Maybe it’s the decided lack of new (good) adult cartoons nowadays, but yesterday sources announced Comedy Central would be renewing the six years dead TV show “Futurama” with a 26 episode count. Surviving with reruns on Comedy Central and a series of straight-to-DVD movies, “Futurama” has remained popular enough to be brought back from TV-on-DVD land.

This is reminiscent of when FOX show “Family Guy” was renewed several years ago after being axed due to its high DVD sales and continued popularity.

We at Blast would like to suggest the renewal of a couple more unfortunately departed FOX TV shows that still have some extra kick in them.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

Even with an “Arrested Development” movie on the horizon (fingers crossed), the true magic of the three season long comedy about the unapologetically terrible Bluth family came from the character interaction and insanely interwoved plot lines that coursed through the series.

Like “Futurama” and “Family Guy,” “Arrested Development” has seen life after death with high DVD sales and an impassioned fanbase (the idea for an “Arrested Development” movie didn’t come from nowhere… well, maybe Ron Howard). Plus, the show remains one of the most critically acclaimed comedies of all time.

With the marketed success of Michael Cera and the maintained popularity of stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett and David Cross, new seasons of “Arrested Development” could reach a wider, more willing audience. At the time, the Bluths were criticized as being “unrelatable” and the episodes were too disjointed, but with shows like “The Office” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” growing in popularity and viewership each year, maybe it’s time for “Arrested Development” to return to television.

Check out season three’s “S.O.B.s” episode, “Arrested Development’s” response to finding out they were canceled:

FIREFLY

We don’t care that Joss Whedon has “Dollhouse” now, that Nathan Fillion has “Castle,” that Alan Tudyk is headed to “V” or that “Serenity” has already been made: We want more “Firefly.” We give FOX credit for giving “Dollhouse” a second season, and yes viewership was low for “Firefly’s” first and only season, but with the success of both “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and its spin-off “Angel,” FOX should have known to trust the magic that is Joss Whedon.

The magic of “Firefly” is its reinvention of outer space. Its western feel and comedic relief was a welcome change to the “Stargate” ripoffs littering the major networks. “Firefly” had a character that was uniquely its own, and that’s something few sci-fi television shows can say.

With the popularity of its spin-off comic book series and the multitude of storylines that have yet to be told, “Firefly” has many more seasons left in it. Whedon clearly left the series open to go a varity of different ways — a fact made more clear by the quick wrap-up of River Tam’s storyline in “Serenity” — and has a growing and dedicated fanbase that would stand behind the resurrection of this show. Don’t believe me? Check out Can’t Stop The Serenity in Boston this month.

Blast’s resident Whedon expert Kellen Rice also would like to point out that maybe if “Firefly” hadn’t been canceled so early on, SPOILER Alan Tudyk’s Wash wouldn’t have been killed off in “Serenity” — something she still feels can change.

Watch “Firely” episode “Out of Gas” here, and check out the entire series for free on Hulu.com:


What TV shows would you like to see brought back from the dead? Share with us your most dearly missed shows below!

About The Author

Terri Schwartz was a Blast Contributing Editor from 2008-2009.

5 Responses

  1. manuel

    I think Wash had foreshadowed the future of the show:

    “Argh, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!” (fox.)

    Reply
  2. Michael Brooks

    Three good television shows I can think of that should be brought back are Nickelodeon’s Danny Phantom, Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long, and most of all, Disney’s Kim Possible! I’m hoping that Futurama’s resurrection will be the catalyst that leads to the rebirth of these classic shows.

    Reply
  3. Groovyspaceman

    Exactly the two shows I would have chosen.
    I’m really hoping for an AD movie but I would love to see it back as a show.
    Both these shows share a great ensemble cast whose joy of working together comes shining through.

    Reply

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