resinrats

Does anyone here have a tape of the first Futurama episode recorded the first night? It has to be first airing.

( POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW)

I was watching the 1st episode on DVD and when Fry falls into the freezing tube, there is Nibbler's shadow. As an episode in the later season showed, Nibbler came back in time and caused Fry to be frozen.

Now what I want to know is: was Nibbler's shadow always there or did the producers go back later and add in the shadow to make it seem they had always had the story in mind. This is why I want to know info on tapes made the first showing. Recordings made later might have been after they added the shadow (if they did). No going off of memories since there is no way you would even see it if you were looking for it and seeing it in a recent airing of the episode might make you believe it was always there. For a plot that happened so far into the series, I wonder how they thought of it so earlier and waiting so long before showing the later story to explain it.

So anyone have a tape from the first airing ever want to check this out?

brilk

They explain in the commentary that Nibbler's shadow was always there. I think the Futurama commentaries are some of the best out there, so it's probably worth checking them out.

resinrats

I'd still rather have it comfirmed by someone watching a tape.

Seantn

I don't know....if someone is a big enough fan of Futurama to keep the 1st episode on tape for 8 years, they probably would have dumped it for the DVD by now. But good luck, you never know, someone may have it.

JM

8 years? Is it 2007 already? http://epguides.com/Futurama/ Still, 6+ years is a long time for someone to have kept that around, but I'm sure it is out there somewhere.

resinrats

I don't see how it is hard to believe people have videos from that long ago. I have tons of videos from 8+ years. None of Futurama but I have all of Gargoyles when it was first airing. They still play fine. I even have a GIJoe episode taped 15 years ago. "Cold Slither".

Snowmaker

I purposely looked for it in the first episode when I watched my DVDs and I saw no shadow.

resinrats

It has to be the first episode taped on the first broadcast of the episode. If they went in and added the shadow, that would be on the DVD.

Snowmaker

I'm saying I saw no shadow on the DVD version.

EDIT: I see it!

Joe Molotov

I was about to say, you better see it. The shadow is there on the DVD. Whether it was there on the original broadcast version I know not, because I didn't watch it. I'm inclined to believe that it was since it makes for great story. A single story arc, unfolding over the course of 4 seasons, through a series of seemingly unrelated episodes, culminating in one episode that ties everything together so neatly. That's gold, Jerry!

Also, I forget, but didn't they make a passing reference to the shadow in the 1st Episode commentary, which would have been recorded probably before the 4th season? I'll have to check.

cracksky

I have all of the Futurama's on tape still including Space Pilot 3000 from their original airings (except the occasional show that I needed to grab a repeat of for a messed-up broadcast). The first show was the original though. I just checked it out and the Nibbler shadow is definitely there so they had thought it out from the beginning. I also checked the first season dvd commentary and at that moment they yell 'secret!' and mention that it will pay off in a few years.

NORML54601

at this thread

Lateralus

hmmmmm I have seen them add things to the Simpsons after the original aired and is different the second time they play it during the season, there is no reason why they can't do this with Futurama.

The only way to tell this is if you have the first episode from the the very first airing recorded. And to the question about Nibbler.... I have no idea

Jackskeleton

I'm with you on that one. ha.

Jay G.

cracksky just wrote that it did appear in the first broadcast.

CPA-ESQ.

I also have the first airing of Futurama on Tape (at least that's what the label says)

I started taping this show because I thought I would like it... but it didn't tickle my fancy so I stoped recording it.

DJLinus

Next to "Undeclared," this is the only show where I immediately listen to the commentaries after watching all of the episodes. Hell, I don't even do that with "The Simpsons" and that's maybe my favorite show of all time.

majorjoe23

Could you post some examples of this happening on the Simpsons, aside from the "Behind the Laughter" episode?

UAIOE

It's been mentioned in a commentary or two that there were characters that were created and planned before the show aired but weren't introduced because the show was cut short.

Sounds like this stuff, maybe big plot points, were planned out in advance.

bboisvert

I remember people checking their original tapes way back when that nibbler episode aired, and saying that the shadow was in the first ep.

That, coupled with the people saying it in this thread, along with the actual creators saying it was always there... sorta proves it.

For those who don't want to dig out their DVDs:

Slayer2005

I completely agree. I own about 70 TV DVD sets and rarely watch the commentaries, but I have listened to every single one of the Futurama commentaries on all four volumes. I wish the Family Guy commentaries were as good.

Lateralus

I remember two audio changes one was I guess the Behind the laughter episode where they were from Kentucky and another time they were from some other state. The other was was recent one where Raymond the roofer was telling Simpson to watch CBS at 9 PM and they said it over and over. On the repeat it was different as they did not repeat it and only eluded to it. As for them actually changing something in the animation I know I saw it once but for the life of me I can't remember what.

AudioWizard

Sadly enough this was a question i've wondered for awhile and just hadn't gone back to look at the episode on dvd. Another question solved.