Why was Futurama cancelled?

[Tosh]

This is puzzling to me that the Simpsons is still going at 16 series but this was stopped after 4. Futurama is generally more popular over here and certainly far funnier at the end IMO. So what happened?

[Duke]

The public has no taste. Futurama was far superior to the Simpsons.

~D

[pshreck]

For about 5 seasons, just about every Simpsons episode was gold. Thats enough to gain popularity for decades, even if you start to have a ton of weaker episodes (like the Simpons has now, rarely very funny stuff).

For the first 2 seasons of Futurama, it was an on and off show. They would have some great episodes, but way too many that just flat out sucked for 30 minutes. You wont gain many fans if you cant keep them interested in the early seasons. If a show isnt very likely to be funny, I wont set aside time to watch it every week, which is how it was for Futurama.

[istewart]

Family Guy making a return though.

Seinfeld is better than all of em.

[Tosh]

[ QUOTE ]
Family Guy making a return though.

Seinfeld is better than all of em.

[/ QUOTE ]

Family Guy is the best of the lot, when is it scheduled to start showing again?

I always felt Seinfeld was overrated though.

[Tosh]

[ QUOTE ]
For about 5 seasons, just about every Simpsons episode was gold. Thats enough to gain popularity for decades, even if you start to have a ton of weaker episodes (like the Simpons has now, rarely very funny stuff).

For the first 2 seasons of Futurama, it was an on and off show. They would have some great episodes, but way too many that just flat out sucked for 30 minutes. You wont gain many fans if you cant keep them interested in the early seasons. If a show isnt very likely to be funny, I wont set aside time to watch it every week, which is how it was for Futurama.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't get me wrong, I like The Simpsons too, but the first 2 seasons of that were rather mediocre; I would say that seasons 1 and 2 of Futurama are far better. Seasons 3 and 4 of Futurama were pure quality, and better than anything The Simpsons ever was IMO. I wonder if Futurama came first it would be the one still going instead of The Simpsons.

[Nottom]

Futurama is a "Sci-Fi" type cartoon, Sci-Fi shows have a somewhat limited audience although the fans tend to be much more hardcore. I'm not going to try and compare Futurama and Star Trek or anything like that, but I think the Simpsons is much more mainstream which I'm sure helps out with its popularity.

[Benholio]

[ QUOTE ]

Family Guy is the best of the lot, when is it scheduled to start showing again?


[/ QUOTE ]

Re-runs are returning to Fox now, and new episodes should be airing in May.

Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy creator) also has a new show starting after the Superbowl (Feb 6th) called American Dad (http://www.fox.com/americandad/home.htm).

[BusterStacks]

... and also Futurama wasn't funny. So you know, there was that.

[scotnt73]

also the simpsons is something i dont mind watching with my 10 year old daughter at 6 pm. futurama and the family guy i watch without her late at night. so there is definitely less of an audience for the other two. although i like family guy the best my wife who loves the simpsons cant stand futurama and can take or leave family guy. she like king of the hill the most though. king of the hill is good for a few laughs for me but not near as funny as the other 3.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
The public has no taste.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. The show never found a good time slot really. I think it's funny the whole way through pretty much.

[daryn]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
also the simpsons is something i dont mind watching with my 10 year old daughter at 6 pm. futurama and the family guy i watch without her late at night.

[/ QUOTE ]


uhh.. i think it's because that's when those shows are on. /images/graemlins/grin.gif


futurama is an incredibly funny and smart show.

[Paluka]

Futurama is an amazing show, one of my favorites.
I believe it was cancelled because while it was somewhat popular (not a big hit, but better than man shows), it was an extremely expensive show to produce. It had many big names working on it (Groening for one) and the 3dish animation stuff they did is way more expensive than a show like Family Guy or even The Simpsons. So cost was a big issue in it being cancelled. They talk a lot about this stuff in the commentarys on the dvds.

[Ponks]

Futurama is my favorite show. Zoidberg is definitely the best.

Ponks

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
Futurama is an amazing show, one of my favorites.
I believe it was cancelled because while it was somewhat popular (not a big hit, but better than man shows), it was an extremely expensive show to produce. It had many big names working on it (Groening for one) and the 3dish animation stuff they did is way more expensive than a show like Family Guy or even The Simpsons. So cost was a big issue in it being cancelled. They talk a lot about this stuff in the commentarys on the dvds.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope they go to 2d then and use the same people....

[Lazymeatball]

The Simpson's is clearly the superior product, as long as you dismiss the first few seasons, and the last 4 or 5 seasons. Futurama and Family Guy are just derivative of the original. Anytime I watch them I think "This show ain't bad, but I'd rather be watching the Simpsons." If I could do some sort of Total Recall thing to my head and erase all memory of the Simpson's I could probably enjoy Fut and FG more.

Also, I believe the Simpsons has much better storylines (in some episode) and character development. Just about every episode that centers around a character outside the immediate family is pure gold, particularly Flanders.

Having said that, I'd like to give Fut and FG another chance, maybe watch a bunch on DVD or something.

[Scotch78]

ren &amp; stimpy

[ethan]

[ QUOTE ]
futurama is an incredibly funny and smart show.

[/ QUOTE ]

This might have been part of the problem. There's an episode where the crew is at a racetrack, and one race is so close it's a "quantum finish". The professor yells "No fair, you changed the outcome by observing it!"

I love that show.

[Sheriff Fatman]

[ QUOTE ]
Futurama is generally more popular over here

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't know how you come up with this view, but its wrong. Futurama has a regular following, The Simpsons are everywhere.

Most recent example, the 2004 Alternative Xmas Message - Marge Simpson!

Sheriff

[Tosh]

[ QUOTE ]

Don't know how you come up with this view, but its wrong. Futurama has a regular following, The Simpsons are everywhere.

Most recent example, the 2004 Alternative Xmas Message - Marge Simpson!

Sheriff

[/ QUOTE ]

Probably more true of my age group, 20-25 sort of demographic.

[Tosh]

[ QUOTE ]
Futurama is a "Sci-Fi" type cartoon, Sci-Fi shows have a somewhat limited audience although the fans tend to be much more hardcore. I'm not going to try and compare Futurama and Star Trek or anything like that, but I think the Simpsons is much more mainstream which I'm sure helps out with its popularity.

[/ QUOTE ]

I kind of don't buy that. For a start Star Trek is one of the most popular programmes of all time and I honestly don't think there is a parallel in the types of viewers for both shows either.

Maybe there is a bit of a benefit to The Simpsons being more 'mainstream' but I do think a lot of it is to do with it being around first.

[Tosh]

[ QUOTE ]
Futurama is an amazing show, one of my favorites.
I believe it was cancelled because while it was somewhat popular (not a big hit, but better than man shows), it was an extremely expensive show to produce. It had many big names working on it (Groening for one) and the 3dish animation stuff they did is way more expensive than a show like Family Guy or even The Simpsons. So cost was a big issue in it being cancelled. They talk a lot about this stuff in the commentarys on the dvds.

[/ QUOTE ]

Btw I hear differing reports on this but why was Family Guy cancelled? Some seem to say it was too un PC but a lot say it wasn't popular enough.

[TylerD]

I don't think so, dude. Maybe amongst your peers but in general I still think The Simpsons is still way more popular.

[Bluffoon]

I dont know but I have every episode on DVD.

Take that you stupid corn.

[KungFuSandwich]

Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Now thats a show that everyone can relate to

[ArchAngel71857]

Did anybody ever see the Simpsons where the guy runs off the cliff screaming "why did they cancel futuraaaaaaaaaaaaaama?"

-AA