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Author Topic: The Simpsons still cool?  (Read 6850 times)
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PEE Poll: The Simpsons still cool?
I love it despite the Scully era   -17 (32.1%)
I love it but not the Scully era   -13 (24.5%)
I like it despite the Scully era   -1 (1.9%)
I like it but not the Scully era   -2 (3.8%)
It's okay. Better than anything else, anyway   -3 (5.7%)
I like the Scully era for some reason   -1 (1.9%)
I don't really like it   -7 (13.2%)
I hate it because I'm crazy   -2 (3.8%)
"The Simpsons"? What the hell is THAT??   -1 (1.9%)
I have no opinion but I like to vote   -6 (11.3%)
Total Members Voted: 53

Shadowstar

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #160 on: 11-13-2003 16:13 »
« Last Edit on: 11-13-2003 16:13 »

With no Futurama, there's nothing left worth watching on FOX. Except "Simpsons." Whatchu talkin' bout, ComedyBee? Season 2 would kick Season 14's ass if they were living breathing organisms whose strength relied on how good the episodes were!
Awww yeah, TOTP Dance!   :sleep:  ...or sleep.
Beamer

DOOP Secretary
*
« Reply #161 on: 11-13-2003 20:46 »

I just saw Moe Baby Blues a few days ago, and I have to admit it was better than I expected. It had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, and the character development betweeen Maggie and Moe, 2 underused characters, was just plain sweet. Even though it had some crappy "new Simpsons" style jokes, I think it was good enough to keep it's head above water, although it still doesn't make up for the 19-or-so shit episodes that Season 14 has produced. Still, if Season 15 has more episodes like this, it might be something to look forward to (because I have spent the past 3 years just DREADING the upcoming seasons).
PCC Fred

Space Pope
****
« Reply #162 on: 11-13-2003 21:14 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Shadowstar:With no Futurama, there's nothing left worth watching on FOX.  Except "Simpsons."

In other words, with no Futurama, there's nothing left worth watching on FOX.

Which means I'm free!  :)
CyberKnight

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #163 on: 11-13-2003 21:27 »

But you don't get FOX. You live in Wales.  :p

A quick question : do the same people do the musical direction on the show as in the earlier seasons? I feel this is another area in which the show has suffered slightly, not so much in the songs (of which there are fewer) but in the instrumental music, which I think is being used to less effective means.
PCC Fred

Space Pope
****
« Reply #164 on: 11-13-2003 21:29 »
« Last Edit on: 11-13-2003 21:29 »

My point remains valid.  Now Futurama's ended, there's no FOX show I want to watch.  Except maybe the O'Reilly Factor.  So, so funny...

Incidentally, in Wales Futurama aired on S4C, the Welsh language channel...
DotheBartman

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #165 on: 11-14-2003 01:36 »

Cyber:  Al Clausen does the music now, just as he has done since season 2.  During the Scully era I think they used less of him, but Jean has made better use of music I think.  The lamer moments in the music might just be a result of lame writing moments (you can't do much music wise with a bad script or bad scripting of a scene), as opposed to any kind of decline in Alf Clausen's greatness.
CyberKnight

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #166 on: 11-14-2003 08:30 »

Thanks, DtB.  :)

Just popped into town today and picked up my S3 DVDs. I'm pleasantly suprised just how many episodes I regard as "classic" are in this set. I think only S4 tops it.

However, I have one quibble. The producers have regularly said that the DVDs are delayed because they're spending time on the current show, which I could understand if it were one of the earlier seasons. But I think it's good for them to be watching the earlier episodes, just to go back and  see what made the show so popular in the first place.

Of course, my suggestion for the show (which, I'll admit, is slightly extreme), would be to put the show on hiatus (the real meaning of hiatus, not the FOX definition) for a year, just to catch up and collect a lot of good plots. One of the things I feel happens at the moment is you get a few really good moments, but they tend to be diluted (this is a problem which plagues other shows, especially Star Trek, as well).

Of course, if Season 15 turns out well, I'll probably be mincing my words.  :p
User_names_suck
Professor
*
« Reply #167 on: 11-14-2003 17:53 »

well they've wathced season 3. I Think they realise its different, but jean does say, its really hard to come up with simple stories now.

even though simpsons has declined i'd still prefer it to go on, i dont think it ruins previous episodes for me like it might in live action. also, i find it hard to imagine life without simpsons, i was born the same year as the shorts on the tracey ullman show.
Evil Fox Exec

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #168 on: 11-14-2003 18:22 »

I think it'd be good to let The Simpsons go on a temporary hiatus as well.  That might also give them the opportunity  and plenty of time to hire better writers.
CyberKnight

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #169 on: 11-14-2003 18:31 »
« Last Edit on: 11-14-2003 18:31 »

Oh, I don't think it's quite reached the stage yet where it needs to be totally cancelled.

But I feel the mark of a truly great show (and not just a great show) is knowing when to exit the stage. TNG (and, I'm guessing DS9 fans would argue, DS9   ;)) both ended after 7 seasons, despite their ratings remaining strong, because the writers and producers made a concious decision to do so. Voyager, on the other hand, just kept going and going and basically didn't know when to quit, and for the last couple of seasons it certainly felt like they were gasping for the last episodes.

I'd just hate for The Simpsons to go down as the show that really didn't know when to stop. Now that I know a little more about Jean I've certainly got higher hopes for the next seasons; who knows, we could just be experiencing a blip in quality, as others have said. "Moe Baby Blues" was a fair enough episode. They just need to squeeze in a few more jokes per episode that don't rely on toilet/sexual humour.

Personally I think they need to include Maggie a bit more in the show, especially her relationship with her siblings. We're pretty up to speed on Homer/Bart, Homer/Lisa, Marge/Bart, Marge/Lisa, Marge/Maggie and Homer/Maggie, but there hasn't really been an episode dealing with how Lisa and Bart respond to their younger sister. We got a few  interactions in the earlier seasons (mostly I'm thinking of "Seperate Vocations" and "Homer Defined" (HD is rapidly becoming one of my firm favourites, by the way   ;))). I'm not suggesting an entire season devoted to Maggie, or even an entire episode, necessarily, but I think one of the show's weak points during the latter seasons is the ignorance of her. It would certainly be a writing achievement to make an episode revolving around a silent character work (I think "A Streetcar Named Marge" did a pretty good job of this, with the B plot, actually).

Obviously it's not going to solve the shows problems overnight simply by reintegrating an overlooked character, but I think it might help. Another thing I rather like about the earlier seasons is the way that a small part of the first act is sometimes totally unconnected with the rest of the plot (namely the parodies we talked about before). I think these were fun and they tended to set the pace of the episode, so I miss them.

As for "wackiness", personally I feel it should be restricted purely to dreams/fantasy. In fact, maybe the entire of S10-13 should be declared a dream   :p). My personal threshold for how wacky something should be allowed to be before going too far in the Simpsons "reality" is this: if it's possible to do it, given enough money, then it can probably remain (for example, the National Fatherhood Institute in "Saturdays of Thunder" is entirely implausible, but given enough money you could do it), but if it's physically impossible (like, say, Homer being eviscarated by a racoon *shudder*), then I feel it doesn't belong.

Finally, as I've said, I do appreciate that Jean is trying to bring the show back to more familiar (no pun intended   ;)) grounds, and I think he is succeeding. Certainly the plots of S14 were much less outlandish than those of S13. All he needs to do now is start filling the episodes with a bit more humour, in my opinion.

PCC Fred

Space Pope
****
« Reply #170 on: 11-14-2003 18:39 »

The problem I find with later episodes is that the Simpsons themselves don't seem to function like a normal family anymore.  Remember when Homer had a job, and Bart and Lisa went to school?

Now it seems every episode starts with them deciding to go to the next new place opening in Springifeld, along with half the town's inhabitants.  And so begins another by the numbers, over-wacky misadventure...
winna

Avatar Czar
DOOP Ubersecretary
**
« Reply #171 on: 11-14-2003 18:57 »

yeah... What happened to Homer having a job (I remember a joke about that on the Simpsons)... I like how they reference jokes about themselves, but it becomes almost apparent that the jokes have more meaning then we might let on....  ;)
PCC Fred

Space Pope
****
« Reply #172 on: 11-14-2003 19:00 »
« Last Edit on: 11-14-2003 19:00 »

Well I don't like them making jokes about themselves like that.  It's like the writers are saying "Yeah, we know the stories are crap, but you don't see US doing anything about it."
User_names_suck
Professor
*
« Reply #173 on: 11-15-2003 11:09 »

I've come to a decison, that the simpsons should go on long enough for john swartzwelder to write 100 episodes, he's up to about 65 at the moment just another 9 seasons should do it
DotheBartman

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #174 on: 11-15-2003 20:08 »

Regarding Maggie, they are actually using her a lot more now.  Even Moe Baby Blues aside, practically every episode of season 14 had at least one Maggie related joke, whereas she was pretty much just a prop during the Scully era.  I agree they should try to do some more concrete things with her (and in fact one upcoming subplot puts a lot of focus on her), but its an aspect of the show that has been clearly improving.

As for meta-refs, they're done way too much nowadays, but I don't think meta-refs themselves are a sign of laziness.  They've been making them since season one (plus, check out season 5 as another example of a season that has way too many of them), and even Futurama had a bunch.
PCC Fred

Space Pope
****
« Reply #175 on: 11-15-2003 20:12 »

The worst one from Futurama is the Bender storyline in "300 Big Boys".
Carbito

Starship Captain
****
« Reply #176 on: 11-16-2003 06:15 »

The Simpsons will always be cool.
User_names_suck
Professor
*
« Reply #177 on: 11-16-2003 09:25 »

regarding structure and b storys
the reason, it got to a point where you have like a 5 minute, pretty irrerlevant story that eventually ties, into the main plot is due to time, according to al jean fox added more commercials so it cut the runtime of the show, so the irrelervant 5 minutes is the substitute for that,so i dont think its something about the show to pick on. And by the way they had done it before, such as in the episode radio bart, in fact a lot of shows under jean and reiss seemed to have that kind of almost irrelervant opening
Teesside Inc

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #178 on: 11-16-2003 11:54 »

The new season of The Simpsons stast today at 6:30pm on Sky One.
User_names_suck
Professor
*
« Reply #179 on: 11-16-2003 14:08 »

yeah i said that but forgot about the 6:30pm part
J.P. Diddy Wow

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #180 on: 11-20-2003 19:06 »

Need proof that the Simpsons are still good watch the newest episode "The President Wore Pearls"
leelaholic

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #181 on: 11-21-2003 08:37 »
« Last Edit on: 11-21-2003 08:37 »

TPWP was definitely excellent   :D I mean, that "Skinner's Plan" song was downright catchy.

Skinner:
I'm so happy with my evil plan.
Say goodbye to Music, Gym, and Art.
Soon we'll have a perfect school
where fun and excitment never start


Willie:
I'm so drunk I can barely see
but it helps me through another day.
My stomach is full of haggis and hurt.
I have to go puke in the hay.


Bart:
Lisa is a fool!

Skinner:
I think that rules are cool!

Willie:
I've fallen in the pool!

  :laff:   :laff:   :laff:

I think that this just may replace "You can't stop The Simpsons" from Gump Roast as my favorite song in the show! Both are excellent, though.   ;)
JRay

Delivery Boy
**
« Reply #182 on: 11-25-2003 15:35 »

The show is improving steadily from the middle of season 14 and as long as it continues to improve I will continue to watch it.
winna

Avatar Czar
DOOP Ubersecretary
**
« Reply #183 on: 11-25-2003 16:41 »

Another Simpsons referencing themselves joke was in the latest UK Simpsons episode.

Moe: "How much for Bart to prankcall me?  That would be so hilarious!"  <----It went something like that, I posted it verbatim in the other Simpsons thread (season 15).....
Teesside Inc

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #184 on: 11-26-2003 08:17 »
« Last Edit on: 11-26-2003 08:17 »

Why they call Lisa Simpson a Annoying PC Thug, what is a PC Thug?

  :confused:
CyberKnight

Urban Legend
***
« Reply #185 on: 11-26-2003 08:23 »

PC Thug = Politically Correct thug; i.e. someone who continually harps on about everything and how unfair it is.
Teesside Inc

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #186 on: 11-27-2003 12:06 »
« Last Edit on: 11-27-2003 12:06 »

Any why Marge Simpson nags alot?

  :confused:
The Comedy Bee

Delivery Boy
**
« Reply #187 on: 11-27-2003 12:25 »

The great thing about The Simpsons is that it's constantly changing. the early episodes had better stories and were more emotional but they could'n't have kept that up for 15 seasons so the show began to take itself less seriously and concentrate on the jokes.
Plutonia

Crustacean
*
« Reply #188 on: 11-27-2003 12:38 »

I  liked it  the fist eight  seasons, but after that, the show started to go downhill. 
Teesside Inc

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #189 on: 11-27-2003 15:59 »

The Simpsons was great juring the Groening era and now gone downhill juring Scully and Jean era.
User_names_suck
Professor
*
« Reply #190 on: 11-27-2003 16:42 »
« Last Edit on: 11-27-2003 16:42 »

It wasn't just Groeing era
1-2 was the Matt Groening, Sam Simon and Jim Brooks era
3-4 was the Al Jean and Mike Reiss era
5-6 was David Mirkin
7-8 was Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstien
9-12 was Mike Scully era
and 13 and onwards has been Al jean again

does anyone now how they employ writers, is it the decison of the showrunners are they just dumped in by fox or what
DotheBartman

Liquid Emperor
**
« Reply #191 on: 11-28-2003 00:09 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by User_names_suck:
It wasn't just Groeing era
1-2 was the Matt Groening, Sam Simon and Jim Brooks era
3-4 was the Al Jean and Mike Reiss era
5-6 was David Mirkin
7-8 was Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstien
9-12 was Mike Scully era
and 13 and onwards has been Al jean again

does anyone now how they employ writers, is it the decison of the showrunners are they just dumped in by fox or what

A lot of writers leave to work on other projects, or to take a break from writing, or whatever.  Some come back as well.

But yes, there really wasn't a true "Groening era".  He hasn't had much to do with The Simpsons since season three or so, and in fact Sam Simon was apparently the main man running the show in the first two seasons.


User_names_suck
Professor
*
« Reply #192 on: 11-28-2003 15:56 »

i know its just teeside inc made a statment
as if he was actually saying something of any value (no offence) and so i just wanted to point that out.

according to mike reiss jim brooks was quite valuable as well, on the occasion he wasn't actually busy he would just have so many ideas, and he would tell them as if he was qouting something he'd seen on tv last night.
Thegenderbender

Poppler
*
« Reply #193 on: 11-28-2003 16:06 »

Well i think Series 15 is brilliant! The Treehouse of Horror XIV thrashed XIII and Homer's Mum coming back wuz a great idea and the Evita spoof wuz good and them going to England! hope More eps of S15 R THis good!
User_names_suck
Professor
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« Reply #194 on: 11-29-2003 09:36 »

i think they've all been season 14 holdovers so far
Teesside Inc

Bending Unit
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« Reply #195 on: 11-29-2003 15:13 »

But Lisa Simpson is not a annoying PC Thug.
User_names_suck
Professor
*
« Reply #196 on: 11-29-2003 19:55 »
« Last Edit on: 11-29-2003 19:55 »

who said she was


anyway here's another question, if someone still reading this thread how many more simpsons seasons do you think there will be
Teesside Inc

Bending Unit
***
« Reply #197 on: 11-30-2003 11:29 »

The Simpsons needs better Writers in Season 15 and stop treating Lisa Simpson like a big piece of garbage because the show has gong downhill.
David A

Space Pope
****
« Reply #198 on: 11-30-2003 12:11 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Teesside Inc:
But Lisa Simpson is not a annoying PC Thug.

She isn't usually, but in some episodes she sure is.

 
Quote
Originally posted by User_names_suck:
anyway here's another question, if someone still reading this thread how many more simpsons seasons do you think there will be

As many as they can possibly make.

Face it, people will keep watching The Simpsons for as long as Fox continues to make it.  The Simpsons probably will keep going until one of the main voice actors wants to call it quits.  Or dies.
User_names_suck
Professor
*
« Reply #199 on: 11-30-2003 14:48 »

 
Quote
Originally posted by Teesside Inc:
The Simpsons needs better Writers in Season 15 and stop treating Lisa Simpson like a big piece of garbage because the show has gong downhill.

At the time you wrote that only one episode of season 15 had aired, which was the treehous of horror XIV
as i write now the 2nd ep2 my mother the carjacker aired.
there hasn't been lisa bashing for ages, the point of those jokes are that Homer is stupid and stopped beliving in anything, yet he's telling his daugter off for having ideals.
the show stopped going downhill its improving again
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