The Simpsons: New Title Sequence in HD

[thomasaevans]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZGz1Ajg7QU

Grand! I like em. But The Simpsons hasnt been funny for years. Sort the writing out, not the titles.

Topic

[si]

Lovin’ it.

The Simpsons is one of those shows that, even though you’ve seen them all before, you sit and watch it and have a chuckle.

Like Friends.

[Pete Part Three]

>The Simpsons is one of those shows that, even though you?ve seen them all before, you sit and watch it and have a chuckle.

I have the first ten years on DVD, and will gladly watch seasons 3-7 regularly. I never bother watching the new ones on Sky though. I struggle to get through 22 minutes of an episode that was made after 2000.

[Pete Part Three]

And that couch gag sucks.

[JamesTC]

I think it has gotten better in rescent years, I can tell you that season 18 was the worst, it was when I stopped watching, I have seen every episode up till about season 17.
From what I have seen of season 20 it was pretty good.

[Seb Patrick]

The new title sequence is catastrophic, and I’m appalled that they somehow think Mr Burns is no longer important enough to be in the opening sequence, but Disco Stu, the crazy cat lady and the Texan oil baron guy are.

[Tyrell Corporation]

It’s distinctly cluttered, tiresome and awful.

[p2p_productions]

From Wikipedia…

“Chris Suellentrop of Slate wrote “under Scully’s tenure, The Simpsons became, well, a cartoon. […] Episodes that once would have ended with Homer and Marge bicycling into the sunset now end with Homer blowing a tranquilizer dart into Marge’s neck. The show’s still funny, but it hasn’t been touching in years.”

…I’d dispute the ‘still funny’ quote, though. Season Nine was the last great season in my opinion.

[Tyrell Corporation]

It hasn’t came remotely close to greatness since season nine.

Why can’t these bastards realise that?

Money? Honestly?

[Seb Patrick]

The most recent episode I’ve watched (and then it was the first for two or three seasons) was the Alan Moore one. The opening few minutes, packed with comics references, were genuinely funny – funnier than I’d seen it be since about season ten or eleven. After that, the plot switched tack entirely, and it became genuinely the worst ep I’d ever seen.

The movie wasn’t bad, but for a Simpsons movie, “not bad” is a pretty damning criticism.

My own take is that season one was very good (better than people give it credit for), season two was excellent, and then for the entirety of three, four and five it was probably the best thing that’s ever been on television. Six is the first to contain an episode that I dislike (“Bart vs Australia”) but is generally still excellent, and seven, eight and nine still had moments of unadulterated genius, but they get progressively more scarce (the only ones I can think of in 9 are “Das Bus” and “The Trouble With Trillions”, and in 10 the only one is “Homer to the Max”). Season eleven is the first without a single episode that I can imagine wanting to re-watch, and since then it’s simply become absolutely unbearable.

The sad fact is that it’s now well past the point where more than half of it is shit. And that’s a horribly depressing thought.

[Tyrell Corporation]

The last batch of South Park episodes were shockingly unfunny. Most were movie parodies and as we all know, parody is the signal that the writers have simply gave up.

[pfm]

I think if they’d done just 10 seasons, and then a movie, before calling it a day, everyone would have been very happy. Though I watched one from season 20, I think it was maybe episode 3, and didn’t think it was THAT bad compared with the last few years of shite.

The thing is, they’ll always have seasons 3-5, nothing can take that away from them. That’s probably when the movie SHOULD have been made. If they had done one then they could have done a second a few years later and then by the time the ACTUAL movie happened that could have been the third.

[Tyrell Corporation]

They tried around season 4 and 5 to make the movie. It was to be based around Kamp Krusty but they abandoned it due to a lack of material.

Thankfully it turned into one of the best episodes.

[p2p_productions]

>The movie wasn?t bad, but for a Simpsons movie, ?not bad? is a pretty damning criticism.

As far as I’m concerned, they made the ACTUAL Simpsons Movie years beforehand…

…It was called ‘Who Shot Mr. Burns?’

;-))

[Tyrell Corporation]

Christ… now that you say it.

[Phil]

>They tried around season 4 and 5 to make the movie. It was to be based around Kamp Krusty but they abandoned it due to a lack of material.

According to the commentary, “they tried” is a pretty heavy overstatement. Evidently the script to the episode as we know it was just barely completed, and somebody suggested, “Why not turn this into a movie?”

The response was, “We could barely fill 24 minutes and you want us to make it an hour and a half?”

It doesn’t seem to have gone any further than that.

Now the REALLY good movie would have been the live action Troy McClure film.

[Seb Patrick]

I’d rather have had the Teen Homer spinoff around that time than a movie.

[Mr Flibble]

As someone who falls under “world’s biggest fan of Futurama” category, I always hate watching the Simpsons purely because it’s not digital ink and paint like Futurama.

Seasons 4-8 are the best.

[Somebody]

> The new title sequence is catastrophic, and I?m appalled that they somehow think Mr Burns is no longer important enough to be in the opening sequence

http://www.tvforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29164#605365

[Seb Patrick]

Oh, come on, being in the bit that you can’t make out unless you freeze-frame it doesn’t count, and you know it (and yes, I did already know they were in there).

Burns is one of the most important supporting characters in the history of the show – considering all the extra characters that you CAN now see in the sequence, including assorted one-joke characters, it’s ludicrous that he can’t be seen without pausing the whip-across-town.

[Tyrell Corporation]

It’s crap, let’s face it.

[Phil]

It’s definitely sad that Burns has been downgraded to a freeze-frame character. That’s certainly a choice I disagree with…but on the whole I actually do like the opening sequence. It’s not perfect, and some one-joke characters (as Seb mentions) are given some BAFFLING weight in it, but I think my ultimate reaction is a positive one.

[TheLeen]

Then again, there’s those people who think that there was way too much of CERTAIN characters in the show so far (let’s say, Mr Burns, Moe, and Skinner) and definitely too little of certain other characters, like, I don’t know, Jeff Albertson (heart heart heart)…

[Seb Patrick]

definitely too little of certain other characters, like, I don?t know, Jeff Albertson (heart heart heart)?

THAT IS NOT HIS NAME YOU ARE BANNED FROM THIS WEBSITE.

Also, you can NEVER have too much Burns or Skinner. Or Krusty.

BAN.

[Carlito]

In trying to keep up with the ‘cooler’ Family Guy, they’ve become too much LIKE Family Guy. I enjoy both shows (although my Simpsons experience is pretty limited to the ‘classic’ years as I’ve hardly watched a first run episode in a decade) but we didn’t need two Family Guys (and even if we did, we’ve got American Dad). Simpsons should have stuck to what it was good at, rather than going down the surreal, obscure route that Peter Griffin and co. take.

[peas_and_corn]

OK, I will explain EXACTLY why I don’t like it.

0:00-0:06 The clouds are well animated, but the use of the SNPP crow was a bit much. People understand that it’s used in establishing shots, don’t slam it in our faces.

0:06-0:10 I don’t see the point of this. It’s a silly gag, and will get old quick. There are a *lot* of shoehorned jokes, this is one of them.

0:10-0:13 Nice flythrough, establishes the shape of the town- but the Krusty Burger joke is awful. Unless they have a different billboard joke per episode, it will get old fast.

0:13-0:17 Awquard camera movement into classroom. What’s wrong with traditional panning?

0:13-0:22 Another crobarred joke about Barney. Yawn.

0:22-0:26 Is this necessary? The original setup that the boss wasn’t aware of Homer (admittedly accidentally) taking a rod of uranium is far better than “oh look they have a lot of accidents”

0:26-0:34 Cramming in an at best peripheral character? No point in it. The tomacco reference is good, and I like P&S being there.

0:34-0;38 Sherri & Terri are the right height!

0:38-0:42 Why does she stick her head back in? Also, it’s animated terribly! The motion just looks unnatural and awquard. Also, how did she open the door from the outside (which would involve pulling rather than pushing against a bar)?

0:42-0:47 Another crowbarred joke. Surely just letting it go into the sewer (as in the original- though better animated) would have been better, maybe putting in a blinky reference, connecting the two?

0:47-0:53 Wow, Moleman. Again I would have preferred the original idea of having Marge almost hit Bart which didn’t happen in any of the versions.

0:53-0:59 This part’s nice

0:59-1:01 The flythrough *appears* to have many more characters and is updated. I cannot freeze-frame youtube. The car’s fishie works well

1:01-1:07 DUMB. Look, stop going to the HOMER GETS HURT LOL well. If you keep playing with it, it will fall off. Comedy cliche that doesn’t work very well.

,,,from here on it’s couch gag.

[Somebody]

> Oh, come on, being in the bit that you can?t make out unless you freeze-frame it doesn?t count, and you know it

Sure, but I went straight from here to there, and the juxtaposition made me post it. [That, and expecting some sort of sarcast-rage reply from Capps, since he seems to do so with about half my posts here these days anyway…]

[Dave]

Has this only aired on one episode?

If so it could be the whole thing varies with every episode from now on just like the couch gag. Maybe the clouds will be the only constant.

>I always hate watching the Simpsons purely because it?s not digital ink and paint like Futurama.

I doubt this is why, but I never find The Simpsons as rewarding, yet whenever I say prefer Futurama, people look at me like I’ve just shat on their chin.

[Phil]

Even when you haven’t!

[Phil]

Here is the best thing The Simpsons have ever been in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maYnqbdo2jw

[Mr Flibble]

I doubt this is why, but I never find The Simpsons as rewarding, yet whenever I say prefer Futurama, people look at me like I?ve just shat on their chin.

I think lots of my friends prefer Futurama. You’re right in that there is a greater reward with Futurama, but that could be partly down to clever stuff like “you changed the outcome by measuring it”, which always makes me laugh.

I also think the character stuff is better/more developed in Futurama.

[Seb Patrick]

I think Futurama has a more specific and direct appeal – it creates more of a [Garry Bushell voice] hermetically sealed world [/Garry Bushell voice] for itself, and overall has a more focused and driven setup and narrative.

But The Simpsons is far, far more expansive. There’s a much greater range of humour at play, and by its very nature it can open up more things to be satirical about. And when it comes to pure laugh-out-loud funny, there is honestly nothing that can compete with it in that season 3-6 era. Nothing.

Futurama is a brilliant show – it’s warmer, and it’s more carefully constructed, and I can see why it inspires the devotion that it does. Purely as a comedy show, however, The Simpsons can’t be beaten. Also, while Futurama may be able to develop its smaller cast of characters better than The Simpsons does, I don’t think there’s ever been a show with such a brilliant ensemble of supporting characters as The Simpsons.

[Tyrell Corporation]

But the supporting characters are now the only reason why The Simpsons has continued in my estimation.

The family itself became very stale a long time ago.

[Phil]

>I don?t think there?s ever been a show with such a brilliant ensemble of supporting characters as The Simpsons.

Truer words was never spoken.

[JamesTC]

Homer Simpson never got stale, never will.

[TheLeen]

Well, I feel the same about the main cast. And Mr. Burns.

[locusceruleus]

I know the quality has been declining for years, but this was the first episode I actually got so bored with that I didn’t finish. Shut it off around the halfway mark.

[Mr Flibble]

there is honestly nothing that can compete with it in that season 3-6 era.

I bought Season 6 on DVD the other week.

So, who *is* the pyromaniac in the Simpsons crew? Everything blows up in Season 6, constantly. Part of it me thinks it’s David S/X Cohen, (script editor for the series) cause it happens in Futurama too…

[peas_and_corn]

The wiriting staff in general love the action movie cliche that everything blows up for no good reason- the best being Wiggum in the giant Duff stein. After a while it became a Simpsons ‘thing’ and continued.

[Seb Patrick]

“See you in hell… candy boys!”

[Carlito]

Was it the Simpsons or Family Guy when a horse and cart crashes, and the cart blows up… promptly followed by the horse?

Actually, I’m leaning towards that being Family Guy…

I liked that though.

Yeah.

Ignore me, forget I was here.

[Mr Flibble]

The wiriting staff in general love the action movie cliche that everything blows up for no good reason

It just seemed to happen more in Season 6.

But nothing will match Zoidberg’s slinky blowing up. I seem to remember the commentary reaction on that being rather amusing.

[locusceruleus]

>But nothing will match Zoidberg?s slinky blowing up. I seem to remember the commentary reaction on that being rather amusing.

Which episode was that?

[Phil]

Bendless Love

[JamesTC]

Nah, when Homer was making Mr Burns’ breakfast and he put the milk on the cereal and it lights on fire, it is not an explosion but it is still rather random.

[locusceruleus]

>Bendless Love

Ah, haven’t seen that one in a while. Good episode from what I remember, but I’m drawing a blank on the Zoidberg scene. Cheers.

*reaches for DVD*

[Danny Stephenson]

I have the Futurama box set with all four seasons on it. Fucking excellent value for money there. I love listening to the commentaries on those. Especially when vintage voice actors get to do their thing. Thoroughly entertaining.

[JamesTC]

David X Coen is fantastic in the commentaries. The commentaries on The Simpsons and Futurama make those DVD’s worth a buy, it us why I payed ?13 for ‘Benders Game’ the day it came out, I would not have payed that much just for the main feature. Does anyone know if they are making more Futurama? Hopefully not more films, seperate episodes work much better for both Futurama and The Simpsons.

[locusceruleus]

Keep checking gotfuturama.com – supposedly they’re in talks with Fox about doing another season for them.

And yeah, the commentaries are gold. Gay guy and the ghost, anyone?

[Phil]

David X. Cohen gives great commentary.

[Mr Flibble]

David X Cohen is god.

[Author]

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