The Simpsons

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The Simpsons has just began it's 24th season, and whilst some argue it is not what it was, they seem to still be producing many episodes per year. How has the show lasted this long, particularly when it has nowhere near the audience it had at it's peak. It seems that it should have perhaps ended on a high (in my opinion, around season 14/15) instead of literally hitting rock bottom, and slowly coming back up.

Thoughts?
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Gavin Scott
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It survives on goodwill from people like me who still tune in just in case Homer is hilarious. Because when he is, there's nothing quite as wonderful anywhere in TV land.

Conversely, some of the gags and setups are so poor you can hear the voice actor thinking of the paycheque as they read the line. Literally terrible things make it to air. They often involve Lisa, Millhouse and Krabapple.

It still makes more money than most Fox shows, so that's why it's still in production - so you can expect a
Ingering painful demise.
woah
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I'm the same - not a big fan of some of the newer episodes but Sky1 and Channel 4 show lots of the old and new ones to keep me happy when there's nothing else on. There are some brilliant and funny storylines among the episodes.

Actually though, I wish they made Futurama as regularly as they made The Simpsons. I'm a huge fan of the show, and I think it's a hell of a lot funnier and a lot edgier than the Simpsons and sometimes even the Seth McFarlane shows - and I can't fathom why it's not that popular.

We don't get the brand new episodes in the UK for ages but the both the old Fox series and the new Comedy Central series are excellent. See the episode 'Reincarnation' from last year for something really clever and funny if you're ever without anything to watch.
Dr Lobster*
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Watching the Simpsons on BBC2 after college was as part of my daily routine as brushing my teeth; it was something I always did, at some point the series made sometime after the late 1990s or early 2000s just lost their way.

If an old one happens to be on C4 I will watch it, but I haven't watched it daily for maybe 10 years.

I love Family Guy though, I think the fact that it always has been seen as an adult show has given it has more freedom than the Simpsons - although I'd suggest that the Simpsons is indeed an adult comedy, it was always on after school and so there are themes and storylines that just cannot be broadcast at that time of day.
bilky asko
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As an aside, I'm sure someone told me that the abortion episode of Family Guy was banned in America and (obviously) shown here, despite the fact we always show the edited versions.
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Alexia
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bilky asko wrote:As an aside, I'm sure someone told me that the abortion episode of Family Guy was banned in America and (obviously) shown here, despite the fact we always show the edited versions.
"When You Wish Upon A Weinstein" was also banned in the USA initially.
JAS84
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bilky asko wrote:As an aside, I'm sure someone told me that the abortion episode of Family Guy was banned in America and (obviously) shown here, despite the fact we always show the edited versions.
Yeah, Americans had to wait for the DVD, as neither Fox nor Adult Swim aired it.
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