Futurama is back! Well, maybe...

The boys and girls at Fox have made a smart move by returning the classic animated series Futurama. TV companies are realising that TV ratings (I think about a sample size of 4000 in Oz) is not the only indication of what people are watching as DVD sales of various TV cult classics soar:

The animated series Family Guy is the best example, having been cancelled and then rescheduled three years after the show was axed when its huge DVD sales (setting an American record for best-selling TV show on DVD) and popularity in repeat pay TV screenings, showed it still had an audience.

Futurama, from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, was cancelled by 20th Century Fox TV (the American network that commissioned the series) in 2002 after poor ratings.

And now it appears the fans have been heard.

Variety magazine recently reported that talks were under way at Fox TV, which also produces Family Guy, to make new episodes of the cartoon and other industry sources list the show as "in production" with the actors who voiced the series back under contract.

And the wily crew at Channel Ten have backed the right horse by airing old Futurama episodes. About time TV had an improvement.