Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

When did the Simpsons stop being good?

Options
  • 06-11-2014 4:39am
    #1
    Kermit.de.frog
    Registered Users Posts: 23,553 ✭✭✭✭


    I can't put my finger on it but watched one of the "newer" ones (as in last 10 years) and it was so bad compared to the older ones it's actually sad to see.

    Where and when did it all go wrong because it strikes me that a lot of damage has been done to the cartoon's actual legacy (which it has) because maybe they should have stopped more than 10 years a go but I guess money got in the way.

    When did it all go wrong?


«13456789

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    salamanca22
    Registered Users Posts: 1,179 ✭✭✭salamanca22


    season 8


  • Options
    #3
    AlanS181824
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,575 ✭✭✭AlanS181824


    About 1995.


  • Options
    #4
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    I used to read the comics when I was younger. There was always rumours of a movie, so people would write in asking about at least four or five times a year. These were the only letters Groening would reply to directly, saying that if a movie was ever made, that would be it, no more Simpsons, like it'll be a last hooray. Movie happens, Simpsons continues, and everyone tries to keep Futurama, which has a massive fanbase, alive. I honestly don't think anyone involved in The Simpsons cares about it, any more.


  • Options
    #5
    GerB40
    Registered Users Posts: 2,047 ✭✭✭GerB40


    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    I can't put my finger on it but watched one of the "newer" ones (as in last 10 years) and it was so bad compared to the older ones it's actually sad to see.

    Where and when did it all go wrong because it strikes me that a lot of damage has been done to the cartoon's actual legacy because maybe they should have stopped more than 10 years a go but I guess money got in the way.

    When did it all go wrong?

    The Simpsons was the best cartoon for years, there's some episode I can nearly quote off by heart. Frank Grimes (or Grimey as he liked to be called) is in my opinion the best episode of any cartoon ever. But The Simpsons was making so much money and they got greedy. The new episodes are unwatchable and the shíte they produce these days are causing serious damage to the legacy of greatness they once we're.

    It's a shame they didn't stop when they were on top of their game. Sure people would've been pissed off at the time but if they could see the utter tripe The Simpsons have become they would change their minds.

    Fawlty towers lasted 2 or 3 seasons and John Cleese said "If they made another series and it dropped in quality it would ruin the good work they put into their previous work.

    Same with The Office (the original).

    Same with Extras

    Same with Fr Ted

    Only Fool's and Horses doesn't count because it's the greatest sitcom of all time.

    Looking at that made me realise that it seems to be a difference between UK and US.

    UK comedies (not including shít like Miranda and Mrs Brown's boys) seem to prefer quality over quantity, US comedies are the polar opposite.

    So to answer your question, I don't know exactly where it went wrong, but I think I know why it went wrong. Money/Greed and controversially, US comedy more often than not is just not as funny..


  • Options
    #6
    DainBramage
    Closed Accounts Posts: 212 ✭✭DainBramage


    Once I see its the newer looking animation I flick over


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Duffy the Vampire Slayer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,378 ✭✭✭Duffy the Vampire Slayer


    It's impossible to pick an exact moment, although many have tried- the episodes with Armin Tanzarian or Jay Leno are two of the ones people have pointed to. I think it was a slippery slope, they gradually became less consistently funny until they just weren't funny at all.


  • Options
    #8
    Kermit.de.frog
    Registered Users Posts: 23,553 ✭✭✭✭Kermit.de.frog


    Put it this way, when I was starting secondary school the question would be "did you see the Simpsons last night?" - somehow I doubt that question is asked today.

    I agree about Fawlty Towers - the reason it is so popular is because it was genuinely good and funny and probably some of it's popularity is that they stopped when they knew they could go no further with it.

    Did the Simpsons change any producers or staff before it went really unfunny and mostly irritating? Anyone know?


  • Options
    #9
    Kermit.de.frog
    Registered Users Posts: 23,553 ✭✭✭✭Kermit.de.frog


    GerB40 wrote: »
    UK comedies (not including shít like Miranda and Mrs Brown's boys) seem to prefer quality over quantity, US comedies are the polar opposite.

    Father Ted and Mrs Brown Boys can hardly be described as "UK comedies" since they are essentially Irish directed, Irish produced and Irish cast. Just sayin.


  • Options
    #10
    shruikan2553
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,113 ✭✭✭shruikan2553


    Around the point when they had a different celebrity each week with some story revolved around them. I saw a few episodes and it has improved a bit.


  • Options
    #11
    mdwexford
    Registered Users Posts: 11,274 ✭✭✭✭mdwexford


    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    Father Ted and Mrs Brown Boys can hardly be described as "UK comedies" since they are essentially Irish directed, Irish produced and Irish cast. Just sayin.

    MBB shouldn't even be described as a tv show tbh.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Super-Rush
    Registered Users Posts: 19,473 ✭✭✭✭Super-Rush


    Seasons 1 to 13 were fantastic. All the great quotes and episodes were from that period, particularly the Conan O'Brien years. Since then its relied way too much on celebrities. A lot of the fans moved on to South Park and then Family Guy.

    Its still great to re watch those older episodes. I'm curreny halfway through season 4 for the millionth time.


  • Options
    #13
    Mackman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,810 ✭✭✭Mackman


    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    Put it this way, when I was starting secondary school the question would be "did you see the Simpsons last night?" - somehow I doubt that question is asked today.

    My wife is a teacher and she says all the kids love the new episodes. I think they changed what "it" is, now what's "it" is weird and scary.

    Kermit.de.frog wrote: »
    Did the Simpsons change any producers or staff before it went really unfunny and mostly irritating? Anyone know?

    I always associated it with Brad Bird leaving in 1998. He was there from the start as an executive producer and left to join Pixar where he wrote the Incredibles and has been involved in pretty much all their movies since.


  • Options
    #14
    valoren
    Registered Users Posts: 5,458 ✭✭✭valoren


    When Skinner was actually Armin Tamzarian.

    It was the jump the shark moment for the show.


  • Options
    #15
    valoren
    Registered Users Posts: 5,458 ✭✭✭valoren


    Season 4 is arguably the greatest season of television ever. Every episode is a classic, even the clip show.


  • Options
    #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Surprisingly, some of the recent episodes have really funny bits in them.


  • Options
    #17
    jacksie66
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,988 ✭✭✭jacksie66


    This post has been deleted.


  • Options
    #18
    WesternZulu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭WesternZulu


    The old ones seemed to have some sort of realism about them as to what the average American family had to endure and the episodes had a very endearing quality to them.

    The new ones seem to favour 'wacky' humour that's not based on any form of realism of the day to day life of a typical American family.

    Homer used to be this lovable character who you might call dim, but not an idiot, who tried his best to do what was right for his family.
    In the newer episodes he's selfish and outright stupid and in no ways likable at all!


  • Options
    #19
    Franticfrank
    Registered Users Posts: 260 ✭✭Franticfrank


    Without a shadow of a doubt, it was when Phil Hartman died. Without Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure is went on a quick downward spiral.

    "Apu, Mrs. Simpson claims that she *forgot* that bottle of... delicious... bourbon. Brownest of the brown liquors... so tempting.
    [holds the bottle to his ear]

    What's that? You want me to drink you? But I'm in the middle of a trial!"
    [puts it down]

    So the last episode with Lionel Hutz in my opinion, where he was an estate agent. Bad enough as that was, everything afterwards was a whole lot worse.


  • Options
    #20
    cloud493
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,835 ✭✭✭✭cloud493


    The newer episodes aren't terrible, I find. Not the standard of say, 'Last Exit To Springfield' but still good.


  • Options
    #21
    iDave
    Registered Users Posts: 3,750 ✭✭✭iDave


    I'd say around 98. It wasn't awful at that stage but the slippery slope began.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    Dirty Dingus McGee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Dirty Dingus McGee


    Season 8 was the last season you could make an argument it was getting better.

    Season 9 was the first time it showed signs that the show wasn't improving but season 9 was top class overall and had some all time classic episodes like Bart Star,Simpson Tide and The Joy of Sect.

    From season 10 onwards it went downhill alot and I think I stopped watching regularly after a couple of episodes of Season 18 which was 2006/2007 and I have seen only 1 epsiode of the simpsons since then (the episoide that was a parody of 24, it may have been the 400th episode).

    The first 9 seasons were pure genius and I think the show peaked in the Mirkin and Wesinstein-Oakley years (seasons 5 - 8) were the show combined down to earth humour with loads of outlandish humour.The first 4 seasons are quite realistic.


  • Options
    #23
    EoghanIRL
    Registered Users Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭EoghanIRL


    mdwexford wrote: »
    MBB shouldn't even be described as a tv show tbh.

    Yes this .
    Mbb is just so terrible . Worse than most stuff aired on rte and that's saying something .


  • Options
    #24
    Dirty Dingus McGee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Dirty Dingus McGee


    Mackman wrote: »
    My wife is a teacher and she says all the kids love the new episodes. I think they changed what "it" is, now what's "it" is weird and scary.




    I always associated it with Brad Bird leaving in 1998. He was there from the start as an executive producer and left to join Pixar where he wrote the Incredibles and has been involved in pretty much all their movies since.


    I don't think so as Brad Bird wasn't involved in the writing of the show.It was the writing that declined and lead to the shows demise.


  • Options
    #25
    mikemac1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,395 ✭✭✭✭mikemac1


    Seasons 3-10 are some of the greatest TV ever made

    Season 11 is where is went downhill


  • Options
    #26
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,856 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    GerB40 wrote: »

    Only Fool's and Horses doesn't count because it's the greatest sitcom of all time.
    ..

    When Del and Rodney got married and actually got rich, it went to pot. Flogging a dead horse if you will.

    Think like anything.... you should get off the stage while they're still shouting for more.


  • Options
    #27
    newport2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,583 ✭✭✭newport2


    GerB40 wrote: »
    It's a shame they didn't stop when they were on top of their game. Sure people would've been pissed off at the time but if they could see the utter tripe The Simpsons have become they would change their minds.

    Fawlty towers lasted 2 or 3 seasons and John Cleese said "If they made another series and it dropped in quality it would ruin the good work they put into their previous work.

    Same with The Office (the original).

    Same with Extras

    Same with Fr Ted

    Only Fool's and Horses doesn't count because it's the greatest sitcom of all time.

    Looking at that made me realise that it seems to be a difference between UK and US.

    UK comedies (not including shít like Miranda and Mrs Brown's boys) seem to prefer quality over quantity, US comedies are the polar opposite.

    So to answer your question, I don't know exactly where it went wrong, but I think I know why it went wrong. Money/Greed and controversially, US comedy more often than not is just not as funny..

    I think that's more a sign of the times that US vs UK to be honest. All the UK examples you give are relatively old (excluding maybe Extras). Or perhaps it's down to people like Cleese or Gervais caring about their work more than money? These days though, pretty much anything that is making money will be bled until it's dry.


  • Options
    #28
    gutenberg
    Registered Users Posts: 983 ✭✭✭gutenberg


    My dad maintains that after a certain point, they should have allowed the characters to age, as a lot of the problems with the newer episodes is that they're just not credible as stories- all the episodes with Lisa's boyfriends etc.: she's 8! If they had allowed them to age they could have introduced new scenarios and story arcs. I know it would have changed the nature of it as the early seasons didn't have a narrative arc as such, but it could have addressed the decline?


  • Options
    #29
    cloud493
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,835 ✭✭✭✭cloud493


    Only fools and horses doesn't count since theres only 3 episodes after the 'they get rich' episode. Doesn't tarnish the glory of the rest.


  • Options
    #30
    Oafley Jones
    Registered Users Posts: 6,464 ✭✭✭Oafley Jones


    Before a lot of boards posters were probaby born at this stage. I mean **** it. It had a unbelievable few years and then they just beat it to death. It's so long that I'm wondering when the first of these threads existed. The slide was underway when boards.ie came online. It's that long. Can't we just let it be.

    And the reason I'm posting here... If you enjoyed those glory years, you need to check out john Swartzwelders Frank burly detective novels. If your posting here you should know what he did on the Simpsons and those books have that same humour that's been long lost on the show.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #31
    valoren
    Registered Users Posts: 5,458 ✭✭✭valoren


    Oafley Jones wrote: »
    Before a lot of boards posters were probaby born at this stage. I mean **** it. It had a unbelievable few years and then they just beat it to death. It's so long that I'm wondering when the first of these threads existed. The slide was underway when boards.ie came online. It's that long. Can't we just let it be.

    And the reason I'm posting here... If you enjoyed those glory years, you need to check out john Swartzwelders Frank burly detective novels. If your posting here you should know what he did on the Simpsons and those books have that same humour that's been long lost on the show.

    Thanks for the recommendation. Will definitely check those out.


Advertisement