Did Simpsons make more sense as an 80's/90's era family?

[GREEN =w= DAY]

what's everyone's favorite Simpsons episode, or the one that stand out the most to you?

i think my favorite, or at least in my top 5, would be the one when Homer thinks Bart is gay

LOL, the gay steel mill t:

 

[Artistsean]

There are just so many good ones, I can't choose. Maybe anything around the time of Who Shot Mr. Burns. they were all really good back then. I remember the Australia one, its just hard to choose.

I can't speak about every episode this season, but the whale episode was very good. a little sad, touching, and sort of funny (maybe), I guess it seemed like one of their touching episodes.
The art camp was pretty good too.

 

[Dr. Evil]

"Hi, I'm Troy McClure. You may remember me from such TV shows as Son of Sanford & Son and After Mannix."

 

[HighFivingMF]

My favorite episode would probably be "A Star is Burns" or most episodes from Season 4.

 

[Mace Dolex]

"Hi, I'm Troy McClure. You may remember me from such TV shows as Son of Sanford & Son and After Mannix."

Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz are sorely missed thats for sure.



"You might remember me from such educational films as Locker Room Towel Fight: The Blinding Of Larry Driscoll"

 

[Artistsean]

The network cut the shows time, giving more time to commercials. Which is why the stories seem shorter and they don't go off on as many tangents like Itchy and Scratchy episodes. The people who work on the show have said this. They also said that those types of things were used to fill time. Like when a character is thinking (like Marge driving and thinking about the Monorail: "I've sold Monorails the Ogdenville and North Haverbrook. Is there a chance the track could bend? I call the big one bitey.) And they have those character's heads floating around them over and over. Those where again to fill time. It seems like when they needed to fill time it was filled with really good jokes that they can longer do because the network cut the time.

now, on to more pressing matters.

There is no official Simpsons thread, so I am posting it here.

I was just thinking, the "Who Shot Mister Burns" episode where you found out it was Maggie left most people, myself included, feeling meh.
But then they built on to it with Maggie shooting Fat Tony and his gang to save Homer one episode, her saving Bart and Homer in the movie, and her saving Homer from a Tow-truck driver's basement. At first she didn't have much of a character. But she has sort of become the family protector.
I would love to see a Future episode (like Lisa's Wedding, or Lisa being President, of Lisa's prom) where Maggie is the new Chief of Police in Springfield. It could be a background story, not the main story.
But I would like to see it. She could be like Joe on Family Guy, a little too intense about her job. A little too good.
That is the direction I see her character going, if the show allowed them to age that is.
Lisa will become President.
Bart will become a Moocher.
I see Maggie becoming a GOOD cop.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

been watching a lot of the early Simpsons seasons, and i have to say that it is kind of weird seeing in these new episodes Bart, Homer, and company use cell phones, internet, and talk about current trends

the Simpsons just fit so much better in the 90s

 

[Metallo]

The Simpsons can still occasionally crank out a decent episode but the best seasons were from the first decade of the show.

I have to agree it just doesn't seem as funny when they reference the past and make jokes about the 90's or early 2000s.

part of that is the quality of writing but I think part of it was also the times. I remember they did the 80's episode flashback and did the parody of the All In The Family opening song. It was brilliant! That decade just had so much to mine as far as comedy material.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

another thing that is weird and i just roll my eyes, is how in the past few seasons when they have flashbacks to when Homer and Marge were in high school it is the 90s

when back in the 90s they had the high school flashbacks with them in the late 70s

that one episode from a year or two ago when Homer was a grunge rocker in the 90s and had all these references to the early/mid 90s was one of the worst episodes

 

[Artistsean]

They have talked about that in commentary. Brad Bird told them early on that they should never reference real things like the 70s, music, real situations and historical things, in the show because it would date the show.
I for one LOVED the history of Marge and Homer in the 70s, and disliked the updates they made, BUT they did have to make them... sort of.
And if you watch them they aren't as bad as I thought they were at first. They aren't as great, especially the Homer being a Kurt Cobain type singer, but its not the worst thing in the world.
I am glad they referenced real things, can't imagine the show without it, but it does force them to occasionally update it.
They do "crank" out some good shows, and touching shows too. Like the one where Bart wants a brother. That was was great.
And its still better, in my opinion, than Family Guy or American Dad, and somewhat better than Futurama.
I just don't like it when they make it raunchier than it usually is, making it more like Family Guy, but that is rare. And like all shows they occasionally have a bad one I really don't like, but even those, to me, are more watchable than most other things on TV.
I hope they never go away.

Also, I really want to see a future episode where Maggie is about 25 and becomes the new Chief of Police in Springfield, with Wiggum becoming her Lou, and with Lou and Eddie still there too. They could get some popular actress with a fitting voice to be Maggie. Maybe bring back Jodi Foster. Not sure if that would be enough to carry a show, but it could be a backup story to the usual Future Lisa story.