This day has been restless in the Futurama Community. A lot of ideas, rants and opinions about if the original voice cast is going to continue or not, because of the "brilliant" announcement of 20th Century Fox TV to recast all the major Futurama characters.

It seems like a way to get all the attention of the media and the fans prior the San Diego Comic-Con 2009. Why? Let's see some facts:

• Why 20th Century Fox TV would think about replacing the original Futurama voice cast.. when we are just a week away from the Futurama Panel at the San Diego Comic-Con 2009 and they are all part of the panel
• The official Futurama Panel description at the SDCC 2009 is.. surprisedly ..this one:
  
  Sat Jul 25 1:00-1:45 Futurama: Life or Death?! - Be a part of sci-fi history! Join executive producers Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, and stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, and Maurice LaMarche for high-stakes thrills as a top-ranking FOX executive decides live, on stage, whether Futurama will make yet another triumphant return or whether it is gone forever! The very fate of Futurama hangs in the balance! Paramedics will be standing by in case the intense excitement causes any panelists to collapse. Raucous celebration or abject despair to follow the news. Ballroom 20
   
• The (apparently) Official Press Release about of the recast (read it over here), has a limit date, July 24th, that's one day before the Futurama Panel
• There's no word from any of the main Futurama voices (except Phil LaMarr), and no word from Matt Groening and David X Cohen
• If the recast is true, 20th Century Fox TV will gain the hate from all the Fans, something that the series don't need if they want to Futurama to succeed
• Replace voice actors that create 7 or more voices (between principal & secondary characters) it doesn't seem cheaper, and I'm sure is not going to be easy

I say there's a 50/50 of possibility (heads, like the coin in "The Farnsworth Parabox" episode) that all these news about the Futurama voices being changed, are just to get media and fans atention because the return of the series at the SDCC 2009. The 50% (that it is a lot) of doubt (tails) is because:

• Is true that, FOX in general, tries to scare the voice actors into accepting lower pay, they have done it with the Simpsons cast in the past
• Is true that the budget of Futurama has been reduced, no big orchestra and less writers (or less pay)
• It could be a risky move to make the Fanbase angry, something that Futurama already has, unless the recast is 100% true
• 20th Century Fox TV and FOX Network have made many mistakes with Futurama, and with a lot of other series
• It is very mean to trick all the fans until they announce something at the Futurama Panel (but hey, that's seems to be working to get all our attention)

So, there you have it. According to some later reading, it seems that the problem is because of the reduced budget. Hopefully voice actors and 20th century Fox TV can end this with a peaceful deal prior the SDCC 2009 Futurama Panel, otherwise, paramedics are gonna be truly necesary next Saturday, July 25th, at Ballroom 20.