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When did the Simpsons stop being good?

Kermit.de.frog

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?

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MagicIRL

I've found that the show seems to be getting more... "modern" when it comes to the episodes and what they deal with. What made The Simpson's great was the often off-the-wall scenarios and brilliant writing.

Remember when Homer finds his estranged brother, only to waste his fortune on a hideous car and bankrupt the company? Brilliant.

Or what about Frank 'Grimey' Grimes and his untimely death? What about the man, the myth, the legend; Hank Scorpio?

Oafley Jones

valoren wrote: »

Thanks for the recommendation. Will definitely check those out.

Here's the introduction of Dead Men Scare Me Stupid....

Well, they found Amelia Earhart. That’s the good news. Unfortunately, they found her in the trunk of my car. Boy, was my face red. I had a lot of explaining to do there. And after I had explained everything, they didn’t believe me! You probably won’t believe me either, come to think of it. Sometimes I wonder why I bother. It all began a few months ago. I was in the middle of a murder investigation.

“SOMEONE IN THIS STADIUM IS THE KILLER…Killer…killer,” I announced over the PA system. A mighty roar of surprise and anger went up. Everyone thought they were here for a free ball game. But there would be no double header today. Babe Ruth Jr. wasn’t here, despite what the posters promised. And they wouldn’t be seeing a race around the bases between a man and a tidal wave. Nor would the National Anthem be sung by an owl.

It was all a ruse to get them into the ballpark so I could ask them a few questions about a little murder I was working on. I’d gotten the idea for this ruse from a detective novel. I’ve always been an avid reader of detective novels. They’re full of useful tips that can help a detective like me – I mean one of my quality - do his job. I’ve always needed all the help I can get doing my job, because finding criminals is hard.

It's basically early era Homer as a detective and it's great.

cloud493

Matt Groening has spoken negatively principal and the pauper, if anyone cares to listen to the DVD commentary for the episode. Its an interesting listen.

THall04

"That 90's Show".......WORST-EPISODE-EVER!
The Simpsons had been going downhill for a few years before this piece of sh1te was broadcast , but this was the final nail in the coffin.

Earthhorse

There's a really good post over on reddit (used to be in r/simpsons, I think) that examines when the quality started to decline and why. There are multiple factors and it is around Season 8 or 9 that things start to go downhill. I like the approach he takes in the post where he kind of says it's remarkable we got that many good seasons; it's rare for a show to keep the quality going for so long.

Earthhorse

Oafley Jones wrote: »

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.

I read the first one, The Time Machine Did It, and have to say it was pretty lacklustre.

whisky_galore

cloud493 wrote: »

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.

Better to go out with a bang than a whimper.

cloud493

whisky_galore wrote: »

Better to go out with a bang than a whimper.

I prefer to think those 3 episodes just don't exist.

Hibbeler

A mate of mine that was on the dole made it his mission a few months ago to watch every single Simpsons episode in order starting from the very beginning. Took him a couple of weeks but he did it.

He reckoned that it was around season 12/13 that the quality started to slide but that in the most recent couple of seasons the quality has picked up. I've watched the two most recent seasons myself and would agree.

Beano

whenever it was that Conan O'Brien stopped writing for them.

GerB40

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

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.

In the brilliant 'behind the scenes' episode they actually called that plotline ludicrous. They knew it was shyte and in good ol' Simpsons fashion they weren't afraid to take the piss.

I was watchin a brutal episode once with a few on the lads and I remarked that it's like they got rid of all the good writers and got cheaper (and shítter) writers. Just an off the cuff remark. Turns out that's exactly what they did...

C14N

I've been ploughing through old episodes of the Simpsons for a while now and I'm up to season 11. A lot of people say that The Principal and the Pauper was the day the Simpsons died but I strongly disagree because season 9 was for the most part still very strong.

The drop in quality was a gradual thing, it wasn't like someone flicked a switch and it suddenly became what it is today, but I do think the quality did start decreasing around season 10 or 11. Thing is, at this point, it was still a good show, just not at its peak anymore. It does seem like it's just been steadily going downhill since then.

I kind of have an hypothesis that at any time from about season 20 forward, you can enjoy the first half of the series so by season 22 you can easily watch 11, by season 24 you can enjoy 12 and so on because the increasing crappiness of each subsequent season makes the older "bad" ones look relatively good.

GerB40

EoghanIRL wrote: »

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

Yet the Brits love it.. Our neighbours are an odd oul bunch sometimes.

Ricky Hatton loves D'unbelievables though so they at least some of them have a bit of class

Dr. Lollington

I remember watching the first ever episode with my sister and we were so excited we almost hugged the TV (Homer woulda been proud!). I absolutely loved it for years but it started to slip for me around the time of the Bono episode.

I find it unwatchable now and every character is almost a caricature of their former selves.
What was once the funniest TV show of all time (in my opinion), is now the most irritating.

I was never a fan of 'Friends' but must admit that the early episodes had some very funny moments and Chandelier in particular was really witty and lovable. Nowadays, that show makes my skin crawl.

Phoebe was always annoying but in the newer episodes it's like they turned up the annoying dial. They changed all of the characters completely. Chandelier is no longer funny and just fawns like a sap over Monica. She, incidentally, is the most annoying TV character of all time.

Just me here folks, I know what I'm talking about, I'm a Doctor of LoL's

Dr. Lollington

I remember watching the first ever episode with my sister and we were so excited we almost hugged the TV (Homer woulda been proud!). I absolutely loved it for years but it started to slip for me around the time of the Bono episode.

I find it unwatchable now and every character is almost a caricature of their former selves.
What was once the funniest TV show of all time (in my opinion), is now the most irritating.

I was never a fan of 'Friends' but must admit that the early episodes had some very funny moments and Chandelier in particular was really witty and lovable. Nowadays, that show makes my skin crawl.

Phoebe was always annoying but in the newer episodes it's like they turned up the annoying dial. They changed all of the characters completely. Chandelier is no longer funny and just fawns like a sap over Monica. She, incidentally, is the most annoying TV character of all time.

Trust me here folks, I know what I'm talking about, I'm a Doctor of LoL's

Generic Dreadhead

Between season 8 and 10. 8 was the last time it was at it's best, it started slipping over the course of 9 and 10. By 11 it was pretty poor. By 16 they had killed it

whisky_galore

GerB40 wrote: »

Yet the Brits love it.. Our neighbours are an odd oul bunch sometimes.

Ricky Hatton loves D'unbelievables though so they at least some of them have a bit of class

MBB is saucy seaside postcard / tabloid humour that many British and Irish seem to like, hence the ratings.
Like Marmite, you either love it or hate it.

Duggy747

That moment when the intro starts and you realise it's one of the good old episodes

Last one I saw I think was the Lady Ga Ga episode, sweet Jesus how the show falling. Homer has been turned into this thoroughly unlikeable asshole, Moe is just all about suicide, Flander's has had his love for God dialed up to a million, Lenny & Carl are just a gay joke now, etc.

Should've been brought round back and shot in the head years ago.

AndonHandon

Did the main writers move to Futurama? That is a show that has far more wit than the Simpsons.

Dots1982

The Simpsons and the wire stand out as the best TV shows I've ever seen. There are a couple of others I really like; Peep show, Generation Kill, True Detective, Extras, Cracker, middle era Love/Hate....Jeez after that I'm kind of struggling.

I thought the Simpsons was good up until the series where the first ep has Homer become a trucker. Since then I think I may have seen one or two funny episodes. The drop off has been incredible and makes you paranoid about every other show that you enjoy that it will eventually go cr*p.

Have to say though I think the Simpsons goes very unappreciated and people tend to focus on the later cr*p series rather than the absolute brilliance of the many early seasons.

cloud493

I only recently watched the critic, but thats brilliant, highly recommended viewing for people, made by some of the same guys who worked on the simpsons.

Beano

I think the problem is that people dont realise just how long the show has been running. It didnt start to go downhill until season 9 or 10. How many comedy shows even get to season 9 or 10? and how many were as good at that point as they were at the start? The only reason it is still going is because it doesnt have actors who either get bored, are afraid of being typecast or get greedy. That and being a massive cash cow.

Call Me Jimmy

DainBramage wrote: »

Once I see its the newer looking animation I flick over

This. I saw an old episode for the first time in a couple of years te other day. The old animation also had very well thought out and interesting camera angles which I never appreciated when younger. The music as well was much more prominent. Basically they used everything they could to draw you in and gave you a paddlin' out of the blue with near-perfect writing off the page.

eviltimeban

I can't remember what season it was, but when Bart gets a credit card and orders a Collie - that was a pretty unfunny episode, right up to the very end when they made the joke about the cops smoking weed.

I liked the U2 / 200th episode, that was 1998 so I suppose 98 / 99 would've been the timeframe. I agree with the other posters, Homer's personality (and even his voice) has made him totally unlikeable; he was always grounded in reality (like he's thinking what we're thinking) and the occasional outrageous scheme (like stealing the sugar or buying a snow plough). But now he's just crazy for the sake of it. As one reviewer once said, in the old episodes Homer would ride a bike into the sunset with Marge on his lap; now he's more likely to shoot her with a harpoon.

However - I caught a new episode recently, the one where Bart tries to convince his parents to have another baby so he can get a brother - and it was pretty good! It had a good story, funny moments, felt "real", and Homer wasn't too annoying.

Anyway I've switched over to Family Guy now. Some episodes are hit and miss, but generally the ones involving Stewie / Brian and some mad time travel / alternate reality story are great.

Season 4 of the Simpsons was CRAZY good. Probably one of the best seasons of any TV show. And I guess the same can be said for Season 5.

Generic Dreadhead

Dots1982 wrote: »

Have to say though I think the Simpsons goes very unappreciated and people tend to focus on the later cr*p series rather than the absolute brilliance of the many early seasons.

Shenanigans on this

Birneybau

Dr. Lollington wrote: »

I remember watching the first ever episode with my sister and we were so excited we almost hugged the TV (Homer woulda been proud!). I absolutely loved it for years but it started to slip for me around the time of the Bono episode.

I find it unwatchable now and every character is almost a caricature of their former selves.
What was once the funniest TV show of all time (in my opinion), is now the most irritating.

I was never a fan of 'Friends' but must admit that the early episodes had some very funny moments and Chandelier in particular was really witty and lovable. Nowadays, that show makes my skin crawl.

Phoebe was always annoying but in the newer episodes it's like they turned up the annoying dial. They changed all of the characters completely. Chandelier is no longer funny and just fawns like a sap over Monica. She, incidentally, is the most annoying TV character of all time.

Just me here folks, I know what I'm talking about, I'm a Doctor of LoL's

Always just hanging around.

Dots1982

Cormac... wrote: »

Shenanigans on this

When you speak to people about their favourite tv shows it rarely gets a mention. Had it been cancelled when it was good, it would have being totally different and would be mentioned as the greatest tv show at all time. This approach doesn't really make sense as the cr*pness of the later series shouldn't in theory detract from the excellence of the earlier stuff but it seems to do, therefore I would say it is underappreciated.

Shane St.

U should always leave them wanting more than wanting you off the air. Should have ended it years ago

Generic Dreadhead

Dots1982 wrote: »

When you speak to people about their favourite tv shows it rarely gets a mention. Had it been cancelled when it was good, it would have being totally different and would be mentioned as the greatest tv show at all time. This approach doesn't really make sense as the cr*pness of the later series shouldn't in theory detract from the excellence of the earlier stuff but it seems to do, therefore I would say it is underappreciated.

You're wrong there. Cause if you're asking what is your favourite show and people answer The Simpsons, thats encompassing all of it. Are you expecting the answer "The Simpsons back when it was good"? Cause if so, it's not anyones favourite show now (it might have been 15 years ago), people will more likely answer with something that they think hasn't quiet go ten crap yet like South Park or Game of Thrones or whatever. It not being anyones favourite show currently is no ones fault but the writers and directors of the company. It still doesn't mean the earlier series were not great. If they stopped at season 11. It would be peoples favourite show currently.

The Strawman Argument

Mackman wrote: »

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.

Left to do the Iron Giant, no?

Anyways, here's my breakdown:
Season 7 onwards: Numerous writers gradually leaving. I'll specifically focus on Greg Daniels who went on to head King of the Hill, the Office and Parks & Rec, three fantastic comedies that were able to get by quite easily for a long while due to having such fantastic little worlds of their own (Arlen and Pawnee in particular are the two closest to a Springfield that I can think of from any shows ever). Also, unsure whether it was totally the writers or also the animators, but the Simpsons up until about season 7 was jam packed with some really funny visuals, it's gradually became more and more joke based.
Season 8: Mike Scully becoming showrunner and changing the whole writer's room process so that they weren't spending literally every free second of their lives writing it
All over the place: The movement of time making it impossible for the Simpsons family (blue collar baby boomers?) to be able to maintain their world as they became further and further off from what a real life family with kids those ages would be like