Futurama is back, and now we know in what form. The show will return on November 27th as a full-length high-def film sold on DVD. It will be followed by three additional films, and each film will be divided into four episodes each to be aired on Comedy Central. So, that's 4 DVD movies or 16 new episodes depending on how you look at it.
The panel featured the show's creator Matt Groening and the vocal cast. In the most highly entertaining Comic-Con panel to date, the cast read aloud a promotional comic book created for the convention. The experience was on the meta- side. The case read the comic, which was projected on the screen. The comic satirized the Fox network's decision to cancel Futurama and the ultimate triumph of the nerds in the room whose mighty power brought it back. In the comic, the characters all go to a massive Delivery Services-Con in Space Diego. I'll see if I can't scan the comic and put it online for those of you interested when I return from the Comic-Con.
The remainder of the panel featured the voice cast being generally endearing. John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender, explained that his voice is a combination of Slim Pickins in Blazing Saddles, a drunk and a college creation of his called Charlie, the sausage king. Billy West, the voice of Fry and half a dozen other characters on the show, shared his love of Yiddish and vaudeville performers and his friendship with Phil Hartman -- all of which influence his characters' voices.
No other real revelations came out of the panel, but I can tell you that the first DVD - Bender's Big Score - centers around some nudist aliens and the secret to time travel which is somehow attached to Fry's buttock. Expect lots of animated asses actually. Welcome back, Futurama.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-28-2007 @ 9:51PM
Gene Cowan said...
Good news, everybody!
Of course, we still have MORE than a YEAR to wait, which is interminable and insane. It seems like we've been waiting for five years already.
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7-28-2007 @ 9:52PM
Gene Cowan said...
Unless... they meant November 2007? Everywhere else they say 2008...
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7-28-2007 @ 10:42PM
Hochler said...
It's 2007. The Comedy Central episodes will air 2008, but the first DVD is hitting 2007.
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7-28-2007 @ 10:51PM
Borat said...
^ It's acually:
Good news, everyone!
I am soooo glad this show is coming back. It truly was a brilliant show.
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7-28-2007 @ 11:14PM
bd said...
>I'll see if I can't scan the comic and put it online for those of you interested when I return from the Comic-Con.
Oh! I'll love you forever!
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7-28-2007 @ 11:27PM
David said...
I hate the idea of the 4 DVD movies being cut up to episodes.
But Al Gore, Jurassic Bark dog are supposed to come back. I like the fact there will be a lot of asses. In the time keeps slipping episode the main cast is dancing naked and Fox didn't care, but they cared because Lela was showing too much of the breast. haha
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7-29-2007 @ 3:47AM
David said...
It was a great panel, but you left out two important things. First, Katey Sagal was gorgeous and sexy, and second, Maurice LaMarche was off the hook with his hilarious Morbo, Calculon and Kif improvs and stories! Funny, endearing and talented!
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7-29-2007 @ 12:10PM
Leandro said...
>I'll see if I can scan the comic and put it online for
>those of you interested when I return from the Comic-Con.
Ooooo, please do! Pretty please with cherry on top!
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7-29-2007 @ 12:59PM
MarcDom7 said...
What is the text within that poster in the picture that tops the article?
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7-29-2007 @ 1:27PM
MosquitoControl said...
I still think this show is easily the best of the animated comedies.
But I fear for it. Hopefully without reason. Family Guy was terrible after it came back (although maybe it was a terrible novelty to begin with.) I don't much trust Groening given how terrible The Simpsons has been for a decade.
I'm just afraid that the mojo went during the cancellation and that this will sully the good name.
I'll be so ecstatic to be wrong!
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7-29-2007 @ 2:07PM
David said...
Stop being so negitive MosquitoControl, you are always so negitive. :-p
The only problem I see isn't with the writing, but the movies to TV episode thing. The Simpsons were terribly bad when Futurama was on, and still great. I have faith in the creators, I just fon't have faith in Fox and CC.
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7-29-2007 @ 3:04PM
Thomas said...
Huzzah!
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7-29-2007 @ 6:03PM
Bill said...
"full-length high-def film sold on DVD"
Is this HD DVD / Blu-Ray (both high definition) or just a standard definition DVD?
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7-29-2007 @ 8:32PM
Chris said...
I'm going to go ahead and third the PLEASE PLEASE scan the comic for us PLEASE PLEASE. =)
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7-30-2007 @ 4:51PM
Leandro said...
"full-length high-def film sold on DVD"
The movies are being "filmed" in high-definition, but they will be released on standard DVDs. We'll probably get a HD release in a few years, but the first release will be standard def.
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7-31-2007 @ 5:36AM
Matt said...
Sweet zombie Jesus! Finally!
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7-31-2007 @ 9:57AM
Glenn Fleishman said...
"a college creation of his called Charlie, the sausage king.": I suspect that he was actually referring to his own riff on a fantastic bit part in The Palm Beach Story, in which an eccentric man known as the weenie king (who has a great voice) gives a pile of good advice to Claudette Colbert, along with some money.
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7-31-2007 @ 12:30PM
Chris Tucker said...
Yes, PLEASE scan and post it.
And, if you would be so kind, could you email me(and everyone else) when it's online and where?
And thank you for the grand report on the Futurama panel.
it is much appreciated!
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7-31-2007 @ 12:37PM
Chris Tucker said...
Ooops! And that email address would be:
tuckerch "at" gmail "dot" com.
Thanks again!
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7-31-2007 @ 1:18PM
joker2507 said...
Oh thank God. It's finally happening. I have to admit I didn't even become a fan until after it was canceled, but I watch it religiously every night even though I own them all and have seen them all enough to know which they are by the banner on the Futurama screen. YAY!!!
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