FOX nails unofficial final nail in the coffin..

[Killtacular]

FOX announced today which of their animated shows would be continuing in 2004. You probably already know the results.

Simpsons got renewed for two more seasons, and King of the Hill is renewed for an eighth season.

Futurama was not renewed.

If nothing has been a clearer signal of Futurama's death, this is it. FOX had said they were going to "decide later" on whether to renew the show, and this is basically their decision; to let it suffocate and die.

The only network that can save them now is Cartoon Network. You've got your work cut out for you.

[Spastic Minnow]

Did you catch the Toonzone David X. Cohen interview (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62402)?

It talks at length about about his feelings on Fox's treatment of the show. It looks like they've completely closed up shop though, no mention of continuing with new stuff on CN.

[Joe Tully]

Originally posted by Spastic Minnow

It talks at length about about his feelings on Fox's treatment of the show. It looks like they've completely closed up shop though, no mention of continuing with new stuff on CN.

Well, CN really couldn't even take the first steps until now. While it's been pretty obvious that the chances of renewal were low, this is the first word of official cancellation.

Unfortunately, I think that the chances of CN picking it up are not so good. :(

[Karl Olson]

Originally posted by Joe Tully
Unfortunately, I think that the chances of CN picking it up are not so good. :(

I think it's something CN would love to have, but can't afford unless the production cost was cut in half or less (and that'd probably kill the nice look of the animation). Unfortunatly, 1 million dollars per episode is just a little too rich for CN's blood, unless they could make some good money off of the DVDs for the seasons they would hypothetically fund.

[JeffTMBG]

I'm kind of surprised the WB isn't making a bid for this show. It already has a following, and even a minor hit is a hit in their eyes.

[Fireswarm]

That is a pity, Futurama is currently the best show on Fox followed by The Simpsons, NFL, and John Doe. It would have been better if they canceled that dreaded King of the Hill, which is boring and dull at best, instead. Oh well. :rolleyes:

[ohmrbill]

Because it's just because I live in the southwest and can sort of "relate" to it, but I think King of the Hill is the best of FOX's animated block as of right now. I didn't think this last season of Futurama was very good, and I haven’t found much to be funny in The Simpsons for several seasons now.

[bassist]

Originally posted by Fireswarm
That is a pity, Futurama is currently the best show on Fox followed by The Simpsons, NFL, and John Doe. It would have been better if they canceled that dreaded King of the Hill, which is boring and dull at best, instead. Oh well. :rolleyes: Watch your list... you may start an arguement. The NFL on Fox is worse with the change on commenters, and the majority of people are already pissed at it. Meanwhile, I'm sure many people prefer Fastlane or the now defunct Firefly (which may be moving to UPN) over John Doe. And I'm sure I speak for many when I say that the Simpsons can't be considered one of the best shows on Fox unless you're talking abou the daytime reruns.

[Spastic Minnow]

Originally posted by JeffTMBG
I'm kind of surprised the WB isn't making a bid for this show. It already has a following, and even a minor hit is a hit in their eyes.

From what I understand, Fox can interfere with a show moving to another network. I read a little thing from Joss Whedon about chances of moving Firefly to another network and saying he was at least grateful that Fox wasn't blocking his efforts. It seems to me Fox might want to hold onto Futurama options for awhile, at least until it obvious nothing else is going to come out of it. Cohen did hint that he'd like to do some other stuff, and a video game is coming out that Fox may be getting some money from which they may just lose if the shows rights were sold to another network.

BTW, Firefly was a good show obviously influenced by Cowboy Beboop & Outlaw Star, In the pilot there was even a girl in box ala' Melfina.

[CLStorm]

Originally posted by Fireswarm
That is a pity, Futurama is currently the best show on Fox followed by The Simpsons, NFL, and John Doe. It would have been better if they canceled that dreaded King of the Hill, which is boring and dull at best, instead. Oh well. :rolleyes:

How is it possible to like the past few seasons of The Simpsons and not like the past few seasons of King Of The Hill. Maybe about 6 seasons ago what you said could be true but now....I mean The Simpsons writers are so obviously out of ideas it's just sad.

[The Landstander]

ugh.

fox keeps the dead, rotting horse known as "The Simpsons" for two more [bad] seasons and gets rid of the mistreated Futurama once and for all. i think king of the hill can be good or bad, and haven't been watching the episodes of this season so far, so im neutral there.

i know that it probably ain't gonna happen, but i hope CN picks up new Futurama. i would be alright with a decrease in animation quality. i mean, if i can watch home movies without complaining, just about anything will do.

[Artemis]

Originally posted by Fireswarm
That is a pity, Futurama is currently the best show on Fox followed by The Simpsons, NFL, and John Doe. It would have been better if they canceled that dreaded King of the Hill, which is boring and dull at best, instead. Oh well. :rolleyes:

Bite your tongue! :mad:

[Spastic Minnow]

Come with me over to the WBC, if you want to debate King of the Hill with me. (before Tully shuts this down ;) )

[drippynmeatwad]

i'm sorry, but fox's head has been too far up their butts since american idol. it wasn't THAT great! joe millionaire has a stupid plot, why do people watch it? the only fox related people i like are homer, fry, and neil cavuto.

[Will Sturnick]

Originally posted by Matt Wilson
Simpsons got renewed for two more seasons.

They just won't die. I like the Simpsons but how long are they going to keep it going? I mean it's going downhill (it has been since season 10 IMO). I'd just hate to see seasons 15 and 16, which this renewal has guarenteed.

[jeffrey 228]

It is just that this cartoon has influnced us very long that we have seen it since we were 4 or somthing like that.

[Sheamon]

Being a huge fan of the X-Files since it was created in 1993, and as one who watched FOX completely destroy it by keeping it on for multiple more seasons than it should have been on, it comes as no surprise to me that they're doing it with the Simpsons. Then again, its even worse with the Simpsons, atleast on the X-Files there were only 2 of those 'horrific' seasons. Of course with the Simpsons you don't really have much of a main storyline. You did on the X-Files and they completely ruined that, rendering many of the good, first 7 seasons of the show worthless..

And Futurama's being canned? Wow, big surprise here... [/sarcasm] I'm surprised it lasted this long. Of course the past couple of years its been like it was cancelled anyway with them airing it so little, so I won't miss it on Sundays, especially with it on CN now. Sucks that we won't see anything new though :(

[Calhoun07]

It's a shame that they don't give Groening more control over the series. If Groening got his time slot after Simpsons, I doubt Futurama would be ending so soon, and I believe that Groening always imagined Futurama following up Simpsons.

[SirLemming]

Is it really any surprise that Fox is renewing The Simpsons? I think Matt Groening would be dancing in the streets if they didn't renew it. Fox won't let go of The Simpsons until... well... I seriously don't know! I guess at this point they'll let it rest in piece at, as Troy McClure once said, "the time the show becomes unprofitable."

[Exatron]

Originally posted by bassist
Meanwhile, I'm sure many people prefer Fastlane or the now defunct Firefly (which may be moving to UPN)

UPN turned it down, as did NBC, CBS, ABC, and SciFi.

[Ayumi]

I'm not surprised that Simpsons was renewed. It's still wonderful, but rides the rollercoaster more now in it's later years.

But Futurama, this is what I heard many moons ago:
It's done being produced under the Fox umberella. They will air what episodes have already been made, but beyond that, nothing more unless it makes an incredible turnaround. But with the way they treat it, it's not likely that will ever happen. I can only hope and dream that somehow Cartoon Net will be able to bring life back into it, as they are giving it SO much more respect then Fox ever has.

[dawnyoshi]

yet another wonderful animated program with great potential murdered by FOX. Of course, this is what I expect from a network that makes a sequel to temptation Island...

[PowerZord]

how many seasons futurama lasted and how many eps?

how many seasons the simpsons has at this moment?

[Will Sturnick]

Originally posted by powerzord
how many seasons futurama lasted and how many eps?

how many seasons the simpsons has at this moment?

Futurama: 5 Seasons and will end with 72 Episodes
Simpsons: 14 Seasons and it will have 316 episodes by the time the season finishes.

[moreysurf8]

This is so annoying. It just shows you how much fox cares about shows that are actually funny. First Family Guy.........now this

[Joe Tully]

Originally posted by neocrisis550
Futurama: 5 Seasons and will end with 72 Episodes


But the 5th season is made up of episodes that were intended to air in previous seasons, but didn't, mostly because so few episodes aired because of pre-emptions.

So while it's been on Fox for 5 years, there have been 4 production seasons. (Confusing, ain't it?)

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Exatron
UPN turned it down, as did NBC, CBS, ABC, and SciFi.

Woah, how much must you suck if UPN turns you down?

[The Landstander]

Originally posted by Calhoun07
Woah, how much must you suck if UPN turns you down?

actually, UPN seems to reject/cancel good shows *check my avatar*, dilbert, and a couple of other shows while leaving on really bad shows that have little/no potential.

i actually thought the SciFi channel that Firefly show. am i confusing this with something else?

[Exatron]

Originally posted by DrWeird
actually, UPN seems to reject/cancel good shows *check my avatar*, dilbert, and a couple of other shows while leaving on really bad shows that have little/no potential.[b]

Most animated series aired on broadcast networks fail. They cost a lot to make and need to get high ratings almost immiediately in order to succeed. It doesn't really justify the loss of these series, but it does explain the typical TV network executive's mindset.

[b]i actually thought the SciFi channel that Firefly show. am i confusing this with something else?

I'm not sure. Your sentence is missing a verb, so it's hard to tell what you're asking about.

SciFi engineered the cancellation of Farscape in favor of Tremors the series, The Dream Team, and a sixth season of Stargate SG1. Bonnie Hamner, president of Skiffy, is taking a lot of heat from the press because of the sudden and unexpected cancellation.

[Gruntling]

Futurama is funny! I can't believe Fox would choose King of the Hill over Futurama... I hope Fox has the best intentions whatever their choice may be for the show.

[Lord Trunks]

I have to agree with Gruntling, why was King of the Hill chosen over Futurama, I don't find King of the Hill all that funny, at least Cartoon Network grabbed the rights to air the Re-runs of Futurama, it would have been sad to see it not be on T.V. at all

[dino boy]

There's no denying that the simpsons has gone downhill, but I still think the new episodes are pretty funny. It's been on so long that it just can't be as funny as it used to be, but I think it's actually gotten a bit better than it was a few seasons ago. I definitely think it's better than any other fox show, especially king of the hill. I've never understood why that show has lasted so long. I've just never found it even marginally entertaining. Apparently there are people watching it. Not me though.

[SirLemming]

dino boy, you're definitely right. The last season (13) was truly depressing to watch. I mean, it actually made me long for season 12, which was in the downhill process but still capable of producing several laughs per episode (and had a few gems like the one with Krusty's daughter and the one with the crayon in Homer's brain). But season 13 only had about 1 or 2 episodes that I was actually somewhat satisfied with.
Season 14 has indeed been faring better, though. It's still nowhere near the mastery of seasons 3-6, but at least it's comfortable to watch. It doesn't give me a sinking feeling in my stomach, usually. And the episode where Bart and Lisa were both in 3rd grade really did seem like a return to the show's former glory. In general, it seems like they're done with that really awkward phase and are comfortable with a somewhat different brand of comedy that's not as clever as before, but still satisfying.
And despite the fact that they're trying their best, I don't doubt that Matt Groening wants to end it. Remember when he made that statement about the show not being as good as it used to be, and how he wanted to end it soon? And then Fox made him take it back the next day... And they've even hinted it in the show. In the season 12 episode where Krusty was going to end his show, Marge said, "I think it's good for a show to go off the air before it becomes stale and predictable." And that was the joke, right there. There was no alternate punchline provided to hide the truth...

It seems like all comedy shows go through a few phases. Everything's awkward in the beginning and the characters are under-developed (of course). Then it really hits its stride in 1 or 2 years. Then after several years it starts to go downhill... and then there's that one season that seems hopeless. Frasier and Everybody Loves Raymond are there right now. Thankfully, unlike with The Simpsons, they're both ending soon, and Raymond is actually confirmed to be ending next year. But I wonder if it'll be too late...




Back to the main issue at hand, I'm remembering some of Fox's past offenses... I know everyone will kill me for this, but I was really mad when they took Escaflowne off the air. Hardcore anime fans couldn't care less, since apparently the show was butchered, but I didn't know that... and I was really loving the show. The other one that really gets me is Sam & Max: Freelance Police. Even though it could never be quite as brutal as the comics and the video game, and even though that kid character seems to have been thrown in... it was so great. I wish it would be resurrected on Adult Swim... it would be perfect. It's like the Space Ghost: Coast to Coast syndrome: even though it was restrained, it was hilarious, and it could be even more hilarious. Can't they pull another Ripping Friends? Pleeeease?

[The Landstander]

Most animated series aired on broadcast networks fail. They cost a lot to make and need to get high ratings almost immiediately in order to succeed. It doesn't really justify the loss of these series, but it does explain the typical TV network executive's mindset.

that is true. but oftentimes, animated shows are given little/no chance to begin with. home movies was on for 5 episodes without any advertising from april-may.

I'm not sure. Your sentence is missing a verb, so it's hard to tell what you're asking about.

i meant to say that i thought the scifi channel picked up that firefly show for airing. i hate verbs.

[Achika]

How can the Simpsons voice cast still do the voices the same after all of these years?

[livingfruitvirus]

Originally posted by Achika
How can the Simpsons voice cast still do the voices the same after all of these years?

they get paid $200,000 an episode to do so. That's how.

[Opaque]

I was originally opposed to Futurama being on Adult Swim, but the First episode renewed my love for the series, and now they might cancel it?

what cruel and ironic world we live in.

[bassist]

Originally posted by DrWeird
i actually thought the SciFi channel that Firefly show. am i confusing this with something else? Firefly was on Fox, but it got cancelled and replaced with "Man versus Beast" specials. UPN considered picking it, since it's fan base is surprisingly loyal (some fans in LA bought Ads for the show in magazines). They decided not to, from what I hear, though if marketed next to Voyager and/or Eneterprise it would have flourished.

Sci Fi and Lifetime are in some way connected, so don't be surprised when Sci Fi starts showing "Not without my alien daughter" and "Beaten Psychic Woman: Based on a True Fictionalization."

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Box Drink
I was originally opposed to Futurama being on Adult Swim, but the First episode renewed my love for the series, and now they might cancel it?

what cruel and ironic world we live in.

Fox stopped ordering new episodes a long time ago, after season 4. Season 5 is just basically unaired episodes from the pervious batch of episodes they ordered. So while Fox may have pooched the series bad, it will be staying on Cartoon Network for a while. Just no new episodes on CN are likely. :(

[jeffrey 228]

Well I hope they will get to somthing very soon, because I need to see a bit more of the series.

[Conan-san]

It's Zim all over again, Huh?

[DarthNuriko]

16 seasons of the Simpsons? X__X Forget King of the Hill, the Simpsons should move over for Futurama. I used to be a huge fan of the Simpsons. I saw the first 1-8 seasons of the show and now that show's lucky to be seen once a year by me. I assumed, like it was stated somewhere in the thread, that Futurama was gonna go right behind the Simpsons for a Groening hour of sorts. The only reason I stopped watching Futurama to begin with, as with many other shows, I could never find it when I wanted to watch it. Football would take over, or it just wouldn't be on that week. And like someone else said, the Simpsons is living far too long than it was meant to. It's like keeping a brain-dead person on life support.

[atomic_afro]

And that's the truth. I mean, it was like a dickless Cowboy Bebop, and a humorless Outlaw Star, complete and total trash!

I'm glad that it got canned, and the reason nobody else picked it up was that it was so god awful!

C'mon, the characters were stale, the dialogue was cheap, and the plots were cookie-cutter sci-fi mind farts that would make Sliders look like Star-Wars!

To me it seemed like a bunch of TV hacks got together after watching some anime, and decided to make a half-assed rip-off that was so goodie-goodie while trying to look edgy. That show made me sick every time I watched the terrible dialogue being spewed by the talentless cast.

Long live Futurama, but rot in hell Firefly!

[Beat]

And that's why it got canned.

As for Futurama, what did they expect? They put it on at 7:00. Half of the time, it was pre-empted for the NFL.

[RedTail]

FOX has always had a horrible track record when it comes to animation...

- The Critic
- The Tick
- Family Guy
- Futurama

All great shows, all screwed over by a network full of executive dumbasses.

- RedTail

[Ayumi]

Fox, to me, has a problem respecting what they have. They so obviously cater to what they feel is more important that they annoy, tick off, and otherwise alienate those who like the shows that haven't had a chance to thrive.