Simpsons - decent episodes from season 10 to 23?

Logical Fallacy

KungPao wrote: »

They aren't really.

That episode was like if the simpsons came to Ireland and were abducted by a limerick gang or the IRA and it was supposed to be funny. And there were redsetters or deer everywhere on the streets of Dublin (instead of monkeys) to name a few comparisons.

And making jokes about favelas and suggesting they are all thieves etc.

A very bizarre episode and nothing like regular life in Brazil. So naturally they were a bit peeved.

lol, when the Simpsons came to Ireland it's not like we got off lightly. Or what about jokes about hanging Irish people? "Ah, sure t'was all in good fun!". They have made specific jokes about the IRA on St Patricks Day when a red bus with the English flag goes past and an obvious stereotype says "Back in the day, we'd have been all over that!"...etc etc etc.

Brazilians kicked off over the Simpsons episode, over the Stallone movie that was made there and if you have any interest in MMA at all you would know that very recently an American MMA fighter was actually refused entry to the country because he made a joke about a Brazilian fighter feeding a carrot to a bus because he thought it was a horse (fairly tame with regard to hyping fights)...and he was told if he went to Brazil he would be killed.

As such, i stand by my statement...Brazilians seem to be a bit fragile with regard to nationalism.

foxyboxer

It's like watching a loved one who used to be vibrant, witty and energetic become old, ill, fragile struggling through a hopeless pain. The body is there and still functioning yet the heart and mind have gone. The days of humour and stimulating conversations have ceased.

You reach a point where you just want to see their suffering end (i.e. cancellation) but they still keep on drawinig breath staving off the inevitable.

When the Simpsons does pass away, it's Wake will feature with rose tinted glasses and a remembrance of the golden years with great fondness and reverence by both critics and audiences alike.

The 'cash cow' for Fox years will be forgotten in time and tv history will judge The Simpsons as possibly the best tv series of all time and my own personal favorite.

Jordan 199

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

My favourite episode is the one where bart gets an elephant,season 5 or 6 I think?

Ah, Stampy the Elephant. "KBBL is gonna give me some stupid prize."

shantolog

Seomra Mushie wrote: »

One of the classic-era gags I never got.

I think the whole moew thing was a jingle off an advert for cat food, thats why he's saying meow.

foxyboxer

shantolog wrote: »

I think the whole moew thing was a jingle off an advert for cat food, thats why he's saying meow.

Meox Mix :cool:

brennan1979

ScumLord wrote: »

I think it's coming good again, the latest episodes from the states are pretty decent but it's going to be hard to impossible for them to get back to the early days success it's just been done and there's only so many times you can watch the same joke over and over again.

Watched a new epsiode on Sky 1 last night where Bart discovers a sword shaped scar on his hand and Marge becomes friends with three women she fell out with years ago. It was diabolical. Even the worst episode would have something that would at least raise a smile. Please put this show out of its misery. For me, the first episode I saw where I thought wow that was really bad was the one where Homer joins the navy.

Chairman Meow

foxyboxer wrote: »

It's like watching a loved one who used to be vibrant, witty and energetic become old, ill, fragile struggling through a hopeless pain. The body is there and still functioning yet the heart and mind have gone. The days of humour and stimulating conversations have ceased.

You reach a point where you just want to see their suffering end (i.e. cancellation) but they still keep on drawinig breath staving off the inevitable.

When the Simpsons does pass away, it's Wake will feature with rose tinted glasses and a remembrance of the golden years with great fondness and reverence by both critics and audiences alike.

The 'cash cow' for Fox years will be forgotten in time and tv history will judge The Simpsons as possibly the best tv series of all time and my own personal favorite.

Pretty much this. Its horrible to see a show that was pretty much the funniest thing on TV at one point turn into jsut awful, awful, slapstick comedy that isnt even funny. Almsot any time ive seen anew episode the gags revolve around how much physical punishment they can give homer in a single episode.

And its horrible because Homer was always dumb but he had heart, where he was once just a stupid dad whos heart was in the right place, now hes just written as a terrible parent.
Remeber this?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9mIUwC7z-To/THVqLtWBucI/AAAAAAAAACc/B-nTgUELjAY/s1600/MotherSimpson.jpg

Yeah...before they turned him into a complete asshole

I long for the day its cancelled now, so we can sweep away the ****ty episodes and be left with the cherished memories of how amazing the early seasons (particularly 3 & 4) were. I jsut watched the Duff Gardens episode the other day...amazing stuff.
"i'd like to be alone with the sandwich"
"are you going to eat it?"
"....yes"

The show has been dead to me since the very first all singing episode. I remember me and my friends watching slack jawed in horror at that one.

c_man

I saw one where they've effectively rewritten the story of how Marge and Homer got together. She fell in love with her college professor and Homer was a Kurt Cobain-esque frontman for a grunge band. Absolute rubbish.

J. Marston

Chairman Meow wrote: »

And its horrible because Homer was always dumb but he had heart, where he was once just a stupid dad whos heart was in the right place, now hes just written as a terrible parent.
Remeber this?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9mIUwC7z-To/THVqLtWBucI/AAAAAAAAACc/B-nTgUELjAY/s1600/MotherSimpson.jpg

Yeah...before they turned him into a complete asshole

Another one of Homer's ''Awww'' moments...

Do it for her

That's one of the best endings to a Simpsons episode. Homer used to be such a great character.

Captain Graphite

brennan1979 wrote: »

For me, the first episode I saw where I thought wow that was really bad was the one where Homer joins the navy.

Ah I think that episode had a few decent moments.

Barney: Mayday, mayday! The engine room has sprung a leak! It's filling up with a clear, non-alcoholic liquid!
Homer: You mean water?
Barney: Yeah, that's it.

Captain Tenille: Ah, Simpson, you're like the son I never had.
Homer: And you're like the father I never visit.

Doughnut 1: Homer Simpson, you stand accused of eating half the population of the planet of the doughnuts!
Doughnut 2: As Homer's defense attorney, I feel we should be mercifu-- hey! Did you just take a bite out of me?
Homer: Uh… maybe.

Kamjana

Strychninism wrote: »

1. The arrival of South park. If some movie or notable event happens Trey Parker can have an ep written and on tv literally in weeks in reaction to it. The production turnaround on the Simpsons is so slow (something like 2-3 years from idea to finished episode) that whatever movie or issue they are lampooning/addressing has already left the public consciousness by the time the show in question airs.

South Park can do it in a day,when Obama got elected they had his speech in an episode the very next day,and when Steve Irwin died they made jokes about it around a week later.

As far as i know doesn't it take 9 months to make an episode of The Simpsons?

jack presley

corcaigh07 wrote: »

hey, the Grimes episode was brilliant!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5JUkqxBmAo

That's my favourite episode but they even went and ruined its legacy a couple of years later with an episode where Grimey's son comes back to get revenge. It was pathetic.

amacachi

Jordan 191 wrote: »

Ah, Stampy the Elephant. "KBBL is gonna give me some stupid prize."

Something stupid. :pac:

brennan1979 wrote: »

Watched a new epsiode on Sky 1 last night where Bart discovers a sword shaped scar on his hand and Marge becomes friends with three women she fell out with years ago. It was diabolical. Even the worst episode would have something that would at least raise a smile. Please put this show out of its misery. For me, the first episode I saw where I thought wow that was really bad was the one where Homer joins the navy.

The idea for the episodes was good but there were no jokes in it. For the navy episode, as pointed out there were a couple of good lines in it but like you I just really don't like the episode. Maybe it's the perfect animation, I dunno, there's just something not right about it.

brennan1979

Captain Graphite wrote: »

Ah I think that episode had a few decent moments.

Barney: Mayday, mayday! The engine room has sprung a leak! It's filling up with a clear, non-alcoholic liquid!
Homer: You mean water?
Barney: Yeah, that's it.

Captain Tenille: Ah, Simpson, you're like the son I never had.
Homer: And you're like the father I never visit.

Doughnut 1: Homer Simpson, you stand accused of eating half the population of the planet of the doughnuts!
Doughnut 2: As Homer's defense attorney, I feel we should be mercifu-- hey! Did you just take a bite out of me?
Homer: Uh… maybe.

Even the bad episodes had funny moments in them which would give you a laugh. Nowadays you can sit through an entire episode without raising a smile. The Navy episode is a strange one. I don't like it but I know people that do and would argue for it but I always remember it was the first one I saw that I thought overall that wasn't very good.

rossie1977

Strychninism wrote: »

(Some of the many) Things that make the Simpsons suck nowadays.

1. The arrival of South park.

its interesting the arrival of south park and demise of the simpsons happened pretty much same time.......coincidence

Strychninism

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lvuohp39F61qiqll1o1_500.jpg

You'll hardly ever (never?) see meaningful moments like that in the new Simpsons.

jack presley

So who's still watching the Simpsons then? Someone must be as I think they still get decent ratings or they wouldn't be making them anymore

Fozzydog3

jack presley wrote: »

So who's still watching the Simpsons then? Someone must be as I think they still get decent ratings or they wouldn't be making them anymore

I always imagined them as those clueless families that live in new sattelite estates and drive Kia's

jackwigan

I think Phil Hartman's death coincided with the drop in quality. That's why you never see any bad episodes with Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure.

Sephiroth_dude

Jordan 191 wrote: »

Ah, Stampy the Elephant. "KBBL is gonna give me some stupid prize."

That's the one

marge: homer there's a bird on your head!
Homer:I know,he's grooming me!

or something like that anyway,haven't seen that episode in years.

Jordan 199

jackwigan wrote: »

I think Phil Hartman's death coincided with the drop in quality. That's why you never see any bad episodes with Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure.

Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz are legends. They will never be forgotten.

One thing I will remember about Troy McClure is his sham marriage to Selma Bouvier Twilliger Hutz McClure

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

That's the one

marge: homer there's a bird on your head!
Homer:I know,he's grooming me!

or something like that anyway,haven't seen that episode in years.

That's it.

Guill

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

I always thought the Movie was the biggest mistake they made...the thing to do with that would have been to bring back Hank Scorpio, the greatest one episode character in television history.

Great post. When you go home there will be an extra story on your house.

Sindri

Strychninism wrote: »

(Some of the many) Things that make the Simpsons suck nowadays.

1. The arrival of South park. If some movie or notable event happens Trey Parker can have an ep written and on tv literally in weeks in reaction to it. The production turnaround on the Simpsons is so slow (something like 2-3 years from idea to finished episode) that whatever movie or issue they are lampooning/addressing has already left the public consciousness by the time the show in question airs.

The reason South Park is now **** is because each episode is made 6 days in advance. Literally the production time for each episode is 6 days and they just show up and have to have it written in 6 days.

That's why it's just muck now. Last season had one half funny episode and the rest were muck.

Family Guy is muck as well. The only decent show at the moment is American Dad and that's because of Roger who as a character is a brilliant ingenious creation and the relationship Stan the father has to his son Steve who always disappoints him.

TiGeR KiNgS

I cant believe no one has said anything about 'Bart after Dark'.
The episode with the burlesque house.
This is my favourite episode.

Marge and Lisa are not really in it leaving Homer and Bart to run the show.
Hilarity ensues.

Dudess

Barney being a teetotaller is lame. And Apu settling down. And I think the woman who voiced Maud Flanders stopped working on the show under acrimonious circumstances, but killing her off? Way too much reality. What about a new voice-over woman?

PrettyBoy

Sindri wrote: »

The reason South Park is now **** is because each episode is made 6 days in advance. Literally the production time for each episode is 6 days and they just show up and have to have it written in 6 days.

That's why it's just muck now. Last season had one half funny episode and the rest were muck.

Family Guy is muck as well. The only decent show at the moment is American Dad and that's because of Roger who as a character is a brilliant ingenious creation and the relationship Stan the father has to his son Steve who always disappoints him.

I actually think South Park is better now than when it started, mostly due to Randy Marsh taking a central role.

Family Guy is OK, wouldn't go out of my way to watch it but if there's nothing else on...

American Dad was always ****e.

Wetai

Dudess wrote: »

And I think the woman who voiced Maud Flanders stopped working on the show under acrimonious circumstances, but killing her off? Way too much reality. What about a new voice-over woman?

It wouldn't really be the same, and it'd probably be delaying it - people may just hate the VA, and they'd have to kill her off anyways. Minus the costs it took to pay for her during that time, continued time drawing/animating/writing for Maud/etc, IMO.

44leto

It has declined it has become routine, but that is the only thing that could happen to a series like that.

When it began it was all new and each of the characters gathered their personalities in a lot of different but familiar situations. The show could go anywhere.
BUT
The flaw is once they went and done a lot of things the situations become less interesting and to similar. With the nature of the show the characters can never grow up or change so the material for each character is exhausted.

But it had the memorable classic episodes and lines, I loved earlier shows but I have not watched one in years. But I did enjoy the movie.

Riddle101

Sindri wrote: »

The reason South Park is now **** is because each episode is made 6 days in advance. Literally the production time for each episode is 6 days and they just show up and have to have it written in 6 days.

That's why it's just muck now. Last season had one half funny episode and the rest were muck.

Family Guy is muck as well. The only decent show at the moment is American Dad and that's because of Roger who as a character is a brilliant ingenious creation and the relationship Stan the father has to his son Steve who always disappoints him.

Tbh I never really liked Roger's character much. He just annoys me. Stan is the best I think.

Scanlas The 2nd

44leto wrote: »

It has declined it has become routine, but that is the only thing that could happen to a series like that.

When it began it was all new and each of the characters gathered their personalities in a lot of different but familiar situations. The show could go anywhere.
BUT
The flaw is once they went and done a lot of things the situations become less interesting and to similar. With the nature of the show the characters can never grow up or change so the material for each character is exhausted.

But it had the memorable classic episodes and lines, I loved earlier shows but I have not watched one in years. But I did enjoy the movie.

No no no. Even when the classic episodes weren't funny they were still enjoyable to watch. All the little subtleties and nuances were addictive viewing. Now it's pure pain watching the Simpsons. The reason it's crap now is nothing to do with running out of ideas. The writers now are just thick. They think what makes homer funny is simply being an idiot for example.

44leto

Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »

No no no. Even when the classic episodes weren't funny they were still enjoyable to watch. All the little subtleties and nuances were addictive viewing. Now it's pure pain watching the Simpsons. The reason it's crap now is nothing to do with running out of ideas. The writers now are just thick. They think what makes homer funny is simply being an idiot for example.

But what else can they do with him, he is still thirty something in the same situation and always has being and always will be, they can't develop him any further because he is stuck.

In other situation comedies the characters grow and change and then the comedy usually runs its course. With the simpsons the characters are the same and they will remain so. So if I watch it next week or a year from now, it will be the same and I will feel I have seen it before. It is more like a cartoon comic strip then a television series.

Scanlas The 2nd

44leto wrote: »

Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »

No no no. Even when the classic episodes weren't funny they were still enjoyable to watch. All the little subtleties and nuances were addictive viewing. Now it's pure pain watching the Simpsons. The reason it's crap now is nothing to do with running out of ideas. The writers now are just thick. They think what makes homer funny is simply being an idiot for example.

But what else can they do with him, he is still thirty something in the same situation and always has being and always will be, they can't develop him any further because he is stuck.

In other situation comedies the characters grow and change and then the comedy usually runs its course. With the simpsons the characters are the same and they will remain so. So if I watch it next week or a year from now, it will be the same and I will feel I have seen it before. It is more like a cartoon comic strip then a television series.

Good writers like the original ones can make a walk to the shop funny, potential ideas are limitless. Many of the best episodes have very simple storylines, the writers with talent can make it funny and enjoyable to watch. I don't see the need for the characters to change,

44leto

Scanlas The 2nd wrote: »

Good writers like the original ones can make a walk to the shop funny, potential ideas are limitless. Many of the best episodes have very simple storylines, the writers with talent can make it funny and enjoyable to watch. I don't see the need for the characters to change,

I don't think so, comedy more then any other entertainment ages the quickest and has to be fresh. The simpsons when they first arrived had a freshness in Homer Bart Ned and the host of characters, but we have had our fill of them.

A similar phenomenon is old comics, they seem to be revived at the moment on the BeeB Jasper Carrot and Gryf Rhy Jones have new shows although in their day they were great, but not any more.

Billy Connolly in my mind was one of the greatest ever comic, but not now, his act has all the old material with different flavours, but I feel i have heard the joke before, as in the simpsons I have heard it all before.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

seriously anyone here looking for a decent adult-themed comedy cartoon should just check out Archer
I love south park, but Archer kicks the **** out of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpYiR5L9COw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRWxLSybZng

44leto

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

seriously anyone here looking for a decent adult-themed comedy cartoon should just check out Archer
I love south park, but Archer kicks the **** out of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpYiR5L9COw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRWxLSybZng

That looks class, were is it on, I think I am already hooked.

jack presley

44leto wrote: »

But what else can they do with him, he is still thirty something in the same situation and always has being and always will be, they can't develop him any further because he is stuck.

.

Well then they should end it.

Of course that will never happen while the show is still a cash cow but it is so past its sell by date now.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

44leto wrote: »

That looks class, were is it on, I think I am already hooked.

I've no idea what channel it airs on this side of the pond, I accquire it through other means the day after it airs stateside

--edit

and any fans of arrested development should check out archer.. the mother in AD is the mother in archer, and georges crazy secretary plays carol/cristal (cristal - like the champagne hot black guys drink)

bonerjams03

krudler wrote: »

Its not even the same show anymore tbh, it started as a lighthearted but cynical look at American family life that dealt with actual family stuff,now its just "zany" adventures. Sure the older episodes had crazy stuff in them too but the writing was so good you didnt care, Homer going to space is one of the best episodes ever, its ridiculous but its so well written that it seems plausible in the context of the show.

I prefer when the plots were simple. Bart is jealous that Milhouse gets a girlfriend, Homer stays home from church and nearly burns down the house. Lisa has a crush on a teacher. The older episodes usually had two plots running but they gelled together, now the first few minutes has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the episode. Its actually sad to think there are now more crappy episodes of The Simpsons than great ones, its definitely a tarnished legacy of what was once the smartest and funniest show on television. I have the dvd box sets of the first 8 seasons and season 4 genuinely doesnt have a poor episode, it may be the best season of a tv show ever, every single episode is a classic and it was at the height of when the Simpsons was amazing.

Your username gives you authority on these issues. What an episode.

I think another turning point was giving Moe more storylines as a pathetic person, before he was just this hardass barman and it was great.

Captain Graphite

I've heard great things about Archer; haven't seen it yet but will definitely check it out at some point.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

and any fans of arrested development should check out archer.. the mother in AD is the mother in archer, and georges crazy secretary plays carol/cristal (cristal - like the champagne hot black guys drink)

She was possibly my favourite character in AD.

*lifts shirt*

Say goodbye to THESE.

44leto

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

I've no idea what channel it airs on this side of the pond, I accquire it through other means the day after it airs stateside

--edit

and any fans of arrested development should check out archer.. the mother in AD is the mother in archer, and georges crazy secretary plays carol/cristal (cristal - like the champagne hot black guys drink)

Thanx
Eyepatch on and oooharr!!,I will look into those other means immediately.

44leto

jack presley wrote: »

Well then they should end it.

Of course that will never happen while the show is still a cash cow but it is so past its sell by date now.

Well it is still fresh in certain parts of the world, it recently started airing in the Arab world, its just stale here.

But what a cash cow it has been. The studio tried to be fresh with futurama although I think it is much better, it just never got the same appeal.

But make no doubt about it, the best writers on the market are all attainable for the simpsons, it is still a cash cow, a lack of comic talent is not the shows problem.

IvySlayer

Trash of the Titans is always one of my personal favourites!

Dudess

IvySlayer wrote: »

Trash of the Titans is always one of my personal favourites!

That was on yesterday - brilliance from start to finish. And it isn't a classic era Simpsons.

wendell borton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX1iplQQJTo

The Bansky intro was the only decent thing about the simpsons in a long while. I hate the look of the simpsons now compared to the rough animation of the earllier series.

Seomra Mushie

southsiderosie wrote: »

"Lisa the vegetarian" is still one of my favorites. I think that one episode has some of the best quick jokes and one-liners packed into a single episode:

"You don't win friends with sa-lad! You don't win friends with sa-lad!

"When I grow up, I'm going to bovine university!"

"Attention families. This is Mother Goose. The following cars have been broken into..."

Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!
Homer: [Chuckles] Yeah, right Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.

Plus it include what is possible the greatest PSA/government propaganda spoof ever: MEAT AND YOU.

Yup, it's a great episode. I also like the one where Lisa thinks she's becoming stupid.

shantolog wrote: »

I think the whole moew thing was a jingle off an advert for cat food, thats why he's saying meow.

Ah, cool, thanks!

Professey Chin

Jordan 191 wrote: »

One thing I will remember about Troy McClure is his sham marriage to Selma Bouvier Twilliger Hutz McClure

Louie: Hey, I thought you said Troy McClure was dead.
Tony: No, what I said was: "He sleeps with the fishes". You see...
Louie: Uh, Tony, please, no. I just ate a whole plate of dingamagoo...
:pac:

Shryke

Hank Scorpio is hands down the best. I don't like any of the new ones and the writing was so poor in the film I found it hard to believe. I can only guess that they decided to make a film before even trying to write a script.
The old episodes are still great so it's not changing tastes. The new ones are just crap. Futurama is a great show and it deserves more credit. Family Guy was fun for a while but that got lame after about season 4 for me. American Dad has the odd good episode. I recommend Archer to anyone. It's the only animated show I watch at the minute.

krudler

also that shopkeeper "yeeeeesssssss?!" character is fcuking awful. and Lindsay Nagle, the ad exec/agent/yuppie type who always crops up, terrible characters.

god I miss Phil Hartman, he had so many fantastic lines as Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz.

"drink?"
"its 9.30 in the morning!"
"yeah but I havent slept in days"

krudler

TiGeR KiNgS wrote: »

I cant believe no one has said anything about 'Bart after Dark'.
The episode with the burlesque house.
This is my favourite episode.

Marge and Lisa are not really in it leaving Homer and Bart to run the show.
Hilarity ensues.

"Marge, you're gonna hear a lot of crazy talk about Bart working in a burlesque house..."

One of my favourite episodes is when Sideshow Bob takes over the airshow, Bob was always one of the best cameo characters anyway and he was fantastic in that one. "dammit Bob! plenty of new bombs but you had to go for that retro 50's charm!"

"I'll tear you up like a kleenex at a...ugh, snot party...."

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Shryke wrote: »

Hank Scorpio is hands down the best. I don't like any of the new ones and the writing was so poor in the film I found it hard to believe. I can only guess that they decided to make a film before even trying to write a script.
.

isnt that usually the way it works, or do I just not get hollywood?