Does anyone still watch The Simpsons?

kylith · 05-12-2015 07:24PM

I used to make a point to watch it. Now I actively avoid it.

johnsheridan · 05-12-2015 07:42PM

I stopped watching it years ago myself. Not because I thought it had entered decline or anything like that. But just because I got very bored of it. I think everything has a shelf-life, and maybe the Simpsons ran past its course.

eviltimeban · 05-12-2015 07:53PM

There's some episodes in series 4 - 6 that rate as some of the finest TV episodes ever, of any genre.

Anything now is just "Jerk-Ass Homer": http://www.nohomers.net/showthread.php?87145-The-Birth-of-Jerk-Ass-Homer

Zebra3 · 05-12-2015 08:11PM

Ruu wrote: »

Seasons 1-12 but only the odd time.

First couple of seasons were cack.

It was only when they started to make Homer the main event instead of Bart that it really took off.

lazybones32 · 05-12-2015 08:59PM

I like to watch the earlier seasons but the newer ones aren't worth it. That said, the Treehouse of Horror episodes can be good but I can't remember which was the last one I saw. I liked the 28 Days later spoof and the one that had D Radcliffe in it.

JackieBauer · 05-12-2015 09:02PM

It was more 'magical' when you were a kid in the 90s

mikeym · 05-12-2015 09:14PM

Ive been watching the new episodes on Sky and some shows are average and some are poor.

The Celebrity Appearances over the last few seasons killed the shows popularity.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 05-12-2015 09:27PM

JackieBauer wrote: »

It was more 'magical' when you were a kid in the 90s

Nah.

The Simpsons can only be fully appreciated by adults.It's enjoyable for kids as it's a cartoon but most of the jokes would go way over their heads.

I only started too fully appreciate it from age 17 or 18 onwards.

KungPao · 05-12-2015 09:28PM

I can't stand The Zombie Simpsons. Classic Simpsons, however, was pure gold. Arguably the best TV programme ever.

jamesbere · 05-12-2015 09:32PM

KungPao wrote: »

I can't stand The Zombie Simpsons. Classic Simpsons, however, was pure gold. Arguably the best TV programme ever.

I love the Simpsons but I'd hardly call it the best TV programme ever. There have been some great episodes and great characters and one liners

kowloon · 05-12-2015 09:33PM

Testament1 wrote: »

South Park is the only one of the old guard of animated comedy that can still pull it off but even that's very hit and miss over the last few seasons.

The current season is excellent.

BenedrylPete · 05-12-2015 09:38PM

can we get a post mortem.

when and why.

location/episode of last known proper laughs.

(ps - the simpsons movie was pretty good, filled with lulz)

Lithium93_ · 05-12-2015 09:50PM

Seasons 1-12 = CLASSICS, Season 13 onwards, not so much.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 05-12-2015 10:39PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

First couple of seasons were cack.

It was only when they started to make Homer the main event instead of Bart that it really took off.

The first season isn't brilliant as it was only finding it's feet but the second season is excellent and has a number of classic episodes.

MilesMorales1 · 05-12-2015 10:58PM

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

CINCLANTFLT · 06-12-2015 12:56AM

I think when they killed off Bart it was making some attempt to shake things up... However as the season had gone on, I think it was a mistake. Ralph as a Simpson was funny for about 5 minutes I guess...

Arne_Saknussem · 06-12-2015 01:13AM

jamesbere wrote: »

I love the Simpsons but I'd hardly call it the best TV programme ever. There have been some great episodes and great characters and one liners

Seasons 3-8 as a run are up there with the best television ever screened. It was so far ahead of the competition at the time it's hard to relate it to someone who wasn't around at the time.

There's a reason South Park came up with the 'Simpson's did it!' line.

Ally Dick · 06-12-2015 01:16AM

Shows used to be simpler - Santa's Little Helper chewing everything, Bart goes missing down the well, When Homer met Marge etc. I think that tied in with when Conan O'Brien worked on the show. Once he left, they seemed to go for zany "too clever" stories. At that point I switched off

Azalea · 06-12-2015 01:18AM

jamesbere wrote: »

I love the Simpsons but I'd hardly call it the best TV programme ever. There have been some great episodes and great characters and one liners

Of course it's just a matter of opinion, but I think there is more than enough cause to consider The Simpsons between 1991 and 2000 (and occasional episodes after that) the best TV comedy ever. It's that funny, super-intelligent, sharp, incisive, satirical - from gentle to downright biting, topical, and while black-humoured, also incredibly warm-hearted (even moving - some very genuine, tender family moments) as well as self deprecating. There's silly, slapstick humour too, which is just as hilarious. It has something for everyone.

It's so bad now though, that it's the kinda thing The Simpsons itself would have taken the piss out of 20 years ago.

KungPao · 06-12-2015 02:41AM

Ally Dick wrote: »

Shows used to be simpler - Santa's Little Helper chewing everything, Bart goes missing down the well, When Homer met Marge etc. I think that tied in with when Conan O'Brien worked on the show. Once he left, they seemed to go for zany "too clever" stories. At that point I switched off

I'm quite tired of this bull****. Conan was not some genius dude who was the beating heart of the classic Simpsons. He was a writer (among many) for a couple of years, tops.

The 'reason' for the Simpsons gradually falling apart is fairly complicated and long-winded...

Writers leaving (not just Conan...many others), complacency perhaps, ideas drying up, voice actors getting old and not sounding the same, voice actors (now filthy, filthy rich) phoning in the performances, Phil Hartman dying, other cartoons getting in there first with pop culture references, and so many other reasons.

Conan bloody O' Brien leaving had very, very little do with anything.

dublinman1990 · 06-12-2015 02:49AM

Yeah I do watch The Simpsons sometimes but it's only the older episodes for the majority of the time. Some of the newer episodes I watch are on Channel 4 sometimes but they also aren't on very often.

I agree that there is quite a noticeable drop in the quality in the show's writing. Most of the newer episodes I watch now don't tend to be as memorable as the older episodes as they can become forgotten about very quickly.

I like the Treehouse of Horror episodes though as I think they are the best of the current lot of episodes.

KungPao · 06-12-2015 02:52AM

Arne_Saknussem wrote: »

Seasons 3-8 as a run are up there with the best television ever screened. It was so far ahead of the competition at the time it's hard to relate it to someone who wasn't around at the time.

There's a reason South Park came up with the 'Simpson's did it!' line.

I agree.

But Season 2 is great stuff too, proper classics on there. Even Season 1 has some good 'uns.

1 & 2 are very underrated.

brummytom · 06-12-2015 04:37AM

I still watch the new episodes every now and then on Sky. They're not up there with the episodes from around 93-99ish, but they're a million times more watchable than the shíte on E4.

On a side note, I've never found him particularly funny on his own, but since finding out Conan O'Brien wrote the 'homer goes to college' and Monorail episodes, he's now a God to me.

Billy86 · 06-12-2015 04:56AM

mikeym wrote: »

Ive been watching the new episodes on Sky and some shows are average and some are poor.

The Celebrity Appearances over the last few seasons killed the shows popularity.

What's a real shame is that the celebrity appearances have turned into celebrity cameos over the last 15 years or so. They make such a big deal over having mostly flash-in-the-pan celebrities on and center everything around them. Whatever happened to Dustin Hoffman playing Lisa's substitute teacher (I only found out it was him a few years ago, hadn't seen that one since I was a kid), or even Michael Jackson at the peak of his powers... playing a mental patient who thinks he is Michael Jackson! :pac:

Compare that to, say, this sh!te. This for me was the moment the Simpsons reinvented 'jumping the shark' (something they had already done a long time beforehand)...

Billy86 · 06-12-2015 05:01AM

jamesbere wrote: »

I love the Simpsons but I'd hardly call it the best TV programme ever. There have been some great episodes and great characters and one liners

It's actually right up there, most film/media college programs cover it (often pretty extensively). With the 'golden age of TV' it might have been knocked back a little, but then again the likes of it (and the X-Files) played a huge role in ushering that 'golden era' in. It's also easily one of the very most influential ever.

JupiterKid · 06-12-2015 06:56AM

The Simpsons was at at its best between c.1992 and 2005. Since then, it's become tired and derivative. They should retire the show ASAP.

Ciderswigger · 06-12-2015 07:07AM

KungPao wrote: »

I'm quite tired of this bull****. Conan was not some genius dude who was the beating heart of the classic Simpsons.....Conan bloody O' Brien leaving had very, very little do with anything.

Don't have a cow, man.

crazygeryy · 06-12-2015 07:47AM

No its ****e time to put it out of its misery and take that Dental plan thread with it.

pickarooney · 06-12-2015 08:32AM

What were the ten best episodes of The Simpsons?

whisky_galore · 06-12-2015 10:10AM

It was once cute and funny like a Minions meme, now it's annoying and tired, like the aforementioned meme.

Does anyone still watch The Simpsons?

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