When did The Simpsons jump the shark for you?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by beatlesfan9091, Oct 14, 2021.

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  1. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    Looking at Wikipedia I agree with some people saying Season 11. I was trying to figure out when I stopped watching new Simpsons episodes regularly and I watched after the movie came out so probably a couple seasons after that. I watched the Simpsons since the first time they were on the Tracy Ullman show so it was had to break up with it.

    Funnily I stuck with the Family Guy longer. I finally bailed last season even though I thought Simpsons was a better show, Family Guy just stayed funny for longer due to the cheap jokes.
     
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  2. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    There can still be funny episodes even if a show jumped the shark it's just the show's glory years are in the past.
     
  3. Denim Chicken

    Denim Chicken Dayman, fighter of the Nightman

    Location:
    Bakersfield, CA
    Funny so many are saying after 11 because for that’s when I stopped watching new episodes every week. That was my freshman year in high school and by then South Park had took over.
     
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  4. JediJones

    JediJones Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    The ratings have actually been in a fairly steady decline since season 1. Season 1 has their highest average by far (although season 2's premiere episode, moving to the slot opposite The Cosby Show, garnered the show's highest ratings ever). By season 6 almost half the season 1 viewership was gone. That may be why they were already poking fun at being a show in decline, or facing criticism from fans, by season 8. Season 11 saw the most massive decline in viewers in a single year, but it rebounded sharply in season 12. It didn't get back down to season 11 levels until season 19. They had less than a third of their original audience by then. By now they were in a steady and persistent decline. As of last year, only 2.32 million viewers remain compared to 27.8 million in season 1. That's 8% of the original audience.

    The Simpsons - Wikipedia
     
  5. goodiesguy

    goodiesguy Confide In Me

    Location:
    New Zealand
    Season 9 is when it turns to crap with The Principal and The Pauper, BUT there are some great episodes still here and there up until Behind The Laughter. At least the ones with Ol' Gil are alright.
     
  6. CraigBic

    CraigBic Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Zealand
    I don't think there was ever a definitive jump the shark moment I would probably say that there has been a slow and steady decline since maybe Season 9 or possibly Season 8 but I think there is still quite a lot of good episodes post Season 10. Even in the HD era, there have been a lot of episodes which I really enjoyed, maybe not a whole lot of "classics" and but I think they still produce well-made and entertaining shows to this day.
     
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  7. Etienne Hanratty

    Etienne Hanratty Forum Resident

    Location:
    uk
    For me, the thing that ruined the Simpsons was the decision to fit the plots around the guest appearances, so I’d be inclined to propose the Michael Jackson episode as the moment the rot set in. Given that might be going too far, I’d suggest the Ricky Gervais episode. There was a massive fuss about the fact they’d let an outside writer in, but the episode was, at best, average and there would be no way back.
     
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  8. Spaghettiows

    Spaghettiows Forum Resident

    Location:
    Silver Creek, NY
    It will never be as good as the first 5 or so seasons, but I don't think it ever really jumped the shark, completely. There have, however, been weaker seasons, dud episodes, and unwelcome tone changes, but those things never seem permanent and even the weaker seasons have some funny episodes. I don't watch it much anymore, but when I do, I am often pleasantly surprised and suspect that many who insist it's been a dead horse for 20 years haven't really watched it enough over those years to have an informed assessment.

    I like it better now than I like Family Guy, which also seems to be a show that will air in perpetuity, but nobody ever seems to complain about Family Guy overstaying its' welcome.
     
  9. Here’s another video on the decline and fall of The Simpsons - it’s a bit long at half an hour, but it’s worth watching for fans as it goes into some detail as to the changes that caused the show’s decline.

     
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  10. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    yes. came here to post this. i had no problem with the occasional guest star, and some have been outright classic (homer's rock and roll fantasy camp comes to mind). but every damn episode now has to have a guest appearance shoehorned into it.
     
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  11. TAF8184

    TAF8184 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    One low point that still sticks with me was season 18 in The Wife Aquatic where Homer beats a fish to death to the tune of At Last.
     
  12. moople72

    moople72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC
    Which episode did the Comic Book Store guy say "worst episode ever"?
    That was the beginning of the end. Endless producers, in an insulated universe, where all criticsm is dismissed, mocked, to their detriment.
    It's just greed at this point.
    It has sucked twice as long as it was great.
     
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  13. CraigBic

    CraigBic Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Zealand
    Saddlesore Gallactica? That was one of the greatest Simpsons episodes of all time! And the DVD commentary is great too.
     
  14. moople72

    moople72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC
    I think it pre-dates that. Sure, there are exceptions but it was the beginning of the slide.
     
  15. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    'bout three years ago i think
     
  16. Chemically altered

    Chemically altered Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ukraine in Spirit
    Either 2010 or 2001. Can't be sure.
     
  17. TAF8184

    TAF8184 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    It was Saddlesore Galactica ;season 11 (1999 - 2000).
     
  18. moople72

    moople72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC
    Season 8, Ep 14--by the way, a great episode. But the idea took hold to dismiss criticism of the show, a bad one.

    The Simpsons S8E14
     
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  19. unclefred

    unclefred Coastie with the Moastie

    Location:
    Oregon Coast
    That sounds hilarious. An underworld kingdom of jockeys!
     
  20. unclefred

    unclefred Coastie with the Moastie

    Location:
    Oregon Coast
    I liked it quite a bit but I think I left it when King of the Hill caught my notice. Better characters and Bobby was much funnier than the little yellow guy.
     
  21. nojmplease

    nojmplease Host, You Can't Unhear This

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Wow, today I learned they are still making Family Guy...who the heck has even been watching that for the past 10 years or so? I guess animation allows these shows to essentially become low-cost, efficient content machines, which is surely cheaper and lower risk than piloting fresh new ideas.

    The downside is watching once-brilliant, beloved gems (like The Simpsons) dim as the magic gets sucked out...
     
  22. JediJones

    JediJones Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    The Principal and the Pauper was a season 8 holdover episode. It's much more indicative of the more experimental, high-concept nature of season 8 than it is of the "dumbed down season 5," slapdash, gag-a-minute style of season 9 proper. Not every season 8 episode worked, but when they didn't, they made for interesting failures. Pauper is an episode that is all about deconstruction. The people who see it as a bad sitcom retcon don't get the point. They were deconstructing bad sitcom retcons. That kind of writing was at a much higher level than the typical Mike Scully-era "someone gets a new job" or "guest star takes over the episode" stuff.
     
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  23. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    I remember when I was 7 and the Simpsons ran as a short on the Tracy Ullman Show. Then they got their own show.

    It became a true phenomenon. I watched every episode of the first 10-12 seasons at least. Not sure where or when I stopped watching (probably around the time of the rise of South Park which kind of took its place for me?).

    In college, Sunday nights were dedicated Simpsons new episode viewing nights, it was mandatory with people I hung out with then. I saw Conan O'Brien at a bar out here a few years ago, and I seriously wanted to go up to him and thank him for his hilarious writing on Season 3.

    I can't remember the last time I sat through a new episode, but when I did it wasn't good.
     
  24. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    And eventually Family Guy hit its stride and took over South Park for me and a lot of friends.

    All three shows have become relatively unwatchable.
     
  25. Denim Chicken

    Denim Chicken Dayman, fighter of the Nightman

    Location:
    Bakersfield, CA
    South Park and Family Guy were neck and neck for a good while for me. I think South Park was at its best from 6th to 11th seasons but really dropped off after the 14th. I gave up when they somehow made Randy unfunny and then made him the central character.

    Family Guy is the only one I would watch new episodes of. There were a few really funny episodes last season but the first two episodes of this current season were horrible and I’m not sure if I’m gonna try to keep up now.
     
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