The Simpsons

When I was 10, I adored the Simpsons, America's favourite dysfunctional family. Me and my brother and sisters watched it every day after school, and got a bagful of laughs. Two years ago though, I stopped watching it. Maybe I didn't find it as funny, creative or as original anymore. Well after seeing the Simpsons Movie, I decided to give the show another chance. And I am glad I did, because it is smart, creative, funny AND original. It is true that the show has been declining in written quality the past three years or so, but the more recent seasons are still watchable, thanks to the animation and the endearing characters.

The show's animation is fantastic. In animated shows, I like animation that is colourful and fluid, and the animation in this show is exactly that. The theme tune is irresistibly catchy and the story lines are outstandingly good. Other than the voice acting what made the show so good was its writing. Not obnoxious or childish, but smart and most importantly funny. And the visual jokes are also impressive.

And the voice acting is exceptional bringing the dysfunctional family to life. Homer is a type of father figure who repeatedly lets down his family, has a love for doughnuts and beer and pretty much hates his job. Dan Castallenetta, a talented voice actor whom I fondly remember as Megavolt from Darkwing Duck, does a great job not only as Homer but as Grandpa and Krusty, not loud and abrasive at all but just right. Julie Kavner is also great as Marge, a caring matriarch who genuinely cares for her family. Nancy Cartwright is perfect as Bart, who is quite naughty and hates school, same with Yeardley Smith as studious Lisa. Plus Maggie is absolutely adorable.

Then there are the supporting characters. My favourite is Grandpa, he is absolutely hilarious. Hank Azaria is amusing as Moe and Chief Wiggum, and Harry Shearer is suitably chirpy as Ned and impresses equally with his monotonic drawls for Principal Skinner and Reverend Lovejoy. There are many memorable guest performances from various celebrities, and frequent appearances from Phil Hartmann and Tress MacNeille. My favourite is Kelsey Grammar as Sideshow Bob, a reprising villain I enjoy watching, sinister yet funny. All in all, despite the fact it isn't as enjoyable as it was, The Simpsons is still a great show. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

Network: Fox; Genre: Animated Comedy, Parody, Satire; Content Rating: TV-PG (language, adult contend and animated nudity); Available: DVD and syndication everywhere; Perspective: Classic (star range: 1 - 5);

Seasons Reviewed: Season 12+

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would one day be bored by 'The Simpsons', I would have called them crazy. But here we are and while 'The Simpsons' has become the longest running show on TV at the cost of its core integrity. "Simpsons" in its prime was the best things to grace the small screen. A funny, ground-breaking animated comedy with lightening-quick wit, insightful social and brilliantly integrated parody. It created its own universe with an entire town of original characters. Most importantly, it actually helped shape the sense of humor of an entire generation. That generation which has now grown up and is now creating animated shows in direct competition.

"Simpsons" is a pale shadow of its former greatness. It gradually slipping this way for several years, but it wasn't until the 2002 and 2003 seasons that the show really smashed up against the rocks for good. I used to delight in each new episode of "Simpsons". But now the show clunks along each week in what appears to be filling time. The free-wheeling gags it used to deliver with such ease are now weighted down by an unnecessary over importance on story. The show at its best may get off a funny, sharp one-liner every now and then. It's biggest asset currently is it's willingness and given latitude to slam its own network. I do delight in their "Joe Millionaire" on-air promo parodies or a recent episode where Homer calls to give the network an idea and the recording says something like "If you know of another network's reality show we can rip off, press 2..."

So what happened? There really is no one thing that can easily be pointed out to all the late-commers and say "this is what happened" - you have to have traced the history. The 'jump the shark' moment could have come as early as the infamous Frank Grimes episode where our vision of The Simpson family was suddenly turned into something to aspire to instead of parody. It could be the legion of big name celebrities forced into every episode. To bring down a show as great as this, it was a slow convergence of several things.

Watching it, 3 differences are evident on-screen at any given time: First, the stripping down most of the characters to 1-note cartoons. Notably, British favorite Homer Simpson going from child-like, hard-luck father to a rag-doll for wild animals to rip apart as each episode closes. I'm particularly appalled at its attempts to use Homer as a political mouthpiece. Did you know that a guy who once lit a Q-tip so he could see inside his brain has an active concern for global politics? Yeah, I didn't either.

Secondly, the classic Baby Boomer voice of the series has evaporated and was replaced with contemporary generation X and Y jokes. Now, it's the internet and Tony Hawke. The voice of the series used to be one of creator Matt Groening's, seen through the eyes of Homer and Marge. That voice has been lost as the show has turned into an assembly line institution, repackaged and been homogenized for the masses and a new generation of writers lead by Ian Maxton-Graham has come in to "keep it fresh".

Thirdly, it has run out of creative juice. Anyone who has stuck with the show long enough can see it literally re-telling jokes and recycle previous story lines. When the recycling becomes too obvious or the episode makes no sense, they merely double back and declare it all a big self-parody. Not even Al Jean (architect of the show in its prime and the Larry David of "The Simpsons") can save it now.

Since the talented voice cast has remained the same low these many years, I put all the blame on this squarely with the Fox network who refused to let this show go out gracefully when Groening siphoned off his role to work on his dream project, the now far superior 'Futurama'. In Fox's race to claim this endurance record they have turned a once edgy and visionary show into an institution with an assembly line production and revolving door of writers to match any of the other lame shows on TV. Behind the scenes, maybe the condescending we-can-do-no-wrong attitude of Maxton-Graham has dealt the show its biggest death blow, while producer Mike Scully sat back and ineptly let Maxton-Graham run it into the ground.

In the end, the biggest blame may actually land with the "die-hard fans" that embolden the show by letting it get away with this junk. Yes, "The Simpsons" was ground-breaking and every adult animation in the future owns it a bit of gratitude, but blind loyalty to a show only for how it performed in the past isn't healthy.

Since it has hit long-running status the critical bandwagon jumping has begun and "Simpsons" is more popular than ever amongst critics that want to be on the inside of history. We've now reached a point where the bad episodes and bad entire seasons outweigh the good and that, I'm afraid, is going to be the sad legacy of "Simpsons" . A train-wreck of crass, childish humor, grainy animation, oddly misplaced satire and forced parodies of only the most obvious pop culture targets.

10 years ago I didn't know what I would do without "The Simpsons" but now, particularly with the emergence of satisfying new adult animated shows ('Futurama', 'Family Guy' and 'South Park'), living without it might be pretty good.

* * / 5

What more can I possibly say about a TV show that has already been praised to death? I was 15 when the Simpsons first aired and I'm 25 now. I've seen every single episode, and I'd have to say it's a rare combination of factors that come together to make The Simpsons the best show ever.

It's a very clever and intelligent show - they never dumb anything down - and as creator Matt Groening has remarked, "The Simpsons is a show that rewards paying attention." There are always enough obscure pop-culture references or subtle background gags to ensure that the second, third, or tenth viewing of an episode will find you noticing something you hadn't before.

In the early days of The Simpsons, they derived a large part of their popularity from the everyday, down-to-earth, unglamorous, average-blue-collar-slob aspect of the Simpson family. Homer is lazy and doesn't like his job, Bart doesn't excel at school, the plastic ketchup bottle they use at the dinner table makes that farting sound, and so on. This aspect of the program contrasts it with popular 80's family sitcoms such as The Cosby Show which always featured impossibly well-functioning families who got along a little too perfectly and usually learned a neat little lesson at the end of each episode. An early tag-line for The Simpsons said that they "put the Fun back in Dysfunctional."

Perhaps this blue-collar-slobness by itself is nothing shockingly original - think of previous TV shows such as Roseanne, Married with Children, All in the Family, The Honeymooners - but the Simpsons doesn't stop there. This show is extremely densely packed with jokes - everything from cerebral witticisms and sly satire to Homer falling down and going "D'oh!" Because it's a cartoon, the writers can get away with surreal gags such as the time Homer tells a joke which falls flat, after which a long silence happens which is punctuated by a single tumbleweed rolling through the Simpson's living room.

There are just too many things to mention about The Simpsons. It can be touching occasionally; more often the viewers are treated to an unequalled cavalcade of obscure references, surreal sight gags, wacky adventures, self-mocking irony... The list goes on and on. Just watch it, else you're missing out on one of the most important elements of 1990's popular culture.

The Simpsons is the longest running animated TV series since The Flinstones, and you could understand why after watching just one of the Simpsons episodes. Simply because The Simpsons is just so hilarious and incredibly clever and has been ripped off so many times, but nothing has come close to the brilliance that the Simpsons writers have brought us.

We have Homer Simpson, one of the most beloved TV characters of all time, with his famous quote "Doh!". He's an overweight, lazy, and not the brightest bulb, but so incredibly lovable for the fact of how bipolar he is! One minute he can be so incredibly depressed, but the next minute really happy and giggling. My favorite Homer quote is when he kills the zombie Ned Flanders in a Halloween episode, Bart tells him "Dad! You killed the zombie Flanders!"... "He was a zombie?" Marge is Homer's wife and a homemaker. She is at times naggy, but always manages to get in some terrific humor and some deep sympathy with all she puts up with. My favorite Marge quote is "Bart, don't make fun of grad students. They've just made a terrible life choice." Bart is the oldest son and a rebel. His usual quotes are "Don't have a cow" "Cool, man!" "Ei Carumba!". He's this generation's Dennis the Menace. My favorite Bart quote is "I need a soul, Ralph, any, your's!", you'll see what I mean.

Lisa is the second oldest and the smartie pants of the Simpson clan, she's kind of the know it all who solves all the adventures of the Simpsons. My favorite Lisa quote is "They're only using you for your pool you know... shut up brain! I have friends now, I don't need you any more!". Last, but not least, Maggie, the eternal baby of Homer and Marge, always a great love of the screen, but no famous quotes, just memorable moments like when she turns into an alien.

The supporting cast is a terrific addition, my favorites include Mr. Burns, Homer's boss, Groundskeeper Willy, the school janitor, and Mr. Skinner, the school principal. The Simpson is just a terrific show that in one way or another you will see at least one episode in your lifetime. I know that generations to come, they will still be watching The Simpsons.

The Simpsons is one of the best TV shows of all times. It is a perfect mirror of the American culture and has many memorable moments that will always be remembered . I don't know anybody who doesn't like this show, it's impossible not to be a fan of it. You could watch each episode 20 times and never get tired, you will always find a new funny thing every time you watch it

Unfotunatley the show is getting worse and worse with every new season, Maybe it's time to let "The Simpsons" die with dignity before the audience starts to hate it.

My rating: 11/10