A thought about Futurama

Topic: Narm!

Users: @gkscotty @Graham @SuzyQ Beb Chris Enhas fellgrazer Tony

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[Archonix]

Lost episode sounds good.  I think, all things considered, it'd be from a different parabox anyway...

It's strange.  Futurama was actually an incredibly popular show when it was on the air.  I get the feeling that certain portions of the critical press - ie those that do TV critics and the like - didn't like it because it was a very intelligent show.  Consequently they would have had a subconscious editorial bias against the show, which might prompt them to include more nbegative feedback about it.  I have to say, though, the fact that FOX continually moved it around the schedules dertainly didn't help the perception of the show as a stable piece of entertainment.  If they hadn't been so obsessed with controlling everything that they produced, they wouldn't have ended up in the potentially disastrous position they're heading toward at the moment.  You do realise that FOX and all the other advertised networks are fighting for a slowly shrinking advertising reveneu, don't you?  People are being turned off by the increasingly purile and unentertaining 'reality' TV and crap shows that are being put out, and being turned off even more by the obsession with cheap quantity over quality programming.  I can think of dozens of potentially great shows that were cancelled after a very short period of time.  The problem with the networks, especially FOX, is that they're only looking at ways to save money, instead of trying to find ways of attracting new viewership.  A lot of them have been headed up by managers and directors that don't actualy realised they're in charge of an entertainment medium.  They're dictated to by what thee advertisers want.  For instance, Bonnie Hammer of the SciFi network has decided that the best way to attract new viewers isn't to appeal to the Science Fiction part of her network, but to introduce more "mainstream programming"... I ask you, what's the point of calling it SciFi if you're not going to have any?

Oh well.  At least Cartoon Network have it right.

By the way, this is the reason I mentioend HBO earlier (I think it was another thread).  They aren't tied to advertising revenue so they can produce good programs like The Sopranos and stuff... sort of like the BBC 20 years ago, before it started being tw... stupid.  Oh well.

[Molloy the Catburglar]

Very good point, Graham, and sadly very, very true.

Come to think of it, this is pretty much why I've stopped watching everything but Adult Swim and the odd thing here and there on cable.  Cartoon Network does have it right, if only they had more money for budgets...

[Bothead]

Shindleria Praematurus, yuor point about FOX swapping the times  around reminds me of what ITV are doing now. There are several shows which could have been popular if they weren't swapped around or stopped halfway. The BBC are also bad. Programmes like Time Commanders and Robot Wars were postponed for weeks because of snooker or rugby. Note: I know that RW is now on Five.

[Kelman]

Cheer up guys theres still hope futurama could come back. DVD and rerun rating is what got family guy back. Futurama hast he ratings so if the next set of futurama dvd sell a little better then maybe it could get a second life. I'm getting the dvd's already released for christmass. And myabe FOX will just give it out of the blue a second chance.
Stranger things have happened.

[Bothead]

He has a point and it's an encouraging thought.