So, When did it happen(for the simpsons)

[Jyose]

Can anyone pinpoint when exactly The Simpsons jumped the shark?

For me, it was about season 12 or 13, this is when writers grew proud of plots that didn't make any sense(I recall an episode that featured Mr. Tinie saying as such) and the series went from clever satire about American family life to typical cartoon.

[Silverstar]

For me, it was around the time they did the episode where Bart, Millhouse, Nelson and Ralph Wiggum became a boy band, the Behind the Music parody show and the infamous Maude Flanders' death episode. Those were the last Simpsons episodes I watched in their entirety.

[Starsky]

"Monty Can't Buy Me Love".

[HG Revolution]

Homer's Enemy (people seem to like it, but it was too meanspirited and unfunny for me), The Principal and The Pauper started the fall. Bonfire of the Manatees was the point I stopped watching.

[CaptainHero]

Homer's Enemy (people seem to like it, but it was too meanspirited and unfunny for me), The Principal and The Pauper started the fall. Bonfire of the Manatees was the point I stopped watching.

Bonfire of the Manatees was originally one of the plots thrown around for the movie.

[J. B. Warner]

Let me put it this way...

It strapped on the skis in Season 9, rode headlong towards the shark in Season 10, and skidded up the ramp during Seasons 11 and 12, but then the motor on the boat stalled during Seasons 13 and 14...and then took off again at top speed throughout Seasons 15, 16, 17, and 18.

The reason why is simple enough - Mike Scully had a sick sense of humor, John Swartzwelder's scripts are being revised by novices without his input, Al Jean is completely burned out, Matt Groening's mind was on "Futurama" from 1997 to 2002, and The Simpsons Movie required everyone to phone it in on the series for the last four years. The show needs a new executive producer more than anything, but frankly, with the forthcoming release of Bender's Big Score, I'd be delighted if "The Simpsons" threw in the towel in favor of new "Futurama" episodes. At least that show still has potential.

[DarthGonzo]

Homer's Enemy (people seem to like it, but it was too meanspirited and unfunny for me),

Then, honestly, you didn't understand the dark humor of the episode. Personally, I think Homer's Enemy is one of the very best episode of the entire series.


The Principal and The Pauper started the fall.

Now that I know the writer's intent, The Principal and the Pauper has gotten a heck of a lot better in my eyes.


Bonfire of the Manatees was the point I stopped watching.

This I'll agree on. Bonfire of the Manatees was a steaming pile of crap.

[Caswin]

Then, honestly, you didn't understand the dark humor of the episode.*Ahem*

I think we've been over this before... (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=194030&page=2)

[DrTooth]

I still am a faithful viewer, even with the crop of just poor quality episodes they've been cranking out lately. I think it was about 12th season for me too. They had some nice pick and choose ones from time to time, but other than that we had horrid Lisa-centric episodes (that Spell-ympics one), horrid Lisa-centric episodes that are Musical parodies, and the same Homer gets a job for no reason but to have a B story that seems tacked on. And the fact that they just make characters like Sideshow Mel and Cletus say random things because they talk funny.

Cheap laughs over logical plots. Ew.

[Prdgn]

It never did.

Honestly, I'm not trolling.

[Desensitized]

It never did.

Honestly, I'm not trolling.
Agreed, but this topic is just a circle.

[The Myst]

Season 14.

[Dee]

Meh, it's all a matter of opinion. I still tune in, and while I think the show isn't what it used to be, It's still watchable.

[Luna]

I still like The Simpsons......While the epsodes from the last few seasons aren't as good as the "classics"(I can't quite pinpoint when it went downhilll,because nowadays I usually catch the episodes only in out-of-order syndication,so I'm not sure which episodes go to which season) they usually make me laugh at some point.....

[Cobblepot1982]

Started in Season 9 for me...but I continued watching, thinking "maybe it's just a bad season, and will get better"...hehehehe, RIGHT. No, the minute I thought it officially hit rock bottom was during that episode where Bart pretends to get kidnapped, after the whole rap thing. For me, that took Simpsons from boring and poorly written to completely tasteless. And IMO it hasn't improved a whole lot since that point.

[Peter Paltridge]

The Simpsons Movie required everyone to phone it in on the series for the last four years.
Nope, the movie was mainly done by a separate team of Simpsons veterans.

[HellCat]

Man, how many times have we done this topic?

I'd say season 10 onwards. The writers got too cocky, knowing they'd basically be renewed no matter what. So we started getting more mean spirited humour, plot reuse and they continuity issues (making fun of their fans and history, dragging down classics by making episodes heavily connected to them, etc).

[byron lomax]

The first episode I remember outright disliking is the one where Lisa gets lost trying to get to a museum. It felt somewhat aimless, and not very funny. From this point on, characters I used to love started to get annoying, and, as others have pointed out, the plots made no sense. I agree with what HellCat said about the new episodes as well, and I haven't watched the show in years.

[DrTooth]

Meh, it's all a matter of opinion. I still tune in, and while I think the show isn't what it used to be, It's still watchable.

Yeah, I feel the show is still enjoyable, but hardly as well written as past episodes were. And then of course we get the paninfully poorly written episodes like that Suds MacDuff one (which made me even angrier, since that reruns was shown after the last Futurama episode), and the one where they go to Africa. Allong with the Lisa Spellympics episode, those are my three least favorites in the entire series.

[Lutochris]

Bart's Comet in season 6. The only episode to that point that I didn't immediately like. From that point the show wasn't the same for me.

[Kury Wagner]

It was "Pygmoelian," imo. That's just went it got to a really, 'wha? nah, man' level for me.

[Classic Speedy]

I don't think there was any specific moment for me (mostly due to not seeing most of seasons 10-12 when they first aired), though I remember watching "The Frying Game" when it first aired and absolutely hating the twist ending. There was some actual drama involved when it looked like Homer was going to die, and they go and blow it by making the whole execution a reality show prank? Lame. I mean, I didn't expect (or want) them to actually kill Homer, but it made the majority of the episode pointless. And in retrospect, the whole "it was an elaborate hoax" thing had been done before in the previous season's "The Great Money Caper".

[Dudley]

season 11 and 12 is probably where it started. That's when the show got really weird. With "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" being silly in a not funny way, unlike "Saddlesore Galactica".
Regardless, of how "bad" the show hass gotten, it still makes me laugh, so I still watch it.

[DarthGonzo]

season 11 and 12 is probably where it started. That's when the show got really weird. With "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" being silly in a not funny way, like "Saddlesore Galactica".
Regardless, of how "bad" the show hass gotten, it still makes me laugh, so I still watch it.

This I'll agree with. Honestly, some of the most recent episodes have been some of the funnier Simpsons episodes I've seen in the past 3-4 years.

Bonfire of the Manatees still makes me wretch of course.

[creativerealms]

The Simpson's never jumped the shark. No they rewrote the term. "They got raped by the Panda." That over takes "Jumping the shark"

[DarthGonzo]

Chiming in again...

There was never a moment where The Simpsons actually jumped the shark. There was never that one horrible moment in which nothing was ever the same and the show had no chance of coming back from the abyss.

So no, The Simpsons has never jumped the shark. Few shows actually do. The Simpsons has just done their share or really bad episodes. But they're still capable of putting out some gems.

[Space Ghost]

Bart's Comet in season 6. The only episode to that point that I didn't immediately like. From that point the show wasn't the same for me.
you've got to be kidding me.

for me, season 8 was ok, not as great as season 7, and season 9 was almost the same, just a little bit more painful. season 10 was the season where it became "the homer show" despite a few good episodes ("Bart the Mother" and "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken".) season 11 was really terrible. i really don't think it ever jumped the shark, but it came close to it with maude's death and barney becoming sober. season 12 was a whoel lot better, but still not great. it contains one of my all time favorite episodes, "Trilogy of Error". Season 13 (to me at least) was great, season 14 was alright, season 15 was almost classic, season 16 alight, seasons 17+18 terrible. i'm counting on this new season to go back to at least season 15 quality.

[Dudley]

This I'll agree with. Honestly, some of the most recent episodes have been some of the funnier Simpsons episodes I've seen in the past 3-4 years.

Bonfire of the Manatees still makes me wretch of course.

Actually, I mean to say "unlike".
I really enjoyed Saddlesore Galactica, I don't recall laughing so much at one Simpsons episode.
I can understand why some would hate it, though.

[Caswin]

Actually, I mean to say "unlike".
I really enjoyed Saddlesore Galactica, I don't recall laughing so much at one Simpsons episode.
I can understand why some would hate it, though.Just my opinon - whatever that episode's flaws (although I think I liked it, actually), it was redeemed now and forever by "We'll give you GOLD!"

[Classic Speedy]

About Saddlesore Galactica: A lot of people repeatedly bring up the elf jockeys as the low point in that episode, and one of the lows of the series. But the thing is, I'd be more willing to forgive the elf jockeys if the rest of the episode was pretty solid, comedy-wise. But outside of a few jokes here and there (Homer and Bachman-Turner Overdrive; Bill Clinton's remarks), I honestly don't find the majority of that episode very humorous. So the elf jockeys were just the icing on the rotten cake for me.

[The Myst]

I liked "Saddlesore Galactica." Yeah, the jockey elves were silly but it was a funny episode.

[J. B. Warner]

About Saddlesore Galactica: A lot of people repeatedly bring up the elf jockeys as the low point in that episode, and one of the lows of the series. But the thing is, I'd be more willing to forgive the elf jockeys if the rest of the episode was pretty solid, comedy-wise. But outside of a few jokes here and there (Homer and Bachman-Turner Overdrive; Bill Clinton's remarks), I honestly don't find the majority of that episode very humorous. So the elf jockeys were just the icing on the rotten cake for me.

I can buy the jockey elves thing because I know that "Saddlesore Galactica" was another experimental episode in the same vein as "The Principal and the Pauper" - they intentionally wrote the episode as over-the-top ridiculous as they could, just to get the fans riled up (hence why the Comic Book Guy shows up so often in this one, pointing out what's wrong with the episode's proceedings). But I agree that the humor doesn't really reach the appropriate level to balance out the nuttiness, and it just sort of falls flat.

The episode also accentuated the love-hate relationship between the writers and the fanbase that has been the backbone of the series for so long since then. No matter what the show does, it seems to me that it's got just the slightest hint of contempt for its audience, as if to say "Yeah, that's right, we just did that - what are you gonna do about it?" This, I think, is part of the series' problem. Instead of poking fun at us for wanting them to focus more on plot and characterization, they ought to actually be focusing more on plot and characterization. Acknowledging the problem is not the same as fixing it.

[DarthGonzo]

The episode also accentuated the love-hate relationship between the writers and the fanbase that has been the backbone of the series for so long since then. No matter what the show does, it seems to me that it's got just the slightest hint of contempt for its audience, as if to say "Yeah, that's right, we just did that - what are you gonna do about it?" This, I think, is part of the series' problem. Instead of poking fun at us for wanting them to focus more on plot and characterization, they ought to actually be focusing more on plot and characterization. Acknowledging the problem is not the same as fixing it.

YES! Absolutely! You hit the nail right on the head there. My sentiments exactly. Brilliant.

[Desensitized]

It's odd that season 11 and 12 are my least favorite, yet I love Saddlesore Gallactica... Probably because the ridiculousness is intentional, but I find it nowhere near as bad as KTAAR and Simpson Safari.

[HellCat]

Poking fun at their audience can work if they do it well. Again, I cite the Poochie episode. But I agree beyond that it's been too acidic. Yeah, what right do we have to complain? We only give the show ratings, support the sponsors, buy the official merchandise, spread good word by word of mouth..

[The Myst]

It's odd that season 11 and 12 are my least favorite, yet I love Saddlesore Gallactica... Probably because the ridiculousness is intentional, but I find it nowhere near as bad as KTAAR and Simpson Safari.

I feel the exact same way. "Kill The Alligator And Run" is my pick for worst episode ever and "Simpsons Safari" isn't much better.

[Moto Pete]

itchy scratchy and pookie

[Dudley]

I feel the exact same way. "Kill The Alligator And Run" is my pick for worst episode ever and "Simpsons Safari" isn't much better.

I actually like those episodes. But hey to each his own.

[Blackstar]

itchy scratchy and pookie

It's Poochie, actually, and you should tell us why this episode didn't work for you.

[Lutochris]

Bart's Comet in season 6. The only episode to that point that I didn't immediately like. From that point the show wasn't the same for me.you've got to be kidding me.

You should have seen alt.tv.simpsons back in the day. They were panning episodes as far back as Deep Space Homer. And that's only as far back as I can remember.

And Bart's Comet was just where it happened for me. It was the first episode where I actually noticed flaws (I was maybe 10 at the time), and I realized that the Simpsons wasn't perfect. I didn't say that I stopped liking the show at this point. In fact when I watch classic episodes on DVD I realize that a lot of them aren't that much better than some of the average episodes from newer seasons. It's ALL about perspective, it's different for everyone.