‘The Simpsons,’ back from the pit

[Beetwasher]

Recent episodes feature more social satire and less Jerkass Homer

Nov. 7 — Perhaps if TV shows can jump the shark, they can jump back, too. “The Simpsons,” which in recent years seemed to have lost all trace of its original brilliance, certainly is attempting a daring feat, reaching back to its roots without ignoring just how far it’s come in the 15 years it has been on the air. Perhaps Bart put it best in an episode last season: “If I may dust off an old chestnut: Ay caramba! Ay caramba, indeed.”

--snip--

http://www.msnbc.com/news/988733.asp

The Simpsons can last forever and I hope it does! Even the worst Simpsons is better than just about anything else on TV. I even kinda enjoy Jerkass Homer too...

[terrya]

1. Oh, I like Homer!

Admittedly, Homer has been drastically "dumbed down" over the years. He's now a total buffoon. But I like him very much.

Last Sunday's repeat...when Homer moves out of the house and moves in with a couple of gay guys...was a classic.

"The Simpsons" is one of the best shows in television history. The best comedy ever, IMO.

[meegbear]

4. I loved that one ...

"Hey ... who's the bear?" I lost it. Never really thought of him as one, til now.

[tridim]

2. "Ay caramba! Ay caramba, indeed.”

Use it at least once a week. :) It was the best line last season IMO.

This season is off to a rough start, but I still keep the faith. CBG be damned!

[CanuckAmok]

3. I love that MSNBC is promoting The Simpsons!

It's amazing to me that Faux airs such an obviously Liberal show. Typical RW approach--is there a profit in it? Then we're okay with it.

Flanders: "I haven't felt this good since we stole the election!"

[donotpassgo]

5. I think the Simpsons are too powerful and popular to be touched by FOX

Groening could get away with anything.

[4_Legs_Good]

11. Tell that to Professor Farnsworth!!!

*cry* *sob* *weep*

Matt Groening should *own* the network. The Simpsons (with a little help from the X-Files, Married with Children and 90210) is the only reason Fox managed to survive. With NBC losing Friends and Seinfeld, Groening should have put his foot down and said, if you don't renew Futurama for 10 seasons we'll pull the Simpsons and take both shows to NBC.

Grrrrrrr...

Here's a funny note: Futurama was rated by some polling agency as having the most "liberal" audience of any TV show. After that was announced I read a bunch of reactions saying "Futurama is NOT a liberal show". I had to laugh my ass off. Shows how stupid the conservatives can be, and how easily they can brainwash themselves into seeing a mechanized Nixon as a "liberal" president of the world.

david

Kucinich 2004

[Beetwasher]

13. Futurama

What Fox did to Futurama was just downright low. They destroyed it on purpose.

They purposely put it in the 7:00pm timeslot so it was ALWAYS bumped by football. They did it because unlike the Simpsons, Groening was able to keep most of the control and licensing for the show and so Fox had no incentive to make it work.

You'll notice that now during football season they have King of the Hill in that timeslot, but when football runs over they still show the whole episode. They didn't do that for Futurama, they either started it in the middle of just bumped it altogether.

[4_Legs_Good]

15. Agreed 100%

Matt said it wasn't his style or some such to simply take the show to another network. I guess he does owe Fox a bit for taking a risk on the show originally. Still, I think that another network would have jumped on the opportunity to air a program by the creator of The Simpsons. Who knows, though. We can still hope for a movie someday, and maybe the Cartoon Network will scrape up enough $ to make a few episodes.

... and I still have about 3/4 of the PS2 game to finish...

david

[Ratty]

6. Yeah, good line in the last episode

Where Homer's mother mentions contacting all of her friends in the liberal media.

I read where the producers got pressure from Fox after they had the scene in one episode where Fox News was on television and the ticker tape down at the bottom of the screen kept displaying more and more outrageous right-wing Faux-style headlines. Any body remember what some of those were? Anyway, I guess Fox is making sure they don't do something like that again.

[Colin Ex]

7. I remember a few.

Dick Cheney = John F. Kennedy + Albert Einstein... Oil spills keep baby seals healthy, supple... 98% of all democrats are gay...

THat's what I remember off the top of my head.

-C

[Devlzown]

8. JFK posthumously joins Republican Party

Here a link: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_833358.html?menu=news.quirkies

[everythingsxen]

9. What I loved about the most recent ep.

When Homer is trying to get his mom away from the cops, he drives right into the Police Dept. Chief Wiggam says ssomething like "Fortunately all you hit was lawyers", then it cuts to a lawyer under one of the tires who reaches up and says "Remember me as a drain on society" . ROFL. My cousin and I lost it. We were laughing hysterically over that.

[DerekG]

10. It's been a rough 6 years...

Those of us who have watched the series from the very first episode on certainly knows how awful the show has gotten. Oh well, at least Season 3 is out on DVD.

[4_Legs_Good]

12. Remeber when the original full length Christmas episode aired

man, it seems like a century and only yesterday ago.

Wow! Anyway, I've been watching it pretty loyally over the years. These days it's hit and miss, but I agree with another poster, that the worst Simpsons ep is still better than almost anything else on TV (which is why the Simpsons is now the only show currently being broadcast that I watch).

david

[davidinalameda]

14. did anyone see the Halloween show

I missed it

[Beetwasher]

16. Yeah, it was OK

not one of the best one's, but it had its moments...

[terrya]

17. Bart and Milhouse with the watch that could stop time was hilarious. n/t

[Beetwasher]

18. Yeah, that was definitely good!

n/t

[mark0rama]

19. Great title too:

"Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off"

[CSI Willows]

20. Yeah, I noticed that too

Last season along with Seasons 11 and 12 were really awful with little exception. It seems from the THOH episode and the season premiere that maybe it's starting to get a little better.