I've been watching this show to death lately. I bought the season 3 boxset last weekend and have been watching it non stop since. The commentaries are particularly great. In one episode, Billy West, John Demaggio and a guest voice actor do a "guess whose the real Zoidburg" game, and its fucking funny as!
so, whats your favorite episode? mine is Roswell that ends well. Thats the one where they go back in time to 1947 and crash land in Roswell. Zoidburg steals the show as always.
Season 3 on Box Set isn't out yet here. I've watched Season 1 and 2 in to the ground, though. When does season 3 hit?
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Originally Posted by rezo
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
My favorite episode is probably Luck of the Fryish. Awesome story, some really well done transitions (like the toy rocket being thrown out the window, which turns into the Planet Express ship) and a really good ending. The total package. The one with the time skips is also a favorite. It's hysterical and has a pretty sad ending.
Jesus, its not often we get stuff before you guys. I may as well bask in it while I have the chance.
SUCKERS!
Luck of the fryrish is an awesome episode, but I prefer the funny ones to the serious ones.
I really love the depth of this series as opposed to the other animated comedies. Half the jokes you miss the first time around, and its full of obscure references.
Much like the Simpsons. That's what makes Groenings comedies so good. I'm sad that it's cancelled.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rezo
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
Yup, his shows always have more depth to them, more character development, and much more rewatchability. A hollow show like Family Guy is great for one viewing, but repeat viewings tend to be unkind to then.
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matthewgood fan lupin III fan
Knowledge is power, entertainment is temporary.
Meh, Family has shock value and pretty looney thinking, which makes the show. But yeah, after the second watch it becomes a little bit bland.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rezo
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
Nearly every episode Ive watched is great on some level or another.
Some episodes are just your standard cartoon-type thing, like when Bender became a fembot or when Fry got his "human horn" stolen. They are great, because theyre loaded with great jokes and are just funny as hell. A lot of times, you just cant repeat them with your friends like you could with the Simpsons, for some reason or another... its just funny in a different way. "The Loch Ness monster's book was right - there is a BigFoot!"
But some episodes, like the one where they put the universe in a box or when Fry got killed by the bumblebees, reach this ridiculous level and become some of the most brilliant, unbelievable, amazing television ever. At the end of the bumblebee episode I was just, like, stunned at how good it is. I can say Ive never said that about any cartoon ever.
I dont know how the writings come up with that stuff, but it was like they would have this ludicrous scenario and had to figure out some way out of it - but the way the characters got out of it is always like 100x more satisfying than I could have ever hoped for. Like the fembot episode, the final wedding scene, with Congo Jack and everything.
Just awesome.
And while The Simpsons in its prime was loaded with clever pop references which make it more satisfying after repeated viewings, Futurama is even deeper, like they load the show up with tons of math/science/physics/biology/literature references for the few nerds in the world like me.
Groening was CLEARLY tired of Simpsons and he CLEARLY wanted to give himself more room to work with, and him and his staff ended up making the best cartoon ever. Its just sad that Fox let it die while they trudge out new episodes of the Simpsons, which is some of the worst cartooning ever.
And no, no, no, Family Guy is not even close to Futurama.
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"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
- Dom Helder Camara
diff: I have been saying that for years, (others too). People who dislike Futurama haven't watched it... plain as day. Usually they say that Futurama is not as good as the Simpsons, as though the two could plausably be compared aside from the creators name in the credits and art style. They're not, they have different senses of humour to them, which is how someone can like one so much and not the other.
As for Fox cancelling the show... oh well. I'm saddened but it happens, shows get cancelled like every man dies. The good thing is that Fox gave us 4 awesome years before dropping the axe, which is a very rare occurence nowadays. Great shows like Firefly (although an action drama) got 14 episodes. I guess what I'm saying is count your blessings a show this awesome got more than 1 season.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rezo
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
But some episodes, like the one where they put the universe in a box or when Fry got killed by the bumblebees, reach this ridiculous level and become some of the most brilliant, unbelievable, amazing television ever
I think that's the best way to describe the show. First time I saw "Luck of the Fryish" I was amazed. Never seen such a well animated/directed/written cartoon before. And the cast of characters is just awesome. Something to love about each of them (and they're all really different).
Yes, its truly the best TV show ever. Everything in it was of the highest quality, brilliant acting talent, simply stunning visuals, a fully orchestrated sound track, genius writing and direction, you name it. I hope something comes close to it in the future, but I doubt anything will.
Matt Groening gets far too much credit for the show, the co-creator David X Cohen is much more deserving of praise. Aside from the art, he pretty much was involved with everything on a much deeper level than Matt. Listening to him in the last commentary of season 4, I feel very sad for him, as you can just tell that this show was his baby, his pride and joy. Fox's cancelling on the show would have been like a dagger in his heart.
Barring season 1, the DVD's have the best audio commentaries in existence too.
I saw the episode yesterday where Fry learned to play the Holophoner... AMAZING.
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"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
- Dom Helder Camara
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
The one that was on Adult Swim? Where he trades his hands with the robot devil? That was the last episode made. What a way to go.
When does the US get season 4? The box art looks sick.
I was talking about the show with a big fan at EB (I work there, Im not one of those guys that strikes up chats with the employees), and he told me that they said that they were just getting into the groove when the show was cancelled.
It's a shame that we missed out on more episodes that are as incredible as that one, or the one where they all got the $300 tax return (the moment when Fry gets in the zone after drinking his 100th cup of coffee is the greatest thing on TV, ever)... but at least we didnt have to suffer through some sort of inevitable decline.
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"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
- Dom Helder Camara
I saw the devil hands one yesterday, too. It was goddamn hilarious in so many ways.
I had no clue it was the last one. Cancelling this show early was such a crime, but anything's better than being on life support for 10 years like the Simpsons =/
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HA! HA! I AM USING THE INTERNET!!1
Yep. The 10th year seems to be when a show like Futurama should be axed, to go out with some esteem. The Simpsons gives a couple chuckles an episode, but when you go back and watch the episode again it's hollow... unlike seasons 1 through 9 in which every show could be watched twenty times and the twentieth would still bring something new to your attention.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rezo
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
Is there any way this could come back like Family Guy? Adult Swim is saving these brilliant shows, and there needs to be more.
I doubt it, perhaps a feature length movie one day, but from what I'm told making the Futurama episodes was an expensive process, I dont think Cartoon Network has the bucks to bankroll something like that whereas Fox obviously did. Someone shoot the Fox execs.
I can't wait until I have some extra cash to pickup the box sets. Right now I only have the first season. My favorite episodes from the first season are:
I, Roommate - Really, the whole episode was solid, but I especially love when Bender is interrupting everyone's TV and the woman says she can hear him on her cell phone, Bender's comment via the phone. A Flight to Remember - The Fiesta Deck, how Bender wanted to be remembered, the printing noise as he drew the girl robot, and Leela to Fry: "Take it off or I break it off." Her interactions with Brannigan are super, too. A Fishful of Dollars - Sir Mix-a-Lot being called stuffy music about the buttocks, Walt, Zoidberg breaking down and admitting that his people made the anchovies extinct, and Mom calling Fry a dumbass.
I also like the episode from season 3 where they land on the planet with the Amazon women. "Snoo-snoo." Once I get the other sets, I'll remember all the others I like, too.
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Gingers need to get together and selectively reproduce for more hot redhead girls. That is all. Nomi
All of the musical episodes (devil's hands one, one where Bender goes to hell) are extremely entertaining and actually really well written. Yeah, it's probably the best TV show ever, imo.
A Fishful of Dollars, Fear of a Bot Planet, Brannigan Begin Again, and Mars University are all great.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rezo
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
I doubt it, perhaps a feature length movie one day, but from what I'm told making the Futurama episodes was an expensive process, I dont think Cartoon Network has the bucks to bankroll something like that whereas Fox obviously did. Someone shoot the Fox execs.
Yeah, they said that the likes of a Futurama movie are better than the show coming back (expensive as a show, dirt cheap as a movie).
The thing that brought back Family Guy isn't just Adult Swim, the DVD's have sold so well (Vol. 1 is the #3 best selling TV series DVD with just under 1 million, vol 2 with around 700,000). Just behind Simpsons Season 1 (close to 1.5 million) and Chappelle's Show Season 1 (about 1.2 million) that Fox see's enough green to get the show back on. Futurama hasn't sold as well as FG.
In the audio commentraries of season 4, they say that they we're thinking about making an IMAX film.
A FUCKING IMAX FILM
HOW GOOD WOULD THAT BE!?!?
My favorite episodes in no particular order:
Devils Hands Are Idle Play Things (the one you all just saw)
Roswell That Ends Well
Crimes Of The Hot
Birdbot Of Icecetraz
The Problem with Popplers
Time Keeps On Slipping
The Farnsworth Parabox
The Day the Earth Stood Stupid
Three Hundred Big Boys
Insane in the Mainframe
Mother's Day
I, Roommate
And, of course, the Anthology of interest series. (a guinea pig tricked me!)
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Last edited by arjue; 07-15-2004 at 06:01 AM..
Reason: fucking caps lock...
I hate to be an elitist bitch (most of TNL loves to, though), but I cant say Im too surprised that Futurama didnt catch on like Family Guy. Family Guy is anything but subtle, its loud, in your face, completely stupid, all the culture references are right there and blatantly obvious, etc. Futurama is a lot more subtle, a lot more clever, and a lot smarter. Hell most of the writers are extremely well educated, so it trickles down to the show.
I dont think it takes like, someone with a degree in mathematics (like yours truly... well, almost) to enjoy the show, anyone can, it just takes a little bit more effort, a little bit more concentration, and people arent willing to make that effort for a cartoon. Even though they would be rewarded far more than Family Guy ever could. It's too bad, really.
Actually that helps shed some light into why The Simpsons is still so popular, because it is like a low-rent Family Guy now.
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"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
- Dom Helder Camara
You're not being elitist, you're telling the truth. Family Guy is like the comedian down the street that depends on funny faces and vulgarity to get laughs, while Futurama is like a Mitch Hedberg who makes you laugh at things that would never come to your non-comedy-genius mind.
Not saying that Family Guy isn't funny, just saying it's on the same humor wavelength as a man getting hit in the nards. You just can't compare the two shows.
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Originally Posted by arjue
A FUCKING IMAX FILM
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HA! HA! I AM USING THE INTERNET!!1
I think I said yesterday that watching Family Guy is like hooking up with a somewhat ugly girl or eating McDonalds... theyre both okay, and satisfying and even enjoyable on a certain level, but better options exist and finding them is an elementary endeavor.
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"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
- Dom Helder Camara
I think the greatness of Family Guy is that it is so damn simple though. It as if instead of trying to rise to a higher level its digging a hole in the ground and jumping in.
I hate to be an elitist bitch (most of TNL loves to, though), but I cant say Im too surprised that Futurama didnt catch on like Family Guy. Family Guy is anything but subtle, its loud, in your face, completely stupid, all the culture references are right there and blatantly obvious, etc. Futurama is a lot more subtle, a lot more clever, and a lot smarter. Hell most of the writers are extremely well educated, so it trickles down to the show.
I dont think it takes like, someone with a degree in mathematics (like yours truly... well, almost) to enjoy the show, anyone can, it just takes a little bit more effort, a little bit more concentration, and people arent willing to make that effort for a cartoon. Even though they would be rewarded far more than Family Guy ever could. It's too bad, really.
Actually that helps shed some light into why The Simpsons is still so popular, because it is like a low-rent Family Guy now.
I used to think like this back when the show first got cancelled, and the truth is that Fox screwed Futurama over with a bad timeslot. Nobody is home on Sunday at 7 and not a lot of people are watching TV at that time even when they are. Pairing The Simpsons and Futurama back to back would have been the greatest hour on television all week long.
Family Guy is a funny show, and at the time it came out it was unique. But now there are about 20 shows that rely solely on dumb humor and flashbacks in the vein of the show, including Simpsons seasons 11 (or so) to 15.
A lot of people would have loved Futurama if it was given a good timeslot. But it wasn't, and it got 4 years. 4 years for TV, nowadays, is good.
I can watch the same episode of Futurama 10 times and not get bored. I find myself getting bored after one viewing of Family Guy.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rezo
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
I knew Futuram was possibly the best show ever writen on one gag.
The Ware-car episode, where they are walking through the mansion and there are portraits are on the wall of Bender's ancestors. One of them was a robot in a naval looking uniform and the title read Commodore LXIV.
Brilliant. Just fucking Brilliant.
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“The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, you know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.” -George Carlin
I used to hate Futurama. I mean HATE this show. But now that I've caught a dozen repeats on Cartoon Network, I'm really digging it. Its actually quite funny (in the quiet-and-smart way described earlier in this thread) and quite entertaining. Good stuff.
I used to hate Futurama. I mean HATE this show. But now that I've caught a dozen repeats on Cartoon Network, I'm really digging it. Its actually quite funny (in the quiet-and-smart way described earlier in this thread) and quite entertaining. Good stuff.
you're an idiot. No offense, but you hated an awesome show for no reason. Everyone did it, though, so don't feel bad (looking at diffusionX). Actually, I used to think this show would be pure garbage when I saw the ads for it on Fox (before the first episode). But after I watched the first two episodes I loved it and realized how amazing it was.
Again, I was a pioneer among sheep. Especially bahn.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rezo
Once, a gang of fat girls threatened to beat me up for not cottoning to their advances. As they explained it to me: "guys can usually beat up girls, but we are all fat, and there are a lot of us."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I would love nothing more than to rape g0zen and Firstblood.
you're an idiot. No offense, but you hated an awesome show for no reason.
I didn't like the characters, and I didn't like the few episodes I watched back-in-the-day -- there's two reasons for you. I gave it a second chance recently and ended up liking it. People's opinions can change over the course of what, six years?
Again, I was a pioneer among sheep. Especially bahn.
Co-pioneer.
I have a habit of watching the shows that end up being popular way later, really. Watched Futurama and Family Guy pretty much every initial broadcast showing from their beginning, taped Adult Swim every sunday for the first few months of its existence, hell, even Home Movies I was there for on it's very first showings way back when on UPN. It's kind of annoying having told a bunch of people about that stuff and having no one listen, then all the sudden it blows up way later, in some instances too late to save the show. :/
How could anyone, even if they hate the show, not like the characters? It is seriously the best line-up of characters a show has ever had. The main ones are all amazing, but jeez... the bit ones... Morbo, the Chicken Lawyer, the fat trucker guy, amazing stuff.
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"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
- Dom Helder Camara
Mini (4 questions) interview with Groening in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (on one of the last pages) about Futurama. Said nothing we don't know already.
