The Simpsons - Who turned America's best TV show into a cartoon?

[on:]

Found this interesting article.

 http://slate.msn.com/id/2078501/

This is bad news for us Brits, we're on about Season 9 on BBC2, 10 or 11 on Sky I think. Are we about to hit the worst just as Channel 4(the terrestrial channel that shows Futurama) buys the rights to The Simpsons?

Note: I am well aware that The Simpsons has been getting worse, all you Americans here tell us that every time you mention the stupidity of FOX   

[Reply #1 on:]

Channel 4 will probably still do cuts on the Simpsons when they broadcast it next year. It probably would get complaints. BBC2 only do a few cuts like "Bastard" and in earlier seasons "bitch" but that's about it.

[Reply #2 on:]

We're on either Season 13 or 14 on Sky.  But it's difinitely been on the slide.  I think that guy hit the nail on the head when he said there aren't enough touching moments anymore.

[Reply #3 on:]

Best thing is not to watch any cartoons on C4. They only cartoon they treated right is South Park

[Reply #4 on:]

And funnily enough South Park is perhaps the most provane and violent anyway, then C4 go snip up everything else in to tiny shreds.

[Reply #5 on:]

 

Originally posted by Juliet:
Best thing is not to watch any cartoons on C4.

Isn't that a bit of a sod for Futurama fans who don't have access to Sky?

[Reply #6 on:]

 

Originally posted by PCC Fred:
 Isn't that a bit of a sod for Futurama fans who don't have access to Sky?

The thing I've never understood is that Channel Four could do an uncut version of Futurama on a Friday night.  I would imagine they'll hack the Simpsons to death when they get it, but at least they're starting with the later seasons and will hopefully show them in order.

[Reply #7 on:]

 

Originally posted by Juliet:
Best thing is not to watch any cartoons on C4.

That's probably fair advice for people with Sky. But for people like me, who only have terrestrial TV, C4 has to do for Futurama. better that they cut out some lines than we don't get to see it at all. Besides, editing means that when you buy the DVD, you get more jokes and funny lines, even before you look at the deleted scenes.

[Reply #8 on:]

   

Originally posted by Kazzahdrane:
we're on about Season 9 on BBC2, 10 or 11 on Sky I think.

Sky are showing Season 14, because there was a press release in The Sun (a tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch), which went on (surprise, surprise) about how great the new series was going to be...

Having only seen one episode from Season 14, I resolved to stay clear - the show just seemed to be lacking that sparkle that the first five seasons had.
 

[Reply #9 on:]

All this editing talk makes me think of one skit that showed the Sopranos, broadcast on PAX TV. 

Even with all the cartoonish stunts, it's still grabbing mad ratings. Sorry, but Troy McClure's right. The Simpsons will still stay on the air until ths show becomes unprofitable.

[Reply #10 on:]

Season 9! We're on season 14. Man Simpsons is losing it's touch.

[Reply #11 on:]

Good article I must say. I definately agree with the points of the show running out of ideas, and by being compared to its former self is setting very high expectations, rather than comparing it to the other shows on Fox hideous network.

Unlike shows such as Coronation Street, Eastenders et al, you can't introduce new characters in and come up with new stories for them. Centering around just one family made the potential for futhur stories limited. Ironically Futurama, being set in the future and being based around a work place rather than a family, had many more possibilities for storylines.

[Reply #12 on:]

I agree though, that seasons 9-12 are the nadir of the series. The more recent episodes are just slightly better.

[Reply #13 on:]

 

From the article:
only one person (Al Jean, the show's executive producer) chose something that happened within the past five years

 

Long-absent individuals include creators Groening and Brooks, actor Phil Hartman, and writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss

Sloppy. Doesn't this guy read what he's writing?

The article is alright, but it doesn't really do anything but regurgitate everything internet nerds have been saying for years.

 

Writer Mike Reiss admitted as much to the New York Times Magazine, conceding that "much of the humanity has leached out of the show over the years. … It hurts to watch it, even if I helped do it."

That is interesting to hear a long-time writer criticize the show. I wish I could read the whole NY Times Magazine article.

[Reply #14 on:]

That's in bad taste - "Long absent individuals include...Phil Hartman".

Surely he's dead? - or am I missing something?

[Reply #15 on:]

Yeah, he's dead. He died sometime around 1999. His last episode was Bart the mother, I believe.