you know, I finally saw Bender's Big Score for the first time a week ago, and I suspect that Torgo's Executive Powder (though possibly the funniest thing ever put in a cartoon) was responsible for the kerfuffle in the first place. posted by shmegegge at 12:27 PM on August 25
thank goodness. I'm going to go have an ice-cold Slurm. posted by pinky at 12:27 PM on August 25
As surprising as when Prof Farnsworth says "Good news everyone!" posted by GuyZero at 12:28 PM on August 25 [2 favorites]
If only there was a term we could use to indicate an amusing, possibly serendipitous relationship between a user's name and the subject of his or her post... posted by Mister_A at 12:33 PM on August 25 [1 favorite]
I still can't get my head around Billy West being all of Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zoidberg and Zapp Brannigan.
Is he just in the booth all by himself for some episodes, or what? posted by rokusan at 12:35 PM on August 25 [4 favorites]
Fuck yes.
shmegegge: "possibly the funniest thing ever put in a cartoon"
I'll allow you that opinion as long as you agree it's the only funny thing in all of the movies. I hope the episodic format forces them to come up with a couple of jokes again. posted by Plutor at 12:36 PM on August 25
Good news everyone!
Sure, now. But it's just like the story of the grasshopper and the octopus. All year long, the grasshopper kept burying acorns for 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. Also he got a race car. Is any of this getting through to you? posted by quin at 12:40 PM on August 25 [16 favorites]
Plutor: "I'll allow you that opinion as long as you agree it's the only funny thing in all of the movies. I hope the episodic format forces them to come up with a couple of jokes again."
rokusan, I can't even get my head around Billy West being both Ren and Stimpy for a time.
I hope that in one of the new Futurama episodes, the creators comment on the negotiations by having Robot Rich Little attack the crew with the impersonator ray, resulting in poorly voiced impersonations for the rest of the episode. Efforts to reverse the effect could result in the invention of the Rachel Ray, and later, the avant-garde Man Ray.
I really don't know how I feel about this - I love Futurama but also think it has long since passed its peak - but since we're all quoting our favourite lines that could be shoehorned into being vaguely relevant to this discussion:
I just saw District 9 last night (boy did it suck!) and all I could think about was how those prawn looked like Zoidberg. posted by sveskemus at 12:56 PM on August 25
haveanicesummer: "I feel the need to make a deadly slideshow about how this is incorrect."
I would be quite happy to be proven incorrect. posted by Plutor at 12:57 PM on August 25
How in God's name did the Toronto Star break this story as they put it exclusively? posted by Lemurrhea at 1:13 PM on August 25
Does this mean that once again the conservative sandwich-heavy portfolio will pay off for the hungry investor? posted by JaredSeth at 1:17 PM on August 25 [5 favorites]
Plutor: I'll allow you that opinion as long as you agree it's the only funny thing in all of the movies. I hope the episodic format forces them to come up with a couple of jokes again.
Your opinions are bad and you should feel bad! posted by shakespeherian at 1:32 PM on August 25
All I can tell you is my gut says "Maybe". posted by utsutsu at 1:36 PM on August 25
Hark, I have precognition! Mail me $5 and I shall reveal your fortune! posted by nanojath at 1:36 PM on August 25
nanojath: Hark, I have precognition! Mail me $5 and I shall reveal your fortune!
Hey, wait, I'm having one of those things... you know, a headache with pictures! posted by shakespeherian at 1:40 PM on August 25
Great news and all, but has anything more been said about the rumored budget cuts? From Variety:
With a smaller budget, the producers are already adjusting to a smaller writing staff and a shorter delivery schedule.
If Fox is stiffing the development process, that could hurt the series at least as much as a change in voice cast. posted by Rhaomi at 1:42 PM on August 25 [1 favorite]
The real question is, did they manage to get the Hypnotoad back? posted by lilac girl at 1:46 PM on August 25
I still can't get my head around Billy West being all of Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Zoidberg and Zapp Brannigan.
Is he just in the booth all by himself for some episodes, or what?
He does them all without pausing to switch between characters, so maybe.
(I remember I read a piece where he talked about that, but don't remember where) posted by ArgentCorvid at 2:07 PM on August 25
Original Futurama voice cast (yes all of them) on board for new season....
...thus earning them a slim chance to perform the reproductive act. posted by drjimmy11 at 2:17 PM on August 25
He does them all without pausing to switch between characters, so maybe.
A terrible strain on the animator's wrist. posted by DU at 2:25 PM on August 25 [1 favorite]
Also, I've been hearing "Futurama is back!" stories every 6 months for about 25 years. I'll believe it when I can pirate commercial-free episodes online again. Allegedly. posted by DU at 2:29 PM on August 25 [1 favorite]
Rhaomi: If Fox is stiffing the development process, that could hurt the series at least as much as a change in voice cast.
If they screw up this show, I swear I'll jam a squirrel in 'em!! posted by Greg_Ace at 2:38 PM on August 25
Also, I've been hearing "Futurama is back!" stories every 6 months for about 25 years. I'll believe it when I can pirate commercial-free episodes online again. Allegedly.
You can always go out and buy/rent the last three full length features they've produced. Though, toward that production, they actually feel like a three or four episodes strung together and loosely connected to form each movie. The result is a kind of disconnection that I found distracting. (I believe the strategy was that the movies would be broken down into episodes to air - meh).
And yah, they're not as funny as most of the stuff aired in episodic form. Not bad, but certainly not as good. posted by Atreides at 3:23 PM on August 25
Thank you for voicing your strong support for Futurama and the original voice cast. We appreciate the time you took to fire off a thoughtful and/or concerned and/or homicidal e-mail message to our casting director, Scott Muller. (Rest assured, not a single one of these e-mails reached the actual decision-makers at 20th Century Fox Television. For future reference, please note that Scott Muller is in fact one of Futurama's biggest fans, and was instrumental in bringing about the return of the cast. Please hoist a bottle of Olde Fortran for Scott!)
Speaking of the cast returning... good news, everyone! The cast is returning! All of our series regulars are back in action for Season 6. Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, and David Herman are all on board and have already begun delivering their customary virtuoso performances. The all-new Futurama episodes are slated to air on Comedy Central beginning in June, 2010.
We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of support for the series. Your loyalty over the years has kept the show going through its original four seasons on FOX, its subsequent reincarnations on Adult Swim and DVD, and now its Bendiferous return to life on Comedy Central. See you in the (near) future!
Billy West is just the latest in a long distinguished line of Men With a Thousand Cartoon Voices. Think about all those high-speed arguments between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck that Mel Blanc did in the days of relatively-prehistoric audio recording technology (although I've heard stories that Mel's Daffy was sped up to make him -well- daffier). Daws Butler and Paul Frees were also reportedly quite skillful at having dialogues with themselves. But Billy West's most amazing vocal skill is his ability to jump into a character voice originated by somebody else without sounding like a pale imitation... taking over Ren when John K. was fired from the show he created or doing Zapp Branigan since Phil Hartman's death. I suspect the dirty little secret around these negotiations may have been Fox suits believing if they could sign West, they wouldn't need the rest of the cast. Yeah, I 'll bet he could do Leela if absolutely forced to. posted by wendell at 7:20 PM on August 25 [1 favorite]
Hartmann never did Brannigan, though I think he was chosen for the role before his death. But in the actual series, it's been Billy West all along. posted by LobsterMitten at 7:32 PM on August 25
Hartmann never did Brannigan,
And if I recall my lore correctly, paying tribute to Hartman is why Fry is named Phillip J. posted by quin at 7:58 PM on August 25
Billy West is just the latest in a long distinguished line of Men With a Thousand Cartoon Voices. Think about all those high-speed arguments between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck that Mel Blanc did.
You're right about West, of course: I see from Wikipedia he's actually been the Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd of record since Blanc's death, for example. But that makes me even more in awe of the man, personally.
Yeah, I 'll bet he could do Leela if absolutely forced to.
Who can blame him? posted by rokusan at 8:05 PM on August 25
If Fox is stiffing the development process, that could hurt the series at least as much as a change in voice cast.
This could hurt the series certainly, but I can't imagine it'd hurt as much as not having the cast. I imagine if they thought they couldn't do the show with the budget they're being given they wouldn't have agreed to it.
This interview mentions West basing the character's voice on Hartman and "old-time dumb announcers." posted by haveanicesummer at 8:13 PM on August 25
I've not heard of this. posted by SPrintF at 9:41 PM on August 25
rokusan, I love the phrase "Bugs Bunny of record" and am going to start using it immediately. posted by hifiparasol at 11:06 PM on August 25 [2 favorites]
This is excellent. My only regret is that I have boneitis. posted by biscotti at 5:08 AM on August 26
Morbo is pleased that puny humans have settled their disagreements! Now let's all watch Hypnotoad! posted by kuppajava at 7:59 AM on August 26
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posted by shmegegge at 12:27 PM on August 25