Futurama

[Jesse]

I remember watching the first couple of episodes of it back when it originally aired in 1999 and I liked what I saw. One episode that stood out to me was the one where Fry has that dog who waits for him through the years as he's frozen in the cyrochamber. Then around 2000 I fell off and started watching other things etc and never went back to it. Apparently it has been cancelled 4 times and the perservence of that fanbase is really cool. I have heard that the series finale is a phenomenal ending to that series and has my interest piqued and I'm currently contemplating diving into it. Should I? I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were on this show?

 

[spud1897]

I remember watching the first couple of episodes of it back when it originally aired in 1999 and I liked what I saw. One episode that stood out to me was the one where Fry has that dog who waits for him through the years as he's frozen in the cyrochamber. Then around 2000 I fell off and started watching other things etc and never went back to it. Apparently it has been cancelled 4 times and the perservence of that fanbase is really cool. I have heard that the series finale is a phenomenal ending to that series and has my interest piqued and I'm currently contemplating diving into it. Should I? I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were on this show?

I remember that episode you talked about. I found the ending a little sad but also very well done. Fry was trying to find his DNA to get his dog back and then decided against it, holding only those memories.

Another that I liked was when he gets some sort of intelligence worms (I could be wrong on the worms part) and Leila falls for Fry. I'm not sure about the bits in-between but I know he impressed her by playing some sort of impossible musical instrument. Anyway the worms are removed but he remembers the instrument and starts learning from scratch and, at the end, he makes Leilas face from it.

I always liked Futurama. It had a run early 2000's and then got canned. But then it made some sort of comeback years later, firstly as a podcast style episode and then later as a fully fledged TV programme again.

 

[bcdcdude]

I adore Futurama even if it never felt the same after it returned from being cancelled. I think I love it more than ever these days, because it's intelligent, funny, emotional (depending on the episode), but most importantly, it rarely felt cruel (I guess you could say Zoidberg is treated cruelly, but even then he does get his comeuppance at times).

I struggle with shows like Family Guy, Rick and Morty etc, because whilst it's great in places, there's a dark cynicism which I find draining. I also think that those shows aren't as clever as they like to think and when they are clever, it's done in a holier-than-thou way. With Futurama, a lot of the cleverness is done in a way that if you get it, great! If not, that's OK too, because there will be another joke shortly after.

 

[red]

futurama is a great show. i highly recommend it. im pretty sure i've watched all the episodes. you also have 4 dvd movies with are good fun.

im tempted to rewatch all the episodes again as they are free with amazon prime.

i agree, just because futurama was canceled in the end, doesn't mean the story ended abruptly or with some disappointing cliffhanger, it actually ends quite nicely with a..

Spoiler

time loop

.

although the show was cancelled. like shenmue, i believe it was saved by the fans.. as they went out and bought all the dvd movies.. from that success they got a few more seasons. the creator Matt Groening has always maintained the show will come back.. so who knows.

 

[Jibby]

Futurama is no joke one of my favourite television programmes ever. There are so many clever, touching, and in some cases downright heartwrenching moments in the show. It manages to strike the perfect balance between comedy and serious narrative as well as at times explore some genuinely philosophical and existential questions about life and the universe.

I would highly recommend it.

 

[Jesse]

I don't know how to multiple quote people so I'll just @ and ask everyone these questions. These are ones I could think of so far: what is everyone's favorite character or characters in the show? Who is the most underrated character? Why do you like or love the show is it the characters, various sci-fi themes or what? Does anyone have a quintessential episode? How does everyone feel about the series finale? should the show stay finished, be rebooted, be a continuation or what? Who owns the IP? What are some underrated episodes that you think maybe people have overlooked? Do you have specific moments from episodes or episodes in general that you still think about?

@spud1897 Wow that worms episode sounds really wonderful. Did you ever see the series finale? Do you remember any other moments that stood out to you from the show?

I was wondering @bcdcdude can you think of any clever moments that stand out to you or have any episodes recommendations?

@red I was going to say the exact same thing about Shenmue fans and Futurama fanbase being parallel in my op. Do you have any specific episodes I should check out or even moments that you still think about from time to time?

@Jibby all of that sounds frankly fantastic along with how the others have raved about the show definitely has me itching to check it out even more so. do you have any episodes or moments from the show that you think are phenomenal?

 

[Jibby]

I don't know how to multiple quote people so I'll just @ and ask everyone these questions. These are ones I could think of so far: what is everyone's favorite character or characters in the show? Who is the most underrated character? Why do you like or love the show is it the characters, various sci-fi themes or what? Does anyone have a quintessential episode? How does everyone feel about the series finale? should the show stay finished, be rebooted, be a continuation or what? Who owns the IP? What are some underrated episodes that you think maybe people have overlooked? Do you have specific moments from episodes or episodes in general that you still think about?

@spud1897 Wow that worms episode sounds really wonderful. Did you ever see the series finale? Do you remember any other moments that stood out to you from the show?

I was wondering @bcdcdude can you think of any clever moments that stand out to you or have any episodes recommendations?

@red I was going to say the exact same thing about Shenmue fans and Futurama fanbase being parallel in my op. Do you have any specific episodes I should check out or even moments that you still think about from time to time?

@Jibby all of that sounds frankly fantastic along with how the others have raved about the show definitely has me itching to check it out even more so. do you have any episodes or moments from the show that you think are phenomenal?

It's a cliche answer, but my favourite character has definitely got to be Fry. He's pretty much the character the early plot of the show revolves around and throughout the entire show's run, his struggles with being forced out of his own time are explored a lot. I'm not sure there is an underrated character, at least not in my opinion. I think they're all done well in their own right. Some of the background characters can feel a little 2D in the original run, but there's certain post-cancellation episodes which take the time to flesh out and expand their backstories.

As I mentioned in my original post, I really love Futurama for being a fantasticality written comedy whilst being able to explore deeper themes and have it all feel natural. Something I notice with other animated comedies is that as the show goes on, the personalities of characters seem to blend together and become more generic. But that's something I think Futurama for the most part has avoided.

For me, the absolute definitive episode of Futurama is The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings; the original series finale. Everything about this episode is Futurama at its best. They absolutely went out with a bang on this one. In terms of the current series finale, I felt it was fitting enough. It wrapped things up neatly and I don't really have any complaints about it.

Personally, despite my love for the show, I don't think it should come back. It ran its course and did a good job at it. Plus, without going into spoiler territory, they'd have to retcon the finale to bring it back which would be unfortunate.

You mentioned the episode about Seymour the dog (Jurassic Bark) which is the one everyone thinks of (fun fact, this episode was actually based on the true story of Greyfriars Bobby.), but I have a bunch more I could list:

Spoiler: Philip J. Fry II

Fry finds out that his brother Yancy who he had a fierce sibling rivalry with in the past actually loved and missed him dearly after he disappeared; enough for Yancy to name his son in Fry's memory.

Spoiler: Time Keeps On Slippin

It's hard to describe the exact plot for this one, but essentially Fry does something that would have been guaranteed to win over Leela's heart, only for the gesture to be completely destroyed just a moment before she can see it.

Spoiler: Leela’s Homeworld

Leela finds out that she's actually a sewer mutant instead of an alien. Because her mutations were so mild (her only mutation being a cyclops), and quality of living in the sewers is so poor, her parents abandoned her outside of an orphinarium as a baby under the guise that she was an alien.

Spoiler: The Late Philip J. Fry

Fry takes a trip with Professor Farnsworth to test out his one way time machine, but accidentality pushes the lever too hard and gets sent to the distant future where all life is extinct. Leela spends the next decades of her live feeling angry at Fry for disappearing on her until she finds out the truth of what happened to him. Her anger turns to guilt and so she carves out a message in a cave, knowing that Fry will see it years into the future:

Spoiler: Game of Tones

At the end of this episode, Fry is given the opportunity to visit his mother's dream to finally say a proper goodbye to her. There's so much he wants to say, but instead of saying anything of it, the two of them just hug each other before Fry's mother wakes up.

There's so many more, but I'd be here all day if I went through each and every one haha!

 

[spud1897]

I don't know how to multiple quote people so I'll just @ and ask everyone these questions. These are ones I could think of so far: what is everyone's favorite character or characters in the show? Who is the most underrated character? Why do you like or love the show is it the characters, various sci-fi themes or what? Does anyone have a quintessential episode? How does everyone feel about the series finale? should the show stay finished, be rebooted, be a continuation or what? Who owns the IP? What are some underrated episodes that you think maybe people have overlooked? Do you have specific moments from episodes or episodes in general that you still think about?

@spud1897 Wow that worms episode sounds really wonderful. Did you ever see the series finale? Do you remember any other moments that stood out to you from the show?

I was wondering @bcdcdude can you think of any clever moments that stand out to you or have any episodes recommendations?

@red I was going to say the exact same thing about Shenmue fans and Futurama fanbase being parallel in my op. Do you have any specific episodes I should check out or even moments that you still think about from time to time?

@Jibby all of that sounds frankly fantastic along with how the others have raved about the show definitely has me itching to check it out even more so. do you have any episodes or moments from the show that you think are phenomenal?

Honestly I can't remember if I saw the finale or not, it's been such a long time since I watched it but I do think I'd recall it if I saw it.

Zap Brannagan is one character that I find utterly hilarious as well.

 

[red]

no point spoiling it by explaining my favourite episodes. I just think you're lucky that you can get to watch all the episodes in order. something i didnt get a chance to do when they were originally on tv.

i think fans mainly fixate on a show, movie or game series because there is a horrible cliffhanger or a story doesn't get a satisfying ending. as i stated, futurama gets a good ending, so you don't feel cheated or are desperate for another season (having said that, i still want one lol).



i think disney now owns the ip. i know there is talk of a reboot with the original voice actors, what that means i have no idea.. but personally i think they should knock out a few more straight to dvd movies.
.. in recent years, i know they made a game for mobile phones , not something im interested in.

 

[danielmann861]

I loved the first 4 seasons of Futurama to death, but something didn't feel the same about it when it returned from being cancelled.

The newer seasons were okay and there were some gems in there...but compared to the first four seasons? It just felt off to me.

It felt like they had momentum really flying in those first four seasons and cancellation kind of took that momentum away from them and they struggled to get it back...or at least that's how I felt about it.

But I absolutely love the first four seasons...and the finale at least ended it on a high note with the time loop.

Now if only Matt Groening could do the same for The Simpsons and put it out of its misery...Zombie Simpsons need to finally die. Coming from someone who adores the first 13 seasons. It's the show that built most of my humor growing up, but it needs to go away. I've tried watching some eps from Season 30 and it was just awful. Marges voice sounds like it needs to be retired. The writers are clearly out of ideas and have no energy left to them. Yeah, it's just a mere shell of itself and needs to go away.

 

[Miles Prower]

I loved the first 4 seasons of Futurama to death, but something didn't feel the same about it when it returned from being cancelled.

The newer seasons were okay and there were some gems in there...but compared to the first four seasons? It just felt off to me.

It felt like they had momentum really flying in those first four seasons and cancellation kind of took that momentum away from them and they struggled to get it back...or at least that's how I felt about it.

But I absolutely love the first four seasons...and the finale at least ended it on a high note with the time loop.

Now if only Matt Groening could do the same for The Simpsons and put it out of its misery...Zombie Simpsons need to finally die. Coming from someone who adores the first 13 seasons. It's the show that built most of my humor growing up, but it needs to go away. I've tried watching some eps from Season 30 and it was just awful. Marges voice sounds like it needs to be retired. The writers are clearly out of ideas and have no energy left to them. Yeah, it's just a mere shell of itself and needs to go away.

I completely agree- I am/was a diehard Simpsons fan, but I just wish they would cancel the damn thing while it still has the slightest shred of dignity. I stopped watching around Season 19- I did end up watching Seasons 20-31 on Disney Plus recently just out of a sort of morbid curiosity, and yeah, there’s the odd one that’s maybe kinda ok, but most of it is just downright stupid or insufferably bland. I mean are they really gonna keep going and going to Season 40 or something?! The constantly shifting timeline, the death of some of the voice actors, and the aging of those still alive are all reasons a show should not run for 30 plus damn seasons. I mean for God’s sake, Homer now grew up in the 90’s! The constant forcing of its existence just downright annoys me now.

 

[bcdcdude]

I agree that momentum was lost when Futurama returned and I do need to give it another chance, but there were still some fantastic episodes; it was just that the quality was so strong in the first half that the second half - good though it was - suffered in comparison.

As for The Simpsons, I adore practically every episode of the first 12 years; me and my friends often use memes and quotes on a daily basis, but watching a relatively new episode (something about Google glasses?) was downright painful. I barely laughed once, whereas I'll watch something from the mid-90's, know exactly what is going to happen and still laugh my head off. The writing was simply on another level.

 

[BloodyHeartland]

Man I don’t think there’s many days that go by without me quoting some episode or another. Think my most recent was the vampire in a mirror joke when listening to a friend read ‘My immortal’ on stream lol. There’s just so much relevance to daily life I suppose.

Ya know, most of the things I draw lean towards anime or kinda semi realist styles but I think there’s at least one Futurama fan art I did some time ago.

 

[red]

hulu has commissioned a new season of futurama. nearly all original voice actors are confirmed.
we're looking at a 2023 release date.

 

[Jibby]

Personally, despite my love for the show, I don't think it should come back. It ran its course and did a good job at it. Plus, without going into spoiler territory, they'd have to retcon the finale to bring it back which would be unfortunate.

WELP!

Gotta admit, I'm feeling pretty damn mixed about this. One one hand yeah - I'm excited to see more Futurama of any sort. But on the other, I really did think things reached a natural and satisfying conclusion at the end of the last season. I really hope it doesn't feel dragged out or forced.

 

[danielmann861]

WELP!

Gotta admit, I'm feeling pretty damn mixed about this. One one hand yeah - I'm excited to see more Futurama of any sort. But on the other, I really did think things reached a natural and satisfying conclusion at the end of the last season. I really hope it doesn't feel dragged out or forced.

Same here.

On the one hand, more Futurama.
On the other, it's running the risk of becoming like the other show Matt Groening has. A zombified empty shell of its former self.

 

[Jesse]

Isn't this like the third or fourth time the show has been revived in some form or another? I felt the series finale "Meanwhile" was truly the best the show has ever done. A perfect book closure to a phenomenal show.

I'm curious to check it out but definitely hesitant on it becoming a shell of it's former self. Fingers crossed we get another banger of a season/finale though. Hopefully they know what they are doing.

 

[Jibby]

Isn't this like the third or fourth time the show has been revived in some form or another?

Fourth if you count the radio play lol

I'm curious to check it out but definitely hesitant on it becoming a shell of it's former self. Fingers crossed we get another banger of a season/finale though. Hopefully they know what they are doing.

Yeah exactly! I'm nervous about it, but will remain cautiously optimistic. Who knows, it might be absolutely fantastic!

 

[bcdcdude]

Yeah, with you guys. On the one hand, i'm happy because it's one of my all time favourite TV shows, but on the other hand, since the first cancellation, it's been patchy. When it's good though, it was very good.

Every Xmas Eve, I watch the robot Santa episode. Without fail.

I live in hope, but i'm just too cynical to hope for the best. And if John DiMaggio doesn't come back as Bender, I riot.

 

[SledgeNE]

They should never gave it up. But i understand that two big animated TV-Shows are making more work instead of one (The Simpsons).