Of course opinions will widely differ on this. But personally, I'm of the opinion that the greatest television show of the 90's and possibly of all time, is The Simpsons.

The other side of that coin, is that in 21 seasons of television, at the very least, 8 seasons have been completly unwatchable. Specifically, the last 8 seasons.

Everything about the show is completly worn out. The character of Homer Simpson has become a parody of Homer Simpson, a worse offense than Peter Griffin.

For years now, the Simpsons has relied heavily on 2 big aspects. Guest stars and "travelling somewhere". Nothing is new, everything is so horribly stale. The entire show remind me of a show doing impression of the Simpsons.

I think much of the legacy has already been tarnished. If they keep going at this rate. I think they'll completly destroy their legacy.

Thoughts, opinions?

Ten Times "The Simpsons" jumped the shark

I can pinpoint the exact moment The Simpsons died for me:

I haven't watched the Simpsons in years because I came to the conclusion that it sucked. I always said that the old episodes were awesome and the new ones suck and how much I wish the show was still as good as "back in the day".

Well, every now and then the "old" episodes come on...back from when I liked the show and from when I thought the show was good. Well, watching those episodes now, they just don't do it for me anymore. So, for me, even old school Simpsons sucks now.

Maybe my tastes have just changed over the last 20 years, but like I said, I don't even like the "classic" Simpsons episodes anymore. Looking back now, I consider The Simpsons to be a highly overrated show.

Never. I mean it. Close thread.

Season 9 is when I started checking out. Partly because I was finishing high school, and partly because the show grew tiresome. I do agree that the "The Principal and the Pauper" (AKA "Skinner isn't Skinner") episode was the beginning of the end of "classic" Simpsons.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Fox renew it for a 23rd season, if just for the fact that a 22 episode order would make it the first prime-time sitcom (AFAIK) with over 500 produced episodes.

Simpsons are gong to stay on as long as they want, Fox will NEVER cancel them. They are one of the few (if not only) shows that is known the world over; no matter which backwards bum fuck country you go to everybody knows the Simpsons. The Simpsons are a mega cash cow and Fox will keep them as long as they can.

I think every season it adds to it's legacy, however seasons 3-8 were by far the best.

^ Agreed. The Simpsons is the reason Fox is as big as it is.

Unless every copy of seasons 3 through 8 on Earth are erased, it's legacy will never be completely destroyed.

I've been watching my older sets again - on S3 at the moment. So nice to actually laugh at the Simpsons again. I have I think the last 4 or 5 episodes of the current season on my DVR. I feel no pull to watch them. The show has become a chore to watch. They should end it soon.

Almost the entirety of seasons 10 through 13 were awful wrecks. You could tell that most of the writing staff from the classic years had left by that point, replaced by hacks who were younger and had different comic sensibilities.

As someone else said, the show is never going off the air. The merchandise alone is a cash cow, and the show does incredibly well in other markets.

Never, it's legacy is cemented.

It's legacy is cemented, mainly as a once great show that is being driven into the ground for a quick buck. In short, "The Simpsons" is the Ric Flair of television.

Wooo!

While the show probably won't regain it's form of the mid-90's, it has gotten better since the switch to HD. It seems like the show was reinvigorated to the point where I was watching episodes live instead of DVRing them and watching later like I was the few seasons before the switch. I don't keep up on who the writers are, but maybe there was a change somewhere that contributed to the renaissance.

I agree with this completely. I used to love the show and now the episodes I used to love - I hate.

Have you actually seen the last 2 seasons or are just talking like every other person that seems to hate the Simpsons even though they haven't watched since season 15? The last 2 seasons have been very good, with some episodes as great as those from seasons 3-10.

By the way, I hope the Simpsons go on as long as they want. I would watch the worst episode of the Simpsons over any reality crap,or Cleveland Show episode.

I was just going to say that anyone that posts what the OP did has certainly NOT watched it the last couple of years.

This past season really was a bit of a resurgence. Too bad the hipsters who like to bag on The Simpsons didn't get to see it.

I see your Wooo, and I raise you a Hooo!

Maybe it was, but it was preceded by 10 years of meh to fail. Those 10 years were a perfectly good reason for anyone to bail on the show and not look back.

I don't know about that...when are the actor's voice contracts up again? Certainly there will be a point where FOX is making so much in syndication with the show that it no longer becomes feasable to continue to pay for the creation of new episodes. I'm going to take a wild guess and say Season 25 will be the last. Seems like a good season to end. Of course, that doesn't mean (like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny) we don't see brand-new Simpsons material for the rest of our lives...just means they won't have a new half-hour show every week.

I'm of the mindset that once a show gets to the point where it "lost its way", then its time to call it quits. And Seasons 9/10 to whatever one was in 2001/2 were filled with far too many "maybe next weeks show will be funny".

Improvements can be made, but they will always end up feeling like "We're trying to recapture how good things were at its peak".

I've watched the show from S01 on, and I still watch. And it makes me laugh.