OT- The Simpsons

[Rich1033]

I found an interesting page on the lifetime of everyone's favorite sitcom right here (http://slate.msn.com/id/2078501/) .

For the most part I agree with what is said. Most of it has already been discussed here in this forum. However this goes into much more detail regarding the causes for the decline.

One of the most interesting things is that all most all of the listing of the top episodes ever came from before 1997.

Do the fans here agree or disagree with the article?

[IMetTrentGreen]

sort of. i think it was its best a few years ago but its still one of the only shows i actively make time for, and still my favorite on tv

[kcchief19]

I think it's a joke to say that The Simpsons is now JUST a sitcom. It may not be at the top of its game, but it's certainly now down there with the masses. It has always been a sitcom, but it has also always operated on a different level.

If you look at the EW list, virtually all of the episodes are from 1993-1997, with many of them coming in two years. Since there just about as many episodes listed in the last few years as there were in the first few seasons, does that mean that the show sucked when it debuted, got better about four years in, then started sucking again four years later?

Is the show as good as it was during the "golden age"? Probably not. They have episodes there are still just as good as the "old days." The article does skirt around what I think is the trademark of the current shows that do not have as much zip -- the plots and stories are too fantastical. The best Simpsons episodes have good stories. Of course, after 300 episodes, it's harder to come up with original, good stories. In some respects, The Simpsons has become a parody of itself, but that's not necessarily bad.