Is My Favorite Cartoon Coming Back?

[Stephen of Borg 2]

friedo writes "Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, says there may yet be hope for a renewed Futurama series, thanks to high DVD sales and syndication ratings. Comments from David X. Cohen: 'Three months ago, I would have said we were going to start tomorrow ... And one month ago I would also have said we were going to start tomorrow. So...my current estimate is that we're starting tomorrow.'"

 

Matt Groening has faith in the relaunch of Futurama, writes Michael Idato.

 

Nearly four years after it was cancelled, the popularity of Futurama on DVD could breathe life back into the animated television series. On the subject of a rumoured resurrection, creator Matt Groening, best known for his other animated hit, The Simpsons, says, intriguingly: "You never know."

 

Such a trail was blazed in 2004 by another animated series, Family Guy. Fuelled by DVD sales and high-rating reruns, it spawned a direct-to-DVD film and two seasons of television episodes.

 

The move caught the television industry by surprise, and left several lost properties, including Futurama, ripe with possibility.

 

"Three months ago, I would have said we were going to start tomorrow," says writer David X. Cohen, who collaborated with Groening on Futurama. "And one month ago I would also have said we were going to start tomorrow. So ..." He pauses. "My current estimate is that we're starting tomorrow."

 

The series, relaunched on Ten earlier this month (it previously aired on Seven), was something Groening and Cohen tinkered with in the writer's room at The Simpsons for more than two years. Cohen's background was in computer science, but both, Groening recalls, had a passion for science fiction. "What Matt is saying," Cohen interjects, "is that I stood out as the nerd on The Simpsons writing staff, and that is really saying something."

 

In the series, pizza delivery boy Philip J. Fry (Billy West) is accidentally frozen in a cryogenic facility and revived in 2999. Signing on with Planet Express, a space courier service, he befriends a one-eyed alien, Leela (Katey Sagal), an alcohol-powered robot, Bender (John Di Maggio), office manager Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr) and Dr Zoidberg (also voiced by West), a lobster-like alien.

 

Sitting in his office, an oasis of organised chaos in the relative calm of Los Angeles's 20th Century Fox film lot, Groening concedes their partnership was lucky but unlikely. "Not everyone wants to tell stories about robots," he says. Cohen adds from across the room: "I only want to tell stories about robots."

 

In Futurama, Cohen says, they hoped to "incorporate all the craziest ideas from science fiction, but we also wanted to have a point and reflect on life today. I think on our good days we had it both ways."

 

Their biggest obstacle was being taken seriously, Groening says. "We had this show that looked goofy, with robots and aliens, but was actually very sophisticated. Having people overcome the hurdle of taking us seriously was something we didn't anticipate. Interestingly, it was my original worry on The Simpsons, where I felt for sure kids would watch, but I didn't know if adults would give it a chance. What I love about the reaction to Futurama these days is that people who did give it a chance and fell in love with it are still ardent fans."

 

Australia is at the vanguard of that popularity, Cohen says. "I made the mistake of giving out my email on one of the DVD commentaries and it was staggering. Loads of email came in, most of it from Australia, so I know we're popular there. Either that or you all have a lot of time on your hands."

 

Both Futurama and The Simpsons, Groening says, share an ambition to tell timeless jokes. "Both shows are trying to do something which will knock people out the first time they watch it, but will also hold up years later," he says. "Jokes that make sense now, and will also make sense 10 or 20 years from now."

 

He concedes, however, that Futurama's US network Fox "never understood" the show. The series was cancelled in May 2002 and its final episode, the 72nd, aired in the US in August 2003. The end came, however, at a fortuitous time. "We were cancelled just at the time the DVD market blew up and became huge," Cohen says. "It's far and away the No. 1 factor in a resuscitation if we do have one."

 

A return to television or, better, a direct-to-DVD feature would be a natural transition for the show, Cohen says. "The more seriously we took the epic nature of the setting, the better the episodes turned out. For that reason, we always thought that would bode well for a movie because then we could take that to its extreme and do something we couldn't do in 22 minutes."

 

 

I would love to see the return of Futurama

[jadziaezri 0]

FUTURAMA IS DEAD!!!!!

 

 

*goes to weep in a corner*

[A l t e r E g o 9]

Excellent! Hope it pans out, Futurama was every bit as good as the Simpsons. It like ENT deserved better support and vision from its network.

 

FUTURAMA IS DEAD!!!!!

 

*goes to weep in a corner*

 

Cheer up, the same was once said for Family Guy.

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

DANGIT!! Alterego beat me to the joke!

 

Never underestimate the power of Adult Swim. It brought back Family Guy, and it could easily bring back Futurama.....oh yes. Futurama. Can you imagine Sunday nights being two geniuses and their two major shows back-to-back-to-back-to-back?

 

Simpsons

Futurama

Family Guy

American Dad

 

FOX would pwn Sunday nights.

[Itchygomba69 0]

I would like to seemore Futurama, the Simpsons are getting tired

[MANVERU 0]

yes, Simposons had its run.

 

SO move over!!!

 

 

WHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!!!!!

 

 

OI OI OI!!!!!!!!!

[Stephen of Borg 2]

Futurama's Back: Four Movies Greenlit!

January 21st, 2006

 

Billy West, voice of Phillip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, and others, today confirmed via his website forum that new episodes of Futurama have been greenlit by FOX. The word from executive producer David X. Cohen was delivered to West today, with four straight-to-DVD full-length features ordered, obviously with the possibility of more or even a series revival depending on how those sell. The show's production crew is expected to get back together and start recording the new material at the end of July or August this year.

 

 

YES YES YES!!!!!!!! :blink: :blink:

[KIMIMELA 1]

I always thought Futurama was one of those "just to fill the time" cartoons. What do you see in it, Gamera? A one eyed- woman and a talking robot and a pink-hand faced blob... :blink: :blink:

[Itchygomba69 0]

SWEET ALL WE NEED IS THE CRITIC TO COME BACK

[KIMIMELA 1]

SWEET ALL WE NEED IS THE CRITIC TO COME BACK

 

Whatever you need, I'll be here for it. :shifty3:

 

 

 

Ok, ok, my deepest apologises.

 

I just don't like it.

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

I wasn't a huge Critic fan, but it was okay at times.

[stvoyagerfan 1]

it would be great if futurama came back. i love that show. i was sad when i watched the last episode.

 

tm

[jadziaezri 0]

i just saw the star trek ep, so funny

[DrWho42 13]

I always thought Futurama was one of those "just to fill the time" cartoons. What do you see in it, Gamera? A one eyed- woman and a talking robot and a pink-hand faced blob... :huh:

It's filled with underlying science and mathematics jokes along with a wide variety of nods to Star Trek.

 

[see: Mathematics in the Year 3000

References to Star Trek in Futurama]

 

I also love how they manage in great degrees of retrofuturism, which adds to why Matt Groening decidedly named it after the famous New York's World's Fair of 1939.

Little do most fans know though is that I know the true inspiration of the design of Bender Bend Rodriguez....

I just need to refind that one comics/pulp magazine covers book and I'll be set to justify my discovery.

 

One thing, though, is that I'd prefer weirder adventures in space and time over parodying stuff like Armageddon, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and &c.

 

A fan since the year 1999....

[KIMIMELA 1]

*looks across to drwho42 and gives him a "what the-?" look*

 

You and your stupid science facts :bored: :huh:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:lol:

[jadziaezri 0]

Not stupid, cool.

 

nerds rule, and they are really hot.

 

I love a nerd!!!

 

Everyone lets go hug a nerd

[Wishfire 2]

SWEET ALL WE NEED IS THE CRITIC TO COME BACK

 

Call up Adult Swim and tell them. More people watch Adult Swim than late late-night Comedy Central.

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

Not stupid, cool.

 

nerds rule, and they are really hot.

 

I love a nerd!!!

 

Everyone lets go hug a nerd

 

*whips it out...the pocket protector that is*

[Itchygomba69 0]

Comedy Central and Sci-Fi are horrible channels antmore

[MrPsychic 1]

SWEET ALL WE NEED IS THE CRITIC TO COME BACK

 

Call up Adult Swim and tell them. More people watch Adult Swim than late late-night Comedy Central.

Look at the statistics they always show during the block. The comedy on it always gets the most ratings, it could be the fact that they show comedy before action. Then again, the only action I like on Adult Swim is Inuyasha (as you can clearly see) and some of Full Metal Alchemist.

[sikkbones 0]

would anyone go for a futurama meets the simpson animated movie?

or a guest apperance on the simpsons?