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When did The Simpsons jump the shark?

Started by ThisIsHardcore, June 23, 2013, 05:59:45 PM

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Replies From View

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 02:35:21 AM
Without getting into the hoary old debate again, my interpretation of the Glory Days is more Season 3 -12ish. By 13 I tend to get the seasons muddled up anyway.

No offence intended here, but if you think season 12 is "golden era" maybe the Simpsons hasn't returned to form recently after all?

St_Eddie

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 07:42:38 AM
For me, it was never about the animation. It was about the jokes. I'd watch a comedy on an Etch-a-Sketch if it was funny enough.

Well, yes.  My point, if indeed I was making a point, was that you can generally differentiate the classic era shows from the shite ones by simply glancing at the screen.  Traditional cell animation; classic.  Horrible soulless digital animation; shite.  The bad writing is invariably linked to the digital era.  I wasn't suggesting that the digital aesthetic is solely what makes new episodes of The Simpsons bad.  Although it certainly doesn't help matters any.

Quote from: Replies From View on February 14, 2019, 07:50:46 AM
No offence intended here, but if you think season 12 is "golden era" maybe the Simpsons hasn't returned to form recently after all?

Quoted for the truth.

Quote from: Replies From View on February 14, 2019, 07:48:12 AM
*George Ezra enters thread, hopefully*

Who the fuck is George Ezra?

Menu

Quote from: Replies From View on February 14, 2019, 07:50:46 AM
No offence intended here, but if you think season 12 is "golden era" maybe the Simpsons hasn't returned to form recently after all?

None taken. I just don't believe that Great Simpsons ended abruptly, and arbitrarily, at the end of Season 10 or whatever. It was a gradual comedown and Season 12, to my memory, was hanging in there. However I bow to no man in my love and appreciation of what made the Simpsons great and I wouldn't waste time on it if it was still mediocre. I'm just kinda letting you guys(who seemingly don't watch it anymore) know that you might find it worth your while to try it again. You don't have to, mind. And I would never use force.

Menu

Quote from: St_Eddie on February 14, 2019, 07:54:09 AM
Well, yes.  My point, if indeed I was making a point, was that you can generally differentiate classic era shows from the shite ones by simply glancing at the screen.  Traditional cell animation; classic.  Horrible soulless digital animation; shite.  The bad writing is invariably linked to the latter.  I wasn't suggesting that the digital aesthetic is solely what makes new episodes of The Simpsons bad.  Certainly doesn't help, mind.


Yes people say that a lot. I honestly don't mind the new animation. I'm not sure what it is about it that I'm supposed to hate. And anyway at least it's in WIDESCREEN, BABY!

NB. I used to artificially extend the old 4:3 Simpsons into widescreen myself, until Matt Groening told me not to on one of the DVD commentaries. That's how much of a Philistine I am.

Menu

Quote from: St_Eddie on February 14, 2019, 07:54:09 AM


Who the fuck is George Ezra?

Yes I didn't get that either. Replies From View is the funniest guy on here though - I say this as a longtime lurker - so I'm sure it's my stupidity.

St_Eddie

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 08:05:07 AM
Yes I didn't get that either.

It's an ongoing in-joke, born from the 'Vic and Bob-new series of Big Night Out' thread.

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 08:05:07 AM
Replies From View is the funniest guy on here though...

Actually, I think that you'll find that Replies From View is objectively the seventh funniest guy on here.

Replies From View

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 08:05:07 AM
Yes I didn't get that either. Replies From View is the funniest guy on here though - I say this as a longtime lurker - so I'm sure it's my stupidity.

He appeared in an episode of Vic and Bob's Big Night Out, singing a song.  A few of us didn't know who he was; I personally assumed he was a mate of Vic's who was being given a bit of a go on the telly, but apparently he's a famous pop singer. 

I was quoting "There are very few guest cameos these days, thank fuck, or at least I don't notice them if there are," because several of us in the Big Night Out thread didn't know who George Ezra was, and this was unrealistically absurd to the people in the same thread who had encountered his name and music before.

That's all, I'm afraid.

Replies From View

Quote from: St_Eddie on February 14, 2019, 08:08:33 AM
Actually, I think that you'll find that Replies From View is objectively the seventh funniest guy on here.

I'm going to have to re-evaluate season 12 of the Simpsons and get back to you.

Menu

Quote from: St_Eddie on February 14, 2019, 08:08:33 AM
It's an ongoing in-joke, born from the Vic and Bob's Big Night Out thread.

Also, I think you'll find that Replies From View is objectively the seventh funniest guy on here.

He's the Wolverhampton Wanderers of CAB.

Menu

Quote from: Replies From View on February 14, 2019, 08:12:11 AM
He appeared in an episode of Vic and Bob's Big Night Out, singing a song.  A few of us didn't know who he was; I personally assumed he was a mate of Vic's who was being given a bit of a go on the telly, but apparently he's a famous pop singer. 

I was quoting "There are very few guest cameos these days, thank fuck, or at least I don't notice them if there are," because several of us in the Big Night Out thread didn't know who George Ezra was, and this was unrealistically absurd to the people in the same thread who had encountered his name and music before.

That's all, I'm afraid.

Ha! That IS kinda funny! You're a funny guy. I love this guy.

St_Eddie

Quote from: Replies From View on February 14, 2019, 08:13:41 AM
I'm going to have to re-evaluate season 12 of the Simpsons and get back to you.

Mate.  It upsets me to hear you talk like that and to say such things.  Call the Samaritans, if need be.  Just don't do it.  Please.  There are people who care about you...

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 08:16:58 AM
Ha! That IS kinda funny! You're a funny guy. I love this guy.

...possibly too much.

Menu

Quote from: Replies From View on February 14, 2019, 08:13:41 AM
I'm going to have to re-evaluate season 12 of the Simpsons and get back to you.

Ooooh I actually feel a bit of pressure now.

When did you all stop buying the DVDs. I think I stopped around Season 12/13. Do they still do them? With the funny plastic head cases that wouldn't fit properly on the shelf. Does Matt Groening still do every single commentary even though he clearly had zero input after Season 2?

St_Eddie

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 08:20:26 AM
When did you all stop buying the DVDs. I think I stopped around Season 12/13. Do they still do them?

They stopped releasing the latter day seasons on DVD a while back, much to the chagrin of no one.

Menu

Quote from: St_Eddie on February 14, 2019, 08:23:19 AM
They stopped releasing the latter day seasons on DVD a while back, much to the chagrin of no one.

Ah I see. Yeah it did seem a bit mad to carry on season after season. How depressing would the commentaries have been by, say, Season 19. The early comms are great though, Julie Kavner aside. Just funny people sitting around riffing.

Harpo Speaks

I think season 17 was the last one released on DVD if I recall correctly. They were always well presented boxsets as it goes - just a shame about the actual episode content if we're talking about the later seasons. Interesting commentaries and extras.

Never got the 'plastic head' versions.

DrGreggles

The animated menus from the early season DVDs were funnier than anything on the show itself in the last 20 years.

Menu

Quote from: Harpo Speaks on February 14, 2019, 08:32:47 AM
I think season 17 was the last one released on DVD if I recall correctly. They were always well presented boxsets as it goes - just a shame about the actual episode content if we're talking about the later seasons. Interesting commentaries and extras.

Never got the 'plastic head' versions.

They were annoying. You couldn't open them and the contents didn't fit inside properly. So they'd break easily and then they wouldn't fit on the shelf. I still bought them all though and paid a £10 premium on each one. Fuck knows why.

Menu

Quote from: DrGreggles on February 14, 2019, 08:34:10 AM
The animated menus from the early season DVDs were funnier than anything on the show itself in the last 20 years.

A lot of effort and love was put into them clearly. And the shows looked great compared to the TV versions. Even I noticed that.

JamesTC

Quote from: Harpo Speaks on February 14, 2019, 08:32:47 AM
I think season 17 was the last one released on DVD if I recall correctly. They were always well presented boxsets as it goes - just a shame about the actual episode content if we're talking about the later seasons. Interesting commentaries and extras.

Never got the 'plastic head' versions.

The range got uncancelled and they released Season 18 but it now appears to have been cancelled again.

Menu

Quote from: JamesTC on February 14, 2019, 08:49:44 AM
The range got uncancelled and they released Season 18 but it now appears to have been cancelled again.

How many signatures has the 'Release Season 19' petition got so far? They can't ignore it much longer.

Ferris

Quote from: St_Eddie on February 14, 2019, 07:54:09 AM
Who the fuck is George Ezra?

Fancy not being aware of McCartney in 1965 George Ezra in 2019!

DVDs are a bit redyndant, no? Is there any demand for them after season 11/12 or so?

St_Eddie

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 08:53:08 AM
How many signatures has the 'Release Season 19' petition got so far?

Three signatures.

Blumf

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 08:03:44 AM
Yes people say that a lot. I honestly don't mind the new animation. I'm not sure what it is about it that I'm supposed to hate.

That's easy:

Analogue-Marge head turn with a mixture of emotions and a flourish of movement.



Robo-Marge head turn routine activated!

But I can forgive the cheap and dull animation if the writings up to scratch. So far, whatever season Channel 4's up to hasn't gotten past the crud.

Call me when they get to this stage:

St_Eddie

Quote from: Blumf on February 14, 2019, 10:45:21 AM
Call me when they get to this stage:


That's easily the best thing that latter day The Simpsons has ever given us.  It's quite, quite brilliant.

Avril Lavigne

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 07:59:07 AM
None taken. I just don't believe that Great Simpsons ended abruptly, and arbitrarily, at the end of Season 10 or whatever. It was a gradual comedown and Season 12, to my memory, was hanging in there.

A lot of the writers from the show's most acclaimed period left during Season 8 and some of the best episodes around that time were holdovers from Season 7 writing sessions, so it's not really arbitrary to say there was a noticable downturn in quality from Season 9 onwards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqFNbCcyFkk&feature=youtu.be&t=1196

Fair enough if you like the Seasons that followed just as much as 1-8 but there was a definite shift in tone that distinguishes the two periods and this was the reason.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Menu on February 14, 2019, 12:08:50 AM
I still watch it regularly. I series link them and watch them when my brother comes round. It IS actually quite good at the moment, believe it or not. I've probably only been watching regularly since Season 28 started but have only been disappointed by a few. I probably stopped watching originally around Season 15 as it was getting mediocre and I had better things to do. Am pleasantly surprised at how good it is now. There are very few guest cameos these days, thank fuck, or at least I don't notice them if there are. And I do think that if a few of these episodes had been slotted into the Golden Era, nobody would tell much of a difference.   

Basically I think it's safe to dip your toe back in the yellow water again, if you pardon the expression.


(this is essentially my first post in here so apols if I've not done this right in format terms. I'm finding it surprisingly complicated to post.)

I agree with you about the latest episodes, there's still the occasional absolutely atrocious one but there have been some which are surprisingly sweet and funny, I especially liked the recent episode by Al Jean where Lisa gains respect for Homer after he speaks out about clothes which sexualise kids, and it had a strong b-plot with Bart visiting a school therapist.

petril

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on February 14, 2019, 02:17:50 AM
If they stopped making it, what would Sky One show?

A loop of Baddiel's Syndrome and Is Harry On The Boat

Blumf

Quote from: St_Eddie on February 14, 2019, 10:59:27 AM
That's easily the best thing that latter day The Simpsons has ever given us.  It's quite, quite brilliant.

It was just a clip show though.

Certainly one of the best things to come from the show's dark days. I really think they're missing a trick by not turning over an episodes per season to some non-show animator and letting them run wild with the look and story. It's not like they'll get cancelled for it, and we might get something as wonderful as that Don Hertzfeldt thing.

ajsmith2

Quote from: Blumf on February 14, 2019, 10:45:21 AM
That's easy:

Analogue-Marge head turn with a mixture of emotions and a flourish of movement.



Robo-Marge head turn routine activated!
[/img]

So that's what they meant by 'Marge becomes a robot'.

St_Eddie

#2399
Quote from: Blumf on February 14, 2019, 12:09:05 PM
I really think they're missing a trick by not turning over an episodes per season to some non-show animator and letting them run wild with the look and story. It's not like they'll get cancelled for it, and we might get something as wonderful as that Don Hertzfeldt thing.

That's a great idea.  Similarly, I've often thought that they should age the characters, to the point where Barton and Liza are teenagers, because it would open up a lot of fresh storyline possibilities and potentially lessen the recycling of well trodden plots, which is only natural to occur when a show has been going for longer than the ice age.

Either that or (again, in the interest of exploring ripe and uncharted material) do a season where each episode centres around a different auxiliary character but with each episode and character's story being set on the same day, kind of like an expanded version of the episode '22 Short Films About Springfield', with their individual narratives tying in and coming together to payoff in the very final episode, which would also be the first episode of the season to revolve around the Simpson family themselves.

Is it a gimmick?  Absolutely but it's a gimmick which would pay dividends and either way, it would be a huge step up from their current strategy of announcing that a beloved character will be killed off in an upcoming episode, "so be sure to tune in next week, folks!".  Then you tune in and realise that said "beloved character" was Rabbi Krustofski.  That's a gimmick which works in the short term, as it ups your ratings for that week but in the long run, it turns viewers off by virtue of just how transparently desperate the showrunners are.

It also doesn't help that those who do tune in for the death gimmick, are greeted by horrible writing and jokes which routinely fail to land.  Jokes like, oh I don't know, saying 'Barton' and 'Liza' instead of Bart and Lisa, for example.