The Simpsons Discussion Thread

[Danj86]

 

Has this not been done before? I know about a Futurama topic that never took off for some reason. This also might be hostile territory as opinions of it's current standing as an hilarious take on family life as of late has been split down the middle.

To this day, I have no idea who Tracey Ullman is, and never really bothered to look her up.

 

 

This ain't a "The Simsons vs [insert ripoff cartoon here] thread."

Having said that, I'm not sure how to start this topic. I have much I want to discuss and learn what others think, some of which can't really be expressed in this thread as it might risk changing the subject matter too much.

 

I have been on a Simpsons kick as of late, which my current sig implies. I've grown up with the show and since stopped watching it at a time I don't really remember. It was a month or 3 ago, that I was accidentally exposed to what I later discovered to be "Tree House of Horrors XXII" (22) and an appropriate horror it was, because it wasn't "scary horrifying," it was "abysmally bad horrifying." The horrors didn't end there however. My morbid curiosity got the better of me, and I foolish set through another newer episode called something like "Holidays of Futures Past."

Having lost the will to live, I expressed my displeasure in a status update and it was Gregzilla who suggested I cleanse myself by watching Season 4. Which I did.

 

 

Having then followed season 4 with 1 - 11 which is the current collection of DVDs my brother has accumulated over the years. For the first time I asked myself, "when did the shows decline first start?" A question my brother was also interested in answering as he had been battling with the concept of possibly buying the DVDs of season 12 and upwards...

 

Opinion is pretty divided, but those that believe there is a decline, often pinpoint it at around season 9 - 15. I found it kinda depressing that a show I grew up with couldn't even manage a solid 10 year run, but having reviewed what others have said and looked at the evidence, I'm inclined to agree.

 

Looking at other long running shows, they all usually have the same problem. The quality suffers as the show ages. It's a pretty deluded mind that could possibly think it wouldn't. But that's my opinion. Obviously.

 

 

But why?

Well, in the case of The Simpsons, I've seen a couple of reasonable theories. Like the great loss in Phil Hartman. Watching with Commentary on, the staff often expressed how any scene with Phil in, was instantly funny. I'd agree, as both Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure where some of my favourites. One person said it best, how he expressed his characters with great confidence, while they where in fact incompetent, made his scenes just all the more funny.

Writers and Directors moving onto other things must've also made a big impact. As it sounds like that happened a lot in the earlier run of the show. I guess it's to be expected. "This show is great, lets steal there talent!"

The loss of reality and the pandering to celebrities are other things mentioned. I couldn't really give a damn about celebrities, to be honest. The fact that the show seems to kiss up to them, is a real shame, a lot of these "celebrities" are just so damn annoying. The loss of reality seems to be one of the major loses the show has suffered.

 

 

Rather then show moving family interactions, which they used to do. They now got nuts with lame cartoon hi-jinks. More often then not, played by Homer. Who used to come across as a lovable buffoon. At his worst moments, he would always come through for his family in the end. The picture moment above, always makes me cry. While the moment in my sig, has to be my personal favourite, closely followed by Maggie's first word. During an episode called "Lisa's First Word."

 

What are your opinions about this show over the years, it's possible decline or your favourite episodes?

[iDEATH]

I went through a phase, from about 2005 till around last year where I just fucking hated the simpsons. I'd used to love it, but I think it was a mix of the facts that it was on tv constantly and that you couldn't get away from merchandise for it. I'd started going to comic shops regularly by that point and they were full to burting of action figures, shirts, calenders, wallets, kitchen sinks.....it was inescapable. If something's flung at me constantly like that i always end up hating it. (it's the reason I feel out of love with things like Harry Potter and Tim Burton too...)

Then I went to see the movie with some friends and...yeah...it pretty much put the final nail in the coffin for me...

 

But last year I was bored and there was nothing on tv, the simpsons came on so I put it on and laughed for a solid half hour. I instantly fell back in love and watched it a lot more following that. The early years were just brilliant.

I can't comment too much on the recent eps as i've only seen a couple, they were ok I guess, nowhere near as good as they were in the past though.

 

I'm considering getting the earier series on dvd, need to get around to that.

[Gregzilla]

The Simpsons is my favorite TV show.  Its humor is brilliant and it taught me a lot about how to make a cartoon truly funny.

 

I'm not much of a fan of the first two seasons, but seasons 3 through....mm, let's say 10, are hilarious, quick, and a joy to watch.

 

I'd have to choose season 4 as my favorite.  It's the season that consistently makes me laugh the most.  It has such gems as Krusty Gets Kancelled, Mr. Plow, Lisa's First Word, and my personal favorite, Marge vs. the Monorail.  Such hilarious setups and jokes always put me in a laughing mood.  

 

With so many lovable characters, it's hard to pick a favorite.  From mains like Homer and Bart, to supporters like Moe and Apu, to quick gag characters like Bumblebee Man and the Squeaky Voiced Teen.  But my favorite character has to go to the one that gets the most laughs out of me.

 

 

Lionel Hutz is friggin' hysterical.  His terrible lawyer skills are always funny.  I don't think he's ever made an appearance where I didn't laugh.

 

So yeah, The Simpsons is (well, was) a brilliant show.  It's been a huge influence on me and comedy in general, and for that I am thankful.

[spinny]

Lionel Hutz is friggin' hysterical.  His terrible lawyer skills are always funny.  I don't think he's ever made an appearance where I didn't laugh.

 

It's a shame he doesn't appear anymore. Troy McClure was an awesome character too, actually.

 

...

 

*sniff* Rest in peace, Phil Hartman D':

[Crash]

I love the Simpsons, I mean, yes the newer episodes aren't AS good as the old ones but they aren't as bad as people make them out to be. I've been watching The Simpsons since I was about 2 so it is my favourite show and holds such a special place in my heart and always will.

 

Also:

 

[Katzii]

Anything past Season 8 isn't worth a look-in.

[Milo]

I watched it from time to time. Most episodes I recall watching I liked.

 

I also saw the film too, which I thought was great.

[Yoko/葉子]

I can do my Mr. Burns, Otto and Snake impersonations if you guys want.

[Linkabel]

I was actually going to make a thread about this, but will put it here instead.

 

Simpsons Co-Creator, with Terminal Cancer, Gives Away His TV Fortune

 

Sam Simon, who made a fortune as co-creator of The Simpsons, is enjoying giving away untold millions as he battles terminal colon cancer.

The nine-time Emmy-winning writer-producer, 58, says he is using his wealth to, among other causes, help shut down roadside zoos and abusive animal shows, fund a dog-rescue haven in Malibu, and fight hunger, he tells the Hollywood Reporter.

"I get pleasure from it. I love it. I don't feel like it is an obligation," says Simon, who more than 20 years ago co-created the animated FOX phenomenon with cartoonist Matt Groening.

"There is stuff happening, really good stuff, every week," says the upbeat Simon, who has had surgery and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

A Stanford graduate raised in privilege in Beverly Hills, Simon, who is currently not married and has no children, was given a three- to six-month prognosis in May. He said his own family is fully taken care of, so now he's getting joy in his final days seeing his fortune – tens of millions annually in royalties alone – go to good use.

His Sam Simon Foundation in Malibu is worth $23 million, and other charities, like PETA, Save the Children and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, have also been recipients of his largesse.

"I want medical experiments on animals stopped. They don't do anything, and they don't work," Simon said of his future wishes. "Veganism is an answer for almost every problem facing the world in terms of hunger and climate change."

 

Link

 

A noble gesture but I still hope that he makes it.

[TheOcelot]

25 seasons and over 500 episodes. This animated sitcom is iconic. Episodes will probably still be aired 50 years from now. 

 

I think the first 10 series were the best. The stories they came up with - and the great humour - were superb. Even now they are still funny, it's just that the scripts are now pretty stupid. It's like in the early series you would get 15 great episodes out of 22, and now you tend to get 3 or 4 really good ones with the rest being forgettable. I guess it's hard to keep a series fresh after 20 years.

 

That said, The Simpsons keeps attracting new and younger audiences. So I am glad fans enjoy the newer episodes.

 

It's kind of sad that Fox is keeping faith in The Simpsons over arguably better series, such as Futurama and Family Guy (which they cancelled three times before bringing it back). 

 

As for my favourite episodes. There are so many. Lets see, erm.........

 

 

Stark Raving Dad (Michael Jackson)

Three Men and a Comic Book

Flaming Moe's

Black Widower

Cape Fear

Kamp Krusty

Marge vs. The Monorail

Marge In Chains

Marge On the Lam

Bart's inner Child

Homer The Vigilante

Sweet Seymour Skimmer's Baadasssss Song

Itchy & Scratchy Land

Tree House Of Horror V (The Shining Paraody)

Homer Badman

Homer The Great

Lisa's Wedding

Who Shot Mr Burns Parts 1&2

Radioactive Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juFZh92MUOY

Bart Sells His Soul

Mother Simpson

Marge Be Not Proud (has a Sonic cameo  )

Lisa The Iconoclast

Homer The Smithers

Lisa's Date With Density

The Springfield Files (X-Files parody)

Mountain Of Madness

The Cartidge Family

Das Bus

The Trouble With Trillions

Natural Born Kissers

Tree House Of Horror's IX (Jerry Springer guest stars)

 

 

My all time favourite episode is 'You Only Move Twice'. (James Bond parody). Homer goes and works for Hank Scorpio of the Globex corporation. Such a great story and very funny.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VX4Lpf-xdg 

Edited August 3, 2013 by -Bender-

[Crash]

(wall of text)

 

That has to be my favourite episode as well. Homer is such a dumb arse.

[Irish David]

I have a lots of favourite quotes from the Simpsons, too many to quote but I love some of the characters such as Moe, Mr Burns, Smithers and of course Dr Nick Riveria. I am looking forward to the Simpsons/Family Guy crossover in a few months time as I enjoy Family Guy and American Dad as well

[Turbo the Punk]

I'm not a huge fan, but to this day it's decent for what it is, an animated sitcom, which at the time of original broadcast was still a unique concept.

 

Still better than the crap Seth Macfarlene passes of as a show.

 

Can't believe I used to like his crap.

[Frank Sinatra]

Seasons 2-8 of this show are so brilliant it's unbelievable. They are so consistent with only a handful of duds among 170+ episodes, even Season 1 is quite good although not up to the standards to follow and Season 9 has some nice episodes. That's what the vast majority of which is to follow such a travesty. 
 

Anyway i've been re-buying the earlier seasons on DVD because my old cases are absolutely tattered from when I was younger. I recently re-brought DVD copies of the Simpsons' Seasons 5 and 6 and the quality of output from this era is absolutely staggering. Episodes like Cape Feare, Homer's Barbershop Quartet, Rosebud and Homer Goes To College on Season 5, Disc 1 alone represent one of the high points of Television for me. The commentaries are also insightful and just as much fun as the actual episodes which says just how great they are, The show-runner for these two seasons was David Mirkin who is such a great commentator i'm actually considering buying some of his other work just for the commentaries.

 

If you don't own any Simpsons on DVD you owe it to yourself to at least acquire these two seasons. With the exception of the clip show this era of 1993-1995 represents the shows arguable high point and there is not a dud here in my opinion. 

Having said that Season's 3, 4, 7 and 8 are just as excellent and the first two are still really great.

 

Anyway favourite episodes from the first nine Seasons:

Season 1: Krusty Gets Busted
Season 2: Lisa's Substitute
Season 3: Homer At The Bat

Season 4: Marge vs The Monorail/Last Exit To Springfield (Tied)
Season 5: Cape Feare (My favourite episode of all time)
Season 6: Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 1/Lemon Of Troy (Tied)
Season 7: 22 Short Films about Springfield
Season 8: You Only Move Twice
Season 9: Lisa's Sax

[Dejimon11]

Decided to bump this thread. A major character is going to kick the bucket http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/emmy-winning--simpsons-character-to-be-killed-off-%E2%80%93-daily-tv-round-up-094339546.html

[Kevin]

Decided to bump this thread. A major character is going to kick the bucket http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/emmy-winning--simpsons-character-to-be-killed-off-%E2%80%93-daily-tv-round-up-094339546.html

I read about that the other day and I wonder who is going to go and when said episode is going to air.

 

As far as recommended episodes go, Doug Walker gave a good list of some of the best Simpsons episodes and I can't fault it at all.

[PaddyFancy]

Can't argue with Nostalgia Critics choices including his number 1 episode.

[Covskin]

Matt Groening says The Simpsons should have ended years ago.

 

How long ago? He mentions the events of Homer Vs Dignity, a Season 12 episode from 2000.

 

Yes, I would have ended it by then as well.

[Detective Shadzter]

'The Simpsons' star Marcia Wallace dies, aged 70
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s195/the-simpsons/news/a526691/the-simpsons-star-marcia-wallace-dies-aged-70.html

 

Such sad news. R.I.P. to a legend. Completely agree with the decision to retire her character, because Marcia Wallace is irreplaceable. 

[goku262002]

Truly sad indeed, I'll miss her.

Ultimately it will depend on what her final wishes were, I'm sure since Phil Hartman's sudden death they all had plans for their characters and what should happen to them if they happen to pass away without the show being finished.

[PaddyFancy]

Didn't see this coming. I first heard it in a tweet from one of Yahtzee's friends about it and couldn't believe it without verification. Its on Fox News website now so sadly its true. In recent years Mrs. Krabappel was becoming one of my favourite characters, not strictly in recent episodes but in general.

 

I really don't believe she is the beloved Simpsons character that's going to get killed off in an upcoming episode. If its true its in really bad taste, even it was discussed behind the scenes. They were building this hype up and I do believe they also said that the voice actor in question doesn't even know it themselves. Its fathomable we are losing TWO beloved characters, one we now already know about.

[Mogtaki]

Executive producer Jean had previously hinted about killing off one of the show's characters.

"Earlier we had discussed a potential storyline in which a character passed away," Jean said in a statement. "This was not Marcia's Edna Krabappel. Marcia's passing is unrelated and again, a terrible loss for all who had the pleasure of knowing her."

 

 

Source

[188Eternal]

Damn, Edna Krabappel was one of my favourite characters from the show right alongside Krusty the Clown.

Rest in peace, Mrs. Wallace.

[Patticus]

I remember a time when they changed their executive producer around regularly, and then Al Jean got the gig permanently. I think that that move was at least in part responsible the show's decline into the depths of awfulness.

[Covskin]

Mike Scully actually had the permanent show-runner position before Al Jean, and it was his period that saw episodes like Saddlesore Galactica and Kill the Alligator and Run. Bit of info about script-writers here.

 

 

A shame about Marcia Wallace, it seems she'd already been through a lot, including breast cancer. I hope they are respectful enough in the show to her character. I know they have been with Phil Hartman, but for some reason they've bought back Lunchlady Doris about 10 years after Doris Grau's death, and for seemingly no reason...