The "Classic" Simpsons Seasons

I keep seeing this stuff about the first three years being the best of the Simpsons years. What's going on with that? Yes, it's true, the show was more in a sitcom family frame of mind, and most of what happened could be transferred to a real-life show. But that's not necessarily what makes the Simpsons great. Someone posted that "Maggie Makes Three" showed some "cartoonish" elements: Homer in the Die Hard fantasy, Bart's narration of Homer's head blowing up, Homer using Burns's head as a bongo... these were certainly a little cartoony. But they were freakin' hilarious. And they were set up believeably. They, with the exception of the Burns segment, were fantasy. It's nothing compared to today's quagmire of Homer's head getting trapped in a drawbridge, or Godzilla grabbing their plane out of midair.

But I digress. My main point of all this was that I think the middle years, 4, 5, and 6 were the best. There was true feeling, such as "A Streetcar Named Marge" in season 4 and "Grampa Vs. Sexual Inadequacy" in season 6, to satisfy all of you "reality-character-development-at-all-costs" folks, and enough political humor (Sideshow Bob Roberts), media parodies (Lady Bouvier's Lover), and all-round assy humor (Marge Vs. the Monorail) for people like myself. I think it has to do with the Conan O'Brien factor. Just a thought, respond if you will.

-Joe

Be honest I get bored reading long messages, if you cut it up it will seem shorter then I might read it

What's the matter you, hey! Gotta no respect, hey! Whattya think ya do? hey! Why you look-a so sad, hey! Itsa not so bad It'sa nice-a place Ahhh Shadduppa ya face!

The best episode is either the one where Homer becomes a missionary in Microasia (he's not NOT licking frogs) or else it's the one where Homer becomes the union boss ("Dental Plan! Lisa needs braces! Dental Plan! Lisa needs braces!...").

The key element here is Homer. The show turned good for me when they stopped writing stories about Bart and started giving us more of the big H.

Frank "unexplained bacon" LaRosa

SixString1994 wrote:

Frank LaRosa wrote in message news:...

Are you nuts? The show was NEVER soley written around Bart! The public was the ones who went nuts and raised Bart to a godlike deity. The writers simply turned out the usual crop of episodes, with plots spread around a larger base of characters than today, and Bart just recived all the media attention and public acclaim back then.

Jump ahead to season eight--A certain, former executive producer who had a thing for Homer started making the Simpsons the "Homer and Friends Wacky Half-Hour", thus dumbing it down so that the kiddies would love it. You can scream at me and tell me I'm wrong, but this was a move to recapture a new audience to replace the fans who'd been around since the Ullman show.

Sadly, on some level this marketing ploy worked. Instead of hearing about how well written the show is, I hear about how goofy and wacky Homer is.

Jake

I noticed it around season five... I think it was episode 64... mmm, 64 slices of american cheese....

Jake Lennington wrote:

     I *just* posted to the "Shine on..." thread about all the Pink Floyd
references in the show...and this is one of the best!  When Marge tries to
contact Homer: "Hello, hello, hello...Is there anybody in there?"  is a PF
lyric.  I laughed myself stupid at that whole scene...
Till Then=)
Jeff Warden "If I wanted smoke blown up my ass, I'd be at home with a pack
                   of cigarettes, and a short length of hose." --The Simpsons