10 Worst Things FOX Did To The Simpsons

The Simpsons is a fantastic show, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.

Apu The Simpsons
FOX

Although Disney have very recently acquired The Simpsons, Fox have been at the helm of the show for the last thirty years. While the programme has been one of (if not the) most successful in the history of TV, it hasn't been without its missteps.

For some of these, it might seem a little harsh to blame Fox. We don’t know exactly who’s making the decisions, with creator Matt Groening still there as figurehead, James L. Brooks a fairly active producer and Al Jean a seasoned showrunner - not to mention quite a few experienced writers that have been on the books for long enough to earn some clout.

Ultimately though, Fox have been the big bosses behind The Simpsons for the whole of the show’s existence. Some of these choices definitely came from a boardroom level too, so pointing the finger at Fox is fair game. At other times, you’d hope they’d step in, although it’s perhaps understandable that they didn’t with a golden goose like The Simpsons.

No show that goes on this long can be perfect, but it’s clear The Simpsons has not maintained its Golden Era quality. That’s not a matter for here though, as instead we'll focus on some more specific problems.

10. Too Many Career Writers

Apu The Simpsons
Fox

The writing staff has changed a lot since the early days, and it’s hardly Fox’s fault that the likes of Conan O’Brien and the legendary John Swartzwelder have moved on. There’re still high quality names in the bunch too, with Carolyn Omine responsible for modern day greats like Looking For Mr Goodbart and Halloween Of Horror.

The problem isn’t necessarily the quality of the writing staff (not as far as you can blame Fox), but the sensibilities of it. There are two types of jokes modern day writers use a lot which so rarely land, yet they don’t take the hint.

These are jokes written for other Hollywood insiders, and meta references.

Both are the symptom of career writers not understanding The Simpsons.

The Hollywood insiders jokes are the ones where someone, usually Homer, says something or reacts to something as if they’ve spent their career in the biz. Technically, Homer does have some experience, but that’s never been part of his character. It’s jokes like Jesus not being that funny, despite having a twelve man staff.

The second issue are too many throwback jokes. Referencing Sideshow Bob’s rake nemesis can be funny if earned, but too often they feel like an empty reminder of what once was.

Contributor

Self appointed queen of the SJWs. Find me on Twitter @FiveTacey (The 5 looks like an S. Do you get it? Do you get my joke about the 5?)