Futurama Strikes Back [Archive]

Royal Fool

03-19-2006, 05:12 PM

Slashdot (http://slashdot.org/) is reporting that Futurama is coming back. (http://slashdot.org/articles/06/03/19/1417253.shtml)

riflemann writes "Another 26 episodes of Futurama will shortly go into production (http://www.billywest.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2011&PN=1)! This news comes from none other than Billy West (voice of Fry) himself, in a short post to his own message board. No further details are available, except that it's likely to be on TV, not straight to DVD." The best news is that means fresh quotes for slashteam to hide in the source code.
Now, excuse me while I go and cry robotic tears of synthetic joy... :D

Thanks to Nighthawk for a similiar submission.

Zanzibar

03-19-2006, 05:27 PM

Wow, that is awesome. Is it Fox or somebody else?

sickfallout

03-19-2006, 05:38 PM

"I miss the year 3000, where everything was simple, and giant brains flew through space, and everyone ate lasers."

I can't wait.

MasterEvilAce

03-19-2006, 05:49 PM

Awesome. Family guy, now Futurama.

Although it took awhile.. We won't get rocko's modern life back until 2050 at this point :( All the voices and talent would be dead by then though.

Heretic Machine

03-19-2006, 05:58 PM

Good news! It's a... wait, no it's new episodes of Futurama. I guess that's good too.

mister_slim

03-19-2006, 06:05 PM

Best news I've heard all week.

Atorak

03-19-2006, 06:05 PM

"It's just like the story of the grasshopper and the octopus. All year long, the grasshopper kept burying acorns for the winter, while the octopus mooched off his girlfriend and watched TV. But then the winter came, and the grasshopper died, and the octopus ate all his acorns. And also he got a racecar. Is any of this getting through to you?" - Fry

Verocity

03-19-2006, 06:27 PM

"Bite my shiny, metal ass!"

Can't wait!

Wombat

03-19-2006, 06:47 PM

Note, he makes the following post later in the same thread, so things are still a bit up in the air:

rb2006---
I'm getting different bits of info that say this news may not be the
case.There IS something up Futurama project wise but but it might be the
DVD's still.It's hard to keep up with things--but I'll try to do better.

Sorry,
Billy

The Continental

03-19-2006, 06:49 PM

"Awesome. Awesome to the max!" - That Guy

ruprect

03-19-2006, 06:54 PM

I hope I hope I hope. . . I've been going through all the episodes on DVD over the past few weeks. The writing on it was just superb. Because of the consistent character development and the way the plots play on that rather than just satire. . . it just got better and better.

Anyway, I hope I hope I hope. . .

Wedge

03-19-2006, 07:18 PM

Newepisodesnewepisodesnewepisodes.

I don't care if it is straight to DVD or TV, new episodes, dammit!

Spigot

03-19-2006, 07:32 PM

This just reminded me that I haven't picked up the latest set of DVD's. Curses!

Jengaaa

03-19-2006, 07:32 PM

I'd actually rather have straight to DVD... I don't know. Maybe I'm weird.

I'm just happy that it's back.

Paranoia

03-19-2006, 07:33 PM

Long live Dr.Zoidberg!!

The Iron Weasel

03-19-2006, 07:33 PM

YES! I'm so happy about this.

bean19

03-19-2006, 07:34 PM

Wow.

I was discussing this with a friend the other day. We were discussing Cartoon Network and how I still enjoy watching Futurama episodes even though I've seen all of them like 80 times.

Now if they would just make some more episodes of the Venture Bros. (and Firefly, of course), I'd be happy as a puppy with two peckers.

Also, anyone else wish they'd just show reruns of Sealab 2021 instead of some of the other crap on there like Squidbilly's and Stroker & Hoop (though Stroker & Hoop does make me laugh sometimes. . . I think it just has a few too many annoyingly voiced voice actors. . . like the guy that does their car and the car itself. I hate whoever this voice actor is and the director who hired him.)

outontheporch

03-19-2006, 07:41 PM

Awesome. Family guy, now Futurama.

Although it took awhile.. We won't get rocko's modern life back until 2050 at this point :( All the voices and talent would be dead by then though.

lol. that was a hoot!

The Continental

03-19-2006, 07:45 PM

Now if they would just make some more episodes of the Venture Bros... .

Believe new eps of Venture are due out this summer.

TSaur

03-19-2006, 08:06 PM

Great news!

"Questions will be asked...and destroyed by answers!"

Spigot

03-19-2006, 08:40 PM

mondain98

03-19-2006, 08:57 PM

Good news, everyone!

"Ughh, I think there was something funny in that hippie."

IagoTheHunted

03-19-2006, 09:15 PM

THAT'S AWSOME!! I really hope the original writers are working on the project, that would be very keen news indeed.

WastelandDan

03-19-2006, 09:25 PM

wow, I can't believe it actually got renewed. After this much time I figured all hope was lost. This definitely made my night.

Wasson_

03-19-2006, 09:33 PM

Rocko's Modern Life is quite possibly the greatest "childrens" cartoon ever made. Easily beating out Ren and Stimpy. (our friend Billy West did the voices for both Stimpson J. Cat and Ren)

But, really that's pretty cool about the futurama thing - but only if they aren't of poor quality like some of the last few episodes of the series were. (IMO)

Either way, still looking forward to new Venture Bros. as well.

Zeal

03-19-2006, 09:37 PM

Show sucks.

sTubbs

03-19-2006, 09:44 PM

As long as it manages to maintain its original quality (unlike Family Guy) then I am ecstatic.

thecrazyd

03-19-2006, 09:52 PM

Show sucks.
... and Zeal continues being wrong about everything, surprising no one.

Mason

03-19-2006, 10:34 PM

I'm not hearing a no...

Busted_Astromech

03-19-2006, 10:42 PM

As long as it manages to maintain its original quality (unlike Family Guy) then I am ecstatic.

I haven't heard enough people voice this opinion, which I find to be terribly obvious. However it's clear that it's only the shows writers that are incompetent without (my theory) Seth McFarlane's help. He's working on two shows and while American Dad is genius the new Family Guys are almost universally meh, save for a few episodes where I speculate Seth worked on them. Really, the majority of Season 4 of Family Guy feels like all the jokes that didn't work from the other seasons; I get a Mad TV vibe from it--probably the shared writers.

But I don't think Matt Groening has as much going on...the Simpsons kind of runs itself these days/past several years.

Oh, and lest I forget: Best Website in the History of Goodness. (http://www.lazy-nation.com/features/Brannigansoundboard.htm)

MasterEvilAce

03-19-2006, 10:49 PM

Really? I really HATE American Dad. So many things about it really annoy the hell out of me. I really don't like it.

Family Guy isn't as gut-wrenching hilarious as it was, but it still has those moments.

thecrazyd

03-19-2006, 11:11 PM

Yeah... American Dad is horrendous.

Jengaaa

03-19-2006, 11:17 PM

I haven't heard enough people voice this opinion, which I find to be terribly obvious. However it's clear that it's only the shows writers that are incompetent without (my theory) Seth McFarlane's help. He's working on two shows and while American Dad is genius the new Family Guys are almost universally meh, save for a few episodes where I speculate Seth worked on them. Really, the majority of Season 4 of Family Guy feels like all the jokes that didn't work from the other seasons; I get a Mad TV vibe from it--probably the shared writers.

But I don't think Matt Groening has as much going on...the Simpsons kind of runs itself these days/past several years.

Oh, and lest I forget: Best Website in the History of Goodness. (http://www.lazy-nation.com/features/Brannigansoundboard.htm)

I agree with this.

I like American Dad, even if most everyone hates it. New Family Guy was much worse. And those "It's like the time when..." jokes have really lost their humor.

I doubt Futurama is as vulnerable to what happened to Family Guy, but I still hope it doesn't lose it's value.

motor

03-19-2006, 11:22 PM

I truly believe that Fry hanging from the digital clock in a tribute to Buster Keaton is just about the most clever thing I have ever seen on television.

sickfallout

03-20-2006, 12:00 AM

Futurama, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Venture Bros, in that order, please!

RMan

03-20-2006, 12:20 AM

Yeah... American Dad is horrendous.
I kinda like it, but I've only seen a few, maybe I caught the few good ones (still not nearly as good as old Family Guy though). Nice to see Futurama come back on, I always loved the concept and thought it was fairly consistently funny, surprised it was cancelled (even on the randomly canceling Fox network).

Busted_Astromech

03-20-2006, 12:29 AM

I think that American Dad, at its best, is even better than my beloved Family Guy. The pilot was terrible, though, and the closing two episodes of the first season weren't great, so if you're basing it off seeing one of those you should look again.

The best joke has got to be in the episode about 'urges' where Stan is masturbating to "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana. I know it's a cliched expression but I actually did have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.

Moving back to Futurama, can anyone tell me why they added the kids near the end? It almost seemed to me like a decision made to increase popularity near the show's impending death, but I'd imagine Groening had more say over creative control than that. What good were they for besides being whiny, annoying, and generally unfunny? Some of the best episodes were near the end but all the episodes featuring the kids seem to be a step down in quality.

And my favorite episode is, bar none, when Fry is sent to a mental institution for criminally insane robots. So dark, so funny, and so full of Napoleon complexes.

While it adds nothing to this discussion I'd like to add my voice to the support for the Venture Brothers. Delicious in every way possible--it's even pretty to look at unlike most [AS] shows.

Savok

03-20-2006, 12:31 AM

Fair warning if this pans out.

Watching Futurama in the order it was made, by the 4th season they really began making it into a proper sci fi show by pulling all the subtle threads they'd layed earlier (even from the pilot) into this sort of cohesive grand plot. It's gonna be a little different.

bean19

03-20-2006, 01:21 AM

I agree with this.

I like American Dad, even if most everyone hates it. New Family Guy was much worse. And those "It's like the time when..." jokes have really lost their humor.

I doubt Futurama is as vulnerable to what happened to Family Guy, but I still hope it doesn't lose it's value.

American Dad is terrible.

It doesn't have even one likeable character and the ones that aren't cliches actually annoy the hell out of me. I HATE the alien.

MasterEvilAce

03-20-2006, 01:28 AM

I agree, mr. bean.

I don't feel the characters bond at all. They don't fit together in American Dad. I also HATE their voices. They all seem over-acted. And the fish makes no sense. The fish is trying to be too much like Brian.. in love with the woman of the house. Except the fish is just an asshole. You can't do a lot of animation-funny with a fish. It's sort of stuck in a bowl.

The main thing I don't like about AD is the speed of the show. It's boom, boom, boom, boom. There's hardly any pauses inbetween people talking. Talk talk talk, really. Not enough breather room. And in some episodes, none at all.

I really wanted to like it, but to me it's just so stale. People either really hate it, or they think it's great. It definitely has more direction than Simpsons currently does, though. Simpsons has turned into random scene after random scene, with repeating stupid cliches and jokes.

Busted_Astromech

03-20-2006, 01:46 AM

The fish is stupid.

I don't know, with a lot of things I can say "Yeah I understand why you don't like it but disagree," but with American Dad I just feel that it brings the funny. It's similar enough to Family Guy that I have trouble imagining a person liking one and not the other. And I find the speed to actually be a bit slower than Family Guy.

Of course you have no emotional attachment to the characters; there's none in Family Guy either. Seth McFarlane is terrible at it. But it's funny enough to make up for it.

But if you think it's stale than there's not much getting over that. That's the death of a comedy show. After filling my head with Adult Swim I can no longer watch regular comedy movies or TV shows--I can see each joke coming 5 minutes out and they are all lame. That said, while I like some of the weirder shows on Adult Swim (Tom Goes to the Mayor) I haven't been able to enjoy some of their newer stuff, like Perfect Hair (dumb cliched jokes), Robot Chicken (like a bad episode of the new season of Family Guy--dumb and references for references sake), 12 Oz. Mouse (whuh?). I mean, while I have little respect for Robot Chicken I get the feeling that Perfect Hair and 12 Oz. Mouse are things I just don't 'get,' which is certainly not a good sign for one who considers himself hip to the best comedy. And I couldn't get into the Minoriteam pilot, either, though maybe that's more a reflection of the pilot's quality.

Stroker and Hoop was just bad though.

bean19

03-20-2006, 01:56 AM

MasterEvilAce

03-20-2006, 02:06 AM

I feel AD is on the opposite spectrum of FG. FG will take a scene with no talking, and drag it on forever! And it fucking cracks me up. The chicken thing, the knee injury, etc. AD seems almost purely based on verbal humor. But the talking is endless.

The characters thing is a bit hard to explain.. but I just hate the AD characters. They're so annoying to me, and over-dramatic.

I like the style of Tom Goes to the Mayor, the animation being "every so often" and drawn style.. but I don't like it as far as plot, etc.

12 Oz. Mouse is hot stuff in my opinion. I don't quite understand it.. because it comes on once, after 15 minutes it comes on again, but is the same episode just with a few changes.. I don't really understand what is going on there. Also every episode seems very similar to the other. But I find the child's drawing to be funny, and it has a few awesome moments.. when 12 Oz. is driving and the squrriel is in the back of the car and does a drum solo. That kicked so much ass. And in my head I can't get a few lines out of my head from that show. Such as "rubbles.. barney rubbles" or something like that.

Aqua Teen i used to hate, but it's cool, now. It's over the top and I can dig it. Robot chicken is sometimes good. I don't like Venture bros, and a few other shows like Hoop & Whatever.

MasterEvilAce

03-20-2006, 02:08 AM

Bah.. bean you beat me to it... I was going to say AD's characters weren't well developed. They're just "there" and that's all there is to them.. but FG has been around a lot longer, so I decided not to say that.. maybe AD will get more in-depth with the characters at some point.

Himsa II

03-20-2006, 03:42 AM

http://www.billywest.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2020&PN=1

:( :( :(

GreenIce

03-20-2006, 03:43 AM

Another thing about AD and the new FG episodes that I didn't get from old FG is the intention to be offensive to just be offensive. Maybe it was because I was younger and less serious when FG was first on, but it never seemed like it was malicious, and with some exceptions, never really concentrated or even logical. Sure there were episodes like the one where they enter the witness protection program and end up taking soooo many cheap shots at the south, but even that had alot to do with the specific town they were in, and had quite a bit that wasn't really an attack on anything more than that (the raccon attacks for instance). The new ones just seem like he's doing nothing but trying to 'stick it to the fat cats in washington' or make SOME kind of message or protest rather than just be funny.

MasterEvilAce

03-20-2006, 03:57 AM

http://www.billywest.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2020&PN=1

:( :( :(
Shit.

Well the one guy's post on that forum was right. The 'whole world' did get a buzz..and it's just a matter of time.

reimomo

03-20-2006, 05:22 AM

Posted: 19 March 2006 at 3:35pm | IP Logged @ billywest.com

Guys,
I'm sorry I gave inaccurate info on the cartoon.I was told on one end that the
TV show was a go but DXC enlightened me (with a hammer) that this was
not the case.I think there is a Futurama project as in DVD's but I appearently
had bad info.But I do live to give good Futurama news to people.So I must've
died or something.

All eyes on the skies,

Billy

Mutha-fucka. I hate Fox. Bring back family guy but not futurama... don't they realize the simpsons is dead dead dead?

Wasson_

03-20-2006, 05:50 AM

here's the thing with Stroker and Hoop-

When I saw the pilot i thought - "this is lame and it sucks"

when I saw other episodes...it turned out to be very funny and irrevrant and to have some great characters. (the voice of Double Wide is Booger from Revenge of the Nerds!) Stroker is like the anthisis of John Magnum...it's just great.

12 oz mouse and squid billies are fucking stupid as hell, it's like AS testing it's audience as to how shitty of a product they can air before people start to wonder about them...shows like Venture Bros. is the direction where AS should continue to go in. Low / no budget crap will end up hurting them.

I'd also like additional Harvey Birdman....but with Steven Colbert having his own show..

MasterEvilAce

03-20-2006, 06:21 AM

Oh I hate Harvey Birdman

and snot on American Dad is played by the Booger character, too. (Curtis Armstrong)

Bone

03-20-2006, 08:50 AM

Squidbillies is hilarious! Just huff some gasoline and think of your sister.

Man, they really teased us with the Futurama news. My favorite episodes are all the corny, sweet ones. Fry's dog, the space bees, both holophoner episodes, and the one where Bender meets God are some of the best TV shows ever made.

MasterEvilAce

03-20-2006, 08:52 AM

Bender meets God are some of the best TV shows ever made.
"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."

Bone

03-20-2006, 10:24 AM

Exactly!

Bender : "But why would God think in binary? Unless ... you're not God, but the remains of a computerised space probe that collided with God."

God: "That seems probable."

Crabby

03-20-2006, 11:59 AM

Yeah. . . I don't know what is up with Adult Swim's programming lately. So many of their newer comedies are just trash. . . you know, in comparison to other stuff they already have but don't ever seem to greenlight for new episodes.

I disagree about Robot Chicken. . . they go really, really dark with their humor at least once/episode and I find myself laughing really hard at it. Then again, I'm in love with Wonder Showzen, so that should tell you something.

I think the difference between Family Guy and American Dad is that the characters in Family Guy are not soul-less cliches and are instead interesting, well-rounded characters.

Stroker and Hoop's art is really difficult for me to get past, but the characterization is good and some of the jokes are very funny. I'm also annoyed by the voice-acting of certain characters (which I've already mentioned).

One new Adult Swim show that does everything right. . . I mean really damn right is The Boondocks. That show is beautiful and hilarous. It needs to win a ton of Emmy's.

Freaking-A right. I was disappointed to read that they've run out of new episodes after the one aired yesterday. End of season 1 apparently. The sunshine on the horizon seems to be that they have all intentions to get more out the door. (Boondocks)

My enjoyment for Stroker and Hoop varies from episode to episode based on what topic they are covering. *Most* of them are just boring to me, but there are a few real gems such as the episode concerning Ron Howard's mind control, or the episode involving the porn tycoon.

But more Futurama? Almost makes me want to cry happy tears.

Busted_Astromech

03-20-2006, 02:16 PM

Stroker and Hoop is something that can be funny but still not up to the level of quality I expect from [AS]. It just seems too run-of-the-mill for an [as] show. And while I can forgive it, by God was it ugly. It'd be nice to have something to look at, at least. It's renewal was turned down, though.

Robot Chicken just feels too..stupid to me. I can see many of the jokes coming and it feels like they're trying too hard to be funny; it's not flowing like on better shows.

I don't understand how anyone can think the characters in Family Guy posess anything resembling depth. I mean, I love the show, but I accept its faults, and whenever it tries to do anything heartwarming it just falls flat. Their production numbers are classy, though.

And if you can somehow dislike the Venture Bros. (better even then Futurama, in my opinion) and Harvey Birdman, well, I feel like I don't know you any more, MasterEvilAce.

MasterEvilAce

03-20-2006, 02:21 PM

well, I feel like I don't know you any more, MasterEvilAce.

lmao :D

here are atleast 10 character for length

bean19

03-20-2006, 02:44 PM

Boondocks isn't just funny; it also communicates the "black community" to me in a way I have never understood from black comedians or other media.

I grew up in West Texas. We have black people here and one of my best friends growing up was black, but there wasn't a "black community", so when I moved to Dallas (back in West Texas now), I really didn't understand a lot of the attitudes of black people that I met. I mean, to me, it was just a color of skin. Sure, I had learned about segregation and slavery, but those were events way back in history. . . The Boondocks really brought home to me that those events aren't that far back in history. Black kids are growing up with grandparents that might have been told to sit at the back of the bus or who may have marched in oppossition of segregation. They grow up in a world where they have to be exceptional to get opportunities that simply fall into my lap.

Of course, the show also goes way over the top in some of it's characters like the self-hating black bus driver and the corporate Republican evil white man (though most of the white people in the show are extras and act like normal people that are oblivious to race, that characeture is over-the-top evil).

Busted - I have to agree about Venture Bros. If I had the choice of any show to watch new episodes for it would totally be this one. . . or Lost.

Busted_Astromech

03-20-2006, 04:10 PM

I personally think that the Boondocks uses over-the-top characters to pound home the basic messages Aaron McGruder is trying to get across. By creating a character who is defined by an issue you make it iconic. This helps to get across some of the very real situations black people have to deal with.

Sure there aren't any people like Ed Wuncler who are that evil, but if you give people that meme they may start to realize the real injustices there are. Another example is the stuff that Ed Wuncler the 3rd gets away with: the police apologize for the inconvenience when they return his wallet he left at a kidnapping. Of course rich people will still go to jail for something that blatant, but the core idea, that the rich have far more privileges than the rest, is very true, and that's what people can subconsciously take away from it.

I also love how dark the show is. It doesn't end happy because the world of social justice is not a happy place. *SPOILER* This also made interesting the last episode of the season (March 19) when it reversed the usual unhappy resolution: you had to figure out what was being said and why justice occurred in the end.

It's somewhat interesting that the second half of the first season, after the Christmas episode, shows a marked difference. The balance of the show moves from humor/advocacy closer to advocacy--something I wasn't sure about at first but now embrace.

Any support for Venture Bros. is something I welcome. It is far and away one of the best things on television.