Old episodes again in Australia

Channel 10 are back to playing the old episodes of The Simpsons again during weeknights. Tonight they played the final episode of Season 3 (Brother, can you spare two dimes?).

Yes, of course.

"Captain Adam" wrote

Interesting to see the change in animation when they go back to the early episodes. The picture somehow seems 'softer', and the sound is a bit muffled too. I guess the tapes must be getting worn out after all these years!

Paul

Yep, my impression is you're seeing the different between analogue and digital recording methods... Plus, as you say, deterioration due to age (analogue of course).

But the overall tone changes, too.

It seems like Homer starts out being very lower-class, in the way tv represents it (such as The Honeymooners), you kind of expect him to sit there in his sleeveless undershirt bellowing at Bart. And Bart seems more of a bad kid.

Eventually it changes, the family seems more middle class, and Bart becomes outrageous but not bad.

I think the other characters become stronger, Lisa and Marge, after the change.

About a month ago, they suddenly started airing early episodes here in Canada, it seemed a rather abrupt change and I can't say I really like the early episodes. But suddenly they jumped forward, the episode where Bart & Lisa discover free shipping boxes and build a fort was on yesterday, and I thought that was from last season of the first run episodes.

Michael

"Michael Black" wrote

I wonder who in the structure of the TV station (Ch10 Australia) actually gets to choose which episodes to schedule? I don't mean the new ones, or recent re-runs in the evening, but the 6 days a week 6 pm slot. I sometimes get the feeling that whoever it is looks at this newsgroup, because it is uncanny the way someone will mention a subject (like Robert Goullet recently) and a week later, there is the episode, a 1 in 400 chance.

On the other hand, the fact that every now and again we go back to season 1 or 2 suggests a random name-out-of-the-hat selection process. Could the early episodes carry a lower residual fee maybe?

Paul

"Paul Bartram" <p.bartram AT OR NEAR mysoul.com.au> wrote in news:4733d6ff$0$46036$[email]:

Two possible reasons: Stations and/or syndicators may feel the older episodes have been shown more often and want to show viewers newer episodes to keep interest in the reruns up by not showing the same ones over and over.

Or the contracts for the rights of the episodes may give the number of times an episode may be shown in one contract period and since the older episodes have been shown more often they can broadcast the newer episodes more.