Post by mightiaddnofatchicks on Feb 8, 2014 20:42:23 GMT -5
I watched this series religiously from it’s premier til it’s first cancellation. I absolutely loved it, because it increased in quality as The Simpsons faltered. However, after years of angry TV watching and judging, I come back. The finale was recent, and it led me to rewatch most (okay, all) of the series and view it in a retrospective light.
The first thing I want to note is that this is easily one of the best pilots in existence. Futurama has the benefit of world building as each episode comes, as do most science fiction shows, but Fry’s introduction, and thus ours, to the year 2999/3000 is as concise as it needs to be and still plenty hilarious.
The most impressive part, however, is how the characteristics of the characters introduced were upheld throughout the series. Fry was always pathetically stupid and tunnel-visioned but good-hearted. Bender was always selfish, hedonistic, and kindly to his “pets”. Leela was always for rules second, justice first, immediate satisfaction more often that she’d like to admit.
The pilot is very streamlined, and I think of the many aspects introduced in the pilot, the head museum is easily the most ingenious. While a show like The Simpsons could just throw a celebrity into the mix, Futurama is forced to, at the very least, create a quick 1000 year history for the person.
I also want to bring attention to the fact that a year 3000 TV clip is shown as early as the pilot. Television becomes a major part of a lot of Futurama episodes, and a plot device in many more. From All My Circuits to Everybody Loves Hypnotoad, there’s no reason to be surprised that the creator of the Television at the Futurama exhibit of the 1939 World’s Fair in New York has the same name as everyone’s favorite mad scientist.
CHILD OBSERVATIONS
As a rather book-smart kid, I was extremely distressed by the idea of a career chip defining what we had to do for the rest of our lives. No free will, no agency. It was an existential nightmare.
I was also surprisingly naive, and was genuinely scared that Fry would not survive the suicide booth.
ADULT OBSERVATIONS
The pilot is SO QUIET. The show wasn’t as maniacal as it became later, so there were a rather shocking amount of quiet moments, with no dialogue or background music. And only Leela’s voice is “normal” here, but to be fair, Katey Sagal uses her natural voice and only voices Leela. Fry, Bender, and the Professor are all lower pitched and slower.
Also, just in case I need to, SPOILERS EXIST IN THIS PARAGRAPH. STOP READING IF YOU DON’T WANT THE REST OF THE SERIES RUINED.
Nibbler’s shadow is shown when Fry falls into the machine. Fry’s shadow is not shown. On one hand, these writers are easily the geekiest on TV and would think something like that that far beforehand. On the other hand, since I can only watch through Netflix, I would not put it past those nerds to retroactively edit the episode. If you have an original recording of this episode, please review and inform us of your findings.
SPOILERS ARE OVER, STOP TOUCHING YOURSELF
Pilots are almost always plot-heavy and character/humor absent. Cheers is the gold standard, but look at the 30 Rock or Parks and Recreation pilots. They may set some plot themes in place, but the characters we meet are not the ones we fall in love with. Futurama, though? Fry is a moron from the past. Leela is a justiciar, looking for the best for everyone. Bender is, well, a drunken mess that we all love and would never change. We meet the rest of the major players in subsequent episodes, but for the core, this pilot holds up amazingly well.
MVP
Bender. Fry and Leela get better moments later, and we barely meet the professor. That leaves the suicidal drunken tin who grows to become the show’s breakout character, and one of my favorite TV characters of all time, thank you.
BEST LINE
Bender - “Can we have some money?”
Professor - “Oh my, no!”
The first thing I want to note is that this is easily one of the best pilots in existence. Futurama has the benefit of world building as each episode comes, as do most science fiction shows, but Fry’s introduction, and thus ours, to the year 2999/3000 is as concise as it needs to be and still plenty hilarious.
The most impressive part, however, is how the characteristics of the characters introduced were upheld throughout the series. Fry was always pathetically stupid and tunnel-visioned but good-hearted. Bender was always selfish, hedonistic, and kindly to his “pets”. Leela was always for rules second, justice first, immediate satisfaction more often that she’d like to admit.
The pilot is very streamlined, and I think of the many aspects introduced in the pilot, the head museum is easily the most ingenious. While a show like The Simpsons could just throw a celebrity into the mix, Futurama is forced to, at the very least, create a quick 1000 year history for the person.
I also want to bring attention to the fact that a year 3000 TV clip is shown as early as the pilot. Television becomes a major part of a lot of Futurama episodes, and a plot device in many more. From All My Circuits to Everybody Loves Hypnotoad, there’s no reason to be surprised that the creator of the Television at the Futurama exhibit of the 1939 World’s Fair in New York has the same name as everyone’s favorite mad scientist.
CHILD OBSERVATIONS
As a rather book-smart kid, I was extremely distressed by the idea of a career chip defining what we had to do for the rest of our lives. No free will, no agency. It was an existential nightmare.
I was also surprisingly naive, and was genuinely scared that Fry would not survive the suicide booth.
ADULT OBSERVATIONS
The pilot is SO QUIET. The show wasn’t as maniacal as it became later, so there were a rather shocking amount of quiet moments, with no dialogue or background music. And only Leela’s voice is “normal” here, but to be fair, Katey Sagal uses her natural voice and only voices Leela. Fry, Bender, and the Professor are all lower pitched and slower.
Also, just in case I need to, SPOILERS EXIST IN THIS PARAGRAPH. STOP READING IF YOU DON’T WANT THE REST OF THE SERIES RUINED.
Nibbler’s shadow is shown when Fry falls into the machine. Fry’s shadow is not shown. On one hand, these writers are easily the geekiest on TV and would think something like that that far beforehand. On the other hand, since I can only watch through Netflix, I would not put it past those nerds to retroactively edit the episode. If you have an original recording of this episode, please review and inform us of your findings.
SPOILERS ARE OVER, STOP TOUCHING YOURSELF
Pilots are almost always plot-heavy and character/humor absent. Cheers is the gold standard, but look at the 30 Rock or Parks and Recreation pilots. They may set some plot themes in place, but the characters we meet are not the ones we fall in love with. Futurama, though? Fry is a moron from the past. Leela is a justiciar, looking for the best for everyone. Bender is, well, a drunken mess that we all love and would never change. We meet the rest of the major players in subsequent episodes, but for the core, this pilot holds up amazingly well.
MVP
Bender. Fry and Leela get better moments later, and we barely meet the professor. That leaves the suicidal drunken tin who grows to become the show’s breakout character, and one of my favorite TV characters of all time, thank you.
BEST LINE
Bender - “Can we have some money?”
Professor - “Oh my, no!”
