Futurama

January 5, 2006 8:56 PM

Futurama is probably coming back.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome (105 comments total)

Yes, becaused unconfirmed talks of "maybe" bringing it back definitely equals "probably", and the fact that I've seen this report on every other site in the last two days means it must be the best of the Web.
posted by Mikey-San at 8:58 PM on January 5, 2006

In other news, wishful thinking causes rumour to spread like wildfire.
posted by Eideteker at 9:00 PM on January 5, 2006

Flagged as "unfounded rumour", as "wishful thinking" wasn't available.
posted by Rothko at 9:01 PM on January 5, 2006

But it's in Variety so it must be true!
posted by todbot at 9:02 PM on January 5, 2006

You people have obviously been hurt bad by Hollywood executives in the past. Can't you have a little faith in the system?
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 9:03 PM on January 5, 2006

Wow... I so hope that this turns out to be true.

My theory? Now that the Simpsons has become a shadow of its former glory, we're re-discovering the gems that were passed over back when it was funny.
posted by Afroblanco at 9:04 PM on January 5, 2006

Can I put in a request for the new version to not have Zoidberg?
posted by fenriq at 9:04 PM on January 5, 2006

My theory: Fox likes money.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 9:04 PM on January 5, 2006

I still have hopes for that Eddie Murphy thing. Remeber that thing? It was, like, claymation and was set in the projects?

What the hell was that called?
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:05 PM on January 5, 2006

Triumph of the Will?
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 9:06 PM on January 5, 2006

"The PJs"
posted by Rothko at 9:06 PM on January 5, 2006

fenriq - Zoidberg must stay! In my mind, the "Zoidberg is a scavenger" theme is one of the best running gags in modern cartoonery.

I also like how he is portrayed as being Jewish, despite being a VERY un-kosher form of aquatic life.
posted by Afroblanco at 9:06 PM on January 5, 2006

Yes! Someone else remembers (and loves) "The PJs"!
posted by kalimac at 9:08 PM on January 5, 2006

posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 9:09 PM on January 5, 2006

The PJs ruled. "My Beloved Luther Van" came on right after I finally read "A Clockwork Orange." "What on Eartha Kitt?!"

And the scene where they build a go kart:
"What should we name it?"
"Tercel!"
"LeBaron!"
"Silly kids, you don't give cars people names."

Zoidberg should stay, why not? Such a funny character have you ever seen before? You can't beat the way he says "robut."

ON PREVIEW: "And I'm his friend, Jesus!"
posted by Eideteker at 9:12 PM on January 5, 2006

It's a fishing license! And it's mandatory!

(I love Futurama.)
posted by poorlydrawnplato at 9:14 PM on January 5, 2006

>Can't you have a little faith in the system?

Here's hoping executive beta rolls, "Cancelled sci-fi cartoons."

Network President: "Greetings, gentlemen. You already know my execubots. Executive Alpha, programmed to like things it has seen before."
Executive Alpha: "Hey, hey, hey!"
Network President: "Executive Beta, programmed to roll dice to determine the fall schedule."
Executive Beta: *rolls dice* "More reality shows!"
Network President: "And Executive Gamma, programmed to underestimate middle America."
Executive Gamma: "It's funny, but is it going to get them off their tractors?"

posted by skallas at 9:14 PM on January 5, 2006

But honestly, I'm surprised how many people hadn't heard about this. I remember seeing an interview with Matt Groening where he mentioned they were in talks to resurrect Futurama based on DVD sales about a month ago.
posted by Eideteker at 9:16 PM on January 5, 2006

Probably? Let me know when it's provably coming back.
posted by bobo123 at 9:21 PM on January 5, 2006

pleasepleasepleaseyes!
posted by washburn at 9:22 PM on January 5, 2006

Mikey-San: "it must be the best of the Web."

Please, for your sake and for ours, stop wasting your time with "inferior" threads. If you really want to improve MeFi, flag posts you think are unacceptable and move on. If you want to feel good about yourself by bitching about FPPs, then.... well, keep doing what you're doing.

(This would be directed at everyone who feels the urge to post sarcastic remarks on FPPs. Please shut up, you are worse than the posts you criticize.)
posted by poorlydrawnplato at 9:25 PM on January 5, 2006

I really liked it...but it ended before I'd had a chance to become totally bored with it, and I'd actually rather it wasn't brought back than see it become a hollow played out mockery of its former self....
posted by Jon Mitchell at 9:27 PM on January 5, 2006

People really liked that show? I thought it was unfunny in the extreme...granted I only watched it a few times when it first started - that was all I could take. And I liked the Simpsons a lot at the time, too.
posted by modernist1 at 9:28 PM on January 5, 2006

ummm but does that apply to your use of sarcasm?
posted by edgeways at 9:30 PM on January 5, 2006

the last season was totally the best--the devil/holo-opera episode, the bees... it's like they were just hitting their stride.
posted by amberglow at 9:34 PM on January 5, 2006

Yeah I hated it too, it got better once it stopped the heavy-handed sentimentality. There were some really funny episodes, as long as they stopped trying so hard to make an obvious joke. I remember not even getting into it until I downloaded the episodes and realized it got better towards the end. I hate to say it, but the feel-goodness of the Simpsons is best staying with the Simpsons. It should have relished in the absurdity of the situation instead of trying to show that character x was actually good on the inside.
posted by geoff. at 9:34 PM on January 5, 2006

Geoff:
"I remember not even getting into it until I downloaded the episodes and realized it got better towards the end."

I agree, the end was far better. Futurama became great once the writers realized what the characters were and were not good at portraying. The ending seasons were more humor, less moral. That's a lot of why it was so fun to watch.
posted by poorlydrawnplato at 9:37 PM on January 5, 2006

Of course, there's also something to be said about the characters themselves. By the last seasons they were way more developed.
posted by poorlydrawnplato at 9:38 PM on January 5, 2006

I realize this is tangential, but is there a reason why the article keeps referring to it as a 'skein' instead of a show or a series or a word that makes sense in that context? Is this some showbiz insider term that I'm not privy to?
posted by jacquilynne at 9:43 PM on January 5, 2006

Skein
posted by poorlydrawnplato at 9:45 PM on January 5, 2006

It's nice to see there are still people out there who don't know how annoying Variety is.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 9:57 PM on January 5, 2006

poorlydrawnpotato and geoff - totally agreed about the moralizing and heavy-handed sentamentality. To be honest, I think that even The Simpsons generally falls flat on it's face when attempting to be "feel-good."

To my mind, King of the Hill is the only modern cartoon series that successfully manages to appeal to the emotions without being heavy-handed or manipulative. And it's funny to boot.
posted by Afroblanco at 10:00 PM on January 5, 2006

Sweet Zombie Jesus!

(And Protocols of the Elders of Awesome: you totally dropped the ball on not titling this page "Good news, everyone!")
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:05 PM on January 5, 2006

To my mind, King of the Hill is the only modern cartoon series that successfully manages to appeal to the emotions without being heavy-handed or manipulative. And it's funny to boot.

I've never understood how king of the hill stays under the radar among the 'cool kids'. Consistently funny, smart writing.

(This would be directed at everyone who feels the urge to post sarcastic remarks on FPPs. Please shut up, you are worse than the posts you criticize.)
posted by poorlydrawnplato

Check out the balls on you. Been here two months and already giving advice to 30,000 members. Better advice would be to ignore derails (do what i say, not what I do). You're gonna be uncontrollable when you reach 3 months.
posted by justgary at 10:11 PM on January 5, 2006

I've never understood how king of the hill stays under the radar among the 'cool kids'. Consistently funny, smart writing.

Agreed. And it has the Mike Judge/MTV/B&B/Office Space pedigree.
posted by loquax at 10:19 PM on January 5, 2006

You can't beat the way he says "robut."

That's how my dad says it... cracks me up every time. "Did you know they have ro-bit vacuum cleaners now? Wonders never cease!"
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:22 PM on January 5, 2006

you totally dropped the ball on not titling this page "Good news, everyone!"

: >
posted by amberglow at 10:28 PM on January 5, 2006

Adult Swim showed what ended up being the final episode of Futurama the other night, and I loved the little blurb at the beginning of the title sequence;

"See you on some other channel"

Smart show.
posted by dglynn at 10:34 PM on January 5, 2006

I've never understood how king of the hill stays under the radar among the 'cool kids'. Consistently funny, smart writing.

Yes, but nowhere near enough pop-culture references masquerading as jokes.
posted by jjg at 10:45 PM on January 5, 2006

King of the hill is a damn fine show.

jjg: Eh. I like family guy. Will it stand the test of time? Doubtful. It's not Shakespere, or even Duckman, but it's silly fun.
posted by zerolives at 10:57 PM on January 5, 2006

Yes, but nowhere near enough pop-culture references masquerading as jokes.

Why the hell should I listen to this guy? He though Duckman was funny.

Frigging Duckman.

That aside, I actually do agree with some of his points about Family Guy. Still doesn't change the fact that I find the show sidesplittingly hilarious.
posted by Afroblanco at 10:58 PM on January 5, 2006

Why the hell should I listen to this guy? He though Duckman was funny.


Hahah, that's my new objection to any sort of new information.
"The ice caps are melting? Why the hell should I listen to you? You thought Duckman was funny!"

My only hope is that they'll bring back Everybody Loves Hypnotoad. Sure, the 3rd season was the best, but I think that they can get their act together again.
posted by 235w103 at 11:04 PM on January 5, 2006

I've never understood how king of the hill stays under the radar among the 'cool kids'. Consistently funny, smart writing.

Because the main character is a middle-aged white male, although of course Bobby is the real star.

Oh right: here's hoping there's a new Futurama in the Future.

And yes: Family Guy, most amusing, and that Lois is hot too...
posted by scheptech at 11:13 PM on January 5, 2006

Fucking. About. Time.


Thanks poorlydrawnplato.
posted by Tullius at 11:15 PM on January 5, 2006

The return of Futurama was the first thing that came to mind when I heard that The Family Guy was being resurrected. I think Family Guy sucks, but found the story to be a bellwether of TV execs cluing into to the benefits of the Long Tail phenomenon.
posted by Scoo at 11:22 PM on January 5, 2006

1) If true, this is phenomenal news.

2) Holy fucking Calculon, I had forgotten how irritating Variety is.

3) For the record, Family Guy is best considered the insecure, obsequious, overzealous little brother of The Simpsons. He tries so hard, but he's just not funny. Family Guy is akin to an interminable sequence of Ralph jokes (told in lazy flashback, no less), and Ralph is by far the worst thing about The Simpsons.

/TV culture-wars dip
posted by gramschmidt at 11:24 PM on January 5, 2006

Oh, and fenriq is crazy.
posted by gramschmidt at 11:28 PM on January 5, 2006

Fuck TV. Kill your television. TV makes you stupid and gives you cancer. TV is a brainwashing cult that skull-fucks nuns and shits in your cornflakes while making rude comments about your mother. I fucking hate TV so much I'd stab babies and grandmothers in the face non-stop every day for a year to get rid of it forev... wait! What!!?

Did you just say Futurama might be coming back?

PRAISE JESUS! HALLALUJAH! THERE IS A GOD!

*dances naked*
posted by loquacious at 12:23 AM on January 6, 2006

At last! At last I can sit back and shake my head in utter bewilderment as people who claimed to be fans of Futurama denounce the new episodes as "not as funny as the old episodes" as as happened with the return of the still incredibly funny Family Guy. And while they do, I can sit back and enjoy new Futurama.

You know... probably.
posted by Effigy2000 at 12:45 AM on January 6, 2006

The thing I really hated about Family Guy was that it started out with an episode where Peter has to do without tv. They didn't even have to establish Peter's character because we already knew this was a cheap ripoff of the Simpsons. But hell, I still laugh at a lot of it. It might not be of value, but it's still pleasurable, a bit like masturbating maybe.
posted by Citizen Premier at 2:17 AM on January 6, 2006

Count me among those who don't want it to come back for fear of tarnishing former glory, but that's only because I haven't made it through all the DVDs. Once I've seen all the episodes, I'll be ready for more of that shiny metal ass.

And as a whole, I think I prefer Futurama over the Simpsons and Family Guy. Smarter and more entertaining overall, and it never devolved into a sad mimicry of itself, rehashing the same old jokes. At least there was a good reason for bizarre things to happen in the Futurama universe, unlike the other two.
("Hey, what if they go to Japan and are on a crazy gameshow!"
"No, let's send them to Washington D.C. and make snarky, heavy-handed commentary about politics!"
"We already did that one this season.")
posted by kyleg at 2:19 AM on January 6, 2006

I'll have to put up my page again about how the Futurama theme is ripped off from the Z soundtrack.
Yes, I'm serious. I assume it was unintentional.
posted by dhartung at 2:22 AM on January 6, 2006

Oh, man, if they crank out more episodes of the quality they were doing towards the end....damn.

The one where Bender leaves civilization to join the anti-technology robots? Awesome.
posted by graventy at 2:50 AM on January 6, 2006

I loved the PJs! I thought this Futurama news was old as well. I loved that series - how can anyone want it back without Zoidberg? Some choice Futurama quotes for enjoyment.
posted by TheDonF at 2:55 AM on January 6, 2006

The thing I really hated about Family Guy was that it started out with an episode where Peter has to do without tv.

No it didn't.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 3:23 AM on January 6, 2006

At last I can sit back and shake my head in utter bewilderment as people who claimed to be fans of Futurama denounce the new episodes as "not as funny as the old episodes"

I agree. But I fear this phenomenon is the "Your favorite band sucks" of the TV world.
posted by Cyrano at 3:26 AM on January 6, 2006

this is a fact believed by many people
posted by Hands of Manos at 3:59 AM on January 6, 2006

I don't wanna go on a RANT here but America's foreign policy makes about as much sense as Beowolf having sex with Robert Fulton at the first Battle of Antetum. I mean when a neo-conservative defenstrates it's like Raskalnakov filibuster dioxymonohydrostinate.
posted by Cyrano at 4:42 AM on January 6, 2006

I'd love to see the return of Futurama, but for the love of God lose the heads in jars.
posted by Joeforking at 4:58 AM on January 6, 2006

I loved Futurama, but...I think it ended in the right place. True, Fox kept screwing around and changing the schedule and all that other unfaaaaaaair stuff, but the last season, while awesome, started to feel like the show was just about on the edge of starting to become a parody of itself. It ended well, Fry's whole backstory got cleared up with a massive continuity-gasm reaching all the way back to the first episode, the Fry-and-Leela thing looked like it was gonna go somewhere...I mean, I'll watch it if it comes back, and I'm sure I'll love it, but I think it's had its day.

I also love Family Guy just as much as I love Futurama. No more, no less. Wrap yer brains around that, hataz!
posted by Gator at 5:06 AM on January 6, 2006

Some of the later seasons of Futurama were really creative and stunning, I hope they can keep the quality up if they come back.

I think Family Guy is a cheap show, but it has a good sense of comedic timing - that Futurama sorely lacked at first. I think that's all Family Guy really has, which is enough for most viewers, sadly.
posted by parallax7d at 5:28 AM on January 6, 2006

No it didn't.

Well, alright, the second one, Mr. Trivia Giant. But it was the first one when the show really got going.
posted by Citizen Premier at 5:49 AM on January 6, 2006

I'd love to see the return of Futurama, but for the love of God lose the heads in jars.

They never did explain why all the presidents were available in head form. Chester A. Arthur had access to cryogenic freezing?
posted by Citizen Premier at 5:50 AM on January 6, 2006

Chester A. Arthur had access to cryogenic freezing?

I just best those giant carrots had something to do with it. Remember? When giant carrots roamed the Earth?
posted by Gator at 5:59 AM on January 6, 2006

Er, just bet More coffee!
posted by Gator at 5:59 AM on January 6, 2006

The heads in jars were a mixed bag, feeding them like fish is NOT funny, but "Hi, I'm Dick Clarks head" almost made up for it all.
posted by parallax7d at 6:10 AM on January 6, 2006

Why the hell should I listen to this guy? He though Duckman was funny.

Frigging Duckman.

Screw you. Screw you straight to hell.

"This is just the break I needed after a long day of making art and being insane!"
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 6:20 AM on January 6, 2006

On a side note, I'm not super optimistic but I'm ready to believe this revival rumor more than I am for a lot of other series', such as Arrested Development and Firefly. Animation has recently been getting a huge surge in recognition from fan base and DVD sales. In addition to the Family Guy ressurection, older studios are suddenly pumping lots of old cartoons into the DVD market (recently, Thundercats, GI Joe, and Danger Mouse) and Disney announced last month that they're renewing one of their kid's shows, Kim Possible, for a fourth season. That's probably not as big a deal here given the demographics of MetaFilter, but for the animation industry, it's enormous- Disney is infamous for what's called "Rule 65" which is their stone-solid declaration that no series, live or animated, goes beyond 65 episodes... this is one of, if not the, first times Disney has broken the rule, which means fan base and DVD sales overrode the higher-ups.

I think part of it is that people just want to watch cartoons repeatedly far more than many live-action series. I don't fawn over that many live-action shows, but I buy every Adult Swim show DVD and have watched the episodes over and over again. College students archiving every episode of Family Guy to watch over and over again is why the series was brought back.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 6:30 AM on January 6, 2006

Yes, but what is your opinion of the Capitol Critters cancelation?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 6:35 AM on January 6, 2006

It was shit.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 6:36 AM on January 6, 2006

In the Family Guy straight-to-dvd movie, a reporter says to Stewie "hey, do you know if they're going to bring back Futurama?" and Stewie climbs onto his shoulders and snaps his neck.
I'm just sharing.
Also...any show with the line "...I'm getting one of those...what do you call them? A headache, with pictures..." is a good show. But Zoidberg should be boiled and eaten.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 6:41 AM on January 6, 2006

Metafilter: It's not Shakespere, or even Duckman.
posted by JHarris at 6:42 AM on January 6, 2006

I miss Freakazoid.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 6:48 AM on January 6, 2006

Dormant Gorilla: He was, by Leela, in that episode where she kills the professor. Remember? She and Fry end up having sex at the end?
posted by Eideteker at 7:00 AM on January 6, 2006

Wasn't that an episode featuring the "What If? Machine," Eideteker? Meaning it never really "happened"...

/ Futurama nerd
posted by you just lost the game at 7:08 AM on January 6, 2006

Executive Gamma: "It's funny, but is it going to get them off their tractors?"

If by tractor you mean my second Mercedes Benz
posted by elpapacito at 7:18 AM on January 6, 2006

yjltg: Yeah, that was "Anthology of Interest". I believe that one also had the story which ends with Al Gore, Nichelle Nichols, Deep Blue, Gary Gygax, and Fry trapped in limbo, playing Dungeons & Dragons.

"I'm a tenth-level Vice-President!"

/ Also futurama nerd

(Hey, did XQERWEJKG say something about Danger Mouse on DVD? Off to amazon....)
posted by infidelpants at 7:24 AM on January 6, 2006

a) Bringing back Futurama is meaningless if they continue to schedule it pre-primetime on the East Coast, i.e., subject to constant preemption by the last interminable five minutes of the Jacksonville Jagoffs-Green Bay Turdblossoms game or, even worse, by Howie-Jimmy-Terry-Snoopy-Grumpy's postgame circle-jerk. It drove me batshit when they did it to Futurama during its first go-round. It drove me batshit withen they did it to King of the Hill last season.

b) Does this mean I can hope to see a return to Fox of Wonderfalls and Firefly? Huh? Does it? Huh?
posted by the sobsister at 7:51 AM on January 6, 2006

i recently discovered Wonderfalls on Logo, sob--excellent show!

They have to remember that if they do bring it back, they should use Scootie-Puff Sr. and not Jr. : >
posted by amberglow at 7:59 AM on January 6, 2006

Frigging Duckman.

Screw you. Screw you straight to hell.

Dude, get over it. The only funny thing about Duckman was the talking pig character. And even he wasn't all that.
posted by Afroblanco at 8:05 AM on January 6, 2006

I learned to hate the NFL for its constant intrusion of my precious Futurama. Damn the men in helmets and tight pants, damn them all to robot hell (I feel it'd have a more ironic suffering scheme).

I think Futurama exploded into existence as a result of Groening growing tired of the Simpsons. In truth, the Simpson episodes before, during, and for most part, after, the Futurama airing were subpar. They felt tired, like someone straining to write a show the formulaic way it was supposed to be and not really doing a very good job at it either.

I've found most of the Futurama episodes enjoyable (own them all ) and the true value of the show is that I've been able to sit and watch the reruns on Cartoon Network repeatedly and still enjoy it. Do I want more episodes? Hell yes. Mind slugs for all who are scared what might come next might be subpar.
posted by Atreides at 8:09 AM on January 6, 2006

"Things were bad, but now they're good. Forever!" -Zoidberg
posted by stifford at 8:14 AM on January 6, 2006

I think the thing about the Simpsons is that it's been around so long. I mean, there is such a thing as exhausting the jokespace of a premise. I don't think that's necessarily happened, but the intersection between that jokespace and the creative powers of the writers is necessarily finite.

(Reading back over what I just wrote.) Wow. I really am a geek.
posted by JHarris at 8:18 AM on January 6, 2006

Futurama made me laugh. I would be happy if it came back.
posted by I Foody at 8:23 AM on January 6, 2006

Yeah, Zoidberg did get eaten but not for "real". I'll always love that episode because of the Thing Longer, which is so very close to my own Reaching Dowel.
And yup- you can see Wonderfalls on Logo and Trio.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 8:24 AM on January 6, 2006

[Zapp Brannigan is briefing Fry, Leela, Bender and his crew on his plan to destroy an alien mothership]
Captain Zapp Brannigan: If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes should fall like a house of cards. Checkmate.

Captain Zapp Brannigan: Now, like all great plans, my strategy is so simple an idiot could have devised it. On my command all ships will line up and file directly into the alien death cannons, clogging them with wreckage.
[Fry raises his hand]
Fry: W-Wouldn't it make more sense to send the robots in first a - ?
[Bender starts to choke him à la Homer Simpson to Bart in "The Simpsons". His antenna flashes again and he stops choking Fry and salutes]
Bender: Sir, I volunteer for a suicide mission.
[Bender's antenna stops flashing and he bangs his head with his knuckles]
Captain Zapp Brannigan: You're a brave robot, son. But when I'm in command every mission's a suicide mission.
posted by concreteforest at 8:36 AM on January 6, 2006

I'll always love that episode because of the Thing Longer

I'm afraid the device you're referring to is the Finglonger.
posted by jjg at 8:46 AM on January 6, 2006

I'd pay good money for a Thing Longer, Trebek!

Can't believe some of you are asking for the ouster of Zoidberg- he was bar none the funniest thing about that show!!!
posted by hincandenza at 8:56 AM on January 6, 2006

"Dude, get over it. The only funny thing about Duckman was the talking pig character. And even he wasn't all that."

Wrong. But why should we listen to you? You like Family Guy, the show for people who aren't funny but want desperately to be.
posted by klangklangston at 8:58 AM on January 6, 2006

Zapp Brannigan is my favorite character in the history of animation. "Call me cocky, but if there's an alien out there I can't kill I haven't met him and killed him yet."
posted by mike9322 at 9:00 AM on January 6, 2006

Noo, it's not Finglonger...is it? I really, really hope it's not, because Thing Longer is the best device name ever.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 9:35 AM on January 6, 2006

You like Family Guy, the show for people who aren't funny but want desperately to be.

Wow, obviously I stuck a nerve. Sorry about that.

To give Duckman it's fair share, I did like it during its original run. However, I saw it again recently, and for the life of me, I couldn't manufacture a chuckle.

Some things just don't age well I guess. I tried watching Dr Katz again, and the squigglevision thing made me dizzy.
posted by Afroblanco at 10:15 AM on January 6, 2006

I, too, was a Zoidberg hater. He seemed like something a 10-year-old would think up (especially the name). Only redeeming feature was a resemblance to Cthulhu.

But he grew on me, once his character was fleshed out. The Harold Zoid episode ("That's Lobstertainment!") was weak, but the other Zoidberg eps have been great.

He shines in "A Taste of Freedom" ("Now the rubber band is on the other claw!")

Other notable episodes: "Teenage Leela's Mutant Hurdles" (Zoidberg's 10 or so larval stages), "Roswell that Ends Well" ("Are you coming on to me?"), and "Why Must I be a Crustacean in Love" ("Please stand for the Decapodian National Anthem").

I thought the pilot sucked, too, when I first saw it: a big letdown for a SF and Simpsons fan. Bender looked like just a metal Homerbart, Leela was Marge, etc. But that episode had to do the heavy lifting of introducing all these unfamiliar characters. The show seemed to catch its stride pretty quickly.
posted by kurumi at 10:26 AM on January 6, 2006

Two things:

Futurama (and Family Guy) are easier to put back on the air than, say, Firefly, because you don't have to rebuild sets, get new costumes and rehire all your actors. Yeah, you'd like to keep the same voice cast together, but animation even makes that problem easier to get around (Meg's been voiced by at least two people, and while it's easy to notice the difference, it's not as jarring as it would be were Family Guy a live-action show). At the end of the day, it's a question of economics; I'll bet Futurama would be a lot cheaper to make per episode than a one-hour live-action drama.

Also:
posted by you just lost the game at 10:08 AM EST on January 6 [!]

DAMMIT
posted by chrominance at 10:30 AM on January 6, 2006

/derail

amberglow, thanks for the Scootie-Puff Sr. reminder. i keep meaning to get that made as a sticker.

Scootie-Puff Sr. -The Doombringer-
posted by quin at 10:43 AM on January 6, 2006

woo hoo!
posted by Smedleyman at 10:53 AM on January 6, 2006

Duckman had its moment but Jason Alexander (the voice of) is an incredibly annoying person and personality. Not as bad as Zoidberg but damned close.

And I think Zapp Brannigan is one of the funniest characters on the show too. Just because he calls himself the "Zapper" after tricking Lela into bed. And tells her she got Zapped.

But Zoidberg? No, no thank you. Shticky and dumb humor.

But I loved the Nibblonians vs. the Brains episode with the Scootie Puff Jr. and Sr.
posted by fenriq at 10:55 AM on January 6, 2006

Is this something I'd need to own a Smell-O-Vision to understand?



(great news, hope this happens)
posted by ruddhist at 11:15 AM on January 6, 2006

Is it true that Phil Hartman was originally slated to be the voice of Zapp Brannigan?
posted by gigawhat? at 11:48 AM on January 6, 2006

My favorite:

[Fry is trying out the Professors' new invention, the Smelloscope.]

Farnsworth: ... And now Saturn.

[Fry sniffs.]

Fry: Pine needles. Oh, man, this is great! Hey, as long as you don't make me smell Uranus.

[He laughs.]

Leela: I don't get it.

Farnsworth: I'm sorry, Fry, but astronomers renamed Uranus in 2620 to end that stupid joke once and for all.

Fry: Oh. What's it called now?

Farnsworth: Urectum.

(Okay, I'm a 12 year-old trapped in a 45 year-olds body).
posted by Carbolic at 12:00 PM on January 6, 2006

Fry: "I must've really been acting like a jerk."
Bender: "Yeah, but everybody's a jerk. You, me, this jerk. That's my philosophy."

Awesome.
posted by Ohdemah at 12:09 PM on January 6, 2006

Why, that skein could be some laffer's new tentpole!
posted by mikrophon at 1:04 PM on January 6, 2006

Carbolic: That was on last night...
posted by klangklangston at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2006

Hermes, after being served his meal at Elzar's: "Wow, look at all this -- jerked beef, jerked chicken, jerked pork...is there any meat this man can't jerk?"

Futurama was Matt Groening's Finnegan's Wake. Setting a cartoon in a future world seemed to free the humor from a lot of constraints. When the Simpsons go to Rio, it's just stupid.

I'm really amazed at how smart the writing was, the episodes are still consistently entertaining after the 10th viewing.

Fry, after eating truck stop egg salad: "It's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's throwing up."
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:56 PM on January 6, 2006

XQUZYPHYR writes "Disney is infamous for what's called 'Rule 65' which is their stone-solid declaration that no series, live or animated, goes beyond 65 episodes... this is one of, if not the, first times Disney has broken the rule, which means fan base and DVD sales overrode the higher-ups."

Hasn't the mickey mouse club been on for forever?
posted by Mitheral at 7:44 AM on January 9, 2006