DBWI: What if the Simpsons was still on the air?

[hfegelein]

After catching a rerun of "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo" - the last ever episode of the "Simpsons" on Comedy Central, I began to think: What if the Groening, Scully and the others had decided to continue producing episodes of the "Simpsons?" Sure, "Futurama" is a good show (downright brilliant, even), and of course writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss convinced FOX to bring back the "Critic," but I miss the "Simpsons." It was one of the shows that made the 90's great! Hopefully FOX will follow MTV's lead of reviving classic shows ("Beavis and Butt-head" anyone?) and get Groening to reunite with Al Jean to make new episodes of the "Simpsons."


OOC: This is a response to APreston's thread, "WI: No Simpsons." I decided to put my own twist on the basic premise and have it that the "Simpsons" ended after the 10th season - as Groening himself said he'd intended. Presumably the reason the show ended ITTL was that Groening decided to focus exclusively on "Futurama," since two of the "Simpsons" writers, Al Jean and Mike Reiss, decided to convince FOX to revive the "Critic." The "Critic" itself ended shortly after its tenth season in 2007.

[Archibald]

According to Groening as of season tenth the core characters were "rather worn out"

"We were running out of ideas for original scenarios, at least for the core family members.

We were prohibited of going trashier, South Park style. We were limited by the good-humoured, nucleus family concept.

The only solution would have been to give secondary people more background; after all we had plenty of them (Skinner, Moe, Barney...). Perhaps we could have explored darker sides of the show.

But once we did that reflexion, someone asked "well, then why not launch a whole new serie, without a family ? focuse on a single guy.

Think about young Homer - loser and sympathetic at the same time. But imagine that young Homer never fund his family, for varied reasons, the main being his pure dumbness. Homer was rather lucky to marry someone like MArge, after all.

The Critic was an atempt in that direction. Futurama was another. And they both worked, and the Simpsons died a natural death, in 2000.
I'm not sure how the show would have done in the post 9/11 america. The attacks made us more cynical - but cynicism works better with Futurama or The Critic than with the good-humoured Simpsons..."

[MonsooN]

There's no way the Simpsons would still be going now.

One of its biggest appeals was it's "timelessness" if it had gone on for another 10 seasons, how would we explain how Marge and Homer, who are in their late 30s, met in the 70s? If they did a flashback episode in the late 00s, you'd have Marge and Homer meeting in the early 90s when grunge music was popular. It just wouldn't make sense.

Also, how would you explain Homer driving an 80s car in 2010? Or the family not having a computer or mobile phones?

There's no way they could have kept it going this long and still kept it fresh, plausible and original.

[Photovoltaic Array]

I still miss the Critic. It may very well have been my favorite show ever. But honestly, the early seasons were the best before 9-11 changed the show's tone to way-too-serious for a couple seasons, then tried to make up for it by being a more intellectual Family Guy in the end. (I know they got Adam West before Family Guy in like their first season, but I never thought they would try to make him star as himself in TWO animated sitcoms!) Although it was still probably the best show on the air anyway, so I can't complain too much.

The Simpsons ending was for the best. It was very much an early 90's show and to have it lasting for much longer would have damaged its reputation, not to mention put it visibly out of place with its unique style and characterizations. Besides, the crew did decide to reconvene and make the Simpsons Movie in 2007, and I thought it was a very fitting end, especially since "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" was pretty lackluster.

[Enigmajones]

Originally Posted by Archibald

According to Groening as of season tenth the core characters were "rather worn out"

"We were running out of ideas for original scenarios, at least for the core family members.

We were prohibited of going trashier, South Park style. We were limited by the good-humoured, nucleus family concept.

The only solution would have been to give secondary people more background; after all we had plenty of them (Skinner, Moe, Barney...). Perhaps we could have explored darker sides of the show.

But once we did that reflexion, someone asked "well, then why not launch a whole new serie, without a family ? focuse on a single guy.

Think about young Homer - loser and sympathetic at the same time. But imagine that young Homer never fund his family, for varied reasons, the main being his pure dumbness. Homer was rather lucky to marry someone like MArge, after all.

The Critic was an atempt in that direction. Futurama was another. And they both worked, and the Simpsons died a natural death, in 2000.
I'm not sure how the show would have done in the post 9/11 america. The attacks made us more cynical - but cynicism works better with Futurama or The Critic than with the good-humoured Simpsons..."

Odd, Matt Groening was speaking in a British accent?

OOC:

[sendô]

These DBWI threads are getting worse.

[hfegelein]

Originally Posted by Archibald

According to Groening as of season tenth the core characters were "rather worn out"

"We were running out of ideas for original scenarios, at least for the core family members.

We were prohibited of going trashier, South Park style. We were limited by the good-humoured, nucleus family concept.

Definitely true. Critics say that the show was starting to tip in favor of a gag-heavy, cardboard-cutouts for characters direction.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by sendô

These DBWI threads are getting worse.

OOC: There have been a rash of first person alternate history threads being mislabeled as DBWI, but this one is a good one. Don't paint them all with the same brush!

[Snake Featherston]

Given how the Seth MacFarlane shows redid most of the Simpsons' best jokes all over again, wouldn't the Simpsons have just wound up the Seinfeld to their later shows?

[Archibald]

Originally Posted by Glen

OOC: There have been a rash of first person alternate history threads being mislabeled as DBWI, but this one is a good one. Don't paint them all with the same brush!

I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper.

I fart in your general direction.

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.