What modern Simpsons episodes lack

[Ferno]

I think that while it was in a slump from 2000 or so to 2007, the quality of the Simpsons episodes have actually gotten better since the movie, it's like the staff got a boost of morale or something. =p And I like the HD, it's nice weekly eye candy.

I often compare the Simpsons series with the Sonic series, both were great in the 90's, had their slump period, and after a much hyped release (The Simpsons Movie/ Sonic Unleashed), everything after got better, of course not as good as in the 90's, but still a step above the slump period, and still rising in quality.

[SuperStingray]

Frankly, the shift in quality was so gradual it was hard for me to notice until I looked at the past episodes. I believe the Simpsons has been hit by something that affects pretty much every successful TV series. You see it in everything from Spongebob to Lost. The series starts out more on exposition- you get to know the characters. All their antics and activities revolves on illuminating their core character traits. When there's nothing else to develop about the main characters, it either results in the creation of new main characters or shifting the focus from the characters to the plot itself. That's where I believe many would see the shark jumping event horizon.

While I do believe this has affected The Simpsons, I kind of have to enjoy how they handled it- each episode seems to lead into the main story through unbelievably strange connections you would never see coming, like how Homer recently befriended Chief Wiggum by being arrested because he was confused with a Bank Robber for smuggling a candied apple into a bank.

Edited June 7, 2010 by SuperStingray

[Rave92]

Sure, quality isn't like it used to be, but how we can expect it can have the same quality for over 20 years, and we all know that humor changed for those years? I must admit, that I like the last season, and it is getting back it's old school charm (IMO at least) and that they are funny again. People can think whatever they want, I know I still enjoy watching The Simpsons, and always impatiently wait for the new episode, especially now that they proved with this season they can still give us a good comedy like they used to.

[Remy]

like the eye candy? hd goodness? there's nothing eye candy ish about the overclean CG style of modern day simpsons, it's completely lacking the hand drawn goodness of the old days, it's totally sterile, missing all the hillarity that used to occur just by watching things move.

HD south park is an improvement. HD simpsons is a total step back.

[-Mark-]

I won't deny that newer seasons of The Simpsons aren't as good as the older seasons, but I still enjoy watching the series. The newer seasons aren't as antic or crazy, they more or less focus on realistic situations (for the most part), such as the personal aspects of their family life.

I'd say the exact opposite- granted, I've not watched the new episodes for a good number of years, but from what I saw, they were getting more wacky, slapstick and off-the-wall than they ever used to, really.

[turbojet]

I haven't watched The Simpsons since it went HD. The show is too old and gradually needs to stop in the next few years. I prefer watching South Park, Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show.

This says a lot about your kind of humor.

Granted, that I haven't watched an episode of the Simpsons in years, but that one Ke$ha, "Tik Tok" introduction that I saw on the internet was greater than anything those 3 shows produced.

[Remy]

Whoever neg repped the op, and post 5 needs to accept that it's possible to have differing opinions.

[batson]

This has nothing to do with the topic, but i've just found some neat songs from some old Simpsons albums that i've never heard before, and their good enough to want to share to other Simpsons fans that haven't heard them before (not that the melodies are anything special, but theyre fun because their sung by our belived Simpson characters!)

About Bart and lisas epic neverending feud:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYqUvj9DDt0

About Mr Burns hatred of mankind:

And the best one, about Homer and Marge's love (awww):

[Stacy]

This says a lot about your kind of humor.

Granted, that I haven't watched an episode of the Simpsons in years, but that one Ke$ha, "Tik Tok" introduction that I saw on the internet was greater than anything those 3 shows produced.

I am sorry, but does liking the shows that you have highlighted in their quote mean that thay have bad taste in humour?

I am sorry but peoples criticisms of those shows highlighted is purely pathetic, people have a right to enjoy these shows without people's crictism weighted upon.

I personally dislike Glee, but I don't think the people's taste in Drama is shit because they enjoy that show because their taste might be more varied than I think.

People's Humour changes. I used the love the Simpsons back in the 90's, especailly the episode were Bart goes bullied by Nelson and Bart gathers an army of other kids to have a water balloon fight were they own Nelson. Classic Simpsons in my opinion.

I stopped watching the Simpsons when it was a Celebrity Cameo shitfest nearly every episode in the early 2000's like take the one where Bart forms a Boy Band and NSYNC appeared it for no fucking reason. Now either my humour has changed or writing is changed, one of the two. But I thought the show really had jumped the shark with that episode. I actually think the Simpsons went downhill when they started Futurama, the Simpsons writing seem to change we that show started.

I think the writing changed to fit the standards that Futurama had, which I feel completely gutted the feeling the Simpsons once had.

[turbojet]

I am sorry, but does liking the shows that you have highlighted in their quote mean that thay have bad taste in humour?

No. When somebody uses the excuse that Simpsons got old and then claims that he hasn't watched it since it went to HD while saying that he watches Seth's triad of Flanderization:the series, then yeah. Simpsons, if the TV guide is correct, comes on just before those three shows are displayed. That poster didn't make the conscious effort to even watch the show and based his perceptions on what the Simpsons was in the 90s and mid 2000s all while using the excuse that "it got old." Yes, humour changes but it would be wrong to presume that shows like Simpson's, South Park, and Seth's catastrophic threesome become stagnant and only deliver one type of comedy.

As for me disliking Family Guy(I actually liked it for years until it became shit and filled to the brim with fart jokes...oh lets not talk about that one episode where Brian justifies that there is no God just because Meg is ugly), American Dad(Its a parody of extreme political idealogical clashes amongst other things and is the better of the three shows), and the Cleveland Show(Family Guy with black stereotypes as characters. Oh joy), I dislike the things those shows highlight as funny. You know, the blatant racism, anti-semitism, sexism, tasteless gay bashing and all those things that aren't very funny...being played as jokes. Making fun of stereotypes is great. Dave Chapelle was the master at this, but using a punchline "he is because of what he is" is crossing the line between being funny to downright offensive. I'm just weird like that.

Edited June 22, 2010 by turbojet