The Simpsons is the greatest TV show ever made. Its inimitable mix of the smart, silly, subversive and satirical has earned the show countless awards, millions of fans and billions of dollars. Given the hundreds of jokes packed into a typical episode, the show not only withstands repeat viewing; it practically demands it. And yet, as America's longest-running sitcom heads into its twenty- fifth year, the show's 'golden age', a period wherein every episode could rightly be considered a classic, increasingly becomes but a distant memory. Although it would be impossible for any show- let alone a sitcom- to keep hold of its crown over a quarter of a century, there can be no denying that the call to cancel The Simpsons grows ever louder with each new season. Here are ten moments that fuel the fire of critics who insist that the show is merely a shell of its former self. The thankfully rare examples of the show's writers dropping the ball, overstepping the mark and jumping the shark. Here are the absurd storylines, the jokes that fell flat, the moments that made even the most ardent fan swear loudly/switch off/scrawl their disgust across every message board they could find. Or, y' know, channel their frustration into writing a passive-aggressive article.
Yorkshireman (hence the surname). Often spotted sacrificing sleep and sanity for the annual Leeds International Film Festival. For a sample of (fairly) recent film reviews, please visit whatsnottoblog.wordpress.com.
