episode would be joined in progress, or if the entire airing would be deleted by an overtime NFL game. Fox's policy of running Sunday primetime as soon as possible... either at 7pm sharp if there was no NFL game, or as soon as it concluded if there was one, made whether Futurama's slot would air and when dependent on which NFL game your city saw that afternoon.
What a mess... since getting the NFL, Fox never had a successful Sunday 7pm hour. A few years after repeated throwing good shows into a bad time slot, they finally got the clue. Fox Sports now produces a postgame show called The OT (a play-on-words based on The OC, which this show has outlasted) that is joined like the halftime show as each game concludes, and can show bonus coverage of games still going to stations that get stuck with an early finish, and always ends at 8pm ET sharp. Thanks for watching Fox NFL Sunday, The Simpsons is next.
Fry, it's been years since medical school, so remind me. Disemboweling in your species, fatal or non-fatal?
I thought this show was canceled years ago.
First episode was great, second so-so. IMHO, humor quality dropped a bit (movies included), but I'm still watching it. Same with the Simpsons - many old school fans are dissapointed a lot. Thing is, their revolutionary format wore off a bit. Rest of the world followed, and cought on. But I'm still watching, albeit it just does not feel the same. Why? Because those were AWESOME shows, and are now still GOOD shows, still some hillarious gags all around. And I'm not one of those to say "Worst episode EVER!!" and then watch again next week. I'm perhaps a die hard fan, but waging wars over cartoons is plain stupid. Just stop watching if you don't like it.
Futurama's been on the air so long they should name the season-1 DVD's "Pastarama".
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Death,
By snu snu!!
Carry on.
After the wormhole plunge in the 4th movie, I was a little worried they'd be somewhere new with only their core characters if more new episodes came out. Nice to know Zapp Brannigan is still around.
Global warming and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking number of pirates - Gospel of the FSM
FTFA:
So I just want to reassure everybody, we did get the entire voice cast back. I mean everybody up and down the line. And similarly, again, luckily, having goodwill. And I think people, looking back upon the old days, we have a writing staff which is composed entirely of veterans dating back to the Fox days, and got our same animators, Rough Draft Studio Tech, and our same composer, Chris Tyng, so I think it will feel very continuous with the original run of the show.
the season premier.
That's not good new at all. also, it's a lie.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
We're here! We're queer! We're super excited that Futurama's near!
And I have GOT to say that the alt-universe styles in The Farnsowrth Paradox were way better than the tired colors in the rest of the series.
Ciao! Have a super day!
Phew, for a moment there I thought i'd have to order more Torgo Executive Powder.
"The only way they can tell if you watch it is if you are selected for a Nelson survey. And that's why"
That I think, is the root cause of why TV is generally so terrible.
Busy interesting people don't have time for Nielsen surveys. People good at math realize that the time and effort spent will yield about the same results as voting. People who love really good mysteries (or insert your favorite type of show) likely have nothing to watch and comment on during the time of the survey. Really, imagine all the people who actually take part in the Nielsen ratings getting together for a BBQ.
Would you attend?
Operator, give me the number for 911!
David brings up Fox a few times in the interview and seems to imply that they still are a part of this new season? Do they somehow still hold some of the rights to Futurama and are just 'leasing' them to Viacom right now? (Forgive my lack of knowledge if there is a better word to be used there.)
He also goes so far as to talk about Fox when discussing a real feature length movie. So given that Viacom easily has the resources, if they were so inclined, and are no stranger to movies themselves further makes me think that Fox still owns Futurama?
Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!
When I launched, I checked it out. I was a Simpson's fan at the time so made sense. I was amazed at how good it was. Very rare to have a show that polished out of the gate. If you watch the first season of most animated shows you'll discover that it takes awhile for the voices to get in their groove, for the animation style to solidify and so on. Not Futurama, it was dynamite out of the gate.
However, I found it very hard to keep up on. The fucking thing was never on when it was supposed to be. I'd try and tune in and it wouldn't be on the air. Then they seemed to start shuffling it around. They'd move it to a time slot, I'd learn that, and it'd vanish and move.
I finally gave up.
I suppose it makes less difference now what with DVRs but pre DVR and pro digital cable, it took some effort to track down a show that got moved all the time, and it was real annoying to be on the correct channel at the correct time according to the guide and not see what you want.
Download FASTER!
Guaranteed! This comment 100% Anthrax free!
Remember waaaay back when the Simpsons offered stirring emotional and psychological insights into the world and its people through humor? When the show had a soul and used satire with a light hand?
I do. That was a long, long time ago.
Futurama never had a soul. -Which is a shame, because it could have done. It offers a huge and fun world to explore, but it never gets serious for even a second, none of the characters speak to me. Sure, it's clever and witty, and it made me chuckle a few times, but that's SOOOO not the point of humor. It only reflects upon a bunch of writers who haven't figured out what it means to be human. Imagine Calvin & Hobbes without human insight and only dumb gags. Yeah.
The sooner Futurama stops twitching, the better. The damned thing was never alive.
-FL
All I have to say to that is "I waited for you Fry"
(200)9...(20)10...A Big fat hen
the name: Bender
June 24th? But, that's today!
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
Remember waaaay back when the Simpsons offered stirring emotional and psychological insights into the world and its people through humor? When the show had a soul and used satire with a light hand?
I do. That was a long, long time ago.
Futurama never had a soul. -Which is a shame, because it could have done. It offers a huge and fun world to explore, but it never gets serious for even a second, none of the characters speak to me. Sure, it's clever and witty, and it made me chuckle a few times, but that's SOOOO not the point of humor. It only reflects upon a bunch of writers who haven't figured out what it means to be human. Imagine Calvin & Hobbes without human insight and only dumb gags. Yeah.
The sooner Futurama stops twitching, the better. The damned thing was never alive.
-FL
You truly believe that you are intelligent and "deep", don't you?
Guess what? You're actually a pretentious douchebag.
Geeks? On my Slashdot? Outrageous!
But everyone dies!
In all seriousness, the first 2 episodes were quite funny and truly inspired.
I tried to think of a good sig, and this wasn't it.
No soul? Nothing to say about the people? Okay, it doesn't force the sentimentality down your throat like some shows (and that's a good thing IMO), but there are many moving moments - the four leaf clover episode gets me no matter how many times I watch it with subtle overtones of sibling rivalry overruled by brotherly love spread over a thousand years, and with comedic intervention throughout to stop it becoming too cloying. It's an incredibly clever piece of television because of the human insight.
And my wife refuses to watch the loyal dog episode because the cries horribly at the ending. Hell, just humming the song played at the last scene of the episode will make her tear up.
That show has a soul for anyone who cares to look. Its just not pushed down your throat.
Seconded on both counts - both those episodes have been known to have me bawling like a little girl.
It's official. Most of you are morons.
You're an idiot good sir.
There were plenty of episodes that were serious, the season finale, the one with fry's dog, four-leaf clover...pick one
If you can't see that than you seem to be far more ignorant than previously thought, and incapable of grasping one of the best shows ever written as well.
Sincerely,
You're-a-jackass
There are two times a man is allowed to cry. Once at his mother's funeral and the other at the end of Jurassic Bark.
Futurama never had a soul. -Which is a shame, because it could have done. It offers a huge and fun world to explore, but it never gets serious for even a second
Are you fucking *kidding* me? Have you never watched "Jurassic Bark", "Luck of the Fryfish", or "The Sting"? The Simpsons had some brilliant, emotional moments in it's golden years, but Futurama is easily its equal.
Are you fucking *kidding* me? Have you never watched "Jurassic Bark", "Luck of the Fryfish", or "The Sting"? The Simpsons had some brilliant, emotional moments in it's golden years, but Futurama is easily its equal.
No. I just watched the first season and a half and then gave up figuring I'd given it a very fair chance to impress me. Since then I've watched maybe a dozen hours of Futurama over the years and sorely regretted it each time. While the production values have always been high, the writers have never achieved anything but high levels of "groan." The last thing I watched of theirs was one of their movies, and I didn't even make it all the way through before bailing.
But if you had the patience to wade through acres of that insipid nonsense in order to find something which finally worked, then congratulations. You're FAR more patient than I am.
-FL
Ahh, I see... you fancy yourself an intellectual snob. *sigh* Pity I wasted time reading the "insipid nonsense" that is your comment...
See response here. . .
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1696366&cid=32678784
You're one of several people who has indicated that a couple of episodes from later seasons were worth while. I'm going to go look for that four leaf clover episode now, as it sounds like it might help pay for some of the toxic spill Futurama left behind in my brain.
Cheers!
-FL
Ahh, I see... you fancy yourself an intellectual snob. *sigh* Pity I wasted time reading the "insipid nonsense" that is your comment...
Where do you get that? A season and a half, dude. I really wanted to like Futurama, but just couldn't find anything there which made me care about the characters or think that anything in their lives mattered even the tiniest tiny bit because dumb jokes ALWAYS came before any sense of reality. This was one of the things the Simpsons managed to get right seemingly effortlessly for years before it began cranking out the same kind of aimless nonsense Futurama molded itself after. It's Family Guy in space, for crying out loud? Do you like that shit as well?
Cuz there's "intellectual snobbery" and then there's "breathing". If you can't immediately see what I'm talking about, then you're missing part of your brain.
-FL
A season and a half, dude. I really wanted to like Futurama, but just couldn't find anything there which made me care about the characters
Then you weren't looking. Seriously. Go watch Jurassic Bark, Luck of the Fryfish, or particularly the montage at the end of Leela's Homeworld, and tell me again how the show wasn't packed with serious, heartfelt moments.
I can count on my hand the number of Simpsons episodes that reached that level of depth and emotional honestly. And yet you expect every fucking episode of Futurama to be a life-changing experience...
No, you're a snob. At best, your expectations are *insanely* high, coloured by a view of The Simpsons that's clearly, to say the least, rose-coloured. Even the best of The Simpsons had it's "dumb jokes", around which the emotional stuff was peppered. Or are you telling me the scene where Homer sticks his head in the bowling ball polisher in "And Maggie Makes Three" is a somehow deeply moving moment for you?
Then you weren't looking. Seriously. Go watch Jurassic Bark, Luck of the Fryfish, or particularly the montage at the end of Leela's Homeworld, and tell me again how the show wasn't packed with serious, heartfelt moments.
It's true; I WASN'T looking, and that's because all of the episodes you are pointing out happened long after I'd given up. I will indeed check them out. I like a decent story and a good animated pratfall as much as anyone.
I can count on my hand the number of Simpsons episodes that reached that level of depth and emotional honestly. And yet you expect every fucking episode of Futurama to be a life-changing experience...
Not life-changing. Just emotionally believable. Also, things are only really funny if they break with reality.
I'll try to explain. I've spent a long time trying to work out how writing works, and this is what I discovered. . .
The way "Funny" works is that our brains perceive a sudden divergence in reality, from one stream of True to another, but which are mutually incompatible with each other. It's that simple. An example is the simple Pie in the Face gag. -At one point, a person is standing thinking about the weather, and in the next, he has a pie in his face. He has to exist from one state to another regardless; he has no choice, but there is no logical transition from his perspective. The two realities simply can't work together, so he has to rapidly shift gears in order to catch up. For some reason, this hits the giggle button in humans.
Every instance of "Funny" boils down to this same element; a person, (either an observed subject or your own intellect) trying to stay sane while moving from one version of stable events through a sudden shift or reversal into another. Try it out as a yard stick against the next joke which makes you really laugh. It seems to hold true for all brands of humor.
Now. . . The way this relates to what we're talking about is that a common mistake I see, is that for Funny to work, the transition must be possible. That is, there have to be two different states to travel between. If the story universe matters; if there is cause and effect and some sense of normal, then an abrupt shift from that solid normality to a nonsense reality creates a powerful shearing force on the mind, and Funny erupts. In the early Simpsons episodes, things mattered. If Lisa or Bart were bullied at school, you felt for them. If Marge were struggling to achieve some new goal in her life, you wanted her to succeed because failure would hurt her and it would be a lasting hurt. So when a ridiculous moment came along, it represented a strong a break from reality, but a reality which we would quickly return to. But like I said, those days were long ago. Today, with something like Futurama, the moments of nonsense come so frequently that no sense of normal is ever really established, thus the shearing force isn't there. -This doesn't mean that there is a lack of cleverness; many Family Guy jokes, for instance, are very clever, but none of them break with reality since there isn't one to break from, except the loose break between our outside the TV reality and the joke itself. But all this can do is elicit a small chuckle and perhaps some admiration for the cleverness of the gag. But it's hardly ever funny. Futurama and the last decade or more of the Simpsons suffers from the same thing.
All it would take to improve things would be to create narratives which contain a rational thread and characters who are affected emotionally by the events which happen to them. The stories don't have to make people cry or cheer or anything like that. They simply have respect Cause and Effect consistently enough to make me think that if I punched one of the characters, they would hurt and not forget about it five seconds later, and thus make me feel bad for hurting them. The characters in Futurama do things to each other which are unforgivable, require an improbable
All it would take to improve things would be to create narratives which contain a rational thread and characters who are affected emotionally by the events which happen to them.
As opposed to Homer being fastened to the Stone of Victory and dragging it naked behind him, yet later showing no signs that it had ever happened?
Please.
The Simpsons is no different than any other show: 99.9999% of the time, the actions taken by the characters have absolutely no lasting consequences whatsoever. Hell, the damn characters don't even age, ffs! No one seriously feels bad about Bart as Lisa experiments on him like a pet hamster, nor expects him to be permanently psychologically damaged as a consequence. No one expects the monorail to exist after the episode has finished, or Bart to suddenly turn around and become a great kid after his disastrous experiences with shoplifting.
No, I'm sorry, I simply don't buy it, and I defy you to demonstrate how Futurama is in any way any more or less realistic than it's predecessor. Hell, unlike The Simpsons, Futurama actually has a consistent universe, where the actions in previous episodes affect the next: the multiple episodes surrounding the Giant Brain's, Fry's immunity to them and the reason for it, not to mention the ongoing connection between Fry and Leela. In that way, Futurama is a far *far* better show, as the characters actually develop a real depth (whether or not you're willing to see it).
Your problem, I think, is that you can't accept that Futurama is set in a wacky, silly futuristic universe, and so assume that the show is, at it's core, nothing but dumb gags. And if you only look at the surface, I can see how you might think that. But in reality, the Futurama universe is a clever satire of today's modern, consumer culture, dialed up to an extreme. Does that mean the characters end up in some pretty strange situations (say, the men being captured and... err... abused... by a group of giant amazonian women)? Absolutely. But it's strange with a purpose, satirical at some times, touching at others (in the case of The Sting, Leela is stung by a giant space bee, ffs... and yet the ending is wonderfully touching). And in the context of that universe, the actions, and reactions, of those characters make plenty of sense.
There are always going to be examples available to demonstrate a point, but they are usually going to be taken out of the context of overall trends, or placed in straw man juxtaposition so as to create an argument which cannot be resolved. This is why I haven't bothered to mention any specifics from Futurama or the Simpsons.
All I've got are my reactions, which are both consistent and honest, and my attempt to explain why they exist. I look at old Simpsons episodes and I look at new ones and there appears to me a clear a MASSIVE, noticeable difference in the story structures and focus and the resulting effects they had/have upon me. Not all of the older ones were home runs, but there was a consistent effort by the creators to attain a certain quality which has since been dropped. One can argue points all day, but this observation isn't going to go away or be any less true. The newer episodes seem stupid and uninteresting to me, nor am I the only one who has noticed this. I think my explanation for how humor works remains one of the top reasons for this difference. Futurama, from my viewings, has only ever existed on one side of that invisible line and it simply didn't sustain my interest as a result. I've tried to explain why, but I guess you don't get it. Perhaps you honestly can't tell the difference, but whatever. We all have different ways of perceiving reality. Nobody is universally aware.
And I will say that your note that overall story reality continuing from episode to episode in Futurama seems pretty valid. I like to see that kind of continuity in stories, and such things do certainly contribute to the life blood of a story universe. I simply got fed up and lost interest after a season and a half and wasn't able to continue long enough perhaps for those details to pile up into anything relevant for me.
But again, whatever. People take criticism of shows they watch far too personally. If one person cannot see something another can, then this becomes a way of reflecting upon one's perceptive abilities. And that's life. We're all growing at our own pace, so it's best just keep on doing what we're doing. We all get there eventually if our intention is to grow. But typically, people have a hard time discussing stuff associated with this perception differential in a non-combative manner, which I find too much work to deal with beyond a certain point, so I'll leave it all here.
We watch what we watch, we grow as we grow. No biggie.
-FL