Futurama Returns!

Random BedHead Ed writes "Good news everyone! After a five year vanishing act the sci-fi spoof Futurama returned this week with a direct-to-DVD feature. Wired has an article about its return, including the story of the show's origins, a behind the scenes gallery, interviews with creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, and some interesting trivia. For example, did you know the ship has an overbite like a Simpson's character? Or that the show's title is taken from an exhibition at the 1939 Worlds Fair?." We just talked about this a bit the other day, too, in reference to a great interview on TVSquad.

Forget the DVD!

[explosivejared]

I'll just pirate my own copy with blackjack and hookers! In fact, forget the pirated movie!

And may I be the first to say...

[CaptainPatent]

All Hail Hypnotoad! [wendellwit.com]

I hope

[zsouthboy]

the dvd comes with "contents of space-wasp's stomach"

oblig.

[niteice]

And Zoidberg!

Everybody Loves Hypnotoad!

[WombatControl]

The DVD has the single most awesome DVD extra ever -- an entire half-hour episode of Everybody Loves Hypnotoad (with commercials). It's worth watching just to see the 30th century commercials...

I'm still waiting for the Season 1 DVD box set with all 365 episodes myself...

Re:The Secret to Futurama's success

[Chris Tucker]

My all time favorite example of this is in the were-car episode.

One of the portraits is of a robot with a decidedly 19th Century British naval officer look to it.

The nameplaque on the portrait is:

Commodore LXIV

Truly, I all but fell out of the chair when I saw that.

If by some chance, the writer who came up with that sees this, THANK YOU for the compliment, that people watching FUTURAMA would be intelligent enough to get something as subtle as that, and would appreciate it.

Re:Forget the DVD!

[MobyDisk]

Just remember, it takes months and years to sign distribution deals in other countries. And there is a shortage of talented voice actors and translators who can translate American English to UK English. How many people do you know who understand the minute differences between pants and trousers? Between a truck and a lorrie? Don't even get me started on Canadian English. Adding all those "eh's" into the end of each characters lines requires digitally lengthening each episode by 5 minutes.

Okay, leaving tongue-in-cheek mode to make a technical point: Back in the VHS days, you had to translate media between PAL and NTSC. Today, there's no reason a DVD player can't handle both. The DVD players can already rescale the video, frame rate no longer has anything to do with "tracking" or "synching." So the PAL -vs- NTSC excuse doesn't hold water any more. Especially since that conversion can be done in real time on a midrange PC these days.

Re:Forget the DVD!

[Citizen of Earth]

Don't even get me started on Canadian English. Adding all those "eh's" into the end of each characters lines requires digitally lengthening each episode by 5 minutes.

Out of sheer frustration, many of us Canadians have learned American English. The missing "eh?" makes listening like reading messages in all-caps, but this is the price for an early release.

Re:I also downloaded the movie

[Bushido Hacks]

And had it preordered via Amazon.

Amazon: "Package for...I.C. Wiener?"
Chris: "Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Amazon: "That not funny! For that I kill you!"
Chris: "And what are you going to do? Death by snoo-snoo?"
The Amazon has smashed Chris into the ground. All his bones shatter.

Re:I bought the dvd the day it came out

[CCFreak2K]

Attention, Groening. We are reasonably satisfied with the events we have seen. Overall I would rate it a C+. OK, not great. As a result, we will not destroy your planet, but neither will we provide you with our recipe for immortality.

Re:Forget the DVD!

[Anonymous Coward]

And there is a shortage of talented voice actors and translators who can translate American English to UK English

Hehe. I love Bender:
"Bite my shiny metal bottom."

Re:Great show, decent movie

[Anonymous Coward]

The plot for that episode was taken from the tale of "Hachiko."

NONSENSE! I see no mention of a pizza shop, Leela wrestling Amy, or that rough, tough mineral Dolemite ANYWHERE in that story! Once again, the internet has LIED TO ME!

Re:Forget the DVD!

[vuffi_raa]

Out of sheer frustration, many of us Canadians have learned American English. The missing "eh?" makes listening like reading messages in all-caps, but this is the price for an early release.

I DON'T SEE HOW YOU THINK THAT OUR SPEECH PATTERN IS ANY DIFFERENT FORM YOURS?!!! NOTHING IRRITATING HERE!!! WE ARE JUST AS CULTURERED AND SOFT SPOKEN AS YOU CANUKS!!!!!!

Re:Everybody Loves Hypnotoad!

[Smordnys s'regrepsA]

Meh, this show really went downhill since the 3rd season.

Re:CUNT! DAMN SPOILER!

[RealGrouchy]

YOU HAVE INCURRED MY WRATH!!!

Ah, I see they brought Morbo back, too.

- RG>