Comedy Series Review: The Simpsons

The Simpsons on their signature couch

The longest running American prime-time, scripted television series, longest running American sitcom and longest running American animated series, the Simpsons have managed to captivate their audience for over 20 years. Over this impressive run time over 500 episodes have been aired, the series received a star on the Hollywood star of fame, countless awards, a 9/10 rating on IMDB and a solid world-wide fan-base.

At the start of the series it distanced itself from other series by producing strong, character-focused stories as well as a unique style of animation. It was clever, witty and in many ways a classic American sitcom, which utilised the possibilities animation offers over live-action.

Later in the series, many people agree it was around or just after season 9, the story shifted from character-based to more situational and focused on antics, rather than character. Many people and critics feel this has negatively impacted the shows quality. Sydney Morning Herald's reviewer Jim Schembri summed up most of the criticism in one quote:

"The central tragedy of The Simpsons is that it has gone from commanding attention to merely being attention seeking. It began by proving that cartoon characters don't have to be caricatures; they can be invested with real emotions. Now the show has in essence fermented into a limp parody of itself. Memorable story arcs have been sacrificed for the sake of celebrity walk-ons and punchline-hungry dialogue."

Matt Groening, the show's creator, in 2010

Matt Groening, the shows creator, doesn't agree. He has stated the show is still new, as good or better than it's ever been and there is no creative reason to quit. As the show is still being watched by over 7 million people per episode and even more people watch episodes on-line, there is still a strong backing from the fan-base.

In 2007 the Simpsons Movie premiered and became a huge success. The film focused on the family having to leave Springfield after Homer causes the Springfield lake to become so polluted the government decides to cover the town under a giant glass dome, and later to destroy the town. It made over $500,000,000, with only a $75,000,000 budget.

Although there is a lot to be said for the criticism, the Simpsons is still a very enjoyable show. It is no longer the sharp and witty series of the 90s but is has evolved into the funny animated comedy series it is today. Still worth a look, the Simpsons are entertaining for the whole family.