HEH! Work It's been Canceled!

[DARTH MUPPET]

I think it's too easy to blame just Hollywood. If anything equal blame, maybe more than that falls on the audience. You can't complain that Arrested Development got cancelled if you didn't watch it. And you certainly can't complain about sequels, remakes, or whatever if you do see them. To be fair, at least with movies, the responsability falls on the individual. TV still works on the Neilsen system. And if anyone remembers a certain episode of Rosanne, they pick podunk towns so they can blame them for America's Funniest Home Videos (not the exact words, but the exact show mentioned). "Original" ideas tend to turn mass audiences off, and mass audience is what they want because somehow a Coke commercial works better on a popular show (pretty sure everyone knows soda freaking exists). I wish there were more things like Better off Ted and Last Man on Earth, but generic characters are somehow more relatable. Not to mention the biggest problem. Those who would love to watch these shows, but can't be bothered to get into them because they know they're going to be cancelled.

Still, I say the worst thing on TV today as far as lack of originality are the crime dramas. And as bad as bad sitcoms are, these are worse. What baffles the heck out of me is that SHIELD gets weird flack for some reason, and in its first season it was losing to NCIS. Also known as "every trope known to Crime Drama show with post-9/11 propaganda thrown in." The show that's trying to make something of itself is the loser, and the cheap "every episode is exactly the same" series is the winner. Yeah. Can also safely say everyone hates Gotham for some reason. I admit, the slow pacing is frustrating, but they're thinking long term and if they do everything at once they won't have anything else. And some of the choices made are a little strange. But I;m sure those who are disgusted by it for some reason love watching CSI's new "Cyber" series which is the same thing, only more how a 50 year old thinks a computer works. Cyber is a suffix best served for Power Rangers or something.



I'm mixed about that. It was clearly given the death slot because Fox wanted to sabotage Futurama because Simpsons was the higher money maker (I'd say similar with American Dad to Family Guy, but AD was never cancelled). But then again, I'd say cancelling the show (the first time) was the best thing to ever happen to it. It got a cult following as a result and eventually that lead to more episodes and those movies. I think the show, including the Comedy Central extension, has had a good run. I'd love to see some continuation in the future, sure.

But none of that could have happened if Fox didn't screw the show. I'd see it lasting one more season on Fox at best. Plus, the last season of the CC episodes had some weak stories in it. Feels like they just ended the series before it got too stale. Really didn't like the Fox Hunting one.

I think If fox treated that show right Futurama could have lasted at least 15 seasons IMHO !

 

[Drtooth]

Personally, I think the most grievous thing to happen to television today is how Saturday Mornings Cartoons are cable only and they're essentially the same shows they run all afternoon anyway. Litton has the monopoly of three out of four major networks to still run unique SatAm programming. And they're all the same three shows. Adventure show, healthy cooking show, and the tired old stand by, cheap to produce nature show. NBC has preschool programming at least, and Fox is honest enough to just dump a bunch of infomercials on (essentially programming that pays for itself so the station owners get paid to do freaking nothing essentially).

This is a worn out soapbox I've been on for the past several years. I get specialized children's programming is somehow unprofitable now, but I'm sick of the "there's too much competition" excuse when they show the same things you can see any time! It's not like Spongebob and Teen Titans Go only occur once a week. Heck, they don't even just occur once an hour! While I'm pretty happy with the quality of most cartoons on these networks (barring any popular professional skate boarders who are only popular because Viacom's CEO has a stalker crush), the quantity is a might disappointing.

What I'd love to see is an adult centered retro animation channel somewhere. Something where everything is 80's and older, and made up of more obscure (or at least not HB/Warner Bros owned) cartoon shows. But we do have some of them online, so that's alright I guess.

 

[D'Snowth]

This is a worn out soapbox I've been on for the past several years. I get specialized children's programming is somehow unprofitable now, but I'm sick of the "there's too much competition" excuse when they show the same things you can see any time!

I think that's actually part of the problem as to why there isn't really any kind of actual SatAM programming anymore, because when you've got multiple cable channels catering to kids all day long, what exactly would the point be to having SatAM programming on network television anyway? It's not like back in the day where there were only three networks that played a limited number of programs during the week, then dedicated Saturday morning just for kids so they can have something to watch just for them.

 

[Drtooth]

Ah. But the key is varied programming. Sure, you can watch cartoons anywhere all day, but they're all the same shows. I get the destruction of the syndicated animation in the afternoons and mornings. That was always a mixed bag of something great and something cheaply produced to fill out time and sell awful toys that wouldn't catch on.

Besides. With all this talk of how sedentary and lazy kids are today, what better way to get kids out of bed than a couple hours of motivation? Still, it all boils down to money, advertising restrictions, and just the fact that cheap crap filler is easier to poo out than to have to commission and create competitive programming. In other words, free money for being lazy, a big business staple, I might add.

The sad thing is, there aren't nearly as many kid's channels as ESPN's. And they don't even show sports, at least not the ones anyone is actually interested in. There's the big three of Nick, CN, and Disney with maybe 3 more being offshoots of those channels which aren't exactly on every entry level cable service package.

Still, three channels of nature and Healthy cooking shows all by the same poor television series monopoly!?! That's not even a "we don't give a crap." That's a "someone pay us to not give a crap because not giving a crap is too much effort." Then again, the only decent line up before the greedy relatives pulled the plug was Vortexx, and that was all reruns.

 

[DARTH MUPPET]

Personally, I think the most grievous thing to happen to television today is how Saturday Mornings Cartoons are cable only and they're essentially the same shows they run all afternoon anyway. Litton has the monopoly of three out of four major networks to still run unique SatAm programming. And they're all the same three shows. Adventure show, healthy cooking show, and the tired old stand by, cheap to produce nature show. NBC has preschool programming at least, and Fox is honest enough to just dump a bunch of infomercials on (essentially programming that pays for itself so the station owners get paid to do freaking nothing essentially).

This is a worn out soapbox I've been on for the past several years. I get specialized children's programming is somehow unprofitable now, but I'm sick of the "there's too much competition" excuse when they show the same things you can see any time! It's not like Spongebob and Teen Titans Go only occur once a week. Heck, they don't even just occur once an hour! While I'm pretty happy with the quality of most cartoons on these networks (barring any popular professional skate boarders who are only popular because Viacom's CEO has a stalker crush), the quantity is a might disappointing.

What I'd love to see is an adult centered retro animation channel somewhere. Something where everything is 80's and older, and made up of more obscure (or at least not HB/Warner Bros owned) cartoon shows. But we do have some of them online, so that's alright I guess.

I totally agree with you on the lack of Children's cartoons on Network TV anymore. Another show that went before Its time Is The Goode Family, weather you are a Liberal or a Conservative, It does not matter they picked on both!!! I would Love to see an Adult Cartoon network as well but with stuff like, Futurama, The Simpsons, Bobs Burger, and the Family Guy so Basically all Fox shows and more. Sunday Is my favorite night to watch Fox the only other things I watch are Star Wars Rebels, and Agent Carter. I used to watch The Sopranos, Life's To Short, True Blood, Treme, and Curb Your Enthusiasm All on HBO.

 

[Drtooth]

If I can remember the stories correctly, there was a faint rumor that spread around that The Simpsons was going to be cancelled and Matt was going to focus completely on Futurama. Despite the fact that these rumors couldn't be further from the truth with the entire universe in between them, (supposedly) Fox panicked and tried to sabotage the show with a crappy time slot. Simpsons was still their huge money maker and all, and they didn't want to upset that. Even though Matt doesn't do all that much other than executive producer on both shows.

As for the Goode Family. First off, when was a not on Fox animated sitcom successful? Like Dilbert barely got to 2 seasons before UPN decided they didn't like it and used terrible anchor shows to prop it up, causing viewers to turn away in droves. It was, honestly, the best show on the network. Secondly, while I have a feeling that would have been rectified with more episodes, there was something off about the series. While King of the Hill has a line of poking fun at, yet respecting working class conservatives, The Goode Family was just a flat level of every upper middle class liberal stereotype, seeming to say they're out of touch with reality and have more money than they deserve and waste it on snotty things. I wouldn't say it was so much as an insult, but the good guy characters were flat and half the jokes were about them being hypocritical. Something they handled much better in a couple KOTH episodes. It really feels the characters were the stereotype and not as genuine as KOTH's cast was.

Then again, it was trying a little too hard to be the left equivalent of KOTH while forgetting why KOTH was a good show in its own right. I'm sure later seasons would have dropped the tropes in favor for character development and broader plotlines, but those first batch of episodes were crawling with flaws. It wasn't a bad show by any means, but it felt like they were stifled to make it anything better than it was.

 

[DARTH MUPPET]

If I can remember the stories correctly, there was a faint rumor that spread around that The Simpsons was going to be cancelled and Matt was going to focus completely on Futurama. Despite the fact that these rumors couldn't be further from the truth with the entire universe in between them, (supposedly) Fox panicked and tried to sabotage the show with a crappy time slot. Simpsons was still their huge money maker and all, and they didn't want to upset that. Even though Matt doesn't do all that much other than executive producer on both shows.

As for the Goode Family. First off, when was a not on Fox animated sitcom successful? Like Dilbert barely got to 2 seasons before UPN decided they didn't like it and used terrible anchor shows to prop it up, causing viewers to turn away in droves. It was, honestly, the best show on the network. Secondly, while I have a feeling that would have been rectified with more episodes, there was something off about the series. While King of the Hill has a line of poking fun at, yet respecting working class conservatives, The Goode Family was just a flat level of every upper middle class liberal stereotype, seeming to say they're out of touch with reality and have more money than they deserve and waste it on snotty things. I wouldn't say it was so much as an insult, but the good guy characters were flat and half the jokes were about them being hypocritical. Something they handled much better in a couple KOTH episodes. It really feels the characters were the stereotype and not as genuine as KOTH's cast was.

Then again, it was trying a little too hard to be the left equivalent of KOTH while forgetting why KOTH was a good show in its own right. I'm sure later seasons would have dropped the tropes in favor for character development and broader plotlines, but those first batch of episodes were crawling with flaws. It wasn't a bad show by any means, but it felt like they were stifled to make it anything better than it was.

On Futurama, The Fox Network Didn't get It, that Is why It was canceled, as was quoted on the commentary for the DVD, "The Fox Network didn't get why If the Future was so great why are people lining up at suicide booths to kill themselves" right there they are missing the whole point of the show that they are In the future but things are just as bad as they are today, It's called Social Commentary!!! as for the Goode Family, I am an Independent who leans very Liberal I am basically a progressive but I thought the show goofed on Conservatives and Liberals equally, the reason ABC Canceled the show according to them was poor ratings, well then why did they air there first season in the Summer? there was also the political angle I think Liberals felt the show was picking on them and It was right after Obama became President, and heck I voted for Obama twice and I still loved the show.....

 

[Drtooth]

I'll agree that The Goode Family hit its stride just before it got the axe. If those earlier episodes found their voice, it would be different. I think the show's real problem was the transition of long lasting, well established characters from KOTH to new characters that were supposed to be different but the same, but mirror universe the same. Or something like that. Not quite expies, not quite completely alternate versions of the characters. I really liked the episode where they were banned from Whole Foods and had to go where the lower class shopped. I think with time, the show could have been something, but it was on the wrong network. One that wasn't exactly too nice to cartoon shows and puppet sitcoms before. Still, the show itself always had an "almost ready" feel. Had it been forced to another year of development and a cable channel picking it up, it would have been a much better, stronger show with a bigger fanbase.

I'd compare it to American Dad. The show got better when it wasn't all about Stan being a Strawman Republican and they went on wacky, well written adventures while Family Guy was botching the heck out of every political statement. Not saying that mocking liberals was the Goode Family's problem, that was a genuine angle. Just the fact it was essentially all what the main family was about instead of just an aspect of them. Which is what KOTH was. In fact, KOTH was essentially a loving tribute to pople they knew from that area. The Goode Family lacked that. At least in the episodes they aired.

As for Futurama, as much as 2002 me would hate for me to say this, the unjust cancellation worked in its favor. Not to the extent of Family Guy, but the fact that it was fresher and stronger a show than the weak episodes of the Simpsons that were airing at the time. Fun fact: The last episode of Futurama to air on Fox was followed by a broadcast of one of the worst Simpsons episodes I've ever seen! Meanwhile, Futurama got a huge cult following because it was cancelled and better than The Simpsons (at the time), and the fanbase grew as a result, almost in spite of the show's cancellation. Then it came back. Slowly. Much slower than FG. I'm sure that if Fox really gave it a chance it would have been successful on its own, but more fans jumped on the show as a result of [as] reruns. Heck, it's been cancelled for good this time and you still see merchandise and stuff coming out. That's how much love it got. And we can thank the fact that it got screwed as a result.

Too bad that love didn't exactly follow The Critic, though. Those webisodes were meh, but appreciated. Just not as great as the show was.

 

[mr3urious]

I really liked the episode where they were banned from Whole Foods and had to go where the lower class shopped.

And what about the one that pretty much blasts freeganism as an excuse to be more of a freeloader? I'd say that's also worth a look.

 

[Drtooth]

Don't think I caught that one. If I did, I probably forgot most of it.

If it was on another network, preferably cable, it probably would have got a couple more seasons. Or at least a full one. Ditto Napoleon Dynamite. The series had potential, but the movie was years past it. If it grew to a small, growing audience, it could have sustained itself better.