It came to me a little while back that the best way to differentiate the classic seasons of "The Simpsons" was to define it by 2 of their most iconic players:

Bleeding Gums Murphy from the 90s--a character that symbolized the hipness and cutting edge humor of the what was once appointment TV.

Then you have poor frazzled 'Ol Gil of today that is an unfunny desperate character that symbolizes a tired and played out once great TV series that won't leave.

Okay, okay, this must be the zillionth "Simpsons" thread, but I thought these two characters were really the two most distinctlintly contrasting characters in "Simpsons" history.

Can someone enlightenment when The Great Schism happened?

I felt that the turning point became the star of the week, which I think was due to the MJ episode. When they started to throw whoever was cool at the moment into the show, it went downhill for me.

Bleeding Gums Murphy died years before "The Simpsons" started their decline (which, for me, was season 9/10).

And I have no idea who "Ol Gil" is because I quit watching when I quit laughing (circa season 12).

I still like The Simpsons. They must stay on the air long enough to outlast Seth McFarlane.

I'd agree with around 9 and 10.

If you really wanted a "character point" where the show breaks, I'd point to the death of Phil Hartman and the loss of Troy McClure, Lionel Hutz, et al.

He's a spoof of Jack Lemmon's Shelley Levene character from Glengarry Glen Ross, and he's my favorite secondary character of the late era Simpsons episodes:

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If Family Guy gets to 493 episodes, please, PLEASE, shoot me in the head.

I still watch The Simpsons, but it's mostly out of habit - as I have to kind of choke the episodes down. There are still a few good laughs in most episodes, but the show has lost most of its charm for me.

I think season 10 is when I started seeing the decline. I remember not laughing much at Lard of the Dance. But in typical Simpsons fashion (where there are some gems every season it seems) When You Dish Upon a Star and Mayored to the Mob are some of my favorite episodes.

Ironically, season 10 seems like Shakespear to me when compared to the current batch of shows.

I thought the most recent episode of the Simpsons was pretty amusing. But I am a school teacher. (standardized testing; Homer forgets to mail the insurance payment.)

I'm with you on this one. I remember clearly Bleeding Gums, and remember when he died. I must admit that I have never heard of "Ol' Gil" nor seen teh character, but I stopped watching the Simpsons long ago.

I agree completely. Gil is a terrific character.

Of course the show is not on par with its "golden era" at this point in time, but I think the recent seasons are a bit underrated. I still find most episodes entertaining, even if I'm not laughing from beginning to end like I did with the classic episodes.

I hated Bleeding Gums Murphy and was glad he died. I like 'Ol Gil.

Same.

Seasons 4-8 are just non-stop awesome, with some pretty strong stuff in 9 and 10. After that, well...you know.

You're too kind. The show had lost a lot of steam by the middle of the eleventh season.

I also admit that the show changed a great day around season 11 and on, but over the past three seasons or so I've felt like it's starting to get right back on track. It may not be where it once was, but it's at least heading more in that direction than wherever it was going after season 11.

I'm sorry, but the Maude Flanders death episode was just a classic. The Simpsons is now sort of respected among the conservative set for portraying a churchgoing American family, but it's great that the writers had the guts to imagine a God that would do that to the Flanderses

You know a show will never be the same when people can refer to a specific time/era as the "golden years" and not be talking about the newest episodes.

I quit watching the show because it just wasn't funny, and the only thing really keeping me tuning it at that point was plain *HABIT*.

Season ten was the beginning of a real change in quality from the prime years of the show. But season nine started showing signs of the decline and fall of television's funniest animated show. Most attribute it to a changing direction under head show-runner Mike Scully. It is no coincidence the show immediately improved somewhat after his reign of terror was over. Unfortunately by the time it was over much of the original audience had left it. I think the current Simpsons' fanbase is totally different from the fans that once loved the show greatly in those early years.

after the "Who Shot Mr. Burns" episode. There were still some good episodes for a few years after, but the show should have really ended that season.

Same kinda thing with X-Files - after the movie the show went to rubbish. It's funny cause both those shows were "must-see tv" for me in those years, but they each have a distinctive line where I feel the best was over.

Now, the UK "The Office", that's how you do a perfect and succinct show.

I thought it started to slow down in quality in season seven, but there were still some great episodes in season eight.

To me, the episode where the show lost it was the fake Skinner/Martin Sheen episode. I hung on for a few years afterwards, but the show lost something for me. Now, the few times I catch it barely rates a few chuckles (though I did like the movie).

Yeah I actually liked the movie more than I thought I would too. But I just don't like the episodes now, the show just seems like a caricature of it's old self. But I'm getting ooooooold

Not a fair comparison. Approx. 500 episodes vs. 14

For me it was early Season 11. The first few episodes, specifically "Brothers Little Helper" about Bart on Focusyn and "E-I-E-I-Doh!" about the Tomacco were two of my favorite episodes. After that I pretty much lost interest. I watched it here and there over the years, but as naitram said, it seemed like it was a caricature of itself.

That being said, the last two episodes (in HD) weren't horrible. It almost felt like they toned down the ridiculousness of the last decade.

Season 11 for me was pretty horrible and where there was a huge dropoff, imo. Sure, there were a couple good eps and some funny moments, but isn't this the season that had the "Saddlesore Galactica", "Kill the Alligator and Run", and the episode where Bart is in the boy band? Those were just dreadful episodes. The Behind the Laughter episode was good, but it was an aberration for me.

Season 10 before it had some real stinkers, too, but it was also the last season for me where I really enjoyed at least a handful of episodes all the way from start to finish, rather than finding a throwaway gag or two funny but the rest of the episode crap.

Wasn't it Season 10 (or 11) where practically every few episodes degraded into a musical number?

The season with the episode where Marge is upset over there being a brothel in Springfield, and her wanting to shut it down.