Comedy Central Resurrects "Futurama"

[J.M. Vargas]

26 new episodes scheduled for 2010: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i388dc3328f74c5ee80c424dc9d79d2a1

Taking a page from the “Family Guy” resurrection guidebook, the canceled Fox animated comedy is returning with an order from Comedy Central for 26 new episodes.

Writers already are working on stories for the new batch of episodes from the sci-fi cartoon created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, which is slated to premiere on Comedy Central in mid-2010.

All key voice cast members are expected to return, along with the series’ core writing team.

Groening and Cohen attributed the show’s return to “some sort of mysterious time loop.”

Time for Joyce to break out them dancing circle dark-glass wearing thingies! I've only seen a couple of "Futurama" episodes so I have a year to catch-up!

[cdouglas]

Awesomeness!

[molly1216]

[molly1216]

i do think it works better at a half hour.

[azul017]

Guess Comedy Central decided to pony up to pay for Futurama after all. Remember a few years ago Comedy Central considered buying the show but wanted to cut the budget down, and the producers refused?

Now that the reruns are making CC serious dough, they're singing a different tune. Anyway, the show's back and that's what I care about.

[Steve T Power]

I actually thought the first feature length was fantastic, it really felt like it was written as a feature length production. The remainder of the films felt more and more like episodes strung together, and while still pretty awesome, suffered from the "episodic" feel.

Like Joyce, i definitely feel it works best as a half-hour show, and this is awesome news!

[Dunnyman]

Woohoo!! Now if TBS or whoever the hell it is picks up My Name Is Earl, we'll have proven that well written stuff has a place on TV...maybe it might inspire someone to bring back...Arrested Development?

[J.M. Vargas]

^^^ Already in the works: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i6c932f87e11ed33a30a9baf304daa944.

[BenShultz]

Damn it, Vargas! You should have been more specific! I was so excited to see news that they were bringing back Arrested Development.

[J.M. Vargas]

Doesn't matter, I spoke too soon. TBS and Fox can't reach deal; "My Name Is Earl" canceled for good: http://www.tvweek.com/tvmojoe/2009/06/its-the-end-for-earl.php.

[Kevin]

Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does. Please don't suck like Family Guy does.

[the5thghostbuster]

Welcome back!

The problem with the films was that they were always designed to be played as episodes later. Really, they should have chosen one or the other format, not try and do both. Still, loved the final film INTO THE WILD GREEN YONDER

[Chinese Jet Pilot]

Good news, everybody.

[cdouglas]

Welcome back!

The problem with the films was that they were always designed to be played as episodes later. Really, they should have chosen one or the other format, not try and do both. Still, loved the final film INTO THE WILD GREEN YONDER

Yeah, I enjoyed all the films to some degree (particularly Bender's Game and Into the Wild Green Yonder), but something definitely did feel a bit off. Here's hoping Futurama will be able to recapture the old A-game when it returns to the half-hour format.

[J.M. Vargas]

From Variety: http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1118006123&categoryid=14

When "Futurama" returns to TV next year, it might be without the show's original voice cast.

Talks have broken down between 20th Century Fox TV and stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille over how much they should be paid to take part in the show.

The studio announced last month that it would produce 26 new episodes of "Futurama," and that Comedy Central was on board to begin airing the new episodes in mid-2010. As part of the announcement, the show's producers said stars including West, Sagal and DiMaggio had all signed on to return.

Turns out that wasn't true.

The stars had all expressed interest in returning. But with the budget for "Futurama" dramatically slashed, the salary offers came in well below what the thesps were asking.

As a result, 20th has put out a casting call to find replacement voice actors for the show.

It's not the first time 20th has gone that route during a tough negotiation on one of its toons. The studio previously made a similar move on "The Simpsons" when it couldn't come to a deal with its stars. Casting feelers were sent out for replacements, but a deal was eventually made with the original case.

The situation is unusual this time around in that 20th and Comedy Central have been kicking around ways to make "Futurama," originally produced for a broadcast network (Fox), make financial sense for a cable run. Yet there's also still a possibility -- and a window built in -- for "Futurama" to run on a broadcast network first.

It's believed that the "Futurama" cast members were asking for around $75,000 per episode; it was not clear what 20th was offering. Calls to the voice stars' reps were not immediately returned.

Created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, "Futurama" originally aired on Fox from 1999 to 2003. The success of the show's repeats on DVD and cable, as well as a series of first-run DVD releases, led to the decision to revive "Futurama."

Other costs slashed in the process led to a smaller writing staff and a shorter delivery schedule.

"We love the 'Futurama' voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands," 20th Century Fox TV said in a statement. "While replacing these talented actors will be difficult, the show must go on. We are confident that we will find terrific new performers to give voice to Matt and David's brilliantly subversive characters."

[azul017]

Unbelievable. So I guess only Lauren Tom and Phil LaMarr will be returning?

I hope 20th & CC make a better offer to these actors. They're essentially co-producing the show, they have enough to pay these actors well without sacrificing the visual or production quality of the previous seasons and DTV movies.

[J.M. Vargas]

Plus the DVD sales, repeats and afterlife of these episodes are guaranteed to be big, ala "Family Guy" when it came back... OK, not as big but big-enough to resurrect. Me thinks Fox is just posturing to get the cast to lower their salary demands. Doesn't Billy West do like five or six character's voices? He's a lot more irreplaceable than someone like Katey Sagal (though for fans all the actors' voices they all matter).

[the5thghostbuster]

Plus the DVD sales, repeats and afterlife of these episodes are guaranteed to be big, ala "Family Guy" when it came back... OK, not as big but big-enough to resurrect. Me thinks Fox is just posturing to get the cast to lower their salary demands. Doesn't Billy West do like five or six character's voices? He's a lot more irreplaceable than someone like Katey Sagal (though for fans all the actors' voices they all matter).

You know what, ____k today. It's been one bit of ___t after another.

[Steve T Power]

huhwha??? Slashed budgets?

Didn't Comedy Central pull this shite a few years back and have Cohen and Groening spit in their face. I recall some kind of quote along the lines of "slashed budget would cut the heart out of Futurama" etc...

If the original voice cast doesn't return, and the show isn't running at the same steam it was when it was canned in the first place - leave it effing buried.

Please do not f__k this corpse!

[cdouglas]

If they follow through with this ridiculous idea, this Futurama fan will not be tuning in. What a load of ----.

[Dark Knight]

Looks like the core cast won't be returning as per this EW article:
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/07/futurama-new-voices.html

'Futurama' getting new voices for Fry, Leela, Bender, and others
Jul 17, 2009, 03:17 PM | by Margaret Lyons
Categories: Animation, Hell to the no!, News, Television, Things that are sad
Just when I was getting really excited for the revived Futurama, total bummer news emerges: The voice actors are going to be different. Who's going to Zoid my Zoidberg?
Twentieth Century Fox, which is still producing the series even though new episodes will air on Comedy Central, is recasting the major voice roles for the show. That means no more Billy West (Fry, Professor, and Ziodberg), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker, among others), or Tress MacNeil (Mom, and several others). Worst!
Fox released a statement saying "We love the Futurama voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands. While replacing these talented actors will be difficult, the show must go on. We are confident that we will find terrific new performers to give voice to Matt and David's brilliantly subversive characters."
Is it still Futurama with totally different voices, PopWatchers, or can this news bite your shiny metal -- well, you know.

Bummer.

[molly1216]

well i won't be watching
cheapass bastards...they have made so much money from this little cartoon
they should PAY people what they are worth.
it's a freaking shame.

[barnaclelapse]

Yeah...not watching.

[jcankerhuxley]

Looks like the core cast won't be returning as per this EW article:
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/07/futurama-new-voices.html

'Futurama' getting new voices for Fry, Leela, Bender, and others
Jul 17, 2009, 03:17 PM | by Margaret Lyons
Categories: Animation, Hell to the no!, News, Television, Things that are sad
Just when I was getting really excited for the revived Futurama, total bummer news emerges: The voice actors are going to be different. Who's going to Zoid my Zoidberg?
Twentieth Century Fox, which is still producing the series even though new episodes will air on Comedy Central, is recasting the major voice roles for the show. That means no more Billy West (Fry, Professor, and Ziodberg), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), Maurice LaMarche (Kif Kroker, among others), or Tress MacNeil (Mom, and several others). Worst!
Fox released a statement saying "We love the Futurama voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands. While replacing these talented actors will be difficult, the show must go on. We are confident that we will find terrific new performers to give voice to Matt and David's brilliantly subversive characters."
Is it still Futurama with totally different voices, PopWatchers, or can this news bite your shiny metal -- well, you know.

Bummer.

I thought Billy West was a bargain considering he provides the voice for about half the cast.

[mkiker2089]

Why are the producers allowing this? They turned it down before. It's time to play hardball again and source it out to someone else. Cartoon Network would be a good fit, Spike would be even better.

Comedy Central is good but misguided in many ways. I feel like they have good stuff in spite of themselves and not because of it. Profanity and innuendo alone aren't funny but the channel occasionally lets good people on.

[cdouglas]

Comedy Central is good but misguided in many ways. I feel like they have good stuff in spite of themselves and not because of it. Profanity and innuendo alone aren't funny but the channel occasionally lets good people on.

Right on. You can tell from the daily promos they put together for Stewart and Colbert that they don't really seem interested in promoting the aspects of those programs that make them so successful. But yeah, they certainly don't seem to set the bar very high for their programming.

[Burson_Fouch]

Why are the producers allowing this? They turned it down before. It's time to play hardball again and source it out to someone else. Cartoon Network would be a good fit, Spike would be even better.

Comedy Central is good but misguided in many ways. I feel like they have good stuff in spite of themselves and not because of it. Profanity and innuendo alone aren't funny but the channel occasionally lets good people on.

it doesn't sound like CC has much of a choice in this matter since the revived series is still being produced by FOX, which we all know has always regarded Futurama as some kind of mutant stepchild to be spat upon and treated rudely. Unless CC, or Cartoon Network or Spike is willing to pay for the cost of the original cast then obviously FOX has elected to go the route of cheapness, especially since the revived series isn't going to be shown on the Fox Network.

Personally, since Fox seems hell bent on destroying Futurama as a viable commodity at this point I'd rather let it just go and enjoy the original seasons plus the movies.

[Dunnyman]

Why are the producers allowing this? They turned it down before. It's time to play hardball again and source it out to someone else. Cartoon Network would be a good fit, Spike would be even better.

Comedy Central is good but misguided in many ways. I feel like they have good stuff in spite of themselves and not because of it. Profanity and innuendo alone aren't funny but the channel occasionally lets good people on.

it doesn't sound like CC has much of a choice in this matter since the revived series is still being produced by FOX, which we all know has always regarded Futurama as some kind of mutant stepchild to be spat upon and treated rudely. Unless CC, or Cartoon Network or Spike is willing to pay for the cost of the original cast then obviously FOX has elected to go the route of cheapness, especially since the revived series isn't going to be shown on the Fox Network.

Personally, since Fox seems hell bent on destroying Futurama as a viable commodity at this point I'd rather let it just go and enjoy the original seasons plus the movies.

You'd think someone at FOX might have noticed that Matt Groenig made them about 48 kajillion dollars with their very first (and STILL running) hit, The Simpsons and show a little gratitude, but noooooo.....hold it to very last penny you can hoard and ruin a good show. I wish Groenig would put an ad somewhere calling the bastards on it.

[the5thghostbuster]

You'd think someone at FOX might have noticed that Matt Groenig made them about 48 kajillion dollars with their very first (and STILL running) hit, The Simpsons and show a little gratitude, but noooooo.....hold it to very last penny you can hoard and ruin a good show. I wish Groenig would put an ad somewhere calling the bastards on it.

Problem is I don't think MG is honestly all that different from Fox when it comes to money. He seems more than happy to have allowed Simpsons to have run creativly into the ground and not think much about it or acknowledge the criticisms against the show. Furthermore, he could have taken the opportunity to make a dig at Fox at the Futurama panel, but choose not to. Either he contractually can not, or is unwilling to take a side in the dispute.

[Steve T Power]

You'd think someone at FOX might have noticed that Matt Groenig made them about 48 kajillion dollars with their very first (and STILL running) hit, The Simpsons and show a little gratitude, but noooooo.....hold it to very last penny you can hoard and ruin a good show. I wish Groenig would put an ad somewhere calling the bastards on it.

Problem is I don't think MG is honestly all that different from Fox when it comes to money. He seems more than happy to have allowed Simpsons to have run creativly into the ground and not think much about it or acknowledge the criticisms against the show. Furthermore, he could have taken the opportunity to make a dig at Fox at the Futurama panel, but choose not to. Either he contractually can not, or is unwilling to take a side in the dispute.

Latest i'd heard was that FOX and Comedy Central actually pulled a fast one on Coen and Groening with regards to the budget slashing, and both are "locked in" for the ride now. It could just be the usual internet "our heroes can't possibly be arseholes!" ramblings though.

[the5thghostbuster]

You'd think someone at FOX might have noticed that Matt Groenig made them about 48 kajillion dollars with their very first (and STILL running) hit, The Simpsons and show a little gratitude, but noooooo.....hold it to very last penny you can hoard and ruin a good show. I wish Groenig would put an ad somewhere calling the bastards on it.

Problem is I don't think MG is honestly all that different from Fox when it comes to money. He seems more than happy to have allowed Simpsons to have run creativly into the ground and not think much about it or acknowledge the criticisms against the show. Furthermore, he could have taken the opportunity to make a dig at Fox at the Futurama panel, but choose not to. Either he contractually can not, or is unwilling to take a side in the dispute.

Latest i'd heard was that FOX and Comedy Central actually pulled a fast one on Coen and Groening with regards to the budget slashing, and both are "locked in" for the ride now. It could just be the usual internet "our heroes can't possibly be arseholes!" ramblings though.

If indeed true, I would hope there is a legal loop hole to somehow bring it all to a crashing halt.

[the5thghostbuster]

Good news everybody! http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/674841

[J.M. Vargas]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i8b177543696059c9d4a1cc26fac88778

"Futurama" will return with its original voice cast.

After a standoff with 20th Century Fox TV over salary, three of the five "Futurama" actors, Katey Sagal, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille on Friday reached an agreement with the producing studio to reprise their parts on the show, set to come back with new episodes on Comedy Central in mid-2010.

The deals for the other two cast members, John DiMaggio and Billy West, are expected to close by end of day Friday.

Financial terms of the agreements were not released but it is understood that both sides have made compromises to bridge the initial salary gap, in which the actors were said to have asked for several times what the studio was offering.

The dispute between the "Futurama" voice cast and 20th TV escalated earlier this month when the studio hired casting directors to recast the roles.

The show's fans reacted by vetoing any cast changes and petitioning for the original actors to come back.

At the "Futurama" panel at Comic-Con last week, co-creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen spoke in support of the actors and expressed optimism that the salary dispute would be resolved so they can return.

In a sign that things were headed toward resolution, Groening was joined by a couple of members of the series' original voice cast in signing autographs at the Comic-Con exhibit hall.

The "Futurama" negotiation echoes similar salary scuffles between 20th TV and the cast of Groening's veteran animated comedy "The Simpsons," all of which also have resulted in the two sides ultimately reaching an agreement.

[Kenneth Morgan]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i8b177543696059c9d4a1cc26fac88778

"Futurama" will return with its original voice cast.

After a standoff with 20th Century Fox TV over salary, three of the five "Futurama" actors, Katey Sagal, Maurice LaMarche and Tress MacNeille on Friday reached an agreement with the producing studio to reprise their parts on the show, set to come back with new episodes on Comedy Central in mid-2010.

The deals for the other two cast members, John DiMaggio and Billy West, are expected to close by end of day Friday.

Financial terms of the agreements were not released but it is understood that both sides have made compromises to bridge the initial salary gap, in which the actors were said to have asked for several times what the studio was offering.

The dispute between the "Futurama" voice cast and 20th TV escalated earlier this month when the studio hired casting directors to recast the roles.

The show's fans reacted by vetoing any cast changes and petitioning for the original actors to come back.

At the "Futurama" panel at Comic-Con last week, co-creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen spoke in support of the actors and expressed optimism that the salary dispute would be resolved so they can return.

In a sign that things were headed toward resolution, Groening was joined by a couple of members of the series' original voice cast in signing autographs at the Comic-Con exhibit hall.

The "Futurama" negotiation echoes similar salary scuffles between 20th TV and the cast of Groening's veteran animated comedy "The Simpsons," all of which also have resulted in the two sides ultimately reaching an agreement.

Insert sigh of relief here.