TV: When did the Simpsons Die?

[Stylizer1]

When did Family guy start? It seems like that is when they started changing the way they wrote the show to try and keep up with their rivals.

 

[Babe Ruth]

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening which ran for 9 seasons from 1989 to 1998.

Not wrong..
But I admit I still watch, and laugh. But their satire was most relevant/funny in that era. Back then they seemed crass, Homer seemed like a slob. But by 21st century cultural standards, Homer seems like a slim American. Their family is intact, kids aren't that bad, they own their house, are regular church-goers & Marge is a stay at home housewife. They basically are conservative & stable in relative terms. In 2022 with so many more out of wedlock births, people on assistance, dwindling church attendance, etc.. the Simpsons are basically an outdated, less funny depiction of dysfunction. Same theory applies to the Bundys.. they'd look pretty damn healthy in 2022.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

When did Family guy start? It seems like that is when they started changing the way they wrote the show to try and keep up with their rivals.

January of ‘99

Shit, I remember watching the premiere on TV.

 

[Langdon Alger]

January of ‘99

Shit, I remember watching the premiere on TV.

Remember when Family Guy was funny?

 

[Ceremony]

Not wrong..
But I admit I still watch, and laugh. But their satire was most relevant/funny in that era. Back then they seemed crass, Homer seemed like a slob. But by 21st century cultural standards, Homer seems like a slim American. Their family is intact, kids aren't that bad, they own their house, are regular church-goers & Marge is a stay at home housewife. They basically are conservative & stable in relative terms. In 2022 with so many more out of wedlock births, people on assistance, dwindling church attendance, etc.. the Simpsons are basically an outdated, less funny depiction of dysfunction. Same theory applies to the Bundys.. they'd look pretty damn healthy in 2022.

I haven't properly rewatched The Simpsons in a while, I just catch the odd episode when it's on TV, but I agree with this. First watching and getting into it in the 2000s and learning about it it was this anarchic, dysfunctional depiction of the downfall of American civilisation. Now you watch it and it's just... tame. The notion of a whole family (and city as well) that goes to church every week is enough on its own to make it seem quaint, never mind anything else.

Also as I clearly stated, The Simpsons ended in 1999, so I don't know what the rest of your post is referring to.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Remember when Family Guy was funny?

Sorta??.

I vividly remember Stewie wanting to eradicate broccoli, or the whole thing with his 1st birthday and The Man In White. I kinda remember the original Peter vs. The Giant Chicken fight, and I do remember the one where Lois was singing in Peter’s basement bar. I also remember the “Big Pete’s House Of Munch” episode with Joe forming a Crippletron.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Remember when Family Guy was funny?

Nope

 

[Shareefruck]

It started losing its brilliant peak quality as early as season 5, IMO. The most appropriate/reasonable/respectable time to end the Simpsons was at the end of season 8, with the send-off episode being "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" , an episode that is fittingly 100% self-aware about being unable to continue the quality (immediately after the Frank Grimes episode, too).

Ideally, you shouldn't keep something going after that just because it's still watchable or occasionally has a good moment here or there, IMO.

Also, Family Guy was never funny.

 

[JianYang]

I think season 6, I started to see the first hints of ludicrous that was to come, but it was still overwhelmingly good overall at that time to really complain.

Season 7 was much of the same as 6, but season 8 is when you really can't ignore the cracks anymore.

Sure, you have some good stuff in season 8. The pretzel episode reminds you that they can still be really good, but then I hit episodes like mary poppins, which is really the first episode I've come across where it feels like I've completely crossed the boundary between the good and the bad.

I suspect based on the responses here that I still have another season or so where there still might be some good episodes left here and there, but on the rewatch, I gotta say mary poppins is the turning point for me.

I'd say seasons 2-5 are the absolute gold standard of television, while 6-7 are only a notch below, but still excellent. Season 8 feels like a sigificant drop in consistency.

 

[Baby Punisher]

January of ‘99

Shit, I remember watching the premiere on TV.

I remember watching the Tracy Ulman show in its first run just to watch the Simpsons.

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

98/99 as many other posters have stated. I tried to watch it past that, and I did enjoy the movie (once) but it cannot really be called funny or entertaining. "Spider Pig" was probably the most memorable moment (although I am not sure why, since its not really funny) post 1990's.

 

[alko]

Question is Why?

Whyt it fall down? Was it only the storylines? Or how did they tell the story? Character change (Bart Simpson is not more Bart Simpson)...

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Here's a long but interesting video essay that I think (generally) does a good job of explaining when and why the series declined:

 

[shadow1]

I always see people online cite season 9, episode 2 ("The Principal and the Pauper") as the moment when the series died.

I don't agree. Though I think that episode was the start of the series being less grounded, Seasons 9-11 have many good (and even some classic) episodes. Season 12-13 are really hit-or-miss, but there are some memorable episodes within. Sometime around season 14-15 is when the show devolved into what it is now, IMO.

 

[Osprey]

Here's a long but interesting video essay that I think (generally) does a good job of explaining when and why the series declined:

@26:23 "This is no longer a show that satirizes pop culture. This is one that actively worships it."

Thanks for that. I just watched it and now have a better understanding of what changed in later episodes.

I always see people online cite season 9, episode 2 ("The Principal and the Pauper") as the moment when the series died.

I don't agree. Though I think that episode was the start of the series being less grounded, Seasons 9-11 have many good (and even some classic) episodes. Season 12-13 are really hit-or-miss, but there are some memorable episodes within. Sometime around season 14-15 is when the show devolved into what it is now, IMO.

The above video does a good job of explaining what's wrong with "The Principal and the Pauper" (starting @15:44) and how it was a prelude to what was to eventually come, not that the series died right then and there, but started a bad habit.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

I think season 6, I started to see the first hints of ludicrous that was to come, but it was still overwhelmingly good overall at that time to really complain.

Season 7 was much of the same as 6, but season 8 is when you really can't ignore the cracks anymore.

Sure, you have some good stuff in season 8. The pretzel episode reminds you that they can still be really good, but then I hit episodes like mary poppins, which is really the first episode I've come across where it feels like I've completely crossed the boundary between the good and the bad.

I suspect based on the responses here that I still have another season or so where there still might be some good episodes left here and there, but on the rewatch, I gotta say mary poppins is the turning point for me.

I'd say seasons 2-5 are the absolute gold standard of television, while 6-7 are only a notch below, but still excellent. Season 8 feels like a sigificant drop in consistency.

Curious to see where season 1 ranks for you?

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Season 9 was the start but it had some good episodes the next 3 or so years, Lisa gets an A, Triology of Error etc

 

[x Tame Impala]

It died somewhere between Season 8 and when Futurama was born

 

[maclean]

Pretty much what everyone else has said. But I remember, for me, the moment when I suddenly became aware of it, being the one where comic book guy declares "Worst Episode Ever" and it was like huh, yeah, what even was that? Though over the following years when it was on, I had no problem giving it a watch, up until they changed the way it was animated, I guess to digital (?) and it didn't even look like the Simpsons anymore.

 

[Ceremony]

On the subject of which episodes are bad, I point you to this triple header from S7: The Simpsons (season 7) - Wikipedia

Lisa the Vegetarian
King-Size Homer
Mother Simpson

These are not, on their own, bad episodes. There are good episodes after these. If I had as much knowledge of post-S9 as I do 1-9, I might be able to offer more detail about the hypothesis I'm about to offer. However, looking at each episodes:

Lisa the Vegetarian sees Lisa take up a left-wing cause of some sort with no previous warning or indication she had an interest in it. She is very obnoxious about it. There is a token celebrity cameo at the end from someone who just shows up and is themselves and aren't they great? In the audio commentary for this episode Matt Groening frequently calls this "the best decision they made in the history of the show" and just... no.

King-Size Homer sees Homer do something incredibly stupid and unfeasible out of laziness. This doesn't backfire however, it ultimately saves the town from some contrived bullshit directly tied into the problem he caused in the first place. Then there's an unfunny throwaway line at the end which explains it all away for the next episode.

Mother Simpson is similar to Lisa being vegetarian. You've never seriously thought or cared about Homer's mother before, neither has he, but here she is! For ten minutes. And she's gone again. Have some emotion with no grounding or feeling like it relates to the character it's happening to.

These three episodes are blueprints for the most repeated, worst examples of the show ranging from unfunny to unwatchable. Token celebrity cameos, an obnoxious Lisa taking up a cause to browbeat everyone around her with, Homer being an ass, and trying to shoehorn in emotionally manipulative backstory for characters with no context.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I can't really judge, as I haven't watched a "new" episode of The Simpsons for at least fifteen years. For all I know, I'm missing on some good stuff akin to how most people are sleeping on American Dad actually being a damn great show still.

I have mentioned irl that if I'm ever laid up for a month straight plus, I'm going to be productive in that time by watching the entirety of The Simpsons. And I'd document my descent into madness over watching the Simpsons for over twelve hours a day for 30 days straight.

 

[zombie kopitar]

I think it was a slow decline, but agree after the movie is when it became unwatchable. But it is also a good point that the level of Futurama over the SImpsons of the same period was SOO much higher. Futurama is just such a great show with the exact same Simpsons writing, just with characters with more depth, and a premise that isn't (as much of ) a trope

 

[WeaponOfChoice]

Roughly episode 300. The Spellympics episode.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

Skinner is not Skinner but turns into Skinner because the real Skinner got lynched and ferried out of town

 

[16Skippy]

It died when the 90s ended more or less. Season 11. But it had been going down hill already.

Like to use a hockey analogy Season 9 was like when a player who was elite is now just really good.

Season 10 that same player is still pretty good but finding themselves lower on the depth chart and you are asking how much do they have left?

Season 11 has more misses than hits. The player is getting healthy scratched half the time, and when they play you don't expect them to be good, you just hope they don't suck. And you know a buy out or retirement is happening in the summer. Unfortunately the show just kept going and going.