Are the Simpsons showing signs of wear?

[trekkie1701E]

Now ... I love THE SIMPSONS. Some of the things I look forward to most every weekday are the three airings on UPN . And I'm looking forward with "much" anticipation to their Father's Day marathon!

But lately, actually for a few years now, THE SIMPSONS have been slipping. Don't get me wrong -- I still love the show. And a very funny new episode does air every now & then. But, there aren't any more "consistantly" funny episodes. And none of the storylines seem nearly as consistant as in the past. Take the one where Ned dates a movie star. Now, I know the animators try their best & I commend them for it; but the fact is, this is a terrible episode! Same with the season finale: aside from a couple of funny jokes, it just wasn't good.

What do y'all think?

[Luke]

I think over the last few years the writing has defintely gone down. U know why ? Cos many of the writers and producers they took on years ago have exhausted their creativity as to what the Simpsons can/should do so the storylines aren't as good usually, but they obviously want to hang onto their jobs so their is little room for fresh writing talent.

I think if they were to get a lot of fresh younger up and coming writers in and had them work from scratch it could be very entertaining again. I don't think the viewers are that tired of the show.

[Boober_Gorg]

:) I KNEW someone agreed with me! Like SNL, The Simpsons is just begging for laughs these days. And hardcore fans don't care, because they want to see as many new seasons as they can. :rolleyes: Thank goodness for South Park.

[Erine81981]

I have the first two season on DVD and I think that all season are ok but the best ones are the first 3. I love the simpsons but yeah there kind of going down hill. I've heard they'll do movies of the simpsons when there tired of the show. So hoping they do good with the movies. There is one episode I saw about PBS. Its where Homer calls in to pay for the sign thing (Whatever) and so he ends up getting chaced by a couple of the Sesame Street and Teleatubs. It was pretty funny.

[CraigD]

I don't think The Simpsons has slipped at all really. I will agree that some of the plotlines are a little lamer at times than in the past, but I think the show is still consistently funny. I think it's more of the case that some people have tired of the show and just simply don't find it as funny or as fresh as it used to be.

You take away all the past episodes of the show and look at the current season as if it was the first, and it would still be funnier than most things on television today.

[King Prawn]

I love the Simpsons but the only problem i think they have about from the storylines which seem to be a bit lame at times is that they were based on reality, unless it was one of the annual Tree House of Horror episodes they always used to give the impression of the show being like a real human show but with cartoons, at the beginning you'd never catch Marge with super powers or Homer finding a magic lamp but latley the things they do, an example which comes to mind is Homer fighting with a guy using Motorcycles instead of swords. I loved that i could think that everything that happened in an episode could happen in real life but i can't think like that anymore.

The storylines aren't that bad it's just the way that they end.

eg. Homer and Marge are going to be exicuted, then it was all just a reality show

Homer & Bart accusing Willie of stealing their car, then it ends with a simple explanation that Marge & Lisa were teaching them a lesson

I think if they kept the storylines believable and not have Sesame Street characters chasing Homer through the street and didn't end the episode with a stupid explanation then it could easily return to the way it was.

[Buck-Beaver]

I think the interesting thing is that the Simpson is an old show (what are we in, Season 13 now?) that's done three hundred+ episodes and often the creative well is running dry. Do you know why I love the Simpsons? Because the writers know all this and make fun of it (Comic Book guy anyone?).

I agree that the writing isn't as on the mark as it used to be (and it's the writers that drive the show, not the animators) and I'm amazed to discover after all the years I don't mind missing the odd show, but for my money the Simpsons is still one of the best(if not the best) show on TV. I think it would be hard for anyone to keep turning out original material after all this time, but they keep going. The show seems to go in cycles, up for awhile and then down again. The quality is also still much more consistant than alot of shows (that's why everyone enjoys the reruns over and over again).

BTW, I'm curious to know what everyone South of the Border thought about the season finale? Everyone in Canada was amazed by it (it was a pretty powerful - and unpopular - message) and it got a bit of press up here.

Oh, and there was a great joke in the paper.....someone was listing off the "top ten" potential TV shows the Ontario Government could put on it's own cable channel. The list included:

#10 - The Simpsons (why not, it's on every other friggin' channel)

:p

[Buck-Beaver]

Originally posted by King Prawn
The storylines aren't that bad it's just the way that they end.
Yeah, I think sometimes the writers don't have a real ending so they just talk on something rediculous and then make fun of the fact they are doing it. It's kind of a cop-out.

[trekkie1701E]

I don't think The Simpsons has slipped at all really. I will agree that some of the plotlines are a little lamer at times than in the past, but I think the show is still consistently funny. I think it's more of the case that some people have tired of the show and just simply don't find it as funny or as fresh as it used to be
I absolutely love the old re-runs. But these newer episodes ... when you compare them with the older ones, the quality of writing has gone waaaaaaaaaaay downhill (The recent episode in which Ned dates a movie star has to be the worst one since all of season 1 :) ). The majority of the episodes have a very "un-evenness" to them, and the jokes (75% of which aren't even funny) seem forced and wreak of desperation, rather than seeming natural and, as a result, funny.

Anyone who laughed at that Tickle Me Elmo thing is very easily amused.

Probably thinks that DOWN TO EARTH w/Chris Rock is funny, too LOL :halo:

[King Prawn]

Originally posted by Buck-Beaver
Yeah, I think sometimes the writers don't have a real ending so they just talk on something rediculous and then make fun of the fact they are doing it. It's kind of a cop-out.

yes i good example of this where the writers themselves make fun of the ending is the episode i was talking about before in which Homer & Bart start conning people and are then conned themselves, at the end of it all Marge & Lisa were simply playing a practical joke on them, Homer then asks how come the police, the judge and everybody there went along with it instead of carrying on with their jobs (well something like that) then Lisa says there's a very simple explanation and then Otto (I think) runs in saying surfs up or something and the next thing you know everybody's surfing.

Now the new episodes to still have plenty of laughs, today for example i was watching an episode where Himer was playing basket ball and breaks his Knee (The one where he then runs a day care center) then Dr. Hibbert gives him the bill and Homer trying to get out of it says "A BEAR!" everyone looks to the side, whilst Homer tries to run for it except he falls to the ground and breaks his knee again, anyway everybodie's looking at them and then a bear comes up and stands next to Dr. Hibbert. That for me was so funny and i think that that episode was one of the newer ones (Season 11 or 12).

[trekkie1701E]

Not all of the new ones are bad, just the majority of them.

The one where Lisa goes to college is hilarious; definately one of the best.

[ScottMonster]

Originally posted by Boober_Gorg Like SNL, The Simpsons is just begging for laughs these days

And we all know why that is, right?:D Make no mistake: SNL needs to bring back Scred, Ploobis, The Mighty Favog and all the other "Land Of Gorch" Muppets - 'nuff said!

[Erine81981]

I would agree with everybody. I like the Simpsons. I haven't watched them in so long (since I get the dish) I still have cable I just don't watch them but every now an then I'll watch'em. I can't wait for the 3th season comes out. DVD.

[King Prawn]

Originally posted by Erine81981
I can't wait for the 3th season comes out. DVD.

I know me neither but they take so long to release them, we got Season 1 in September 2001 and now come August 2003 will still be on Season 3, although if they were to come out sooner with all the Muppet Stuff i'm buying i probably wouldn't be able to get them as soon as they came out.

[Beakie]

I don't really think The Simpsons is the funniest show on tv anymore, I don't think there are any funny shows on anymore.. Of course, I don't have cable.

The last Simpsons episode that I really liked was in season 8, and the last whole season that I thought was mostly good was season 7. And now they just finished season 14 (which I thought was by far the worst yet).

Lame plots, the same plots over and over again, cop-out endings, too many guest stars who don't really do anything interesting, characters acting out-of-character and losing their uniqueness, good characters disappearing while boring characters that no one likes are focused on more, too much South-Park-style disgusting humor, too many Family-Guy-style ridiculous things happening (not that I don't like those shows, but why is The Simpsons suddenly trying to be just like them), too much singing, too much making fun of itself, too many stupid jokes that make no sense, *rambles on for hours*. It's obviously changed a lot from how it used to be... if you took away all past episodes and the newer ones were the first, I probably wouldn't have ever watched more than one episode.

Just my opinion.

[trekkie1701E]

I don't think there are any funny shows on anymore..
Not even THAT 70'S SHOW? :crazy:

[frogboy4]

To be honest, I'm not an avid Simpsons fan, but I do catch about a third of the shows every season. Simpsons has always been hit or miss, but they're still funny. They've had some rough patches, but that's to be expected after so many seasons. What's great about the show is that the whole tone has matured through time, but it still has remained true. It's just that the show periodically runs out of steam and then finds a new spark. Many predicted the show's death a few seasons in and then it got better. I think their peak is over, but it's one of the highest quality shows on television - ever. It has ten times more laughs and gags per minute than Seinfeld. I'm amazed it still has such momentum. I hope they eventually make it an even two decades. That might not be likely, but if any show deserves it, they do.

[trekkie1701E]

Hey, with their new contract, they'll already pass up OZZIE & HARRIETT as the longest running comedy on television. That in itself is an honor!

[Beakie]

oh yeah, almost forgot about That 70's Show. I don't think the newer episodes of that are as funny as they used to be either, but still, I kinda prefer it to the Simpsons :smirk: though I know a lot of people hate it, for some reason..

[homerthegreat]

Has anyone noticed that all the greatest Simpsons eps are written by the same guy? The great John Swartzwelder? Let's see, he's written:

Krusty Gets Kancelled (the Gabbo one)
Homer the Great :) (the Stonecutter one)
Homer's Enemy (the Frank Grimes one)
The Catridge Family (when Homer gets a gun)

Aren't those great episodes?

Oh, about the "Simpsons losing their flare," sure they are, but remember: they've been on air for over 16 years! Many thought it would last past season 3!

[Rowlf's Roadie]

Well, ask anyone and they'll tell you, "The Simpsons have done everything."

SNL's a whole different story. They just got too confident in their own supposed talent.

[JaniceFerSure]

I can't wait 'til the next Treehouse episode comes out.:crazy:

[homerthegreat]

It's almost here...I can't wait! The THOH episodes are always the best. (:

[Dantecat]

What's THOh Just Mean :confused:

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

Treehouse of Horror. ;)
Erin

[Luke]

They've just announced the Simpsons are ending - in 2008/9 i think.

[AndyWan Kenobi]

They've just announced the Simpsons are ending - in 2008/9 i think.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! :eek:

[Boober_Gorg]

Should've ended 2 years ago. :smirk:

[Whatever]

I never watch the Simpsons. *looks around for safe hiding place*

[Luke]

Yeah i think it went stale long ago and really went down further two or three years ago. They should have switched it to a yearly movie or something then. I was actually surprised they're gonna give it another five years.

[homerthegreat]

They actually announced it...?

[Luke]

http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_1126674.html

[Stryder Wolfe]

wow...well, that's stil a long time. and yeah, the simpsons isn't as funny now as in their heyday, but they've still got a lot left in them. I mean, we could be watching "caroline in the city" instead...

[Luke]

I'm not sure but i think Groening is now denying he said specifically that the show is ending and that the newspaper drew those conclusions from his comments. He certainly seemed to be implying it though.