Did the simpsons actually get worse after season 10?

cloud493

People always say to me (and movie bob from the escapist did a good video as well) claiming the simpsons didn't actually get worse, peoples perceptions just change. But when you actually watch it, all the classics are before the cut off point of season 10 or 11, whatever! To me there is, a noticable decline in quality in fact, coming up to the current season which is just.... I don't even know what the word is. Thoughts?

Captain Chaos

Yep, big time. The Simpsons jumped the shark around the time or just before the movie released and it never recovered. Seasons 7 and 8 are golden. I used to look forward to Sunday nights for the new episodes in the 90s.

Heroditas

It got worse a long time before Season 10.
I thought it went downhill in 97 or 98. It seemed to become too overly dependent on celebrity appearances around that stage and that turned me right off it.
It became a little bit too PC as well, the perfect example being Barney going dry.

cloud493

Heroditas wrote: »

It got worse a long time before Season 10.
I thought it went downhill in 97 or 98. It seemed to become too overly dependent on celebrity appearances around that stage and that turned me right off it.
It became a little bit too PC as well, the perfect example being Barney going dry.

Thats season 11 so good example.

Heroditas

cloud493 wrote: »

Thats season 11 so good example.

Ah yeah I knew it was after Season 10.
I thought the writers got a bit lazy. Instead of trying to script new original stories, the stories started to mirror current affairs. While that can, at times, be very witty, a lot of it seemed quite forced.

Icaras

There are a few great episodes after 10 but not many. Too many parodies for me too - cant think of one funny one.


Cape fear the gf just reminded me.

LiamKK1982

I can't believe it's still on, now in it's 26th season!!. Die already

cloud493

Icaras wrote: »

There are a few great episodes after 10 but not many. Too many parodies for me too - cant think of one funny one.


Cape fear the gf just reminded me.

Season 5

TimeToShine

Seasons 4-6 are a goldmine and nothing will compare to them. I think it started to decline around Season 9.

Dozen Wicked Words

I still enjoyed it a lot right up to season 15. From then on, I still watch it, with occasional decent episodes, outweighed by crap.

lertsnim

Barneys dry? I really haven't been watching in a long time :eek:

I agree though that after seasons 8 - 9 it went downhill spectacularly. I gave up watching and now only catching the odd repeat on Sky and RTE

phasers

I think the last truly great episode was the behind the laughter special, which was either season 10 or 11. It was fairly patchy during season 10 but still had flashes of greatness. Nowadays half the episodes are about Lisa doing something boring, like getting an ipod or reading a book.

I saw a fairly new episode recently though about a group including Homer, Moe, Selma and principal Skinner getting together to write a tween novel and I actually thought it was really funny. It was a parody of a heist movie. Nowhere near golden age standard but funny.

SureYWouldntYa

Season 8 was perfection. I'd prefer to watch that over and over than any of the Simpsons from the last 10+ years

Too many parodies and guest stars. A friend of mine refuses to watch newer episodes. The storylines are very poor and the "jokes" usually have little to do with either the storyline or the characters. The humour used to come from the characters who actually made sense a long time ago.

cloud493

From the old to the new intro.

Inmyownworld

Flat screen tvs and iPods and mobile phones just don't seem right in it!

MisterAnarchy

Heroditas wrote: »

Ah yeah I knew it was after Season 10.
I thought the writers got a bit lazy.

The writers didnt get lazy they just changed .
Hardly any of the people who wrote the first ten series continued after series 10 as they were offered much more lucrative work elsewhere.

Vinz Mesrine

I'll be honest, I don't even know what time and channel it's on anymore.

I remember watching a double bill at 6 on a Sunday and weekdays at 7 on Sky One. Are those still the times?

DazMarz

Without question, one of the defining television programmes of all time. Nothing quite like it. At its peak in the mid-1990's, The Simpsons commanded a huge viewership in both the United States and around the world. Even today, it still widely recognisable, even if not as heavily watched.

The early seasons, up to and including Season 9, were bordering on genius at times. Season 10 was where the wheels started to come off. After that, it just kept limping on and on... until it had reached 26 bloated seasons. But many of the original fans (such as myself who would sulk for a week if I missed a new episode) have given up in disgust. A long time ago. I cannot remember the last time I watched a newer episode with any degree of seriousness. Wouldn't be bothered.

If you told me the title of an episode from the first 9 seasons, I could probably give you a brief synopsis and a few quotes from it. After that, I'd stare blankly at the mention of a title and not have a clue what it was about. Other than knowing it was crap...

For me, The Simpsons ended over 14 years ago. I have no desire to watch newer episodes. I barely acknowledge their existence.

One of the most horrible things about the whole thing is the transformation of Homer. He went from being a decent, loving man who was a bit slow, to a complete moron with a sadistic streak who inflicted cruelty without a hint of the decency of what went before. He is just not the same character. The Homer of the mid-1990's was one of the best characters ever. Now, nothing more than a used up joke, who's punchline has been heard a few times too many.

It will not end any time soon; as long as it is still a cash-cow for Fox, they will keep prodding the dying cow with a cattle-prod and force it to jump through hoops... until such time when she can jump no more and dies, despite attempts to stop it.

riffmongous

There are still a few funny episodes every now and again, if you judge them at a lower standard to pre-SE10 episodes. The Sundance film festival one being a favourite of mine

shruikan2553

I got bored when it became about which celebrity was the story going to be about this week but it seems to have improved again.

Dozen Wicked Words

riffmongous wrote: »

There are still a few funny episodes every now and again, if you judge them at a lower standard to pre-SE10 episodes. The Sundance film festival one being a favourite of mine

Chalmskinn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_f_H5sbdyM

Witcher

The episode where Lisa creates 'Equalia' with her new friend Juliet and the one where Lady Gaga guest stars typify the current Simpsons generation for me.

Unfunny storylines and an overeliance on guest stars to keep things fresh. I'm not up to speed on the recent episodes really but it seems that everytime I see one there's a guest star..it has just brcome the norm from what I see.

Also, the animation is far too clean cut on the later episodes..lost some of the charm imo.

delbertgrady

DazMarz wrote: »

He went from being a decent, loving man who was a bit slow, to a complete moron with a sadistic steak who inflicted cruelty without a hint of the decency of what went before.

I've not seen it in years. Does Homer threaten people with the steak?

quickbeam

Two words for you: Frank. Grimes.

Another two: Armin. Tamzarian.

'Nuff said.

riffmongous

I think I can sum up most of the complaints so far

With the family in disarray, episodes increasingly resorted to gimmicky premises and nonsensical plots, trendy guest stars were shamelessly trotted out to grab ratings.

DazMarz

delbertgrady wrote: »

I've not seen it in years. Does Homer threaten people with the steak?

Got a good giggle out of that one! Fair play!

Oafley Jones

By the way, for those hankering for the humour that made those early seasons gold, I recommend the Frank Burly detective books by old timey Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder. It's basically Homer the detective and they're great.

Icaras

quickbeam wrote: »

Two words for you: Frank. Grimes.

Another two: Armin. Tamzarian.

'Nuff said.

I like the Frank Grimes episode, its one of my favourites but in typical post season 10 no ideas they invented Frank Grimes' son, to me this is just lazy.

The Armin episode is the exact point where it started to wrong for the Simpsons.

cloud493

Frank Grimes was a great episode

Mr.Nice Guy

It's been beyond redemption for about fifteen years now. The lovable Homer who went to college, drove the monorail, went into space etc. is completely different to the psychopath that you see nowadays.

They are just so bereft of ideas these days that they rely on bizarre alterations to old characters, or turn to guest appearances. I can't believe they are still milking this show after all this time.

cloud493

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzLoCotf8v8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T2dHHK1u9o

The show in question if anyone was interested.

old hippy

To me, the discussions about how bad the show has become have become predictable. I think the best criticism was around season 11 or 12, the later discussions just became a parody of themselves. Coming next; how Modern Family lost its mojo somewhere around mid season 3 and what the hell has happened to Brooklyn Nine-Nine lately?

SureYWouldntYa

I think Homer has sort of become more like Peter Griffin from Family Guy. Also, a Family Guy thing, "remember the time", and then they cut to a completely different scene, is something thats only been done on Simpsons since Family Guy came out

riffmongous

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

I think Homer has sort of become more like Peter Griffin from Family Guy. Also, a Family Guy thing, "remember the time", and then they cut to a completely different scene, is something thats only been done on Simpsons since Family Guy came out

Or segments that go on at least 10 seconds longer than they should, damn you family guy

razorblunt

The Escapist hits the nail on the head for me!

brianregan09

Icaras wrote: »

I like the Frank Grimes episode, its one of my favourites but in typical post season 10 no ideas they invented Frank Grimes' son, to me this is just lazy.

The Armin episode is the exact point where it started to wrong for the Simpsons.

Two more words for ya Hank Scorpio !!!

My most favourite simpsons episode here...I didn't even hand you my coat !!!

Dirty Dingus McGee

Season 8 was the last season where you could make an argument it was improving.There were some truly great episodes in that season including my all time favourite "Homers Phobia"

Season 9 was the first season where you couldn't say the quality was getting better but it didn't decline hugely in my opinion.There were some excellent episodes but signs of the massive decline it was on its way to taking.

In season 10 it started to become more stupid and began to rely too much on the "Homer says something stupid" jokes and homers stupidity wasn't as charming anymore.

Dirty Dingus McGee

brianregan09 wrote: »

Two more words for ya Hank Scorpio !!!

My most favourite simpsons episode here...I didn't even hand you my coat !!!

Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that?

elfy4eva

Homer's character turned from a loveable dope, to a whining idiot.

Hematocyte

Article here written nearly 15 years ago that I think correctly identifies when and how the Simpsons changed for the worse.

http://www.snpp.com/other/articles/lostitscool.html

cloud493

Bit late for it to die a dignified death

ronnie3585

DazMarz wrote: »

Without question, one of the defining television programmes of all time. Nothing quite like it. At its peak in the mid-1990's, The Simpsons commanded a huge viewership in both the United States and around the world. Even today, it still widely recognisable, even if not as heavily watched.

The early seasons, up to and including Season 9, were bordering on genius at times. Season 10 was where the wheels started to come off. After that, it just kept limping on and on... until it had reached 26 bloated seasons. But many of the original fans (such as myself who would sulk for a week if I missed a new episode) have given up in disgust. A long time ago. I cannot remember the last time I watched a newer episode with any degree of seriousness. Wouldn't be bothered.

If you told me the title of an episode from the first 9 seasons, I could probably give you a brief synopsis and a few quotes from it. After that, I'd stare blankly at the mention of a title and not have a clue what it was about. Other than knowing it was crap...

For me, The Simpsons ended over 14 years ago. I have no desire to watch newer episodes. I barely acknowledge their existence.

One of the most horrible things about the whole thing is the transformation of Homer. He went from being a decent, loving man who was a bit slow, to a complete moron with a sadistic streak who inflicted cruelty without a hint of the decency of what went before. He is just not the same character. The Homer of the mid-1990's was one of the best characters ever. Now, nothing more than a used up joke, who's punchline has been heard a few times too many.

It will not end any time soon; as long as it is still a cash-cow for Fox, they will keep prodding the dying cow with a cattle-prod and force it to jump through hoops... until such time when she can jump no more and dies, despite attempts to stop it.

That's a beautiful summation which exactly reflects my feelings.

I still check in on http://deadhomersociety.com/ every now and again to remind myself of the sheer brilliance of The Simpsons, a show which was an enormous part of my youth, and went a long way towards shaping my sense of humour.

RIP The Simpsons.

Go Harvey Go

Got to like TV Cream's 500 words on 500 episodes of the Simpsons:

FIRST CAME JUST 13, clumsily conceived and woefully realised, exactly like this sentence. Then 22 more: wavy lines, iffy voices and wacky scrapes smeared with sap – You Are Lisa Simpson – comic books, blowfish and gorges. Next, 24 steps to greatness via the land of chocolate, Rancho Relaxo, abandoned wells and the Leftorium: outstanding achievement in the field of excellence. Then throw up your hands and raise your voice: 22 slices of majesty, bed goes down, streetcar, Gabbo, Jub-Jub, choo-choose me, MONORAIL!

These are the imperial years, of Bobo and the Be Sharps, the inanimate carbon rod, the Spruce Moose and the one-eyebrowed baby. Cursive writing does not mean what you think it does: on and up through a near-faultless Matlock Expressway of a season 6, cross-promotional one-off excepted. Up on the summit, the Simpsons’ universe now unfurls from chimpan-A to chimpanzee: a mother-cherishing, soul-bartering, neighbour-baiting, flying-hellfish, last-gleaming, solid gold house of a show. And again with season 8: we should thank our lucky stars that they’re still putting on a programme of this calibre after so many years.

But then: we make it five – the number of decent episodes in season 9 and sole reasons to cling to a series suddenly hurtling downhill. Fully into the gorge with season 10: look – Rupert Murdoch, Homer getting remarried while drunk, and Ned who is actually 60 years old. The world’s smelliest tumour, “Guess how many boobs I saw today, Marge”, Lisa tricking Bart and Homer into thinking they have leprosy. Downwards, ever downwards, Homer raped by a panda bear – just think about that for a second, raped – by – a – panda – bear.

Flashes of glory – I Am Furious Yellow – mere flash in pans: “The professor told us not to let him get a boner”. Sinking lower, still lower: breast implants for Marge, Skinner saying “****”, cameo from James L Brooks, Homer fearing he’s becoming a gay. “The Simpsons are going to (complete as appropriate)” and are also going to despoil the legacy of erstwhile legends like Homer’s mum. Now it’s season 16 – count ‘em – and Patty comes out of the closet 200 episodes after it would have meant something.

Let’s do a pox party AND a satire on creationism as we can’t decide if we want to be crude or clever. Gore Vidal, Eric Idle again, Jon Lovitz again, The White Stripes, Stephen Hawking again, Metallica, Stephen Sondheim, Tom Wolfe, Kiefer Sutherland twice. The “most ambitious season yet” turns out to mean getting Lurleen Lumpkin from season 3 back for a few lines. New title sequence, high definition: who knows what barrels can be scraped between now and the time the show becomes unprofitable?

A third decade – is Gervais available again, because if not there’s the bloke who did Ali G or, get this, Rupert Murdoch – AGAIN. Wait: there’s no money, actors threaten to quit, there’s an episode with Moe pretending to be gay – could it, might it be…? But no – here’s season 23 – please let it become unprofitable, please let it become…

Hard to disagree that the first signs of trouble came in season 9 (with episodes like "The Principal and the Pauper", "Bart Star" and "The Trouble with Trillions"), before the plummet began in earnest in season 10.

And is it just me, or does Homer say "D'oh!" and "Mmm..." a lot less regularly than he did in the first ten seasons?

Also, the animation is far too refined now. Compare it with what's seen in season 5's "Homer Goes to College":

http://deadhomersociety.com/2010/08/02/animation-showcase-homer-goes-to%C2%A0college/

Ralf and Florian

I first noticing a decline in quality around 1998 and this was when I returned to it after falling out of the habit of watching for a while so the rot set in probably a good while beforehand.

Sunglasses Ron

I think in the (very good) Behind the Music episode, when they have the "Simpsons are going to Delaware!" clip, and Homer assures the studio guy that this is the last series, and when they put that line in a poor episode in the next series, it is as if the writers were begging to be allowed to stop, an SOS crying that they had run out of ideas. The whole episode was a satire on how the show was on the brink of being past its sell by date.

I haven't looked out for new episodes for about 10 years, but I agree, there is just something not right about the sharp animation and the flatscreen TV's. The mdernisation of the family should have stopped at Homer's internet company that provided a vague- ish service

Fago123

Personally I think the decline of the show is hugely exaggerated and skewed with a large amount of nostalgia.

Does it hit the height of some of those classic season episodes? No. Does that make the current episodes awful? No.

Have the plotlines become more whacky and less grounded? Yes. Does that make them unfunny? No. Season 1 in particular concerned itself with a 'life lesson' and on re-watch now comes off as extremely preachy and most importantly in my opinion - not funny.

Is Homer a bit more one dimensional nowadays? Yes. Is the character still hilarious? Yes.

It seems a lot of people who complain about how bad its got are ones that checked out years ago? Maybe give some of the newer episodes a try?

Go Harvey Go

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Hard to disagree that the first signs of trouble came in season 9 (with episodes like "The Principal and the Pauper", "Bart Star" and "The Trouble with Trillions"), before the plummet began in earnest in season 10.

"The Trouble With Trillions" is a great episode. Probably one of my all-time favourites!

Looking through the list of Season 10 episodes there are a few duds but still some very good episodes there. Season 11 is definitely where the number of duds start to outnumber the good episodes. (Saddlesore Galactica has to be one of the worst episodes of any TV show ever)

Go Harvey Go

Deleted User wrote: »

"The Trouble With Trillions" is a great episode. Probably one of my all-time favourites!

Its zany plot wouldn't have looked out of place at all in season 10, 11, 12 or 13, though.

"Bart Star", meanwhile, was an early Jerkass Homer episode.

Looking through the list of Season 10 episodes there are a few duds but still some very good episodes there.

"Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble" is certainly a dud, and I wouldn't be too gone on "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken" or "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" either.

I do like "Bart the Mother", "Treehouse of Horror IX", "Simpsons Bible Stories" and "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo", though. "D'oh-in' in the Wind" and "The Old Man and the 'C' Student" are pretty decent episodes, too.

Season 11 is definitely where the number of duds start to outnumber the good episodes. (Saddlesore Galactica has to be one of the worst episodes of any TV show ever)

"Kill the Alligator and Run" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge" also received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics.

"Beyond Blunderdome", "Brother's Little Helper", "Grift of the Magi", "Faith Off", "The Mansion Family" and "Missionary: Impossible" aren't episodes I'd remember too fondly, either.

"Eight Misbehavin'" and "Little Big Mom" are good, though ("Banana bread?! What the hell were you thinking?!" and "Feels like I'm wearing nothing at all... nothing at all... nothing at all!").

But there's little doubt that "Behind the Laughter" is the season's best episode.

Sunglasses Ron

Fago123 wrote: »

Have the plotlines become more whacky and less grounded? Yes. Does that make them unfunny? No. Season 1 in particular concerned itself with a 'life lesson' and on re-watch now comes off as extremely preachy and most importantly in my opinion - not funny.

Loads of great comedies take a while to evolve. Season One is, as you say, just a run of the mill cartoon. It took a year or two for them to start the sort of sharp satire and cultural comment/ lampooning that the glory days are beloved for. Plenty of classic comedies are the same- Father Ted, South Park, Only Fools and Horses. In the first few episodes of OFAH Del uses his French phrases correctly! It was only after a re think that JS realised it would be funnier to have him say them completely wrong.

Go Harvey Go

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

Its zany plot wouldn't have looked out of place at all in season 10, 11, 12 or 13, though.

"Bart Star", meanwhile, was an early Jerkass Homer episode.

It was zany but the jokes were good. The exchanges with Castro were great, I thought. ("It's full of WHAT?!" )

"Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble" is certainly a dud, and I wouldn't be too gone on "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken" or "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" either.

The kidney episode is definitely a real "jerkass" Homer moment. The episode was ok until he ran away the second time - that was just him being a total dick. "Viva Ned Flanders" is another dud episode - the premise of Homer and Flanders going to Vegas was cool but the whole thing about him being sixty was just ridiculous.

On the plus side I think "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace", "Lisa Gets an "A"" and "Mayored To the Mob" were all good episodes from Season 10. Also "Mom and Pop Art" just for the scene with Homer running at the grill with the umbrella and shrieking!

"Kill the Alligator and Run" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge" also received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics.

"Beyond Blunderdome", "Brother's Little Helper", "Grift of the Magi", "Faith Off", "The Mansion Family" and "Missionary: Impossible" aren't episodes I'd remember too fondly, either.

"Eight Misbehavin'" and "Little Big Mom" are good, though ("Banana bread?! What the hell were you thinking?!" and "Feels like I'm wearing nothing at all... nothing at all... nothing at all!").

But there's little doubt that "Behind the Laughter" is the season's best episode.

I actually don't mind "Kill the Alligator and Run", funnily enough. It's not a classic episode but I don't think it's as bad as others seem to. There were a few good lines in it (Homer: "Guess how many boobs I saw today Marge? Fifteen. Marge: "I'm beginning to dislike the man with the whip") And I think "The Mansion Family" is redeemed by the scenes with Mr. Burns in the clinic.

The others you mentioned though are pretty poor though - "Grift of the Magi" and "Faith Off" in particular are terrible. "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder" is another one I never cared for - Homer's botched suicide attempt was again so out of character.

But although Season 11 was the first to have more than just a few duds, I think Season 12 was the first where I really struggled to find any redeeming episodes.