I Hate Fox!

[Drtooth]

I miss when Fox made its own weekend cartoons..they had a lot of good ideas back in the early 90's

Technically, that was partially due on Saban's part, after the company got the rights to the Fox Kid's dynasty. Then the crap with Disney buying the Family Channel. Now Disney sort of owns the Fox Kids shows. Not really owning them, and everything is totally unclear. However, in Europe, Fox Kids is still about. And Jetix is its own, separate channel with a lot of original shows... unlike Toon Disney's Jetix Block... (they've been Airing the Gadget and the Gadetinis series that the US never got for example).

 

[Sgt Floyd]

I watch The Simpsons every day on Fox 5 here in Jersey, and how do they reward my loyalty? They cut all their regular programming for Major League baseball. Okay, fine, sports isn't my thing, but neither the Mets nor the Yankees have a chance anymore at the World Series, so now they're showing the Philly/L.A. game, bumping The Simpsons from the line-up tonight, and keeping Seinfeld on, and for some strange reason; airing an episode of King of the Hill. No one in this area cares about (let alone is even watching) this game!

Just be glad your fox shows the simpsons on weekdays. Mine only shows them on sundays. I miss philly fox go a double helping of the simpsons every weekday, 6-7, now I'm lucky if I can stay up till 11:30 at night on a friday to watch it.

And I have been complaining about them showing the same stinkin episodes over and over. Its like "Ok, seasons X through X are released on dvd, so lets not show those episodes on tv!"

I think rating might increase if they showed the good episodes instread of the crappy episodes that they are airing now. People might not agree with me, but the simpsons need to have the plug pulled. They need to be cancelled. They have run out of ideas. The show is just worn out. They cant milk it much longer.

Lets all listen to Zoot, grab a match and put it out of its misery

 

[Drtooth]

People might not agree with me, but the simpsons need to have the plug pulled. They need to be cancelled. They have run out of ideas. The show is just worn out. They cant milk it much longer.

Or they could get back the old writers... or HEY, age the characters a year. Remember that one where Marge got a new kitchen and it took a year? They're clearly on Toon time, breaking the supposed realism of the series.

I think they need to end it soon... and with another movie.

 

[Vic Romano]

I'm a purist. I still think they're as great as they always have been. I hope the show lasts for years and years to come.

 

[frogboy4]

I am not the greatest fan of the Simpsons, but I must admit the writing has had some off-years. They have been considered past their prime time and again and they always seem to come back. The show has been around nearly 20 years and the characters even longer.

The Simpsons' humor is generally top-notch but wears thin to my sensibilities after an episode or two so no season sets or syndication marathons for me. The characters may be frozen in age, but not in progress. There have been many interesting changes for all of them over the years. It will probably take a new crop of writers to bring out the next phase. They please their base; boost Fox's ratings so I don't see them slowing down soon. I don't see them anywhere close to embarrassing themselves yet.

I do like the show, but it doesn't make my top 50. They will always be in syndication somewhere and they'll likely have at least a few more seasons if not more.

 

[Drtooth]

They please their base; boost Fox's ratings so I don't see them slowing down soon. I don't see them anywhere close to embarrassing themselves yet.

I think the problem is somewhere allong the line they decided to make Bart and Lisa centered episodes kid friendly. And while it doesn't talk down to them, sometimes it just directly talks to them. And if Lisa's social issues continue to be a theme, rather than the brunt of satire, they just get naggy and don't help but hinder the cause. Case in point, the one where Bart gets a cow... terrible episode (though I did like the line "For once in my line, I finally had a cow, Man!"), and not full of anything I already know.

Plus, the insistence of reusing the same characters that are a catchphrase at best. I'm sick to death of Cletus. He appears in every lousy episode. Yeah, he's a hick... we get it. And Sideshow Mel just coming up and saying stuff that ammounts to "I have a thick Brrrritish accent and rrrrrroll my Rrrr's! Isn't that hillarity?" I have no problem with stuff like that, but they use it way too much as cheap laughs. Even when they used to have Dr. Nick and stuff like that, the characters served a purpose.

The one thing I think Family Guy has over the Simpsons is that they have actually killed off a majority of those kind of characters... Paddy Tanenger... The Vaudeville guys... both had gruesome on screen deaths. And even Herbert hasn't appeared since Chris said to him straight faced "Are you a pedophile?" (I agree with that decision. They're no way to follow that one up)

And lastly, I hate how they made Marge too house wifey and talk similar to Flanders. I see they've decided to cut back on that (especially her line at the end of the movie "Just toss the GD Bomb already"). plus, so far this season seems to be alright.

I just hope we have no more extended flashbacks or views of the future.... those are the worst. They haven't had a decent flash back since the 90's... and speaking of which, "That 90's Show" (an episode last year about Marge's secret year of college) was pretty terrible, screwed up it's consistency... but Weird Al was in it, so it wasn't all bad.

 

[frogboy4]

I think the problem is somewhere allong the line they decided to make Bart and Lisa centered episodes kid friendly. And while it doesn't talk down to them, sometimes it just directly talks to them. And if Lisa's social issues continue to be a theme, rather than the brunt of satire, they just get naggy and don't help but hinder the cause. Case in point, the one where Bart gets a cow... terrible episode (though I did like the line "For once in my line, I finally had a cow, Man!"), and not full of anything I already know.

Plus, the insistence of reusing the same characters that are a catchphrase at best. I'm sick to death of Cletus. He appears in every lousy episode. Yeah, he's a hick... we get it. And Sideshow Mel just coming up and saying stuff that ammounts to "I have a thick Brrrritish accent and rrrrrroll my Rrrr's! Isn't that hillarity?" I have no problem with stuff like that, but they use it way too much as cheap laughs. Even when they used to have Dr. Nick and stuff like that, the characters served a purpose.

The one thing I think Family Guy has over the Simpsons is that they have actually killed off a majority of those kind of characters... Paddy Tanenger... The Vaudeville guys... both had gruesome on screen deaths. And even Herbert hasn't appeared since Chris said to him straight faced "Are you a pedophile?" (I agree with that decision. They're no way to follow that one up)

And lastly, I hate how they made Marge too house wifey and talk similar to Flanders. I see they've decided to cut back on that (especially her line at the end of the movie "Just toss the GD Bomb already"). plus, so far this season seems to be alright.

I just hope we have no more extended flashbacks or views of the future.... those are the worst. They haven't had a decent flash back since the 90's... and speaking of which, "That 90's Show" (an episode last year about Marge's secret year of college) was pretty terrible, screwed up it's consistency... but Weird Al was in it, so it wasn't all bad.

You do know that's the only Family Guy figure I have. It was a gift, but one that I wanted. That character is terrible and I should be offended, but it's just cracks me up. If he were spryer it would be a different story. I actually prefer the Family Guy. It isn't as thoughtfully written or crafted as the Simpsons and it has too many inane sight gags, but it better suits my palette. Other than a few first season episodes I am never bored.

I catch a handful of Simpsons episodes a year and see little difference in them. I suppose the early days had more linear structure that followed through the story. You never know what turn each show will make now and it's been that way for years. I do remember Lisa’s Malibu Stacy episode and many others from the first few seasons that seemed kid-centered so I’m not sure what you’re saying there. However, I don’t catch enough of them to know.

 

[Drtooth]

There are some good examples of talking directly towards kids. There was an episode in which they erect a graveyard in a vacant lot near the Simpson house, and it was basically about Lisa trying to conquer her fear. And then there was the Spellympics one... that was atrocious (except for the Hot Plate joke, and the McRib subplot). There are quite a few more, but I don't feel like listing them.

The other problems I have are that Homer should work EXCLUSIVELY at the Power Plant. I have nothing against Fred Flintstone-esque get rich quick schemes (like the sugar that he found on the high way years and years ago), but it just gives them an excuse to make terrible jokes about random jobs. like when Homer had a 1950's ambulance, and was an unlicensed operator, and they made jokes about how he confused it with being a tai, which wasn't funny at all.

That, and the multiple musical montages with cheap throw away gags. I mean, one every so often, not every single episode (Unfortunately, Family Guy started it not too long ago, but they seem to make it work).

 

[Vic Romano]

... and speaking of which, "That 90's Show" (an episode last year about Marge's secret year of college) was pretty terrible, screwed up it's consistency... but Weird Al was in it, so it wasn't all bad.

Okay, I agree; that one bothered me. I know it was tongue-in-cheek and was funny, but it did leave me a little jaded. Family Guy on the other hand just became South Park to me. It was really funny at first, but it got tired fast. They actually use the same jokes in different episodes. It's like; "Okay, it was funny the first time, and I've seen the episode more than once, so no need to bash it in any further."

 

[Vic Romano]

like when Homer had a 1950's ambulance, and was an unlicensed operator, and they made jokes about how he confused it with being a tai, which wasn't funny at all.

Really? You didn't like that one?

"We keep telling you, we're not paramedics!"
"I'll say!"

Ha ha! I loved that one.

EDIT: Sorry for double posting.