I've watched every single episode of The Simpsons (including the one where Bart and Milhouse dies on every page), and I firmly believe that they should stop making the show.
Seasons 1 and 2 are great; a bit rocky at times as they're still finalizing what the characters are and do, but it's great vintage comedy. Seasons 3-14 are absolute GOLD. I don't think I've seen any comedy reach the heights The Simpsons did in that run. But when season 15 comes around, it sort of starts fizzling, and just... dies a few seasons later. The forced celebrity appearances, Homer turning into a vindictive moron rather than a clumsy, fat loving father; Bart and Lisa talking about things NO 8 and 10-year old has knowledge of... I dunno. The jokes feel much more forced, and by now instead of other shows saying "The Simpsons did it first", the tables have turned.
Let The Simpsons go in peace, Matt and James. Please.
I've heard that it's good again nowadays. Do you not agree?
I've got no opinion myself, I starting watching seasons 1-18 on shuffle and found myself not enjoying most episodes after season 14. There are some episodes prior to that too, but season 14 did seem to be about the tipping point where it was no longer worth it for me. I haven't watched any episodes after season 18 as far as I know.
P.S. I'm glad you agree. I've tried to find the tipping point myself, and I agree; season 14 seems to be the last season where I could pick any episode and still enjoy it. 15 still had a few gems, but the commercialization started kicking in in that season, I think.
So when I recommend The Simpsons to people these days, I try to recommend seasons 4-14, and tell them to start watching at season 7 or so, because some people are put off a bit by the animation style of the earlier seasons.
Yeah I was pleasantly surprised when I saw you'd said season 14 - I actually ended up taking seasons 14 onwards out of my shuffle folder because I was skipping more of them than I was watching. I absolutely love the old ones too (possibly in part due to nostalgia), but I see your point about the animation style I suppose...
Oh no, same here... When I first started watching Simpsons, I couldn't really get into the older seasons (due to the style, but also the more muffled audio), but after I got into the rhythm, I now realize they have some of the best episodes among all of them!
I watched every episode up until season 24, after giving it QUITE a few seasons to "get good" again. I watched a few episodes of the newest season on TV the other day; it seemed better than the last seasons I watched, but nothing NEAR as good as the old seasons. It just feels like they keep on jumping the shark with every single episode; advertising "see Lady Gaga in the new Simpsons episode!" or "Unmissable Family Guy/Simpsons crossover", and if that's the selling point of your adult cartoon, you've lost the plot.
In fact, the closest thing to the early Simpsons I find these days is Bob's Burgers. It's not as slapstick or prop comedy funny, but the dialogue and plot reminds me a lot of the old Simpsons episodes.
Point is, I think it might be better than it was a few seasons ago, but it's still no longer the show I got to know and love.
Hmm, I don't think I'll bother to go out of my way to watch them based on that. I was really quite saddened by some of the season 18 episodes, I don't want to disappoint myself again! 14 seasons and a game (Hit & Run) is plenty anyway; enough that by the time I get to the end it's been long enough that I can start again at the beginning.
From what I understood, Matt no longer has as pivotal role in the actual writing of the show like he did in the beginning. Didn't he stop writing for the show right around the time he started creating Futurama? Has he come back to write for them or is he merely known as the creator/main producer now?
As far as I know, Matt only stays on in a producing/advisory role. James L. Brooks is the only creator that still stays on in a full-time capacity, if I remember correctly. Al Jean and those guys are the driving force behind the show (again, if I remember correctly).
Point is, if Matt and James wanted to cancel the show, they'd be able to do so, or at least draw the fans away enough that viewership would drop.
I suppose so, but this is also a money-making thing for him so I can kind of understand why he wouldn't just pull it. I also don't feel like viewer counts of the Simpsons has really gone down. I think a couple years back it had gone down, but now with the recent years it's picked up again. At least, it feels like that to me.
I've watched every single episode of The Simpsons (including the one where Bart and Milhouse dies on every page), and I firmly believe that they should stop making the show.
Seasons 1 and 2 are great; a bit rocky at times as they're still finalizing what the characters are and do, but it's great vintage comedy. Seasons 3-14 are absolute GOLD. I don't think I've seen any comedy reach the heights The Simpsons did in that run. But when season 15 comes around, it sort of starts fizzling, and just... dies a few seasons later. The forced celebrity appearances, Homer turning into a vindictive moron rather than a clumsy, fat loving father; Bart and Lisa talking about things NO 8 and 10-year old has knowledge of... I dunno. The jokes feel much more forced, and by now instead of other shows saying "The Simpsons did it first", the tables have turned.
Let The Simpsons go in peace, Matt and James. Please.
I've heard that it's good again nowadays. Do you not agree?
I've got no opinion myself, I starting watching seasons 1-18 on shuffle and found myself not enjoying most episodes after season 14. There are some episodes prior to that too, but season 14 did seem to be about the tipping point where it was no longer worth it for me. I haven't watched any episodes after season 18 as far as I know.
P.S. I'm glad you agree. I've tried to find the tipping point myself, and I agree; season 14 seems to be the last season where I could pick any episode and still enjoy it. 15 still had a few gems, but the commercialization started kicking in in that season, I think.
So when I recommend The Simpsons to people these days, I try to recommend seasons 4-14, and tell them to start watching at season 7 or so, because some people are put off a bit by the animation style of the earlier seasons.
Yeah I was pleasantly surprised when I saw you'd said season 14 - I actually ended up taking seasons 14 onwards out of my shuffle folder because I was skipping more of them than I was watching. I absolutely love the old ones too (possibly in part due to nostalgia), but I see your point about the animation style I suppose...
Oh no, same here... When I first started watching Simpsons, I couldn't really get into the older seasons (due to the style, but also the more muffled audio), but after I got into the rhythm, I now realize they have some of the best episodes among all of them!
Hey, I've got something for you.
I watched every episode up until season 24, after giving it QUITE a few seasons to "get good" again. I watched a few episodes of the newest season on TV the other day; it seemed better than the last seasons I watched, but nothing NEAR as good as the old seasons. It just feels like they keep on jumping the shark with every single episode; advertising "see Lady Gaga in the new Simpsons episode!" or "Unmissable Family Guy/Simpsons crossover", and if that's the selling point of your adult cartoon, you've lost the plot.
In fact, the closest thing to the early Simpsons I find these days is Bob's Burgers. It's not as slapstick or prop comedy funny, but the dialogue and plot reminds me a lot of the old Simpsons episodes.
Point is, I think it might be better than it was a few seasons ago, but it's still no longer the show I got to know and love.
Hmm, I don't think I'll bother to go out of my way to watch them based on that. I was really quite saddened by some of the season 18 episodes, I don't want to disappoint myself again! 14 seasons and a game (Hit & Run) is plenty anyway; enough that by the time I get to the end it's been long enough that I can start again at the beginning.
Maybe I'll check out Bob's Burgers one day.
Thanks.
From what I understood, Matt no longer has as pivotal role in the actual writing of the show like he did in the beginning. Didn't he stop writing for the show right around the time he started creating Futurama? Has he come back to write for them or is he merely known as the creator/main producer now?
As far as I know, Matt only stays on in a producing/advisory role. James L. Brooks is the only creator that still stays on in a full-time capacity, if I remember correctly. Al Jean and those guys are the driving force behind the show (again, if I remember correctly).
Point is, if Matt and James wanted to cancel the show, they'd be able to do so, or at least draw the fans away enough that viewership would drop.
I suppose so, but this is also a money-making thing for him so I can kind of understand why he wouldn't just pull it. I also don't feel like viewer counts of the Simpsons has really gone down. I think a couple years back it had gone down, but now with the recent years it's picked up again. At least, it feels like that to me.
Don't forget the horribly forced pop song tie-ins.
The list goes on...