A youtuber named "Hados" stole your video and translated it into German (claiming that he did all the research himself). The video is called "Der Grund wieso die Simpsons schlecht wurden".
@@hww3136 yeah I’d suspect his entire channel is stealing peoples scripts and translating them to German as if he wrote them. It would be weird to randomly do it once.
@@JustanObservation not sure, I quickly checked some of his videos but couldnt find any more evidence, maybe you'd have to look a bit deeper into it. At least he also has some videos specifically about german TV broadcasters where there is no way it's stolen I guess, much easier to get away with it if the original is in a different language and therefore surrounded by a (completely) different community. The only other video thats kinda stolen is his video about why spongebob was such a good show, at least he linked the original, but yeah that doesn't make the whole situation better, seeing some unsuspecting commentors praising him for the video instead of praising you, and he's just replying like "thank you!"
For a split second my brain thought you were talking about Barney the Dinosaur. So now I'm imagining Barney the Dinosaur say: "Don't cry for me; I'm already dead." I just wanted to thank you for that.
Something that bothers me is that The Simpsons now have EVERYTHING. Before, they were a middle class family who struggled with money, so they couldn't afford everything (Lisa's sax or diary, travels, ac, etc). That was more real and made you emphatize with Homer. Now they have everything, last generation technology, and they travel around the wolrd like its just a stroll in the park. Before, when they needed to go overseas, we could se the progression of how it went, and I remember I loved the "The Simpons are going to ____!" episodes! Now, they are like "Im dying, I want to buy a bar in Ireland" and boom, the fly and BUY the bar... with what money? It doesn't make any sense, they are not a relatable family, and they are now just a fictional cartoon family that has everything.
it's the privileged writers just shamelessly pulling stuff from their own lives in the most blatant way possible without any nuance or interest, just cheap gags for cheap viewers, and now you realize that episodes not only reflect the quality of the project but the PEOPLE behind it.
@@elgatochurro Old Simpsons: Police is corrupt by definition. We should have more strict gun control. New Simpsons: Hello, Mr. Elon Musk. Let me lick your boot. But yeah, sure, new Simpsons is "leftist crap".
Its just a bunch of gags written by a team of writers, and they are all smashed together without any storyboarding. Its even worse than Family Guy... at least Family Guy has some episode storylines. South Park is trying hard to stay away from that fate, as they have season story lines. But you could take all of the Simpsons post 2000 (ignoring the art of course) and all the Family Guy post 2012 (not ignoring the artwork) and (ignoring references to Trump) put them in a bin and you would have no idea which episode goes with which season.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. OG Simpsons had a sort of method to the madness, now is just madness...and a very boring one at that
I think a person on Reddit put it best. (I’m paraphrasing here) “Watching a show gradually decline in quality like The Simpsons is like seeing a family member with dimentia. You can see glimpses of who they used to be, but they’re never there for more than a moment…” This analogy is so sad and yet fits so well.
@@suspiciousstar7547 It does depend on the variant someone has and we'll probably find out it also depends on their genetics as well. I think they'll also find that there's a sub clinical process going on for years/decades before.
As someone who had a grandparent with dementia and couldn't see her for the last few years of her life because it was too painful... it's a good analogy.
2010s - The Simpsons is a sitcom that happens to star a cartoon family 2020s- The Simpsons, a sitcom of Disney, is a family cartoon that happens to star a product
Was a hardcore fan of the show since I was a teenager and tried to hang on when it started going downhill, but after Lisa Goes Gaga, I was done. A few weeks ago I actually watched a new episode for the first time in years about Comic Book Guy not wanting to have kids and giving the backstory as to why and thought it was absolutely horrible, which made me sad because Comic Book Guy was always one of my favorite characters. Funny thing is, Bart and Homer kinda foretold the show’s eventual decline when they did their little tribute to The Cosby Show when Homer tells Bart that Cosby wanted to end the show before the quality declined to which Bart replied, “Quality shmality, if I had a TV show, I’d run it straight into the ground!”, to which Homer replied, “Amen, son! Amen!” They were so bloody brilliant back then!
The concept of CBG married simply doesn't work in my opinion. It would be okay if at least they did it better, but the Japanese girl doesn't even feel like a real character to make it seem justified. She feels more like how a western guy wants in a Japanese girl, instead of more a human being who happens to be Japanese.
@@CorazonMexica God, same. Honestly I can't believe the writers rushed what could have better worked as a small story arc into a single episode. Her character feels like a cardboard cutout whose entire personality is to display and/or parrot some basic level japanese trivia to the viewer. Very disappointing for a show that used to be so clever in its writing and humor.
@@CorazonMexica it isn't earned, just another one of those "we don't want our characters to be lonely :(" thing so she's poofed into existence to marry CBG, rather than it be something that's earned, and she's just an accessory to him.
@ghost mall not only that but she's also a mangaka who's quickly fascinated by him because....the writers want him to have a girl and no reason with any of the punch old simpsons would have, because they'd know this plot is awful.
They arent. No one watches the show anymore. At the same time, more watched shows are cancelled. I have this theory as to why. Simpsons merch and the older seasons SELL. By continuing to make seasons, the show stays more relevant and isnt seen as something of the past, wich could impact the sales. Its a wierd state, but the show is just an extra to sell shirts and stuff. And since it still has audience and its somewhat cheap to make, it doesnt cost much. Again, just a theory.
The irony is I don't even think there's merch outside of Universal's park anymore. Like, no one maintained the Simpsons area of it since the movie and no one cares, so who is it for, anyway?
Seinfeld: "A good showman always bows out while he's still on top". The Simpsons: "Let's just keep pumping out seasons until one of our main cast members dies of old age."
@@thefractured_butwhole Obviously he ment (and even said) one of the MAIN cast members. Meaning one of the "big six" i.e.: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer. When one of them is out, the suffering will finally be over. Both Marcia Wallace and Russi Taylor were "only" supporting cast, so their deaths could have been worked around. Along with Phil Hartman, who aslo died and wasn't mentioned yet.
Well that's the problem. They should have ended the series years ago before it got stale. Now they are running on empty but are still hanging in there. It is just like Happy Days. That program was on air way too long. They even had the infamous "Jump the shark" episode which has become a term for a program that has run out of new ideas and started doing insipid episodes.
Another example of the “Homer laughing at something inane” gag is in Homer Goes to College. At his first lecture the professor tells a science related joke, and the whole class chuckles politely while Homer looks around utterly nonplussed. Then the professor drops his notes and Homer erupts into hysterics, continuing while everyone in the room slowly turns to look at him one by one. Like you said, it works because it actually has meaning within the story; it’s not just funny because Homer does something stupid, it’s funny because it shows how out of place he is
It's so bizarre seeing a 90's show promoting 2020 culture. I guess they're trying to appeal to the kids, but it just looks like the show has gone through a time warp.
should have just appealed to the fans who were watching it while maintaining some type of quality and let those who do find the show entertaining start watching on their own, rather then trying to appeal to an entire new fanbase
Agreed! There's something about watching Simpsons characters playing on a video game console that resembles an Atari 2600, then years later watching them playing a console like the Nintendo Wii that just doesn't feel right to me. It's like seeing a teenage Fonzie using a smartphone.
The problem with the new digital style is that it destroyed the lo-fi cartoon quality that classic Simpsons had. The rough design was important to the humor of the show because it created a bizarre facsimile of America. The clean lines and perfect layouts of modern Simpsons don’t convey any kind of satire or expression, they’re just dull and sterile.
The animation alone shouldn't be blamed though, it's mostly the hows and whys it is applied. Old school animation was costly in time and money, this pressure created a demand for effort and skill that, accompanied with that time's good writing, made it's details "embiggen" the show's quality as it went side by side with the writing effort. The modern animation though allows for much easier animating, a godsend of technology that allows to do more with less, the issue of it comes with the fact that the writing it accompanies isn't as great, so it could be seen more of a cheapening of the production rather than improvement of the cartoon. The scenarios and characters are more detailed, this is undeniable, but at the same time it reminds me of triple A games, it's fancy looking but in it's core it is meh at best.
Sunday night were awesome. The weekend hangover was finally gone and it was time to order pizza with a bunch of people and start with the Simpsons, Herman's Head, Married with Children and the X-Files.
@RetroRaider279 Not me, I'm back from the early 80s, I remember the first episode I watched was when Homer gets drunk and peeks into Maude's cleavage, I also remember they aired daily episodes on KFOX, and also got to watch the Latin American show in Spanish since I'm from Mexico, it was cartoons like this that helped me learn a ton of English.
At this point, I'm convinced nothing is going to cause The Simpsons to stop. They'll just keep going forever, even after every single original talent behind it dies or retires.
@@vhsgeneration9065 Can't say I blame them, if I were stuck working for a show that's basically the living dead it'd probably take a tole on my sanity as well, knowing that nothing I do could get the show killed.
@@JCBro-yg8vd Yeah, it's probably painful knowing you are part of destroying a show that is such a legacy. Wonder who actually has the power to stop it though.
@@vhsgeneration9065 No one, probably. Even if all the main voice actors were to retire or walk out tomorrow they'd just be replaced. Look at how they recast all of Russi Taylor's roles after her death, or how they just wrote out Mrs. Krepabla after her VA died.
@@JCBro-yg8vd Maybe they could include something in one episode which simply forced the show into cancellation, maybe have Homer stranglig Lisa or something. It's probably possible to end it somehow but it won't be without blood. That's for sure.
For me one other thing that makes the "Homer laughing" joke work is thr context in the scene. In "a star is burns" he is the only one laughing in a full cinema filled with straight faced people. In the newer one is in his home with bart.
@@devforfun5618 YES. This person gets it. The football one is a million times funnier, because it's a parody of the very first movies, where one stupid thing happened, and the name of the movie was a description of it. E.g. the arrival of a train in La Ciotat. The monkey one? Trying to be relatable to young people. "Hurr hurr viral videos amirite kids? The You Tube? Memes? Please laugh" Old Simpsons made you discover stuff, it didn't treat you like a moron
That's why I always loved Mystery Science Theater. Yes it was a comedy show, but the movies they riff on where actual movies that bombed on their first run. Imagine how weird/epic a MST episode where they riff on Star Wars would be if Star Wars had bombed?
For me the Simpsons died on February 13, 2000. The episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly" was the mark of a noticeable shift in comedy and story telling. There was a different voice actor for Maude that episode and it looked like they killed her off quickly because of that. That whole season something felt off and ever since then it went downhill with every subsequent season.
You can tell once the 90's ended and Futurama Family Guy started and peak South Park King of the Hill as well began that the Simpsons kinda lost their footing and tried to be more like those shows which were made to be counters to the Simpsons ironically
As well, Futurama premiered March 28, 1999, a mere year earlier. A lot of key staff worked on Futurama instead and you'll find you can backtrack the year between this date and your date and not miss out on any great episodes. For me the jump the shark episode is when Homer kills Grimes. Super tone shift. Homer's no longer dumb, he's borderline insane and immoral.
For me it was the previous episode, "Saddlesore Galactica", s11e13. That was the literal last straw, that before I always tried to watch it weekly when I was able, but when I saw that episode I noted myself ok, that was it for me, I am not interested seeing any more of this and stopped watching it weekly and only watched if I happened to be in front of TV nothing else to do or watch at that moment. Later I just stopped paying attention especially when I barely watched TV anymore at all anyway. Simpsons had been almost last reasons for that. The whole elf thing did not make any sense in context of Simpsons, it was baffling. Yes, it has been a silly cartoon but not THAT kind of silly, that was more like Looney toons level stuff. The drop in quality had already been very noticeably before that, so it was not huge revelation, but maybe I subconsciously wished it would turn better again and there had been occasional funny jokes and episodes here and there. But there already had been quite a many episodes I had been thinking that these are not as fun to watch as it had been.
It's hard to imagine now, but during the Simpsons' "golden age," we were amazed on a weekly basis that a TV show so consistently good could even exist. But it really has gone far past its prime and should end.
I think that "The Simpsons" coin still work for a few years if they stick to Halloween episodes, movie sequels, and an occasional "special". In other words, no more than 3 or 4 episodes per year.
I think they lasted a long time. Seasons 2-9 were excellent. Seasons 10-16 were still good. Season 17 was meh and 18-19 rather bad. They go back to the slope with 20-22 but then got more and more bad.
I remember being on a forum with a "what's your favourite TV show" thread, and it was like you didn't even need to say The Simpsons, as that was a given. And this was in 2000, so the slide was already starting (but old episodes were regularly repeated)
I’m 40 and grew up with the Simpsons. Seasons 1-10 will forever be a part of my life. The reason it’s not the same anymore, and never will be again, is simply because it’s been on too long.
@@torstenscholz6243 Apart from South Park, the one other adult cartoon I still follow is American Dad. I am more attached to it than either King of the Hill or Futurama, two other shows on the ''Animated But Underrated'' List.
@@bryandummett8966 Exactly yes and here's another fact: Simpsons and Family Guy fans are not allowed to like South Park and American Dad. You can't like all four.
The show was good when it was about the every day life of the family and townspeople like Moe, Krusty, Lenny, Chief Wiggum, etc. Now it's just celebrities everywhere and stupid pop culture bullshit. It was supposed to be about the regular all-American family in an American town, normal people don't encounter movie stars and rock bands every day of their lives. It's ridiculous
This is something that really gets on my nerves too. Every episode seems to have a celebrity of some kind, or a band, or someone else famous. And all of them are introduced with a glowing speech about how famous and amazing they are, and why everyone should be impressed. Nobody meets so many celebrities on a daily basis, and its annoying how instead of parodying them they're celebrated and praised. Remember the episode when Burns packs his softball team with baseball pros? All of them suffer some horrible fate, and all the nuclear plant workers just treat them with disdain for taking their spot on the team. They work in the story for a purpose, instead of the show being used as a commercial for them. Michael Jackson appeared as a mentally ill guy in a mental ward who thought he was Jackson. The difference between a funny joke and pointlessly worshipping celebrities is just.. ugh.
@@anxietyfox4322 Another thought I had when watching old episodes, was Homer was more like Fred Flintstone when the show was good. Now he's like Peter Griffin, and it sucks so hard
As far as the pop culture angle is concerned, I think they hit rock bottom with the Lady Gaga episode. The whole thing was just a 22 minute commercial for Lady Gaga. The audience kept waiting for a punchline that never came.
Here’s one thing that really makes me angry: Ever since season 10, Homer has become a selfish jerk. Modern Simpsons episodes have Homer do mean things with little guilt just to get a cheap laugh out of the viewer. This problem, as well as many other problems, were solved in The Simpsons movie. Homer learned a lesson in that movie, and the humor felt like a classic Simpsons episode. Despite that, the writers made Homer a jerk again after the movie, and continued with the formulaic plots
Yes, and I remember seeing an episode around season 15 where Homer actually hit Marge - I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I've never watched the show since. Homer is a complete jerk now, whereas he used to be a foolish but loving parent.
@ghost mall Much like Spongebob, both Bikini Bottom and Springfield could have ended on their respective movies in 2004 and 2007 with legacies. Instead, they dragged on longer and both couldn't survive the 2010's though I can give Spongebob some credit since I hear from fans that Bikini Bottom didnt upgrade to 2010's technology such as iPads and tablets using internet talk. They seemed to remain in their 2000s way of living
yeah they didn't upgrade to any new technology or slang but god it only takes one look at the new spongebob eps to see that spongebob seriously went downhill compared to how it used to be
Nowadays I can hardly smirk about the Simpsons. But whenever I watch an episode from the golden era I have to laugh all the time. The jokes were so clever and sophisticated in the earlier seasons. And even the charcters were more complex and heart-warming.
@@razkable I saw an episode that was described as “Abe Simpson gets scammed by a con artist, and the Simpsons family tries to help him“. I decided never to watch the show again after that. Basically, Abe gets tricked into thinking Bart has been kidnapped and will die if Abe doesn’t pay these people $10,000. He doesn’t realize it’s a scam until after giving these people the money. The entire family manages to track down the building where these people operate, but even after the cops show up they don’t get arrested and Abe never gets his money back. The building gets shut down, but the criminals get to walk away without any charges.
The differences are night and day when listening to the early Simpsons, a friend of mine put on the first few seasons while I was busy playing a videogame and I was just listening to them in the background. Their morals, their motivations, I never realised how fleshed out they were just hearing them interact with eachother without looking at the funny yellow cartoon characters. From that perspective I feel like that's also partially what's wrong with the show, they're just seen as funny yellow cartoon characters nowadays and aren't taken anywhere near as seriously as they used to be because of it. They've become the equivalent of fireworks, just flashy colours and obnoxious loud noises.
I still enjoy watching the older seasons because the new ones are unbearable but yea, My family has a lot of dvds so there’s some seasons that I just watch from time to time
The show went from coherent plot lines with often a perfect blend of dark, mocking and relatable humour to basically chasing internet meme status. Every scene has become a cheap desperate attempt to go "viral", as opposed to doing what the Simpsons used to do best.
Memes and internet comedy is Z list comedy. Its cheap easy and cringe if somebody throws an internet meme at you in real life...like dude save it for the phone its not actually funny in real life
The best analogy I heard was comparing it to an elderly relative with dementia. Really emphasises the tragedy involved in watching a new episode and realising its forgetten who it is.
This is a very good contrast of classic Simpsons with the modern imitation. This is much better than just saying the old stuff sucks; you really articulate your points and demonstrate the differences.
It's true. At one point the Simpsons was arguably the best show ever made. Consistently brilliant. Now it's just a hollow shell of it's former self, limping on. I had a friend who visited the writers on the Simpsons a few years back. He told me none of them cared, and apparently he interviewed some of the cast members, one in particular told him (off the record) that he used to challenge the writing staff over some of the jokes, pointing out things like "But Ned Flanders would never say that" etc. The writers apparently replied with "but it's funny" or "but we need him to say that to set up the joke." After continued unheeded protests, the cast just stopped caring too. Now apparently, they just read the lines that are given to them and go home. Sad.
The Simpsons were a 90s product and that's how they should have stayed. Started with the decade and ended with it. Seeing them using uber, internet, smartphones and satellites was going to be uncomfortable. And sure it was. They also tried hard to become rawer in order to compete with other crude series. It was a total mess
Basically The Simpsons like many other shows of the late 20th century suffered greatly in the 2010's because now you're having them resort to the new fancy technology and talking in internet talk so out of character that they're parodies of themselves
@@caspar_gomez That would have been a great idea, but the show ran out of script ideas so it needs current celebrities, culture and technology to give it blood (not that it is good)
I first caught on to this "copying" trend when Marge, with no reason, mispronounced the word "wind", saying that she only ever saw the word written. That was from Family Guy, said by Carter Pewterschmidt, a secondary character that we don't see much but is rich, old and detached from reality enough to make us actually believe he never heard the word "wind" from anyone before. In which world would an average housewife, with kids that like to play outside, not know how you pronounce the word wind? That was the day I realized that Family Guy put more effort in their jokes than that season of the Simpsons, and the decline hasn't stopped.
I do agree with your statement that the joke made more sense in Family Guy but I think the Simpsons were the ones who did that joke first. The Simpsons one came from a treehouse of horror episode where Homer became the grim reaper The Family Guy one came from an episode where Peter found out Carter was having an affair.
@@TheDragonman104 I just checked and you're right. The Simpsons episode is from 2004 while the Family Guy one is from 2010. I guess I remembered incorrectly because I was already checked out with the Simpsons long before that episode, so I watched it way after the other one XD
@@TheDahaka1 still your kinda not wrong the Simpsons characters now feel like family guys parody of the characters especially homer he's not as bad as Peter yet but boy is he getting close not to mention for a brief time though season 25-26 they were doing these weird family guy cutaway gags wannabes
After seeing how Nickelodeon shitted on Stephen Hillenburg's tomb and used Spongebob Squarepants to wipe its ass, I'm afraid The Simpsons won't be put down even if Matt Groening or the main cast dies
This man says it the best. Unironically, in the episode "A Star is Burns" Bart says," uh oh I smell a cheap cartoon crossover" in response to the Flintstones meet the Jetsons. Little did he know that he would meet the same fate.
@@Jordannadroj20no one did, it’s why it got canceled and had a crossover with the Simpsons lol Jay Sherman is 100% more known as a 1 off Simpsons character then a main character from his own show
I feel bad for the voice actors, they lived through voicing funny, relatable, emotional people and had to watch as their characters changed into yellow husks with minimal personality
The decline of The Simpsons and refusal to let the series die with dignity has truly been one of the saddest things of my generation. And that's saying something. As much as I miss Futurama I'm just glad it didn't end up like this.
@@user-dv2hc8zt3o I always believed season 10 was the last good season of The Simpsons, but then I read the episode list and it's full of pure shit. Even episodes that could've been good like Homer giving an organ to his dad were ruined by stupid jokes or lame storytelling. The Superbowl episode is also another one I hate.
The Simpsons seasons 1-9 (approx) will live on forever as the greatest animated series ever created. It was an absolute titan in the 90's. The undisputed juggernaut. We loved it in Australia!
Nah greatest animated series ever created was Avatar the last Airbender, nothing will top that in terms of storytelling through animation, Simpsons was more of an animated sitcom.
@@GameChanger-xi4iy I thought the EXACT same thing when I ready that comment. I started watching Avatar when I was 5. I’m now 22 and my mind hasn’t changed.
@@GameChanger-xi4iy Nah it’s The Simpsons and that’s undisputed. I’m happy that you like Avatar that much, but saying it’s greater than, and had a bigger impact than The Simpsons is dumb.
The thing that bugs me the most about the "modern" Simpsons is how it depicts the future. It seems like the new generation of writers simply cannot imagine a future in which any of the SImpsons- including Homer and Marge themselves- have any meaningful degree of happiness.
That is probably reflective of the general American mood of our time. At least, if it is what I think it is. It seems to me many Americans have loads of things that they don't need, and yet they aren't happy. I think because they don't have many of the things that they do need.
I remember a recurring joke in the early seasons where whenever they showed they future, Bart would be more successful every time. Going from the head of construction union, to a state level politician, to a supreme court justice.
@@mervunit Maybe. I think it can kind of be a recurring loop. We're fed garbage commercials that tell us material happiness will make us happy, we buy things, a culture is built around buying things, and pop culture just reflects American culture, and in turn because they have commercials the cycle runs over again. A healthy dose of ad-blocking programs ought to at least end the cycle. Maybe change things for the better.l
It honestly saddens me that a beloved show of my childhood that I used to watch with my family almost everyday and enjoyed it has gone down the drain. Ever since the new seasons became very unfunny, it seems like my family and I have forgotten all about the Simpsons. I have so many memories watching this show together with my family, it was great back then.
I think the show started getting worse ever since they made the Simpsons movie. The movie was awful compared to older episodes, and it just kept getting worse from there. Instead of some heartfelt and funny moments and interesting stories it’s just stupid jokes that don’t make any sense and can get offensive.
@@PiglipsMaximus same. Also, I would rather watch King of the Hill which is also saying something. The only comedy shows I can think of that are worse than the Simpsons as of right now are Family Guy, the Cleveland show, and American dad.
Was a huge fan of the originals. Then circa 2000 it just became so cringey to watch. I haven't been able to sit through an entire episode since then. There are people who claim to like both the old & new...I don't know how that is possible.
To me the real show is seasons 2-9, but I do enjoy it up until season 16, not because I think s10-16 are as good, but because I can still find enjoyment in them, but they get progressively worse and less funny.
@@kirbymods5549 the thing is that I started watching the show regularly after he show was already in season 13 or 14. Before that I would watch an episode here or there, but never as an everyday thing. But if I had been watching the show since the beginning, I would have probably stopped like you did lol.
And most of the time those first 5 minutes are the best points in the Episode. It's like they are teasing you with these fscinating ideas only to give you crap at the last second.
@@BaconDragon-yr5vf it's true there have actually been some funny concepts that could have been a decent full length episode but then some bullshit celebrity shows up and ruins the rest of it
They've been doing that a long time. But there was usually some sort of connecting point from the beginning part to the later part of the episode. Like they'd go somewhere to do something, but they end up running into somebody and a new plot develops. But the new episodes its even more random with no connecting point.
Look at it this way: The Simpsons has had a long series run of 33 seasons, with the very first episode airing back in late December of 1989. That means that in a couple of weeks time, this show will turn 32 years. 32 years on the air. Now, it seems to be a universally agreed truth that the series saw a stark decline in quality and content between the middle of seasons 9 and 10, and started its slow decline by the beginning of season 11. The “Golden Era” of the series is estimated to be somewhere between seasons 3 and 8 (or 4 and 8, depending on who you ask), while not obviating the merits and good humor of the first two seasons. With season 1 launching on may 1990 and season 10 ending on may of 1999, we are talking about nine years worth of good, quality material. A little less if you exclude most of season 10’s crude. Nine years of quality. 9 out of 32. That’s, what, a little more than 28% of the entire show’s run? That looks bad on anything. We’re talking about a TV series that, despite the greatness of its early years, has been a bad, unfunny and derivative show for the majority of its life. This thing should have been cancelled back in 1999.
@@tricko8000 Season 9 is arguably the last Golden Age season, I don't know what you're talking about. It was the last season with the charm and emotion of the golden age episodes where Mike Scully began transitioning the show to a solid blend between wacky humor and the charm I was talking about with assistance from long time writers.That was before Mike Scully just seemed to ignore the other writers and do whatever shit he wanted from season 10
It confuses me how the Simpsons is even still seen as the best show on television it was only good for like 9 years it's been mediocre to absolute garbage for 24 years you would think with that track record the show would be university hated yet shows like family guy were bad for only 10 to 15 years depending on who your asking but has a horrible reputation in the TV world.
This was so well put together! If the Simpsons just axed everything between 2000-2002 they wouldve been legendary... Hell thdy could've went out on top with Seinfeld in 98' But the sheer GREED kept them in the game... In the 90s they had full seasons with no misses... Now they go seasons without hits. A true fall from grace
@Chiseled Adonis☑ (love the username 🤣) Could not agree more... I took so much from The Simpsons due to being in my teenage years when it hit its peak. Most days if I have a few moments to myself, or feeling a little down, I'll re-watch one of the gags which made me howl with laughter back in the day. This afternoon it was from the episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" during which Bart gives Homer a freebie coupon book for his birthday; *Homer* "I'll start with a couple of pizzas, then a complimentary tango lesson, then I'll cap it off with a smooth, refreshing colonic!" *Lisa* "Erm, Dad..." *Homer* "Do you like Piña Colonics, and getting caught in the rain...."
The show being rubbish now is an almost inevitable byproduct of it having gone on for too long. The best thing they could have done was ended the regular seasons after season 10, then done a film every so often or just a special feature length episode for tv once a year or something.Dragging out full seasons of a show that ran out of ideas before 9/11 had even happened is borderline cruel.
@@leob4403 The bad stuff still outweights whatever "good" things those seasons have. Danny All is right: if the show stopped after season 10 or so, maybe we would have gotten movies with much better stuff than those "good" things seasons 10-20 have.
That's why season 1 was actually really iconic...each ep felt like a mini drama story that could be timeless and replayed as much as possible....there just happened to be comedy in there as well...season 1 will always be my favorite paced season...it's so dry and slow that you can fall asleep while watching it which is nice
I think there is some truth that this generation cant sit still and watch something for more than 5 seconds unless it immediately pays off with loud noises and visual gags. They might as well make Simpsons tiktoks. The visual gags are unrelated to the story anyway so why not just make them direct to tiktok or youtube shorts. Its sad. I wish the show ended at the turn of the century.
@@Acolyte_501st I was meaning that the writers of the Simpsons now must feel pressure to create immediate jokes rather than fully formed interwoven layered jokes like proper simpsons. Like even if they did make it better I dont think people these days would have the patience to watch. Its a moot point anyway as they will never make it better. I wish they ended it so much
You are correct about the meaning part, as there are episodes such as when Homer eats the poisonous pufferfish and has to come to terms with his mortality, Homer finding his soul mate after a chilli bender gone wrong and Lisa's substitute teacher episode. Also several memorable quotes such as: "See you in hell, candy boys!" "Aw 20 dollars, but I wanted a peanut" (Brain) Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts (Homer) Explain how (Brain) Money can be exchanged for goods and services" "The only monster Lisa is the one who's enslaved your mother, and I call him Gamblor!" "Bart, I don't want to alarm you, but there may be a boogeyman or boogeymen in the house!"
That shot of Homer slumping over in the couch in the glow of late-night TV broke me as a kid, and it still breaks me now as a 27 year old. Classic Simpsons could really nail the sombre moments better than even most live action shows of the time could
Barney is by far one of the most interesting characters ever written, per earlier season at least. And compellingly relatable. The troubled artist and adventurer, drowning his sorrows with substance abuse until he seems no more than another schlub, passing out in the gutter after 12 too many beers. A person of incredible potential and intelligence, wasted by a society that doesn't have room for him. If any character should get a spin-off a-la The Cleveland Show, it's Barney Gumble.
It's sad to think that the bad totally outweighs the good at this point. I remember years back it would come on and I would say "aah, it's a new one." - That was about 17 years ago.
Time wasting gags can work for some people and in some situations, and Family Guy kind of invented them. That makes Family Guy a unique show that might not appeal to anyone, but has its own style. But there's no need to add them to the Simpsons, as they don't really work with the humour the Simpsons used to have.
Yeah, but I kinda like Family Guys' gags. They're actually funny, and don't pretend that they're anything else than dumb shit. Simpsons was supposed to be a relatable show, and this just doesn't suit them.
@@HrHaakon well your view is in sharp contrast to that of the guy making the video and the one everyone’s agree with, by saying that 1995 Simpson’s was better because they had meaning but nowadays it’s just dumb shit which in there option is worse
For me the biggest reason for its decline is the reason you stated at the end. Once they had Alec Baldwin, Kim Basigner, and Ron Howard guest star as themselves the show stopped satirizing Hollywood, pop culture and politicians and instead were a part of it by having countless celebrities guest start or in some cases politicians guest star often as themselves and it wasn't to satirize them. The worst example of this was an episode in 2010 I think where Michelle Obama played herself and she made Lisa feel better about herself. That's a plot that makes no sense. The last episode I saw had the entire cast of "Girls" guest starring and it was a terrible plot.
By that Baldwin episode they were fully into the Scully era and any remnants of the Oakley-Weinstein writing that left after Season 8 were gone. Seasons 9 and 10 were really the end of the golden era, in my opinion. Phil Hartman's final episodes aired, Futurama premiered, the '90s drew to a close. I think the first eight seasons are untouchable, but if it had ended after Seasons 9 or 10, its legacy would have still been practically perfect. Much like Seinfeld, which declined after Larry David left but still went out "on top" despite the wackiness of the final two seasons
It's so interesting that you picked that season 31 episode to analyse. For about 15 years now I've only watched seasons 1-9, but about a month ago I decided to watch a random new episode out of morbid curiosity and it turned out to be the viral video one. I really wish I hadn't. It was execrable. The show has become somehow less than nothing.
@Stan Marsh Back when it first aired I watched a lot of Simpsons seasons 10-15 and it got progressively worse until 90% of it was appalling and I gave up. The one season 31 episode I watched was 20 times worse that that, so I don't see why there'd magically be episodes amongst such filth that could rival seasons 1-9, which are the greatest thing that's ever been on TV by a long way. That would require all of the characters to suddenly stop being the husks that they became about 20 years ago, Homer to stop being a jerk, the jokes to revert to being multilayered, clever and purposeful, the plots to regain their sense, the animation to regain its heart, celebrities to stop appearing as themselves, and about 50 other things that the current production team are painfully incapable of. We clearly disagree on what even made the Simpsons brilliant in the first place, but you're entitled to your opinion.
Remember "Behind the Laughter?" This is that for real. I've watched The Simpsons since their nascent beginnings in 1989 when I was 9 years old, and I haven't watched a new episode in almost a decade. That's how little I even care anymore that the show is still going. The humor is now unrelatable and filled with pointless and shameless celebrity guest appearances of people I've personally never even heard of that I couldn't care less about. What a shame.
Your post made me remember that I have felt that "Behind The Laughter" would have made for a good series finale. I also think that the Simpsons Movie could have also functioned as such.
If you haven't seen a single episode in over a decade, how can you tell that the show is declining? If you haven't seen it you're simply basing your opinion on what others tell you, and that makes you a sheep. So be careful when following the masses, because sometimes the M is silent
I feel like the Simpsons tried to be a bit more like a standard sitcom at first but now they’re not a sitcom, they’re more of just a cartoon with gags. My favourite show used to be The Simpsons but it’s been replaced by Bob’s Burgers, that show is relatable, everyone feels like a real human and acts the way they should, the main family feels like a family and they all go through real world problems, even if some are exaggerated or cartoonised for the sake of the humour, it still feels human, it’s something we can all sit down, think and feel about as if we knew the characters ourselves.
@Projekt Kobra I get the criticism , for me the enjoyment comes from context as it seems to be parodying a certain part of America or maybe even how other countries view it. I also looked up bobs burgers and I'm with you on this one. It was just boring
What frustrates me the most about modern Simpsons is that its turned from something I love to something I roll my eyes at when people defend it compared to other shows.
For me, the episode of The Simpsons that made me rage quit the show was Tennis the Menace. It was just, "hey, what if The Simpsons got a tennis court and then some celebrities showed up!" Everything down to the worsening animation made me feel nauseous. It was too surreal to be taken seriously. And that was way back in like, 2000, I think So really, the whole manatees arbitrarily piecing together a joke thing may as well have started there, and not before Family Guy got really bad But this video made me realize something. I've gotten into a lot of arguments with people who say, "how can you criticize X for doing Y when it once did Z?" And the answer is that when it did Z it had heart and context It's like people don't expect quality anymore, they're just content to watch stuff happen. And when you try to deconstruct it to explain why it doesn't work, they have to respond by deconstructing something else And that's what The Simpsons itself has become. A hollow shell that was broken down over and over into easily digestible bits you don't have to think about. Everything is validated and needs no explanation
That's a good pick! For me, the episode that I think really jumped the shark for the Simpsons was "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes". It started off with an innocent-enough premise, and then it got slowly warped into something surreal and non-sensical.
@@co81385 My personal collection of show destroying moments have to be, in order: 1. Strong Arms of the Ma - like, why? Seriously, why does this episode exist? 2. Bart vs. Itchy and Scratchy - again, it has like 5 plots it wants to focus on and character derailment of Bart...plus false advertisement with the vs. marquee because the whole female reboot I&S never seems to pop up again. 3. Any modern Comic Book Guy episode - are you really trying to develop him? He's a schlub who owns a comic store! 4. Lisa Goes Gaga. Yeah, I completely checked out here of all episodes. It wasn't funny or hell, even memorable!
I remember when i stopped watching any of the new seasons all together. it was the Alec Baldwin/Kim Bassinger episode. I posted on an online forum about how the celebrity cameos that are simply there to promote themselves are ruining the show and got shouted down by people who chose to ignore the previous seasons and gaslighted that it's always been this way. I realized I no longer related to the newer seasons so I simply stopped watching. Now I see everyone complaining about it and I feel vindicated after so many years.
that episode is at least funny and if you listen to the audio commentary, they originally were going to write it for a different hollywood couple...unfortunately it has since become a parody of itself and it's just depressing to watch them sell out for any artist that's hot at the moment..
@@bil186 it was relatively funny compared to the season it was in which was a low bar to begin with.. it doesnt hold any ground "Marge vs the Monorail" or "You only move twice"which are peak simpsons.
@Stan Marsh did you watch the video at all? The narrator said that the newer shows have the same elements as the earler seasons but the execution of those elements is done in a shallow way.
@Stan Marsh Krusty getts Kanclelled was fine because the celebs were parodies of themselves. Johnny Carson juggling a car, red hot chillie peppers being being open to artistic censorship, bett midler becing an eco extremist willing to kill people who litter. they were not just "hey look at me" and let me act normally while Homer does something dumb. Ron Howard was in the Alec Baldwin/few episodes but he was a characture of himself because he acts like a jerk but hes a nice person in real life. thats why Ron worked and Alec/Kim didnt . also the baseball episode with homer and all the MLB players. the writers put them in self depreciating situations. one gets hypnotized to think hes a chicken, ozzy smith acts like a rube going into the "mystery spot" tourist trap, steve sax being arrested for murder, ken griffy jr having giganticism from drinking nerve tonic. so with both of those huge celeb guest list episodes they were able to give each celeb a absurd thing to do withing the story rather than say "what if homer was Alec Baldwins assistant" those episodes weren't focused on the celebs being the center of attention. krusty gets Kanclelled main story drive was "how does a washed up celeb get back on top" and the answer is to beg your celebrity friends to help you out even though he alientated them all while he was on top. or "how far/petty is a billionaire willing to be thay they will spend millions to essentially cheat for a simple softball game that we are shown up until that point none of the players take seriously. now its all "what if homer did dumb things around elon musk.
The weird thing is that American Dad became the better show out of the three just because of how much the show can work with so many weird things that kinda make sense. Especially with Stan being in the CIA and assume the weird tech is there or the better part having to do with Roger's many personas. It stays on topic with A and B stories and doesn't rely on cutaway gags because there are just maybe 1 to none, usually an old memory brought up.
Yeah, it started as the worst of the bunch. It's quite odd how some cartoons start great but become bleh after a few seasons (simpsons, rick and morty) and some others start awfully and age like wine, like south park or american dad. Family guy is okay, not in his prime but at least watchable. Rick and Morty is another bad season til being shit.
@@IvanGarcia-ke3lo I liked season 5 of rick and morty tho the quality drop off is getting noticeable. The new writers and Dan harmons dislike of story eps and trying to rush thru them seems like it's beginning to clash unless they can find a perfect balance between them amd the random one-off eps. I'd still like to see character development tho whoever route they go down
The best episodes of Simpsons are the ones with a good short set up at the beginning that had nothing to do with the main story but sets up the whole episode just as well.
I actually have the opposite issue with recurring characters. Sometimes The Simpsons will have a character who’s designed as a one-shot gag but they’ll keep them around to essentially keep telling the same joke. Like, the whole joke behind Disco Stu is that Marge tries to spell Disco Stud but ran out of space, but then there’s actually a real guy with that name that talks in the third person. But the only other joke they ever do with him is that he likes disco and talks in the third person. And it’s never as funny as the first time. Or like, the cat lady. The joke is that Lisa is running a news story about a supposed ‘crazy’ woman who loves cats trying to get cheap sympathy points, but the woman actually is batshit insane. Then they keep the character around but the only joke they ever do is ‘she’s mad and throws cats at ppl’ Tl;dr: a lot of Simpsons humour after the first few seasons is just “hey remember this thing? Recognise it and laugh”
But they developed the characters bit by bit and some they didn’t...same for Seinfeld....if you like new Simpson that is fine...but old way of dealing with the background characters was amazing
@@TaddiestMason came here to talk about her backstory. My favorite part was when they bet that she couldn't throw a cat over a large building. The she did 😹
Maybe they'll do something similar to vocaloid, record the VAs saying specific vowels, syllables, etc. then can be made into a program that can make them say anything.
@@mollypaws It's called deepfake, it's done thru an AI algorithm. It can already be done just by compiling clips of somebody talking. For instance, Donald Trump and Joe Rogan can be easily deepfaked because there are so many clips of them speaking that can be compiled.
When I first saw Family Guy, I thought it was a Simpson's ripoff like everyone else with less compelling storylines and dumb jokes that were simply random. But I think it has done a better job of sticking to its identity, and being self aware about it. The Simpson's was a show meant to be taken a little more seriously and seems to be trying to hard to get noticed, even if it goes out of character.
Family guy shifted hard as well just like the Simpsons, it just happened a lot earlier so it’s less noticeable but there’s big reason to why people say the first 3 seasons are the best and that’s because it didn’t follow the typical “family guy” formula as much
I would say that over the past 7 years, Family guy has changed its pacing to be faster and less coherent as well. It never was elegantly spaced out except in certain episodes where the writers try out different concepts that require different pacing (which have always been my favorite), but recently, family guy and the simpsons feel like watching a series of semi-related tik toks.
something you missed was the quality of the actual character's animation. Basically the characters adhere to a very strict model sheet now, whereas 20 years ago the animators had an opportunity to put A LOT of individual character into their expressions and emotions (consider the clown college episode and Homer's face when playing with his mash in a tribute to the scene from close encounters of the 3rd kind) its not an angle from a model sheet, its the animator expressing the character with their artistic skills. It was much more cartoony, much more creative where now its all the same emotions, rinsed and repeated.
Well ever since simpsons changed showrunner a year or so ago, the show's gotten much better and jerkass homer hasn't been a thing for a while now. If anything, now Marge tends to be more inconsiderate.
@@hapytreefriends78 yeah.. probably you missed the point of @Dark Neal's comment. But I understand that an HD image and more intricate scenes can pass as "better animation" for some people.
I think the reason that they refuse to let the show end despite the decline in ratings is because of how merchandisable the characters are. If they had ended it twenty-years ago, there wouldn't be much call for Simpsons tee-shirts, calendars, mugs or video games today. Such items would be seen as retro rather than current and only a portion of the original audience who still remembered the show fondly would even want them. This change in mindset has started to happen anyway and that's the only thing that can and will eventually kill the brand.
I think they could have kept the Simpsons merchandise train alive long after the show ended. Just look at Futurama, a show that is half as big as The Simpsons, which still sells Merchandise long after the show ended. Thanks to the show being so good. And because the show filled with movies and other sidestuff.
Bingo. Merchandise is a juggernaut and it’s every company’s dream. There are plenty of fans that have no interest in watching the show anymore but still have an interest in the brand because it’s current. Once it’s off the air the inevitable slow decline of peoples interest will begin. Naturally they will put that off for as long as they can.
I want to correct something. The simpsons wasn't just the best cartoon on tv. It was without a doubt the best show on TV by a long way during the first 7 seasons. Nothing even came close. I am not exaggerating when I say it breaks my heart when I see a new episode and am confronted with what it's become.
It's more like this one person that won't leave your house - you took him in, got him settled, and now he *refuses* to leave your house even after his muscles have clear signs of atrophy and he's gotten annoying.
Okay, this is where I draw the line. Like you and I, writers are human beings. Usually if a show has been consistently poorly written for the last few years, then you would think that the writers should have just moved on and be able to do something better with their lives, right? The Simpsons continues to make episodes because it's financially profitable. The writers have lives. They have families to feed, they have houses to keep up, etc. Because of this, cancelling the show because of only its drop in quality would be a major misstep from a business standpoint. If they cancel it, they can't make money off of it. Without money, life would be more of a struggle. Without money, you won't have the budget to create new shows. Without money, no business. Do I still question why The Simpsons is still going? Certainly. A part of me is amased that it now has thirty seasons. But do I genuinely care that it's still going? Not really, for the most part. After all, I have a life, and I can simply better use my time on content I like.
@@MrSeekerOfPeace Simpsons has always been liberal, since season 1, lol. The problem is that there are no new ideas for a family that fans only see being always in the 90's.
Totally unrelated, but when I watch some of these "downfall of the Simpsons" documentaries and the creators compile footage spanning decades, a part of me misses the old-school style of hand-drawn animation. It was low resolution, fuzzy and it feels like each frame has depth. It's a sharp contrast to the newer (ala computer-generated) animation where the backgrounds, the sets, the background characters, and the foreground characters are all sharp and in focus.
100%, the old animation is the primary reason why i miss the original series. it's the technology that fundamentally changed everything, the poor writing & pandering to tiktok generation is the byproduct of that. we should have stayed with the hand-drawn animation...
Awesome video! Articulated so well my frustrations with the show. It's really so disappointing to watch now, it's become a 22 min advert desperate for attention.
I once went on a date with a Simpsons writer (this was around 2014). She got the job from social connections in her improv group, had no professional comedy writing experience, and was the least funny person I've ever met. She complained that the bar we went to had no valet parking, scolded me for jaywalking when there was no traffic, didn't understand half the jokes I made, and went on weird, random feminist rants. It was a depressing experience.
@@ryanjohnson2934 Exactly. I don't know why a story that says, "Hey I met a writer of the show who had no talent, sense of humor, or qualifications" isn't obvious commentary on why the show is bad, but apparently that's too subtle for some people
@@cheintze1 lmao nah. but okay if you say so. feminists are annoying but this felt shoehorned. and we all know that the writers suck now. that is the point of the video
My thoughts on The Simpsons: Seasons 1-9: Amazing (The Golden Age of The Simpsons. Out of 203 episodes, there is only 1 episode I consider to be bad and no, clip shows don't count) Seasons 10-13: Good (While there are horrible episodes in the rest of the scully era like Kill the Alligator and Run, Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble and Bye, Bye Nerdie, most of the episodes are a net positive) Seasons 14-19: Okay (The teen seasons can feel pretty a bit bland and lukewarm but there are some hidden gems though. An overall mixed bag). Seasons 20-25: Bad (When it's not having horrible episodes, it's mostly painfully boooorrrriiinnnggg) Seasons 26-33: Terrible (Fucking end it already, This show is just garbage now and will never be good again)
family guy's basically the same in this level. yeah it has different humor but has the same family idea as the simpsons. at 1st it was ok the humor is ok not over the top. but as every 3 seasons pass by it just gone down hill. I liked it the way it was not what it is now. both have the same issue and it's sad. and dumb people that watches all the new seasons and be all like "that's what it always ways." "watch the older seasons and try saying that again."
as someone who used to be a diehard simpsons fan I totally agree, the reason why I saw around 30 seasons is because I was thinking "i'm past the point of no return" but I just can't fucking watch it, its just unwatchable. from season 1 to season 19 it was a great show they had some terrible episodes but mostly were great, 20-25 was kinda bad but not terrible but after that I forced myself to watch those seasons and I couldn't go passed season 30 from how terrible it was
@@homersimpson6585 You're more nicer towards the teen seasons than I am. For me, Season 19 undoubtedly begins Zombie Simpsons, or at the very least after Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind. That episode was the last perfect outing for the series.
@@KingYou2002 honestly season 17-19 where I remember seeing more terrible episodes but not bad compared to the ones made now, but season 16 doesn’t get enough love imo I actually loved this season one of my favorites tbh I guess season 10 and after doesn’t get enough love because we set our standards so high,but yeah the seasons after 19 imo just wasn’t that good
Yeah I don't see that episode as the decline. It's still really funny and great jokes in but ... it really does ruin a fan favourite character only to have none of it matter by the end of the episode. I don't think the writing quality was bad, just the writing decisions.
@@Lullaby454 it's the beginning of the decline. It itself is not that bad, but it's the first sign of undeniable clear decline in the show, where the writers would write in a way that didn't make sense for the characters.
"Principal and the Pauper" is a good episode, but a lot of people mention this as the start of the slide to mediocrity because it was the 1st noticable time the Writers sacrificed a popular character in Skinner into just a throwaway gag for an entire episode only to "Never to be heard from again". But it did have my favorite character line in the whole Series: "Up yours, Children"
Just that excerpt of Homer struggling to find parking at the nuclear plant only to reveal he is across the fence from his own backyard, even without sound. Made me literally laugh out loud. This show USED to be SO good for exactly the reasons you are discussing, and PACING is huge, the other is tone and heart. Having begun rewatching seasons 1 through 6, the general throughline is that no matter what, the Simpsons are a family that love each other, warts and all. That often subtle,, wholesome family dynamic is almost completely missing from new Simpsons.
Yeah, back then, it was an animated sitcom that, despite all the great, perfectly timed comedy, had characters that had heart and depth to them. Now it's just a cartoon where the characters are just plot devices for the stupid gags. As the video already said, it's more and more becoming a Family Guy clone, where the characters are just there to do random, over-the-top gags.
When it comes to nostalgia I don't get excited anymore, I've accepted the fact that all the original minds behind the shows, movies, and video games I loved just aren't there anymore.
I've been binge watching The Simpsons over the last few months, and I must say that the first 8 seasons are absolutely incredible. There is a noticeable decline in quality starting around season 9 (1997), and the show becomes borderline insufferable by season 13 (2001). I feel like you could watch any episode released before season 9 and it has a sort of timeless aspect to it as a lot of the themes remain culturally significant even today, but I often find myself watching newer episodes and thinking to myself, "Yep. I can definitely tell this episode is from 2000" because of their over reliance on pop culture gags. The problem with this is that it hilariously dates many episodes and makes them uninteresting to watch nowadays. Somehow they made episodes from 2002 feel older than episodes from 1992.
Thats because from the start they did it cause they had something they wanted to say and do, after that was done they did it for the money, and it shows
@@zilvertron It's also because many of the original writing staff left and weren't accurately replaced. The new ones obviously didn't really have anything to say and made the show more commercial and family-friendly.
They all changed. Every single one of them, but Homer has the most noticeable change but it's not the worse. Off the top of my head, I'd say Nelson has gotten the worst change in character, he's just pathetic now.
Flanders went from a good but could get annoying with his religion neighbour to a completely insane religious fanatic, Marge went from a parody of an overprotective mother to a miserable old woman, Mr Burns like Mr Krabs from Spongebob went from comically greedy to pure evil. Smithers went from a parody of a middle management executive to "Ha ha the joke is that he's gay and loves Burns." And Lisa went from smart girl to self righteous hypocrite.
Very well articulated. The first 8 seasons of the show were must see TV. You knew it was going to be great. Then the next 3 to 5 seasons you got mostly good episodes and then a few duds (how many more Krusty down on his luck episodes and Sideshow Bob wants to kill Bart episodes do we need?) Then it was like finding a good episode was like finding a gold nugget in a mine that had been picked over for 100 years? I would rather re-watch, say, the episode when Homer was torn between buying an air conditioner versus a new sax for Lisa than oh look Lady Gaga meets the Simpsons.
I was born in 1979. I grew up with the simpsons. I remember the Christmas special in 1989, which was genuinely funny. And I remember when it was picked up as a regular series for spring of 1990. It marked a complete shift in the television landscape at the time. But when I was 11 I didn't know about all that. All I knew was it made me laugh and it made me smile. And considering I would later find out I had depression at the time, it was probably a lifesaver for me and some other kids of the Worst Generation. I also remember it becoming boring around season 7, and after that god awful Skinner episode of season 9, I checked out emotionally. Wish it had died and Futurama had taken over. Now its a zombie. Been a zombie for about 23 years. And that makes me sad. I wonder what show, if any, the kids today consider special and significant. I just watched Season 34, episode 18 and holy sweet jesus is it ever terrible. Not one joke and mostly annoying to watch. Fun Fact: Marge Versus The Monorail is still the highest rated episode of the whole series. It was written by Conan O'Brien.
This is one of the best takes I’ve seen get. The modern writers, in addition to being totally out of ideas, are trying to emulate the older material without proper understanding of what actually made it work.
Good analysis. One thing that I think also gets overlooked when analysing the decline of the Simpsons is the continual incorporation of the 'real world' - for years Springfield and the entire 'Simpsons universe' didn't make reference to any modern technology, brands, moments in time, music, celebrities etc. and if they did it was often subtle or done in a humorous way. The episodes these days are basically set in present time and so much of the writing relies so heavily on what is happening in the world at that moment.
Some episodes rely on Trump so much they might as well be CNN and MSNBC shows. The anti-Trump rhetoric is so heavy... if you subtracted every propagandist reference to Trump you would be left with only commercials. And The Simpsons is filled with commercials in the actual show.
@@dredwick thanks mate, I make an informative point about the writing style of the show and you randomly feel the need to try and shoehorn in an attempt to defend Trump and have a go at the "Fake News"....pathetic
Well, there was that episode where Bart doesn't know what Apple products are, but I get you, the moment they drenched themselves in the current state of affairs they started to care less and less about bringing a storyline that stayed with you to supplant it with what was hot at that moment (let's get this celebrity!)
For those of us in the UK old enough to remember- I remember it originally broadcast on BBC2 on Monday and Friday evenings, with Friday being a double bill, before it moved to channel 4. Started to go down hill for me around the mid 2000's.
Yea I remember that, i think I stopped watching it with the movie to me it was bad then got into different shows around 2007, also I put it on once or twice a new episode was on ages ago goodness it was so unfunny, I couldn’t believe it and the show looks so different it looked better back in the late 90s vs newer style looks hideous to me.
A youtuber named "Hados" stole your video and translated it into German (claiming that he did all the research himself). The video is called "Der Grund wieso die Simpsons schlecht wurden".
Thank you! I saw it now and it's word for word the same as my script. Crazy
@@JustanObservation wouldnt even be the first time he did something like that lol
@@hww3136 yeah I’d suspect his entire channel is stealing peoples scripts and translating them to German as if he wrote them. It would be weird to randomly do it once.
@@JustanObservation not sure, I quickly checked some of his videos but couldnt find any more evidence, maybe you'd have to look a bit deeper into it. At least he also has some videos specifically about german TV broadcasters where there is no way it's stolen I guess, much easier to get away with it if the original is in a different language and therefore surrounded by a (completely) different community. The only other video thats kinda stolen is his video about why spongebob was such a good show, at least he linked the original, but yeah that doesn't make the whole situation better, seeing some unsuspecting commentors praising him for the video instead of praising you, and he's just replying like "thank you!"
@@JustanObservation oh wow, I think he even deleted your comment now, at least I cant find it anymore
I'm glad Futurama ended rather than going down the same route as The Simpsons.
Edit: I stand corrected 🙃
Yea...too bad it ended twice. The second run on comedy central and the 4 movies were nowhere near as good as the first four seasons.
Yep, but really the Simpsons ended when the writers moved on to make Futurama..
at this point Simpsons just keep going to maintain the record of longest running tv show
@@devforfun5618 yea zombies are hard to kill
@@joedee9811 Is that an unpopular opinion? I always thought the same, but I've never heard it before from anyone else.
I think Barney said it best: "Don't cry for me. I'm already dead."
Don't cry for me, the show is already dead
For a split second my brain thought you were talking about Barney the Dinosaur. So now I'm imagining Barney the Dinosaur say: "Don't cry for me; I'm already dead."
I just wanted to thank you for that.
@@MansakeLabsOfficial ...
@@MansakeLabsOfficial glad I'm not the only one!
There's a line in Othello about the Simpsons:
"Now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast."
That pretty well covers it.
Something that bothers me is that The Simpsons now have EVERYTHING. Before, they were a middle class family who struggled with money, so they couldn't afford everything (Lisa's sax or diary, travels, ac, etc). That was more real and made you emphatize with Homer. Now they have everything, last generation technology, and they travel around the wolrd like its just a stroll in the park. Before, when they needed to go overseas, we could se the progression of how it went, and I remember I loved the "The Simpons are going to ____!" episodes! Now, they are like "Im dying, I want to buy a bar in Ireland" and boom, the fly and BUY the bar... with what money? It doesn't make any sense, they are not a relatable family, and they are now just a fictional cartoon family that has everything.
it's the privileged writers just shamelessly pulling stuff from their own lives in the most blatant way possible without any nuance or interest, just cheap gags for cheap viewers, and now you realize that episodes not only reflect the quality of the project but the PEOPLE behind it.
Reminds me of the powerpuff girls reboot’s writer who just literally did self insert
@@MsZsc
Imagine how awful the steven universe reboot will be in 20 years
It’s because homer is secretly rich
Royalties from B sharps
Insurance
High paid jobs (astronaut)
@@BBWahoo you think that knock off adventure time will even survive
If The Simpsons ended its run in 2000, I think it would be remembered today as one of the greatest shows in the history of American television.
Nah, it should have ended after Season 8 (1997)
It is still remembered as one of the greatest shows ever made.
I’d say even mid 2000’s it still could’ve been. But by the time they almost got to the 2010’s, it became bad
I thought it was good until around season 15. That would have been perfect.
@@youtubeemployeesarestupid3464 new family guy is better than it has been in seasons
I sometimes wonder how long modern Simpsons would have lasted without the legacy of classic Simpsons.
Not very long. Like 10 episodes, then cancellation.
@@elgatochurro the new simpsons is not leftist
@@elgatochurro
Old Simpsons: Police is corrupt by definition. We should have more strict gun control.
New Simpsons: Hello, Mr. Elon Musk. Let me lick your boot.
But yeah, sure, new Simpsons is "leftist crap".
I guess it wouldn't have existed at all?
@@guillemtb1671 Ignore him, that guy probably thinks the Nazis were leftists because they had socialist in the name.
I'm sceptical there even are writers. A lot of modern Simpsons comes across as something written by an AI algorithm.
Its just a bunch of gags written by a team of writers, and they are all smashed together without any storyboarding. Its even worse than Family Guy... at least Family Guy has some episode storylines. South Park is trying hard to stay away from that fate, as they have season story lines. But you could take all of the Simpsons post 2000 (ignoring the art of course) and all the Family Guy post 2012 (not ignoring the artwork) and (ignoring references to Trump) put them in a bin and you would have no idea which episode goes with which season.
Dolphin, choosing random balls, of course.
Nah... the current writers are that bad in entertainment today. I wish you were right, though, it would be less disappointing.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. OG Simpsons had a sort of method to the madness, now is just madness...and a very boring one at that
@@tehmodestmouse6275 I understood that reference
I think a person on Reddit put it best. (I’m paraphrasing here) “Watching a show gradually decline in quality like The Simpsons is like seeing a family member with dimentia. You can see glimpses of who they used to be, but they’re never there for more than a moment…”
This analogy is so sad and yet fits so well.
Not really - dementia only lasts three years or so - I speak from personal experience..
@@rosiehawtrey Dementia can last longer. My great-grandma has had it for about 5 years.
@@suspiciousstar7547 It does depend on the variant someone has and we'll probably find out it also depends on their genetics as well. I think they'll also find that there's a sub clinical process going on for years/decades before.
Damn that is ... sad yet true
As someone who had a grandparent with dementia and couldn't see her for the last few years of her life because it was too painful... it's a good analogy.
1990s - The Simpsons is a family sitcom that happens to be a cartoon
2000s - The Simpsons is a cartoon that happens to star a family
2010s - The Simpsons is a sitcom that happens to star a cartoon family
2020s- The Simpsons, a sitcom of Disney, is a family cartoon that happens to star a product
exactly
You literally said the same thing twice
@@NateS917It speaks to a decline in quality.
@@NateS917 You stupid?
Was a hardcore fan of the show since I was a teenager and tried to hang on when it started going downhill, but after Lisa Goes Gaga, I was done. A few weeks ago I actually watched a new episode for the first time in years about Comic Book Guy not wanting to have kids and giving the backstory as to why and thought it was absolutely horrible, which made me sad because Comic Book Guy was always one of my favorite characters. Funny thing is, Bart and Homer kinda foretold the show’s eventual decline when they did their little tribute to The Cosby Show when Homer tells Bart that Cosby wanted to end the show before the quality declined to which Bart replied, “Quality shmality, if I had a TV show, I’d run it straight into the ground!”, to which Homer replied, “Amen, son! Amen!” They were so bloody brilliant back then!
The concept of CBG married simply doesn't work in my opinion. It would be okay if at least they did it better, but the Japanese girl doesn't even feel like a real character to make it seem justified. She feels more like how a western guy wants in a Japanese girl, instead of more a human being who happens to be Japanese.
@@CorazonMexica God, same. Honestly I can't believe the writers rushed what could have better worked as a small story arc into a single episode. Her character feels like a cardboard cutout whose entire personality is to display and/or parrot some basic level japanese trivia to the viewer.
Very disappointing for a show that used to be so clever in its writing and humor.
I watched Lisa Goes Gaga just a few days ago and it was such a battle to get through the episode. I could barely finish it over 3 days.
@@CorazonMexica it isn't earned, just another one of those "we don't want our characters to be lonely :(" thing so she's poofed into existence to marry CBG, rather than it be something that's earned, and she's just an accessory to him.
@ghost mall not only that but she's also a mangaka who's quickly fascinated by him because....the writers want him to have a girl and no reason with any of the punch old simpsons would have, because they'd know this plot is awful.
The problem is, the Simpsons is such a television phenomena no one has the courage to cancel it.
And as long as the original cast stays people will still watch. If they change then ratings will plummet
that's probably it
@@SkippyLaughlin Dr. Hibbert voice has changed, not sure people care.
They arent. No one watches the show anymore.
At the same time, more watched shows are cancelled.
I have this theory as to why. Simpsons merch and the older seasons SELL. By continuing to make seasons, the show stays more relevant and isnt seen as something of the past, wich could impact the sales. Its a wierd state, but the show is just an extra to sell shirts and stuff. And since it still has audience and its somewhat cheap to make, it doesnt cost much.
Again, just a theory.
The irony is I don't even think there's merch outside of Universal's park anymore.
Like, no one maintained the Simpsons area of it since the movie and no one cares, so who is it for, anyway?
Seinfeld: "A good showman always bows out while he's still on top".
The Simpsons: "Let's just keep pumping out seasons until one of our main cast members dies of old age."
Marshall wallace, while not a main cast member, did die a few years ago
Russi Taylor (Martin) has died.
@@thefractured_butwhole Obviously he ment (and even said) one of the MAIN cast members. Meaning one of the "big six" i.e.: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer. When one of them is out, the suffering will finally be over.
Both Marcia Wallace and Russi Taylor were "only" supporting cast, so their deaths could have been worked around. Along with Phil Hartman, who aslo died and wasn't mentioned yet.
@@FolgoreCZ Phil Hartman is dearly missed, his characters added so much to Golden Age Simpsons.
Well that's the problem. They should have ended the series years ago before it got stale. Now they are running on empty but are still hanging in there. It is just like Happy Days. That program was on air way too long. They even had the infamous "Jump the shark" episode which has become a term for a program that has run out of new ideas and started doing insipid episodes.
Another example of the “Homer laughing at something inane” gag is in Homer Goes to College. At his first lecture the professor tells a science related joke, and the whole class chuckles politely while Homer looks around utterly nonplussed. Then the professor drops his notes and Homer erupts into hysterics, continuing while everyone in the room slowly turns to look at him one by one. Like you said, it works because it actually has meaning within the story; it’s not just funny because Homer does something stupid, it’s funny because it shows how out of place he is
Exactly. There are consequences to Homer laughing at the misfortune and stupidity of people.
Hahaha look at that jerk! He dropped his notes!
And it's followed by him running outside chasing a squirrel. Classic Simpson with multiple jokes in one short segment.
The professor says, “I see a lot of new faces. But as they say-out with the old, in with the nucleus.”
This is a good comment, but it could be even better if you replaced "nonplussed" with "indifferent" or "unperturbed"
It's so bizarre seeing a 90's show promoting 2020 culture. I guess they're trying to appeal to the kids, but it just looks like the show has gone through a time warp.
should have just appealed to the fans who were watching it while maintaining some type of quality and let those who do find the show entertaining start watching on their own, rather then trying to appeal to an entire new fanbase
Agreed! There's something about watching Simpsons characters playing on a video game console that resembles an Atari 2600, then years later watching them playing a console like the Nintendo Wii that just doesn't feel right to me.
It's like seeing a teenage Fonzie using a smartphone.
@@leojs5673 Imagine attacking people over a dead TV series.
This is best summed up by seeing Bart lazing on the sofa with a smartphone. i can't accept this image.
@@Daneki Or that viral video episode.
Not gonna lie, back in the 90's I would have never have guessed we'd be in 2021 still getting new Simpsons episodes.
yeah no shit. I figured it been canceled around 2000. since a lot of stuff that came on air in 1989-1990 was going off air or already off by 2000.
@@Dratchev241 the simpsons contract with fox was made till 2070
Unless the contract becomes void
The simpsons will be here for a while
@@ItachiUchiha_1724 Or maybe until every single one of the VA or Matt Groening himself dies
Meanwhile in 2070: season 175 episode 134: Homer Eats Pasta
@@riatorex8722 the more probable outcome, for better or worse.
First thing about The new Simpsons that sucks is the animation style. So cold and sterile, no heart.
There was a certain "warmth" with cell animation that can't be copied with CGI. However, CGI is cheaper than cell animation m
The problem with the new digital style is that it destroyed the lo-fi cartoon quality that classic Simpsons had. The rough design was important to the humor of the show because it created a bizarre facsimile of America. The clean lines and perfect layouts of modern Simpsons don’t convey any kind of satire or expression, they’re just dull and sterile.
The animation alone shouldn't be blamed though, it's mostly the hows and whys it is applied. Old school animation was costly in time and money, this pressure created a demand for effort and skill that, accompanied with that time's good writing, made it's details "embiggen" the show's quality as it went side by side with the writing effort.
The modern animation though allows for much easier animating, a godsend of technology that allows to do more with less, the issue of it comes with the fact that the writing it accompanies isn't as great, so it could be seen more of a cheapening of the production rather than improvement of the cartoon.
The scenarios and characters are more detailed, this is undeniable, but at the same time it reminds me of triple A games, it's fancy looking but in it's core it is meh at best.
I hate you. I hate everyone who thinks that the current animation style sucks.
@@valtersplume3726 the current animation style is absolute GARBAGE ! You’re garbage for liking it
I feel bad for people who didn't experience The Simpsons in their golden age.
Sunday night were awesome. The weekend hangover was finally gone and it was time to order pizza with a bunch of people and start with the Simpsons, Herman's Head, Married with Children and the X-Files.
I envy them in some ways though.
Never getting to see how great it was means they never have to miss it like we do.
You can still watch the episodes online.
@@LuneyTune72 obviously but they meant watching it when it was current and new
@RetroRaider279 Not me, I'm back from the early 80s, I remember the first episode I watched was when Homer gets drunk and peeks into Maude's cleavage, I also remember they aired daily episodes on KFOX, and also got to watch the Latin American show in Spanish since I'm from Mexico, it was cartoons like this that helped me learn a ton of English.
At this point, I'm convinced nothing is going to cause The Simpsons to stop. They'll just keep going forever, even after every single original talent behind it dies or retires.
@@vhsgeneration9065 Can't say I blame them, if I were stuck working for a show that's basically the living dead it'd probably take a tole on my sanity as well, knowing that nothing I do could get the show killed.
@@JCBro-yg8vd Yeah, it's probably painful knowing you are part of destroying a show that is such a legacy. Wonder who actually has the power to stop it though.
@@vhsgeneration9065 No one, probably. Even if all the main voice actors were to retire or walk out tomorrow they'd just be replaced. Look at how they recast all of Russi Taylor's roles after her death, or how they just wrote out Mrs. Krepabla after her VA died.
@@JCBro-yg8vd Maybe they could include something in one episode which simply forced the show into cancellation, maybe have Homer stranglig Lisa or something. It's probably possible to end it somehow but it won't be without blood. That's for sure.
@@vhsgeneration9065 whoa holy shit
For me one other thing that makes the "Homer laughing" joke work is thr context in the scene. In "a star is burns" he is the only one laughing in a full cinema filled with straight faced people. In the newer one is in his home with bart.
and he wasn't watching viral videos, he was supposed to be watching artistic movies
Not to mention in one episode he laughs only for a few seconds, whereas in the other he laughs for 1 hour.
I got the DVD featuring A Star is Burns, Film Festival, for my 16th birthday all those years ago! I'm sure it's still in the loft somewhere...
@@devforfun5618 YES. This person gets it. The football one is a million times funnier, because it's a parody of the very first movies, where one stupid thing happened, and the name of the movie was a description of it. E.g. the arrival of a train in La Ciotat. The monkey one? Trying to be relatable to young people. "Hurr hurr viral videos amirite kids? The You Tube? Memes? Please laugh"
Old Simpsons made you discover stuff, it didn't treat you like a moron
That's why I always loved Mystery Science Theater. Yes it was a comedy show, but the movies they riff on where actual movies that bombed on their first run. Imagine how weird/epic a MST episode where they riff on Star Wars would be if Star Wars had bombed?
For me the Simpsons died on February 13, 2000. The episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly" was the mark of a noticeable shift in comedy and story telling. There was a different voice actor for Maude that episode and it looked like they killed her off quickly because of that. That whole season something felt off and ever since then it went downhill with every subsequent season.
You can tell once the 90's ended and Futurama Family Guy started and peak South Park King of the Hill as well began that the Simpsons kinda lost their footing and tried to be more like those shows which were made to be counters to the Simpsons ironically
As well, Futurama premiered March 28, 1999, a mere year earlier. A lot of key staff worked on Futurama instead and you'll find you can backtrack the year between this date and your date and not miss out on any great episodes.
For me the jump the shark episode is when Homer kills Grimes. Super tone shift. Homer's no longer dumb, he's borderline insane and immoral.
For me it was the previous episode, "Saddlesore Galactica", s11e13. That was the literal last straw, that before I always tried to watch it weekly when I was able, but when I saw that episode I noted myself ok, that was it for me, I am not interested seeing any more of this and stopped watching it weekly and only watched if I happened to be in front of TV nothing else to do or watch at that moment. Later I just stopped paying attention especially when I barely watched TV anymore at all anyway. Simpsons had been almost last reasons for that.
The whole elf thing did not make any sense in context of Simpsons, it was baffling. Yes, it has been a silly cartoon but not THAT kind of silly, that was more like Looney toons level stuff.
The drop in quality had already been very noticeably before that, so it was not huge revelation, but maybe I subconsciously wished it would turn better again and there had been occasional funny jokes and episodes here and there. But there already had been quite a many episodes I had been thinking that these are not as fun to watch as it had been.
It's hard to imagine now, but during the Simpsons' "golden age," we were amazed on a weekly basis that a TV show so consistently good could even exist. But it really has gone far past its prime and should end.
I think that "The Simpsons" coin still work for a few years if they stick to Halloween episodes, movie sequels, and an occasional "special". In other words, no more than 3 or 4 episodes per year.
I think they lasted a long time.
Seasons 2-9 were excellent.
Seasons 10-16 were still good.
Season 17 was meh and 18-19 rather bad.
They go back to the slope with 20-22 but then got more and more bad.
I remember being on a forum with a "what's your favourite TV show" thread, and it was like you didn't even need to say The Simpsons, as that was a given. And this was in 2000, so the slide was already starting (but old episodes were regularly repeated)
@@YapyYap Good call.
@@YapyYap no it died at season 9-10. 2000s and onwards Simpsons is dreadful.
I’m 40 and grew up with the Simpsons. Seasons 1-10 will forever be a part of my life. The reason it’s not the same anymore, and never will be again, is simply because it’s been on too long.
South Park is on the air for 24 years now, too, and is still good though.
@@torstenscholz6243 Certainly is but then there's nobody else like Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
@@torstenscholz6243 Apart from South Park, the one other adult cartoon I still follow is American Dad. I am more attached to it than either King of the Hill or Futurama, two other shows on the ''Animated But Underrated'' List.
@@torstenscholz6243 That's because Matt and Trey still have complete creative control.
@@bryandummett8966 Exactly yes and here's another fact: Simpsons and Family Guy fans are not allowed to like South Park and American Dad. You can't like all four.
The show was good when it was about the every day life of the family and townspeople like Moe, Krusty, Lenny, Chief Wiggum, etc. Now it's just celebrities everywhere and stupid pop culture bullshit. It was supposed to be about the regular all-American family in an American town, normal people don't encounter movie stars and rock bands every day of their lives. It's ridiculous
This is something that really gets on my nerves too. Every episode seems to have a celebrity of some kind, or a band, or someone else famous. And all of them are introduced with a glowing speech about how famous and amazing they are, and why everyone should be impressed. Nobody meets so many celebrities on a daily basis, and its annoying how instead of parodying them they're celebrated and praised. Remember the episode when Burns packs his softball team with baseball pros? All of them suffer some horrible fate, and all the nuclear plant workers just treat them with disdain for taking their spot on the team. They work in the story for a purpose, instead of the show being used as a commercial for them. Michael Jackson appeared as a mentally ill guy in a mental ward who thought he was Jackson. The difference between a funny joke and pointlessly worshipping celebrities is just.. ugh.
@@anxietyfox4322 Another thought I had when watching old episodes, was Homer was more like Fred Flintstone when the show was good. Now he's like Peter Griffin, and it sucks so hard
As far as the pop culture angle is concerned, I think they hit rock bottom with the Lady Gaga episode. The whole thing was just a 22 minute commercial for Lady Gaga. The audience kept waiting for a punchline that never came.
It’s been constant star studded cameos since like season 2 though, the difference was they didn’t use to be focal points of episodes.
@@MrRyan-wu4jx gravel time
Here’s one thing that really makes me angry: Ever since season 10, Homer has become a selfish jerk. Modern Simpsons episodes have Homer do mean things with little guilt just to get a cheap laugh out of the viewer.
This problem, as well as many other problems, were solved in The Simpsons movie. Homer learned a lesson in that movie, and the humor felt like a classic Simpsons episode.
Despite that, the writers made Homer a jerk again after the movie, and continued with the formulaic plots
Yes, and I remember seeing an episode around season 15 where Homer actually hit Marge - I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I've never watched the show since. Homer is a complete jerk now, whereas he used to be a foolish but loving parent.
@@grantc61 which episode was it?
@ghost mall Much like Spongebob, both Bikini Bottom and Springfield could have ended on their respective movies in 2004 and 2007 with legacies.
Instead, they dragged on longer and both couldn't survive the 2010's though I can give Spongebob some credit since I hear from fans that Bikini Bottom didnt upgrade to 2010's technology such as iPads and tablets using internet talk.
They seemed to remain in their 2000s way of living
yeah they didn't upgrade to any new technology or slang but god it only takes one look at the new spongebob eps to see that spongebob seriously went downhill compared to how it used to be
Homer was a great deal meaner in earlier seasons. This is especially true with Ned Flanders.
Nowadays I can hardly smirk about the Simpsons. But whenever I watch an episode from the golden era I have to laugh all the time. The jokes were so clever and sophisticated in the earlier seasons. And even the charcters were more complex and heart-warming.
There was one episode where Lisa tells bart “I know you’ve known mom longer than I have, but…“. That right there was some hilarious stuff.
I was watching the pie man episode from the later era and omg was it horrible...they just stopped caring...it makes you lose brain cells
@@razkable I saw an episode that was described as “Abe Simpson gets scammed by a con artist, and the Simpsons family tries to help him“. I decided never to watch the show again after that. Basically, Abe gets tricked into thinking Bart has been kidnapped and will die if Abe doesn’t pay these people $10,000. He doesn’t realize it’s a scam until after giving these people the money. The entire family manages to track down the building where these people operate, but even after the cops show up they don’t get arrested and Abe never gets his money back. The building gets shut down, but the criminals get to walk away without any charges.
The differences are night and day when listening to the early Simpsons, a friend of mine put on the first few seasons while I was busy playing a videogame and I was just listening to them in the background. Their morals, their motivations, I never realised how fleshed out they were just hearing them interact with eachother without looking at the funny yellow cartoon characters. From that perspective I feel like that's also partially what's wrong with the show, they're just seen as funny yellow cartoon characters nowadays and aren't taken anywhere near as seriously as they used to be because of it. They've become the equivalent of fireworks, just flashy colours and obnoxious loud noises.
During the Golden Age, it was an animated sitcom. Now it's just a cartoon.
So they’re pretty much just minions for adults and older kids. Great going fox, you’re as bad as illumination studios.
The difference between the older ones and news is night and day.
Real question. Who watches the simpsons anymore ? I mean like who really tunes in on Sundays to watch the new episode? How is show still on the air?
@Okay Okay Yes but I think they're being censored.
I still enjoy watching the older seasons because the new ones are unbearable but yea, My family has a lot of dvds so there’s some seasons that I just watch from time to time
It still has its dedicated fans.....that are probably *too* dedicated.
@Okay Okay
I don’t know if it’s something from the service here in Colombia🇨🇴 , but the only seasons available are the last teo
I still watch Simpsons sometimes but the older ones. They just show the episodes up to season 19 and the most golden seasons 5-14.
The show went from coherent plot lines with often a perfect blend of dark, mocking and relatable humour to basically chasing internet meme status. Every scene has become a cheap desperate attempt to go "viral", as opposed to doing what the Simpsons used to do best.
Nam. Memes are much funnier than anything the Simpsons has put out in the last 20 years.
Memes and internet comedy is Z list comedy. Its cheap easy and cringe if somebody throws an internet meme at you in real life...like dude save it for the phone its not actually funny in real life
@@PiglipsMaximusI’ve been trying to find a way to say this for SO DAMN LONG. Thank you for putting my thoughts into words
This show isn’t just on life support, it’s dead and reanimated.
Pun intended?
its just a shell now....
That is why the veteran fandom calls it 'Zombie Simpsons'.
The best analogy I heard was comparing it to an elderly relative with dementia. Really emphasises the tragedy involved in watching a new episode and realising its forgetten who it is.
Yet another thing that Dr. Bright shouldn't have been allowed to interact with...
This is a very good contrast of classic Simpsons with the modern imitation. This is much better than just saying the old stuff sucks; you really articulate your points and demonstrate the differences.
Thanks man!
The show was doing very concept-based episodes even its very good years as well, though.
"The guy who watched 'The Simpsons' back in 1994
Who won't admit the damn thing isn't funny anymore!" -Stewie Griffin
and that episode aired in 2006 lmao
It's true. At one point the Simpsons was arguably the best show ever made. Consistently brilliant. Now it's just a hollow shell of it's former self, limping on. I had a friend who visited the writers on the Simpsons a few years back. He told me none of them cared, and apparently he interviewed some of the cast members, one in particular told him (off the record) that he used to challenge the writing staff over some of the jokes, pointing out things like "But Ned Flanders would never say that" etc. The writers apparently replied with "but it's funny" or "but we need him to say that to set up the joke." After continued unheeded protests, the cast just stopped caring too. Now apparently, they just read the lines that are given to them and go home. Sad.
Depressing.
The Simpsons were a 90s product and that's how they should have stayed. Started with the decade and ended with it. Seeing them using uber, internet, smartphones and satellites was going to be uncomfortable. And sure it was. They also tried hard to become rawer in order to compete with other crude series.
It was a total mess
100%, the 90s aspect and setting kept it nostalgic and pure. I don’t wanna watch parodies of dreadful modern day apps and devices, its just cringe
Basically The Simpsons like many other shows of the late 20th century suffered greatly in the 2010's because now you're having them resort to the new fancy technology and talking in internet talk so out of character that they're parodies of themselves
Amazing observation about the 90’s
you know, if they just kept them stuck in the 90s (I mean they don't age anyway) while continuing to run, it might have been better, nostalgic even
@@caspar_gomez That would have been a great idea, but the show ran out of script ideas so it needs current celebrities, culture and technology to give it blood (not that it is good)
I first caught on to this "copying" trend when Marge, with no reason, mispronounced the word "wind", saying that she only ever saw the word written. That was from Family Guy, said by Carter Pewterschmidt, a secondary character that we don't see much but is rich, old and detached from reality enough to make us actually believe he never heard the word "wind" from anyone before.
In which world would an average housewife, with kids that like to play outside, not know how you pronounce the word wind?
That was the day I realized that Family Guy put more effort in their jokes than that season of the Simpsons, and the decline hasn't stopped.
I do agree with your statement that the joke made more sense in Family Guy but I think the Simpsons were the ones who did that joke first.
The Simpsons one came from a treehouse of horror episode where Homer became the grim reaper
The Family Guy one came from an episode where Peter found out Carter was having an affair.
@@TheDragonman104 I just checked and you're right. The Simpsons episode is from 2004 while the Family Guy one is from 2010.
I guess I remembered incorrectly because I was already checked out with the Simpsons long before that episode, so I watched it way after the other one XD
My man carter smart af🤝
@@TheDahaka1 still your kinda not wrong the Simpsons characters now feel like family guys parody of the characters especially homer he's not as bad as Peter yet but boy is he getting close not to mention for a brief time though season 25-26 they were doing these weird family guy cutaway gags wannabes
After seeing how Nickelodeon shitted on Stephen Hillenburg's tomb and used Spongebob Squarepants to wipe its ass, I'm afraid The Simpsons won't be put down even if Matt Groening or the main cast dies
Well, Matt Groening is totally okay with what they’ve done to the Simpsons. He doesn’t care, he’s just rolling in the moolah dude.
@@Lumber8967 Groening was personal friends with Jeff Epstein and took trips to his little island. I think that speaks for itself.
@@haikat4 Careful the normies cant take that much information at once. i hate the word normies but nothing else to describe them as.
@@gak1146 your so edgy and unique man
@@gak1146 cringe
This man says it the best. Unironically, in the episode "A Star is Burns" Bart says," uh oh I smell a cheap cartoon crossover" in response to the Flintstones meet the Jetsons. Little did he know that he would meet the same fate.
Bart's line is intentionally ironic. Literally the next line is Homer introducing Jay Sherman, a crossover character from "The Critic."
Never heard of The Critic?
@@Jordannadroj20no one did, it’s why it got canceled and had a crossover with the Simpsons lol
Jay Sherman is 100% more known as a 1 off Simpsons character then a main character from his own show
I feel bad for the voice actors, they lived through voicing funny, relatable, emotional people and had to watch as their characters changed into yellow husks with minimal personality
@Greg Elchert yeah it's probably good money, considering they are voice acting for some of the most iconic television characters ever made
@Alex Wells Unless said ethnicity is Scottish, Italian, German, or even Jewish...
If they didn't want to do it they wouldn't - wheelbarrows of money for reading short bits of dialogue is a good deal
lol you think they care all they care is about paycheck 😂
You do know they can just stop voice acting them
Great video... literally can’t watch the Simpsons anymore
Thank you! Yeah it was my first time in years watching it
I feel the same way with Family Guy.
Yea you dont know what your missing
@@baconburgeronly3089 We're missing absolutely nothing.
Wow you are such a rebel
The decline of The Simpsons and refusal to let the series die with dignity has truly been one of the saddest things of my generation. And that's saying something. As much as I miss Futurama I'm just glad it didn't end up like this.
I agree.
I mean with all the actual real life problems and horror in the world “the saddest thing of my generation.” may be a little too much.
@@Bradchoksondik Weird Al's "First World Problems" playing in the background.
You know Futurama is about to be rebooted?
"Quality Smality, If I had a TV show I'd run that sucker into the ground." - Bart Simpson 1992.
That was 30 years ago
Most prophetic thing ever said on that show.
Jesus Christ, the cringe in that 31th season episode in unbearable.
31th seasons? Fuck
The 31st season is pretty terrible.
Every season after 9 is unbearable.
@@user-dv2hc8zt3o I always believed season 10 was the last good season of The Simpsons, but then I read the episode list and it's full of pure shit. Even episodes that could've been good like Homer giving an organ to his dad were ruined by stupid jokes or lame storytelling.
The Superbowl episode is also another one I hate.
To be fair the movie is were the show utterly died
The Simpsons seasons 1-9 (approx) will live on forever as the greatest animated series ever created. It was an absolute titan in the 90's. The undisputed juggernaut. We loved it in Australia!
😆🤣 That’s cute
I just watched some episodes from season 10, I don't get why people write it off here.
Nah greatest animated series ever created was Avatar the last Airbender, nothing will top that in terms of storytelling through animation, Simpsons was more of an animated sitcom.
@@GameChanger-xi4iy I thought the EXACT same thing when I ready that comment. I started watching Avatar when I was 5. I’m now 22 and my mind hasn’t changed.
@@GameChanger-xi4iy Nah it’s The Simpsons and that’s undisputed. I’m happy that you like Avatar that much, but saying it’s greater than, and had a bigger impact than The Simpsons is dumb.
The thing that bugs me the most about the "modern" Simpsons is how it depicts the future. It seems like the new generation of writers simply cannot imagine a future in which any of the SImpsons- including Homer and Marge themselves- have any meaningful degree of happiness.
That is probably reflective of the general American mood of our time.
At least, if it is what I think it is. It seems to me many Americans have loads of things that they don't need, and yet they aren't happy. I think because they don't have many of the things that they do need.
@@HolyKhaaaaan Well put.
I remember a recurring joke in the early seasons where whenever they showed they future, Bart would be more successful every time. Going from the head of construction union, to a state level politician, to a supreme court justice.
@@HolyKhaaaaan it's not reflective, it's inflected that's how they want us to feel or at least pretend to feel.
@@mervunit Maybe. I think it can kind of be a recurring loop. We're fed garbage commercials that tell us material happiness will make us happy, we buy things, a culture is built around buying things, and pop culture just reflects American culture, and in turn because they have commercials the cycle runs over again.
A healthy dose of ad-blocking programs ought to at least end the cycle. Maybe change things for the better.l
It honestly saddens me that a beloved show of my childhood that I used to watch with my family almost everyday and enjoyed it has gone down the drain. Ever since the new seasons became very unfunny, it seems like my family and I have forgotten all about the Simpsons. I have so many memories watching this show together with my family, it was great back then.
I watched it every day after school. I hate what it has become.
I think the show started getting worse ever since they made the Simpsons movie. The movie was awful compared to older episodes, and it just kept getting worse from there. Instead of some heartfelt and funny moments and interesting stories it’s just stupid jokes that don’t make any sense and can get offensive.
Channel 2 at 6pm in the UK. Now i wouldnt be caught watching the shit its so desperate
@@ulfrick11id rather watch bobs burgers and thats saying something
@@PiglipsMaximus same. Also, I would rather watch King of the Hill which is also saying something. The only comedy shows I can think of that are worse than the Simpsons as of right now are Family Guy, the Cleveland show, and American dad.
Was a huge fan of the originals. Then circa 2000 it just became so cringey to watch. I haven't been able to sit through an entire episode since then.
There are people who claim to like both the old & new...I don't know how that is possible.
They're delusional and or disingenuous people. Simply lying to themselves.
To me the real show is seasons 2-9, but I do enjoy it up until season 16, not because I think s10-16 are as good, but because I can still find enjoyment in them, but they get progressively worse and less funny.
@@penske_material I couldn't even watch season 10 because homer just seemed off
@@kirbymods5549 the thing is that I started watching the show regularly after he show was already in season 13 or 14. Before that I would watch an episode here or there, but never as an everyday thing.
But if I had been watching the show since the beginning, I would have probably stopped like you did lol.
@@bewd4310 eh let people like what they like
They fired Danny Elfman too didn't they? So the music has just LOST its beautiful character
Its too tarnished and unworthy for Danny to have his name associated with it.
WHAT? @Censorship Ingsoc you're right. They don't deserve the craftsmanship of Danny Elfman
It was Alf Clausen.
Danny Elfman only wrote the theme... that's all. He didn't score the episodes... he's a busy guy lol.
When you watch new age Simpson's the first 5 minutes are pointless
It's like a completely different skit that they play before the actual episode
And most of the time those first 5 minutes are the best points in the Episode.
It's like they are teasing you with these fscinating ideas only to give you crap at the last second.
@@BaconDragon-yr5vf it's true there have actually been some funny concepts that could have been a decent full length episode but then some bullshit celebrity shows up and ruins the rest of it
They've been doing that a long time. But there was usually some sort of connecting point from the beginning part to the later part of the episode. Like they'd go somewhere to do something, but they end up running into somebody and a new plot develops. But the new episodes its even more random with no connecting point.
Exactly like Family Guy
YES
Look at it this way: The Simpsons has had a long series run of 33 seasons, with the very first episode airing back in late December of 1989. That means that in a couple of weeks time, this show will turn 32 years. 32 years on the air.
Now, it seems to be a universally agreed truth that the series saw a stark decline in quality and content between the middle of seasons 9 and 10, and started its slow decline by the beginning of season 11. The “Golden Era” of the series is estimated to be somewhere between seasons 3 and 8 (or 4 and 8, depending on who you ask), while not obviating the merits and good humor of the first two seasons. With season 1 launching on may 1990 and season 10 ending on may of 1999, we are talking about nine years worth of good, quality material. A little less if you exclude most of season 10’s crude.
Nine years of quality. 9 out of 32. That’s, what, a little more than 28% of the entire show’s run? That looks bad on anything. We’re talking about a TV series that, despite the greatness of its early years, has been a bad, unfunny and derivative show for the majority of its life.
This thing should have been cancelled back in 1999.
Couldn't agree more.
Well said.
8 years of quality*
Season 9 is fucking garbage
@@tricko8000 Season 9 is arguably the last Golden Age season, I don't know what you're talking about. It was the last season with the charm and emotion of the golden age episodes where Mike Scully began transitioning the show to a solid blend between wacky humor and the charm I was talking about with assistance from long time writers.That was before Mike Scully just seemed to ignore the other writers and do whatever shit he wanted from season 10
It confuses me how the Simpsons is even still seen as the best show on television it was only good for like 9 years it's been mediocre to absolute garbage for 24 years you would think with that track record the show would be university hated yet shows like family guy were bad for only 10 to 15 years depending on who your asking but has a horrible reputation in the TV world.
This was so well put together! If the Simpsons just axed everything between 2000-2002 they wouldve been legendary...
Hell thdy could've went out on top with Seinfeld in 98'
But the sheer GREED kept them in the game...
In the 90s they had full seasons with no misses... Now they go seasons without hits.
A true fall from grace
They should have stopped short. lol
@Chiseled Adonis☑ (love the username 🤣)
Could not agree more... I took so much from The Simpsons due to being in my teenage years when it hit its peak.
Most days if I have a few moments to myself, or feeling a little down, I'll re-watch one of the gags which made me howl with laughter back in the day.
This afternoon it was from the episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" during which Bart gives Homer a freebie coupon book for his birthday;
*Homer*
"I'll start with a couple of pizzas, then a complimentary tango lesson, then I'll cap it off with a smooth, refreshing colonic!"
*Lisa*
"Erm, Dad..."
*Homer*
"Do you like Piña Colonics, and getting caught in the rain...."
Hell, even the '08 Simpsons Movie would've been a good point to end on.
Yes
@Dusk Raccoon Spongebob also needs to go, if you ask me.
The show being rubbish now is an almost inevitable byproduct of it having gone on for too long. The best thing they could have done was ended the regular seasons after season 10, then done a film every so often or just a special feature length episode for tv once a year or something.Dragging out full seasons of a show that ran out of ideas before 9/11 had even happened is borderline cruel.
South Park is on the air for 24 years now and is still going strong.
It would have been more cruel for them not to do seasons 10-20, so many of my favourite episodes are in those seasons
@@leob4403 The bad stuff still outweights whatever "good" things those seasons have. Danny All is right: if the show stopped after season 10 or so, maybe we would have gotten movies with much better stuff than those "good" things seasons 10-20 have.
@@CorazonMexica there's barely any bad stuff in those seasons whatsoever, they are all fantastic
@@leob4403 Lies.
They rung their creativity dry after 2000, been milking the cash cow ever since.
What was that episode where Homer got raped by the panda? Yeah, right around that time was when it started going to shit.
@@Nightweaver1 i’m sorry when homer got what😃
@@TheBlueFox95 Yeah, re-watch the episode, it's all in there, including him dressing up in a diaper and saying "baby made a boom-boom."
@@Nightweaver1
"him dressing up in a diaper and saying 'baby made a boom-boom.'"
So literally too?
@@actic555 Very literally. It was just an awful, awful episode.
Comedy is at its best when it’s well linked with a genuinely engaging story where you care about the characters.
That's why season 1 was actually really iconic...each ep felt like a mini drama story that could be timeless and replayed as much as possible....there just happened to be comedy in there as well...season 1 will always be my favorite paced season...it's so dry and slow that you can fall asleep while watching it which is nice
A good comedy should not need to stop telling the story to tell a joke- something the new season does.
I think there is some truth that this generation cant sit still and watch something for more than 5 seconds unless it immediately pays off with loud noises and visual gags. They might as well make Simpsons tiktoks. The visual gags are unrelated to the story anyway so why not just make them direct to tiktok or youtube shorts. Its sad. I wish the show ended at the turn of the century.
@@NowhereMan7 That is true to an extent but to be fair it isn’t Gen Z that popularised Family Guy or The Simpsons..
@@Acolyte_501st I was meaning that the writers of the Simpsons now must feel pressure to create immediate jokes rather than fully formed interwoven layered jokes like proper simpsons. Like even if they did make it better I dont think people these days would have the patience to watch. Its a moot point anyway as they will never make it better. I wish they ended it so much
You are correct about the meaning part, as there are episodes such as when Homer eats the poisonous pufferfish and has to come to terms with his mortality, Homer finding his soul mate after a chilli bender gone wrong and Lisa's substitute teacher episode.
Also several memorable quotes such as:
"See you in hell, candy boys!"
"Aw 20 dollars, but I wanted a peanut" (Brain) Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts (Homer) Explain how (Brain) Money can be exchanged for goods and services"
"The only monster Lisa is the one who's enslaved your mother, and I call him Gamblor!"
"Bart, I don't want to alarm you, but there may be a boogeyman or boogeymen in the house!"
Most memorable for me:
"you dont win friend with salads"
That shot of Homer slumping over in the couch in the glow of late-night TV broke me as a kid, and it still breaks me now as a 27 year old. Classic Simpsons could really nail the sombre moments better than even most live action shows of the time could
"Dental plan"
"Lisa needs braces"
"Kiss my asphalt!"
"The happiest place on Earth: Tijuana!"
The simpsons should've stayed in the 90's. Haven't watched the show in 15 years. I still love the show, but only the earlier seasons.
Yeah I will still watch early seasons but have to stop at a certain point, unlike Seinfeld
Family Guy and the Simpsons should have stayed in the 90s - they're both desperate old television coots.
Family Guy is more of a 2000s cartoon.
Import Export
1-5 are the best.
Barney is by far one of the most interesting characters ever written, per earlier season at least. And compellingly relatable. The troubled artist and adventurer, drowning his sorrows with substance abuse until he seems no more than another schlub, passing out in the gutter after 12 too many beers. A person of incredible potential and intelligence, wasted by a society that doesn't have room for him.
If any character should get a spin-off a-la The Cleveland Show, it's Barney Gumble.
Yea I love Barney Rubble too
@@JoshuaAmaro Grumble
Accidently read this thinking about the purple dinosaur instead of the Simpsons character, & the visualization game me a good laugh.
As a kid I thought he was a gross slob no-life.... now I am that person.
@@drillnewsandclips3798 Gamble
It's sad to think that the bad totally outweighs the good at this point. I remember years back it would come on and I would say "aah, it's a new one." - That was about 17 years ago.
To be Fair the Gold Era Simpson should be viewed as it own thing
Canon
It basically is, the new simpsons can't even the considered the same show at this point
We should call "The yellow Era" instead of "The Golden Era"
If its not set in the 90s its not the Simpsons. Like Indiana Jones isn't Indiana Jones less he's in the 30s.
That's funny. I too have been in decline for the past 25 years. Since my birth.
Me too, looking forward to the sweet embrace of death
@@DavidKing-fx7pp
Guess what?
If i shot you you Will not smile
Same. After I was born everything went downhill from there
Same
Haven’t we all
“Time wasting gags” is literally just a euphemism for filler.
Family Guy is the Bruce Lee of of time wasting gags.
Time wasting gags can work for some people and in some situations, and Family Guy kind of invented them. That makes Family Guy a unique show that might not appeal to anyone, but has its own style. But there's no need to add them to the Simpsons, as they don't really work with the humour the Simpsons used to have.
I think "time wasting gags" is more honest, filler seems like the euphemism
Yeah, but I kinda like Family Guys' gags. They're actually funny, and don't pretend that they're anything else than dumb shit.
Simpsons was supposed to be a relatable show, and this just doesn't suit them.
@@HrHaakon well your view is in sharp contrast to that of the guy making the video and the one everyone’s agree with, by saying that 1995 Simpson’s was better because they had meaning but nowadays it’s just dumb shit which in there option is worse
For me the biggest reason for its decline is the reason you stated at the end. Once they had Alec Baldwin, Kim Basigner, and Ron Howard guest star as themselves the show stopped satirizing Hollywood, pop culture and politicians and instead were a part of it by having countless celebrities guest start or in some cases politicians guest star often as themselves and it wasn't to satirize them. The worst example of this was an episode in 2010 I think where Michelle Obama played herself and she made Lisa feel better about herself. That's a plot that makes no sense. The last episode I saw had the entire cast of "Girls" guest starring and it was a terrible plot.
Some celebrity guest stars still did make fun of themselves, though, and even if they didn't still were funny.
By that Baldwin episode they were fully into the Scully era and any remnants of the Oakley-Weinstein writing that left after Season 8 were gone. Seasons 9 and 10 were really the end of the golden era, in my opinion. Phil Hartman's final episodes aired, Futurama premiered, the '90s drew to a close. I think the first eight seasons are untouchable, but if it had ended after Seasons 9 or 10, its legacy would have still been practically perfect. Much like Seinfeld, which declined after Larry David left but still went out "on top" despite the wackiness of the final two seasons
It's so interesting that you picked that season 31 episode to analyse. For about 15 years now I've only watched seasons 1-9, but about a month ago I decided to watch a random new episode out of morbid curiosity and it turned out to be the viral video one. I really wish I hadn't. It was execrable. The show has become somehow less than nothing.
@Stan Marsh Back when it first aired I watched a lot of Simpsons seasons 10-15 and it got progressively worse until 90% of it was appalling and I gave up. The one season 31 episode I watched was 20 times worse that that, so I don't see why there'd magically be episodes amongst such filth that could rival seasons 1-9, which are the greatest thing that's ever been on TV by a long way. That would require all of the characters to suddenly stop being the husks that they became about 20 years ago, Homer to stop being a jerk, the jokes to revert to being multilayered, clever and purposeful, the plots to regain their sense, the animation to regain its heart, celebrities to stop appearing as themselves, and about 50 other things that the current production team are painfully incapable of. We clearly disagree on what even made the Simpsons brilliant in the first place, but you're entitled to your opinion.
Remember "Behind the Laughter?" This is that for real. I've watched The Simpsons since their nascent beginnings in 1989 when I was 9 years old, and I haven't watched a new episode in almost a decade. That's how little I even care anymore that the show is still going. The humor is now unrelatable and filled with pointless and shameless celebrity guest appearances of people I've personally never even heard of that I couldn't care less about. What a shame.
Your post made me remember that I have felt that "Behind The Laughter" would have made for a good series finale. I also think that the Simpsons Movie could have also functioned as such.
Behind the laughter is my favorite Simpsons episode
If you haven't seen a single episode in over a decade, how can you tell that the show is declining? If you haven't seen it you're simply basing your opinion on what others tell you, and that makes you a sheep. So be careful when following the masses, because sometimes the M is silent
@@zilvertron Because the show was in decline even back in 2010, ass.
@@Nightweaver1 Sorry, youre not that old to be a douche yet
I feel like the Simpsons tried to be a bit more like a standard sitcom at first but now they’re not a sitcom, they’re more of just a cartoon with gags. My favourite show used to be The Simpsons but it’s been replaced by Bob’s Burgers, that show is relatable, everyone feels like a real human and acts the way they should, the main family feels like a family and they all go through real world problems, even if some are exaggerated or cartoonised for the sake of the humour, it still feels human, it’s something we can all sit down, think and feel about as if we knew the characters ourselves.
Tbh Bob's Burgers is probably the most realistic adult cartoon out there. I hope they keep up with their quality
Projekt Kobra don’t you dare down talk KOTH boy
@Projekt Kobra what is wrong with king of the hill? Maybe not every joke lands but that happens to everybody
@Projekt Kobra I get the criticism , for me the enjoyment comes from context as it seems to be parodying a certain part of America or maybe even how other countries view it. I also looked up bobs burgers and I'm with you on this one. It was just boring
@Projekt Kobra a bit late but a happy new year to you as well dude
What frustrates me the most about modern Simpsons is that its turned from something I love to something I roll my eyes at when people defend it compared to other shows.
This is the only video I've seen comparing the pacing and flow of classic and modern Simpson and I thought i was the only one who noticed it
The Simpsons should've stopped a long time ago. There's nothing that will bring them back to what they once were.
Duckbilled Walrus maybe but some recent episodes are in my top 25
But maybe 30 was enough
The Simpson's Movie shouldv'e ended The Simpsons.
@@infinitum8558 You're absolutely right. It would have been a great way to end the show
Its like they're only there to receive their place in the guineas book of records each year.
For me, the episode of The Simpsons that made me rage quit the show was Tennis the Menace. It was just, "hey, what if The Simpsons got a tennis court and then some celebrities showed up!" Everything down to the worsening animation made me feel nauseous. It was too surreal to be taken seriously. And that was way back in like, 2000, I think
So really, the whole manatees arbitrarily piecing together a joke thing may as well have started there, and not before Family Guy got really bad
But this video made me realize something. I've gotten into a lot of arguments with people who say, "how can you criticize X for doing Y when it once did Z?" And the answer is that when it did Z it had heart and context
It's like people don't expect quality anymore, they're just content to watch stuff happen. And when you try to deconstruct it to explain why it doesn't work, they have to respond by deconstructing something else
And that's what The Simpsons itself has become. A hollow shell that was broken down over and over into easily digestible bits you don't have to think about. Everything is validated and needs no explanation
That's a good pick! For me, the episode that I think really jumped the shark for the Simpsons was "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes". It started off with an innocent-enough premise, and then it got slowly warped into something surreal and non-sensical.
@@co81385 My personal collection of show destroying moments have to be, in order:
1. Strong Arms of the Ma - like, why? Seriously, why does this episode exist?
2. Bart vs. Itchy and Scratchy - again, it has like 5 plots it wants to focus on and character derailment of Bart...plus false advertisement with the vs. marquee because the whole female reboot I&S never seems to pop up again.
3. Any modern Comic Book Guy episode - are you really trying to develop him? He's a schlub who owns a comic store!
4. Lisa Goes Gaga. Yeah, I completely checked out here of all episodes. It wasn't funny or hell, even memorable!
I stopped after Bart vs Itchy and Scratchy
The last episode I saw of The Simpsons was in April 2017. About four years ago now.
Watching simpson's classic seasons (1-9) is one of the greatest experiences in my life.
You have low expectations but that can be a good thing
Simpsons even through season 12 is still funny...but seasons 1 through 8 are amazing
Season 9 was when The Simpsons started to decline. That horrible Skinner episode in particular.
Simpsons, You have become the very thing you swore to destroy
I remember when i stopped watching any of the new seasons all together. it was the Alec Baldwin/Kim Bassinger episode. I posted on an online forum about how the celebrity cameos that are simply there to promote themselves are ruining the show and got shouted down by people who chose to ignore the previous seasons and gaslighted that it's always been this way. I realized I no longer related to the newer seasons so I simply stopped watching. Now I see everyone complaining about it and I feel vindicated after so many years.
that episode is at least funny and if you listen to the audio commentary, they originally were going to write it for a different hollywood couple...unfortunately it has since become a parody of itself and it's just depressing to watch them sell out for any artist that's hot at the moment..
@@bil186 it was relatively funny compared to the season it was in which was a low bar to begin with.. it doesnt hold any ground "Marge vs the Monorail" or "You only move twice"which are peak simpsons.
@Stan Marsh did you watch the video at all? The narrator said that the newer shows have the same elements as the earler seasons but the execution of those elements is done in a shallow way.
@Stan Marsh Krusty getts Kanclelled was fine because the celebs were parodies of themselves. Johnny Carson juggling a car, red hot chillie peppers being being open to artistic censorship, bett midler becing an eco extremist willing to kill people who litter. they were not just "hey look at me" and let me act normally while Homer does something dumb. Ron Howard was in the Alec Baldwin/few episodes but he was a characture of himself because he acts like a jerk but hes a nice person in real life. thats why Ron worked and Alec/Kim didnt . also the baseball episode with homer and all the MLB players. the writers put them in self depreciating situations. one gets hypnotized to think hes a chicken, ozzy smith acts like a rube going into the "mystery spot" tourist trap, steve sax being arrested for murder, ken griffy jr having giganticism from drinking nerve tonic. so with both of those huge celeb guest list episodes they were able to give each celeb a absurd thing to do withing the story rather than say "what if homer was Alec Baldwins assistant"
those episodes weren't focused on the celebs being the center of attention. krusty gets Kanclelled main story drive was "how does a washed up celeb get back on top" and the answer is to beg your celebrity friends to help you out even though he alientated them all while he was on top. or "how far/petty is a billionaire willing to be thay they will spend millions to essentially cheat for a simple softball game that we are shown up until that point none of the players take seriously. now its all "what if homer did dumb things around elon musk.
Can we stop using the word gaslight for silly things like this. Disagreeing with you is not the same as gaslighting.
The weird thing is that American Dad became the better show out of the three just because of how much the show can work with so many weird things that kinda make sense. Especially with Stan being in the CIA and assume the weird tech is there or the better part having to do with Roger's many personas. It stays on topic with A and B stories and doesn't rely on cutaway gags because there are just maybe 1 to none, usually an old memory brought up.
Yeah, it started as the worst of the bunch. It's quite odd how some cartoons start great but become bleh after a few seasons (simpsons, rick and morty) and some others start awfully and age like wine, like south park or american dad.
Family guy is okay, not in his prime but at least watchable. Rick and Morty is another bad season til being shit.
I don’t know about American Dad, some of their newer stories were pretty dull.
@@TheDragonman104 Yeah, it's been getti g dull lately. My comment is going to age badly soon.
@@IvanGarcia-ke3lo I liked season 5 of rick and morty tho the quality drop off is getting noticeable. The new writers and Dan harmons dislike of story eps and trying to rush thru them seems like it's beginning to clash unless they can find a perfect balance between them amd the random one-off eps. I'd still like to see character development tho whoever route they go down
@@IvanGarcia-ke3lo i personally loved the first seasons of American dad and south park.
The best episodes of Simpsons are the ones with a good short set up at the beginning that had nothing to do with the main story but sets up the whole episode just as well.
I actually have the opposite issue with recurring characters. Sometimes The Simpsons will have a character who’s designed as a one-shot gag but they’ll keep them around to essentially keep telling the same joke.
Like, the whole joke behind Disco Stu is that Marge tries to spell Disco Stud but ran out of space, but then there’s actually a real guy with that name that talks in the third person. But the only other joke they ever do with him is that he likes disco and talks in the third person. And it’s never as funny as the first time.
Or like, the cat lady. The joke is that Lisa is running a news story about a supposed ‘crazy’ woman who loves cats trying to get cheap sympathy points, but the woman actually is batshit insane. Then they keep the character around but the only joke they ever do is ‘she’s mad and throws cats at ppl’
Tl;dr: a lot of Simpsons humour after the first few seasons is just “hey remember this thing? Recognise it and laugh”
they expand on her backstory. she was a doctor and a lawyer, then adopted a cat to keep her company. several years later, we all see the results.
But they developed the characters bit by bit and some they didn’t...same for Seinfeld....if you like new Simpson that is fine...but old way of dealing with the background characters was amazing
@@TaddiestMason came here to talk about her backstory. My favorite part was when they bet that she couldn't throw a cat over a large building. The she did 😹
Imagine after 70 years or so. All the actors are dead and all voiceovers are being made by google translator
Dude, no.
Maybe they'll do something similar to vocaloid, record the VAs saying specific vowels, syllables, etc. then can be made into a program that can make them say anything.
15.ai
@@mollypaws It's called deepfake, it's done thru an AI algorithm. It can already be done just by compiling clips of somebody talking. For instance, Donald Trump and Joe Rogan can be easily deepfaked because there are so many clips of them speaking that can be compiled.
Have you seen those AI videos of Homer's voice reading Star Wars quotes.. it'll happen lol
Sad to say, but I think in 50 years Fox will still be pumping out Simpsons episodes with computer generated voices of the original cast members.
not even spongebob went this far downhill
@@uykolyx Hillenburg is no longer with us, so I think it's on it's way to becoming like these other shows
@@Queenfan-kh1bz
Hillenburg only worked on Spongebob till like season 3 and then the show went immediately downhill
When I first saw Family Guy, I thought it was a Simpson's ripoff like everyone else with less compelling storylines and dumb jokes that were simply random. But I think it has done a better job of sticking to its identity, and being self aware about it. The Simpson's was a show meant to be taken a little more seriously and seems to be trying to hard to get noticed, even if it goes out of character.
Family Guy has an excellent formula and it works. It's much better than The Simpsons even at their peak
Family guy shifted hard as well just like the Simpsons, it just happened a lot earlier so it’s less noticeable but there’s big reason to why people say the first 3 seasons are the best and that’s because it didn’t follow the typical “family guy” formula as much
I would say that over the past 7 years, Family guy has changed its pacing to be faster and less coherent as well. It never was elegantly spaced out except in certain episodes where the writers try out different concepts that require different pacing (which have always been my favorite), but recently, family guy and the simpsons feel like watching a series of semi-related tik toks.
something you missed was the quality of the actual character's animation. Basically the characters adhere to a very strict model sheet now, whereas 20 years ago the animators had an opportunity to put A LOT of individual character into their expressions and emotions (consider the clown college episode and Homer's face when playing with his mash in a tribute to the scene from close encounters of the 3rd kind) its not an angle from a model sheet, its the animator expressing the character with their artistic skills. It was much more cartoony, much more creative where now its all the same emotions, rinsed and repeated.
Agree so much ❤️
Well ever since simpsons changed showrunner a year or so ago, the show's gotten much better and jerkass homer hasn't been a thing for a while now. If anything, now Marge tends to be more inconsiderate.
@@hapytreefriends78 he was talking about the animation quality.
@@valhallenx Animation quality is also much better nowadays
@@hapytreefriends78 yeah.. probably you missed the point of @Dark Neal's comment. But I understand that an HD image and more intricate scenes can pass as "better animation" for some people.
I think the reason that they refuse to let the show end despite the decline in ratings is because of how merchandisable the characters are. If they had ended it twenty-years ago, there wouldn't be much call for Simpsons tee-shirts, calendars, mugs or video games today. Such items would be seen as retro rather than current and only a portion of the original audience who still remembered the show fondly would even want them. This change in mindset has started to happen anyway and that's the only thing that can and will eventually kill the brand.
I think they could have kept the Simpsons merchandise train alive long after the show ended.
Just look at Futurama, a show that is half as big as The Simpsons, which still sells Merchandise long after the show ended.
Thanks to the show being so good. And because the show filled with movies and other sidestuff.
Bingo. Merchandise is a juggernaut and it’s every company’s dream. There are plenty of fans that have no interest in watching the show anymore but still have an interest in the brand because it’s current. Once it’s off the air the inevitable slow decline of peoples interest will begin. Naturally they will put that off for as long as they can.
I want to correct something. The simpsons wasn't just the best cartoon on tv. It was without a doubt the best show on TV by a long way during the first 7 seasons. Nothing even came close. I am not exaggerating when I say it breaks my heart when I see a new episode and am confronted with what it's become.
2 years late, but the simpsons season 1-7 is still the greatest run in television history imo. It's in my top 3 all time
The sad truth is that nothing lasts forever and this would have died anyways, it doesn't matter if they hired new and good writers
Exactly! It kicked the asses of many live action shows whilst still earning great praise and respect.
The Simpsons at this point is like a friend who moves in as a roommate who if hilarious at first but soon overstays their welcome after 30 years
@Tom Spencer wdym?
It's more like this one person that won't leave your house - you took him in, got him settled, and now he *refuses* to leave your house even after his muscles have clear signs of atrophy and he's gotten annoying.
@@gregorymirabella1423 he has a mooching roommate
And cuts himself in an attempt to "be funny".
They’re literally Gill from that Christmas special.
IMHO The Simpsons died between the 11th season... They used to be the best show but now they are unwatchable.
So, it’s official. The new writers suck and they just don’t know funny.
They are liberal elitist hacks. They self insert their own privileged lifestyle and political opinions into every episode.
Okay, this is where I draw the line.
Like you and I, writers are human beings. Usually if a show has been consistently poorly written for the last few years, then you would think that the writers should have just moved on and be able to do something better with their lives, right? The Simpsons continues to make episodes because it's financially profitable. The writers have lives. They have families to feed, they have houses to keep up, etc. Because of this, cancelling the show because of only its drop in quality would be a major misstep from a business standpoint. If they cancel it, they can't make money off of it. Without money, life would be more of a struggle. Without money, you won't have the budget to create new shows. Without money, no business.
Do I still question why The Simpsons is still going? Certainly. A part of me is amased that it now has thirty seasons. But do I genuinely care that it's still going? Not really, for the most part. After all, I have a life, and I can simply better use my time on content I like.
OR, maybe all the funny concepts they think of have already been done and they run out of ideas, the Simpsons has pretty much done everything
@@MrSeekerOfPeace w h a t, I suggest you relax, the Simpsons has always been filled with liberal opinions.
@@MrSeekerOfPeace Simpsons has always been liberal, since season 1, lol. The problem is that there are no new ideas for a family that fans only see being always in the 90's.
Totally unrelated, but when I watch some of these "downfall of the Simpsons" documentaries and the creators compile footage spanning decades, a part of me misses the old-school style of hand-drawn animation. It was low resolution, fuzzy and it feels like each frame has depth. It's a sharp contrast to the newer (ala computer-generated) animation where the backgrounds, the sets, the background characters, and the foreground characters are all sharp and in focus.
100%, the old animation is the primary reason why i miss the original series. it's the technology that fundamentally changed everything, the poor writing & pandering to tiktok generation is the byproduct of that. we should have stayed with the hand-drawn animation...
The "who shot Mr Burns?" was a big thing back then
i used to stop strangers and ask them who they thought done it
How old are y'all
From what I remember when they first put who shot Mr Burns on TV they did a America's most wanted kinda thing to go along with it
I was born in May of '95, so I would have probably been still in the "everyone gabbed about it" stage.
Awesome video! Articulated so well my frustrations with the show. It's really so disappointing to watch now, it's become a 22 min advert desperate for attention.
Very well put!
I once went on a date with a Simpsons writer (this was around 2014). She got the job from social connections in her improv group, had no professional comedy writing experience, and was the least funny person I've ever met. She complained that the bar we went to had no valet parking, scolded me for jaywalking when there was no traffic, didn't understand half the jokes I made, and went on weird, random feminist rants. It was a depressing experience.
Plot twist - She was just kidding the entire time and you didn't understand her jokes, either.
thanks for sharing?
@@ryanjohnson2934 Exactly. I don't know why a story that says, "Hey I met a writer of the show who had no talent, sense of humor, or qualifications" isn't obvious commentary on why the show is bad, but apparently that's too subtle for some people
@@cheintze1 lmao nah. but okay if you say so. feminists are annoying but this felt shoehorned. and we all know that the writers suck now. that is the point of the video
I see where you're coming from but TV writing and being funny on a date with some guy are completely different things.
My thoughts on The Simpsons:
Seasons 1-9: Amazing (The Golden Age of The Simpsons. Out of 203 episodes, there is only 1 episode I consider to be bad and no, clip shows don't count)
Seasons 10-13: Good (While there are horrible episodes in the rest of the scully era like Kill the Alligator and Run, Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble and Bye, Bye Nerdie, most of the episodes are a net positive)
Seasons 14-19: Okay (The teen seasons can feel pretty a bit bland and lukewarm but there are some hidden gems though. An overall mixed bag).
Seasons 20-25: Bad (When it's not having horrible episodes, it's mostly painfully boooorrrriiinnnggg)
Seasons 26-33: Terrible (Fucking end it already, This show is just garbage now and will never be good again)
family guy's basically the same in this level. yeah it has different humor but has the same family idea as the simpsons. at 1st it was ok the humor is ok not over the top. but as every 3 seasons pass by it just gone down hill. I liked it the way it was not what it is now. both have the same issue and it's sad. and dumb people that watches all the new seasons and be all like "that's what it always ways." "watch the older seasons and try saying that again."
as someone who used to be a diehard simpsons fan I totally agree, the reason why I saw around 30 seasons is because I was thinking "i'm past the point of no return" but I just can't fucking watch it, its just unwatchable. from season 1 to season 19 it was a great show they had some terrible episodes but mostly were great, 20-25 was kinda bad but not terrible but after that I forced myself to watch those seasons and I couldn't go passed season 30 from how terrible it was
@@homersimpson6585 You're more nicer towards the teen seasons than I am. For me, Season 19 undoubtedly begins Zombie Simpsons, or at the very least after Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind. That episode was the last perfect outing for the series.
@@KingYou2002 honestly season 17-19 where I remember seeing more terrible episodes but not bad compared to the ones made now, but season 16 doesn’t get enough love imo I actually loved this season one of my favorites tbh
I guess season 10 and after doesn’t get enough love because we set our standards so high,but yeah the seasons after 19 imo just wasn’t that good
Yes they need to end it already they haven’t nothing else to prove.
I’m just glad he didn’t use the “principal and the pauper” episode as his sole example, like every other simpsons decline episode
Yeah I don't see that episode as the decline. It's still really funny and great jokes in but ... it really does ruin a fan favourite character only to have none of it matter by the end of the episode. I don't think the writing quality was bad, just the writing decisions.
that episode is so good thoo
@@Lullaby454 it's the beginning of the decline. It itself is not that bad, but it's the first sign of undeniable clear decline in the show, where the writers would write in a way that didn't make sense for the characters.
"Principal and the Pauper" is a good episode, but a lot of people mention this as the start of the slide to mediocrity because it was the 1st noticable time the Writers sacrificed a popular character in Skinner into just a throwaway gag for an entire episode only to "Never to be heard from again".
But it did have my favorite character line in the whole Series: "Up yours, Children"
Just that excerpt of Homer struggling to find parking at the nuclear plant only to reveal he is across the fence from his own backyard, even without sound. Made me literally laugh out loud. This show USED to be SO good for exactly the reasons you are discussing, and PACING is huge, the other is tone and heart. Having begun rewatching seasons 1 through 6, the general throughline is that no matter what, the Simpsons are a family that love each other, warts and all. That often subtle,, wholesome family dynamic is almost completely missing from new Simpsons.
The Simpsons writers really need to watch your video.
Yeah, back then, it was an animated sitcom that, despite all the great, perfectly timed comedy, had characters that had heart and depth to them. Now it's just a cartoon where the characters are just plot devices for the stupid gags. As the video already said, it's more and more becoming a Family Guy clone, where the characters are just there to do random, over-the-top gags.
The show has definitely run it’s course
When it comes to nostalgia I don't get excited anymore, I've accepted the fact that all the original minds behind the shows, movies, and video games I loved just aren't there anymore.
I've been binge watching The Simpsons over the last few months, and I must say that the first 8 seasons are absolutely incredible. There is a noticeable decline in quality starting around season 9 (1997), and the show becomes borderline insufferable by season 13 (2001). I feel like you could watch any episode released before season 9 and it has a sort of timeless aspect to it as a lot of the themes remain culturally significant even today, but I often find myself watching newer episodes and thinking to myself, "Yep. I can definitely tell this episode is from 2000" because of their over reliance on pop culture gags. The problem with this is that it hilariously dates many episodes and makes them uninteresting to watch nowadays. Somehow they made episodes from 2002 feel older than episodes from 1992.
Thats because from the start they did it cause they had something they wanted to say and do, after that was done they did it for the money, and it shows
@@zilvertron It's also because many of the original writing staff left and weren't accurately replaced. The new ones obviously didn't really have anything to say and made the show more commercial and family-friendly.
Also, Homer's personality changed. He almost looks evil sometimes.
They all changed. Every single one of them, but Homer has the most noticeable change but it's not the worse. Off the top of my head, I'd say Nelson has gotten the worst change in character, he's just pathetic now.
Flanders went from a good but could get annoying with his religion neighbour to a completely insane religious fanatic, Marge went from a parody of an overprotective mother to a miserable old woman, Mr Burns like Mr Krabs from Spongebob went from comically greedy to pure evil. Smithers went from a parody of a middle management executive to "Ha ha the joke is that he's gay and loves Burns." And Lisa went from smart girl to self righteous hypocrite.
@@Xehanort10 aww. so everyone changed except for Lisa then.
@@Benkenobi8118
lol
No but really, Lisa is a vegeterian made me dislike her.
Homer went from being an average Joe working class Dad/Husband to an absolute moronic looney tunes character.
Very well articulated. The first 8 seasons of the show were must see TV. You knew it was going to be great. Then the next 3 to 5 seasons you got mostly good episodes and then a few duds (how many more Krusty down on his luck episodes and Sideshow Bob wants to kill Bart episodes do we need?) Then it was like finding a good episode was like finding a gold nugget in a mine that had been picked over for 100 years?
I would rather re-watch, say, the episode when Homer was torn between buying an air conditioner versus a new sax for Lisa than oh look Lady Gaga meets the Simpsons.
I was born in 1979. I grew up with the simpsons. I remember the Christmas special in 1989, which was genuinely funny. And I remember when it was picked up as a regular series for spring of 1990. It marked a complete shift in the television landscape at the time. But when I was 11 I didn't know about all that. All I knew was it made me laugh and it made me smile. And considering I would later find out I had depression at the time, it was probably a lifesaver for me and some other kids of the Worst Generation. I also remember it becoming boring around season 7, and after that god awful Skinner episode of season 9, I checked out emotionally. Wish it had died and Futurama had taken over.
Now its a zombie. Been a zombie for about 23 years. And that makes me sad. I wonder what show, if any, the kids today consider special and significant. I just watched Season 34, episode 18 and holy sweet jesus is it ever terrible. Not one joke and mostly annoying to watch.
Fun Fact: Marge Versus The Monorail is still the highest rated episode of the whole series. It was written by Conan O'Brien.
A la grande le puse cuca
I think you have the same age as Bart
@@HelderGriffYeah about that. In one early season they mention he was born in 1980.
This is one of the best takes I’ve seen get. The modern writers, in addition to being totally out of ideas, are trying to emulate the older material without proper understanding of what actually made it work.
The Simpsons lost it's purpose. It was cutting edge in the 90s, but we don't really need it anymore. The world has changed.
@@Benkenobi8118 no the writing is literally just bad now. you're just trying to sound hip, ironically just like the modern Simpson's.
@@cius2112 OK boomer.
Good analysis. One thing that I think also gets overlooked when analysing the decline of the Simpsons is the continual incorporation of the 'real world' - for years Springfield and the entire 'Simpsons universe' didn't make reference to any modern technology, brands, moments in time, music, celebrities etc. and if they did it was often subtle or done in a humorous way. The episodes these days are basically set in present time and so much of the writing relies so heavily on what is happening in the world at that moment.
Which dates it heavily.
@@libertatemadvocatus1797 yep, I cringe when I see episodes from like 07 onwards and they have really outdated Apple products.
Some episodes rely on Trump so much they might as well be CNN and MSNBC shows. The anti-Trump rhetoric is so heavy... if you subtracted every propagandist reference to Trump you would be left with only commercials. And The Simpsons is filled with commercials in the actual show.
@@dredwick thanks mate, I make an informative point about the writing style of the show and you randomly feel the need to try and shoehorn in an attempt to defend Trump and have a go at the "Fake News"....pathetic
Well, there was that episode where Bart doesn't know what Apple products are, but I get you, the moment they drenched themselves in the current state of affairs they started to care less and less about bringing a storyline that stayed with you to supplant it with what was hot at that moment (let's get this celebrity!)
This was one of the best essays on the Simpsons ever.
Thank you!
Most Simpsons essays are pretty good but THIS is great
It was really good, but I just love the SImpsons essays by Super Eye patched Wolf, I really recommend it.
For those of us in the UK old enough to remember- I remember it originally broadcast on BBC2 on Monday and Friday evenings, with Friday being a double bill, before it moved to channel 4. Started to go down hill for me around the mid 2000's.
Yea I remember that, i think I stopped watching it with the movie to me it was bad then got into different shows around 2007, also I put it on once or twice a new episode was on ages ago goodness it was so unfunny, I couldn’t believe it and the show looks so different it looked better back in the late 90s vs newer style looks hideous to me.