The Simpsons

[flyonthewall2983]

Looks like a pale imitation of a similar flavor of Combos.

[djproject]

(I know this is old news but this really needs a response here.)

Instead of the previously-scheduled "Bart the Lover" (which they couldn't find the digital master for), Fox will be airing "The Ned-liest Catch" (or the one where Edna and Flanders fall in love, oh god, I hate myself for typing that) at 7:30 in tribute to Marcia Wallace. That's kind of like expecting steak at a restaurant, and instead getting a TV dinner that the cooks haven't even warmed up in the microwave.

Wait a minute? It's been released on DVD before and they claimed they couldn't find a digital master.

Worst. Excuse. Ever.

---

Actually, my own mental tribute to Marcia Wallace was the sex education scene from "Bart's Friend Falls in Love", which I consider one of the top five funniest moments from The Simpsons. It occurred to me that scene was mostly the work of Marcia Wallace and Phil Hartman (another harbinger of declining quality post death). Thus I could imagine that Wallace and Hartman are somewhere making each other laugh again. And that was a nice thought =].

---

Yesterday, I was talking with a work colleague and The Simpsons came up. I said something that I think best describes why the quality has gone down over the last fourteen odd years (man, I'm old). The Simpsons at their best had not only the humor but also the characters. They could tell stories about character: overcoming adversity, dealing with change, reconciling differences, making amends, etc. At some point, character was not a major priority and the show became more like Family Guy, where it's nothing but humor (and very scattershot) and little to no character. This is why it can be both despised by the longtime fans and popular amongst everyone else.

Yes, I'm waiting for the day when the Simpsons go to Wilmington, DE when the show no longer becomes profitable =D

[David M.]

Wait a minute? It's been released on DVD before and they claimed they couldn't find a digital master.

Worst. Excuse. Ever.

The DVDs were done about 10 years ago, though. Plenty of time to lose a tape.

[mfunk9786]

Here's the full marathon schedule!

[Werewolf by Night]

Here's the full marathon schedule!

Cropped to 16:9. Total BS.

[domino harvey]

Where's BF with aspect ratio documentation from TV Guide?!

[mfunk9786]

Apparently it's been promised that the app will be 4:3, but it is indeed BS that the marathon was cropped (even the SD broadcast is just a window-boxed 16:9 crop!). That being said, it's sort of fun to be part of the zeitgeist when the more beloved episodes are being broadcast, so I'll likely be guilty of tuning in for some of seasons 3-8 and refreshing my Twitter feed etc

[Titus]

Assuming this is accurate, I'm not a fan of the color-timing, either. It looks too much like a digital-era episode.

(From http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/24/60608 ... s-episodes).

[Drucker]

Watching the DVDs with some friends yesterday, and the colors are much duller than I remember growing up and certainly duller than that second spot.

Another travesty if it's accurate.

[David M.]

WTF? I thought the whole point was that it was a COMPLETE marathon?

[domino harvey]

The Family Guy / Simpsons crossover episode tonite contains a hee-larious rape joke-- where's someone like James L Brooks to step between MacFarlane and the Simpsons producers? This is about as far from classic Simpsons warmth and good-humor as imaginable

[flyonthewall2983]

It's not technically a Simpsons episode though, so the heat should be placed more on the Family Guy producers as it seems to be the case.

[colinr0380]

From the description of the scene it sounds as if it is in there to play up to the difference between a Simpsons joke and a Family Guy one (presumably we're going to get a lot of comparisons between each show's treatment of Meg and Lisa).

In terms of appropriateness for The Simpsons, there was that episode in which Homer got raped by a panda (the most highly sexed creature in the animal kingdom), so its not as if the show hasn't gone there before! Although perhaps not as explicitly.

[David M.]

Sounds like yet more uber-liberal concernocrat clickbaiting. The video clip I saw cut off immediately after this off-color joke was delivered, presumably because the other characters in the show react with unease or horror or something (and showing us that would destroy their argument).

[domino harvey]

Match the beginning to the rest of the episode -- I only managed to get 29/39 answered (but all correct) before time ran out, it's harder than you'd think once you get rid of the more obvious ones

[colinr0380]

I got stuck at 23 out of 39 but I did have an Irreversible moment in which I back-remembered events to get the right answer:

Spoiler

In the "Homer becomes a boxer" clue I was able to place it as "Bart Buys a novelty utility belt" from remembering Homer getting beaten up in the bar which is where Moe notices how he can take blows. He is beaten by the bully’s parents when he confronts them. And he confronts them because they steal Bart’s Batman utility belt from him (i.e. swapped it for a piece of cord: “Hey, he’s ragging on your cord man!”)

Unfortunately I was terrible at running most of the other clues backwards to figure out the other answers! I did know the beginning of the "Driving a truck to Arizona" episode as well though, so that one stuck in my head!

I'm not too disappointed as most of the openings of The Simpsons episodes that immediately swerve into a completely different plot get described as "screw you" openings in the commentaries! Although they only really got "screw-you"-ier post season 9.

[domino harvey]

I must say I was proud I got that one too, though I have no idea why I remembered it went with that episode. The couples counseling episode (where Homer catches a fish instead of saving his marriage) is an episode I've seen once in my entire life (and that was enough) and so I was really glad to remember how it began (being an early episode it was easier to piece with the rest, though). But if anyone says they know whatever episode begins with Otto driving the bus to the dump and getting it destroyed either just saw the episode recently or is a liar, even if they like me remember the gag itself just fine.

[mfunk9786]

Without cheating, is that

Spoiler

"The Otto Show," where Otto gets fired and stays in the Simpsons' garage while Skinner takes over bus driving duties?

[Professor Wagstaff]

The episode where Otto destroys the bus is

Spoiler

Homerpalooza, where Homer goes on tour with Lollapalooza. I remembered that Homer caused a generational rift while driving the kids to school, but I had to remember what happened that he suddenly became inconvenienced with the responsibility.

And I'll say that I did get that question right having not seen the episode recently. I did as well as colinr with right answers, but lost points for mixing episodes that start by focusing on Bart's lucky red hat.

[domino harvey]

Without cheating, is that

Spoiler

"The Otto Show," where Otto gets fired and stays in the Simpsons' garage while Skinner takes over bus driving duties?

Spoiler

Nah, that one starts with the kids going to see Spinal Tap. That one I got!

[flyonthewall2983]

Sunday's episode was quite good, if I'm to assume that nobody else watches now. I don't either but the B- grade on AV Club had me curious. I'd give it at least a B+.

[mfunk9786]

*peeks at AV Club review* Why would Homer care if Bart eats his broccoli?

[flyonthewall2983]

2 good episodes in a row?

[Lemmy Caution]

I just watched the Mt. Splashmore episode the other day.
The connection between the two halves is fairly minimal.
Homer gets caught in a waterslide tube.
Goes into the attic to look for diet books and exercise equipment.
Runs across Marge's old painting s of Ringo Starr.
Lisa encourages Marge to take up art again.

[flyonthewall2983]

Seasons 1-7 to start streaming in the original 4:3 aspect ratio, the rest coming soon.