Fox May Revive 'Futurama'

LeHah

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From Variety Magazine (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117935453?categoryid=14&cs=1&s=h&p=0)

"Futurama" may live to see the year 3000 after all.
Talks have begun at 20th Century Fox TV to revive the animated skeinskein, which takes place in the next millennium, much in the same way "Family Guy""Family Guy" found new life after cancellation.

The studio is in early discussions to put "Futurama" back in production and create a limited number of episodes of the Emmy Award-winning skein -- although it's too soon to tell where those segs might end up. A reprep for 20th Century Fox TV declined comment.

The final original episode of "Futurama" aired on Fox in August 2003. But since then, the skein has found new life -- and fans -- via DVD releases and repeatedly high-rated airings on the Cartoon Network.

"Futurama" remains popular enough that Comedy CentralComedy Central even stole away off-netoff-net rights to the show's repeats late last year; it will switch to the laffer cablercabler in 2008.

A similar resurgence in interest for "Family Guy" persuaded 20th Century Fox TV to revive that show, which has produced two seasons of new episodes and a DVD since coming back from the dead. "Family Guy" now resides as Fox's Sunday 9 p.m. tentpole.

"Futurama" scored three Emmys in its five-season run, including the 2002 award for animated series. But it lived an unusual existence on Fox, with short seasons, late launches and long gaps between airings. That allowed Fox to air five seasons of "Futurama," even though technically only four were produced.

"The Simpsons""The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and "Simpsons" vet David X. Cohen were behind "Futurama," which bowed on Fox in March 1999. The animated skein revolved around Fry, a pizza delivery boy who's accidentally frozen for 1,000 years. He wakes up in the year 3000 and befriends cyclops Leela and cranky robot Bender -- all of whom work for the intergalactic delivery service run by Fry's distantly descended nephew, Prof. Farnsworth.

Before "Futurama" comes back into being, however, 20th first must secure deals with the show's production team, as well as voice stars including Billy West (Fry), Katey Sagal (Leela) and John DiMaggio (Bender).

Meanwhile, even after the cancellation new "Futurama" stories have continued to be churned out via the "Futurama" comicbook, published by Groening's Bongo Comics imprint.
 
Yeah, terrific news! I loved that show...it'd be great if they could get it back on air. Typically in my time zone I would miss out on most Futurama episodes because they would play them after the Fox Afternoon football game which would often run late and cut into Futurama's time segment. I loved the Football games but I loved Futurama even more so it was disappointing to always be catching the ends of each episode.
 
Howard Day said:
Good news, everyone?
My favorite episode is still the one where they try to save those doomed animals on Virgon 6 (the first with the Zap Brannigan, Kiff & Nibbler)
 
Nixon's Head: "This is the brass ring fellas, this is what we were training for all yesterday afternoon..."
 
zoidbergdance6tx.gif
 
http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/off-the-planet/2005/12/10/1134086846734.html

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."
 
I love futurama, I think it is trully excellent. And I even love the 1st season.
PLease make more!!!!
 
Does anyone remember the one where Bender shoots the guy in the crotch with the X-ray gun while trying to find a prize in some sort of soda contest?
Anyway- the first time the guy gets hit he says; "outch! my testicles!"...
Then Bender shoots him a second time in the exact spot and the guy says;"Hey, it didn't hurt that time!"...
funny stuff.
Quality programming all the way.
 
could it be... the Fox strategy is actually working?


First cancel a bunch of really neat shows (only the good ones, mind you) after running them for between 10 and 20 episodes. Do this so often that paranoia sets in with all your viewers forcing them to sit and watch even the lame shows in an attempt to keep them around for more than 20 episodes. Brilliant!
 
This is good news. If it works well enought, execs might think about canceling and then relaunching series as publicity stunts.
 
Don't you think 10 years has been a bit too long to bring back SAaB? ;)
 
Has anyone else seen the saddest episode of Futurama ever either? You know, the one with Fry's dog and the attempts to clone said dog. I almost cry everytime I watch that episode.
 
LeHah said:
Don't you think 10 years has been a bit too long to bring back SAaB? ;)


Hmm, maybe but then again I thought 20 years was bit too long to bring back Battlestar Galactica. :) It's obviously not quite the same but its a rather fantastic show in its own right.
 
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