Over the course of the show's history, Grampa Simpson has had his moments. He has played a crucial part in some of The Simpsons' best episodes, after all, and it would be wrong to say that he's never been funny, because that just isn't true. That said, there's a sense that with this particularly overrated character, the writers think that he's a whole lot funnier than the audience do. Grampa Simpson has a success ratio of about 50/50, but the show treats him as though he's a knockout each and every time - as if he everything that the cranky old coot comes out with is bonafide comic gold. In truth, he's frequently irritating and - more often than not - super annoying to actually listen to. Disagree? Don't pretend that you haven't let out a massive groan on at least one occasion when you've realised that an episode is about to centre around him. You have, right?
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
