Syndication at its finest

The Simpsons, one of the greatest shows of all time is at it again with its debut on FXX cable network. With a whopping 530 episodes, the Simpsons can be played for 52 weeks without repeating one show.  As a conglomerate trying to air a syndicated show, the Simpsons is definitely one worth looking into, but how much is it worth it? The financial terms with FXX were not disclosed yet it is estimated that anywhere from 800 million to 1 billion dollars was spent on its purchase. Not bad for a animated T.V. series don't you think? The show has never before screened on a cable network so it is bound to grow an even larger audience than it already has. Other media conglomerates like Time Warner Cable Adult Swim, and Viacom bid for the show but ultimately left empty handed. To have a syndicated show is a cash cow for everyone involved. The owners of the show make millions off the 200+ channels who purchase rights to air the show, the affiliates make money off advertisement money, companies make money off the advertisements selling products, and the viewers are happy they get to view a popular T.V. series. It's not always as perfect as it may seem though. Many times in hopes of reaching syndication many shows are dragged out with poor scripts just so they can reach that 100 episode mark. Many could argue that the newer Simpsons episodes are not as good as they use to be but that comes down to personal opinion. Overall FXX made a very large purchase and I hope it works out the way they planned. 

Futurama

Futurama is an animated television series that originally aired on FOX and currently airs on comedy central.  Matt Groening is the creator who is best known for creating the Simpsons.  Futurama premiered in 1999, but was cancelled  by FOX in 2002 and then comedy central picked up in 2009.  I didn't start watching Futurama until senior year of high school, but I fell in love with it instantly.  My friends were the ones that pushed me to watch it and now whenever we are bored we watch it together and we never have a problem re-watching old episodes.

Futurama is about a man named Philip J. Fry who lives in 1999, but he is then frozen for 1000 years leaving him to wake up in the year 2999, minutes before it turns to the year 3000.  When he refuses to accept his job, he is chased by Leela who becomes a main character and love interest for Fry.  He also befriends Bender during the first episode.  Fry then finds out that he has a nephew named Professor Farnsworth.  Farnsworth owns a company called Planet Express where most of the action takes place.  There are only about seven main characters, but like the Simpsons there are many other characters who return frequently.

What I love about Futurama is its abilities to have you laughing during the entire episode, only to pull at your heart strings at the very end.  There are many episodes that will make you want to start crying.  I think the writing is brilliant.  I think this because the jokes are spot on and the characters remain true to themselves.  The adventures they go on are amazing.   Futurama is one of my all time favorite shows and while if you compare the prime of Futurama to the prime of the Simpsons, the Simpsons might have them beat, it is still a very close call.   It is a must watch show.

Here is a video of one the shows best characters.

The Simpsons

It looks like the longest running sitcom is coming to a close in two seasons. The Simpsons have been on my entire life but disputes over pay have the voices of the characters calling it quits after 25 seasons. The Simpsons premiered as shorts during the Tracy Ulman show and three years later in 1987, the showed began running as a primetime sitcom. the new season premiered earlier

Creator Matt Groening voiced all of the characters in the first episode and the animation has come a long way. The Treehouse of Horror episodes have become a halloween tradition and those in my generation have associated the show with many major events. The movie was a huge sensation and there are talks of another movie after the show ends.