The Simpsons

You know, so much has been written about the Simpsons over the 7 or 8 years they've been going (actually, I think it's closer to 10 now) that there really isn't too much more to be said. But I'm going to write something anyway because there is still one angle I can think of that hasn't been written about much. That is, how impressive it is that the Simpsons has managed to last as long as it has without losing any of that satirical bite. Even after the first few seasons, when the great marketing machine got into gear and bombarded us with more Simpsons t-shirts, posters and merchandising than you could shake a stick at, this didn't faze the show. Instead of losing its way it managed to rise above the sea of marketing (which still continues to this day, albeit in a quieter form) and produce such classic episodes as 'Homer Badman', where Homer is falsly accused of sexual harrssment.

What is even more impressive is the way that it's managed to beat back its rivals and remain at the top of the heap whilst the others died or vanished into obscurity. Ren & Stimpey was destroyed by the executives, Beavis & Butthead was sold to those it was supposed to mock, thus ending up trapped in a self-repeating circle of self-importance that nobody with any sense could really take seriously. Only two shows have managed to even attempt to give The Simpsons a run for its money - King of the Hill and South Park - and neither have really been able to touch it. The former because it's actually a far gentler show with a different approach and angle to its observations, and the latter because it's about to be swallowed by its own merchandising and marketing, and besides which it isn't nearly as clever as people give it credit for.

Which isn't to say The Simpsons is perfect - the last couple of seasons have been kind of weak, and it's a rather male-oriented show, with the episodes that centre around Marge or Lisa being much more homespun and less acerbic than those about Bart or Homer. But it is packed with sight gags and throw away lines that make you really concentrate, and every so often has a sequence that is just perfect in its comedy (such as when Lisa, Bart and Homer are watching a cartoon and Lisa comments that cartoons aren't supposed to be realistic - a fact that is backed up seconds later when a second Homer is seen walking past the window). And when an episode has two or three of these...well, it just makes things even better. Besides, The Simpsons takes its audience seriously, and as a result has become an established part of the international language of Geek, so that geeks from a thousand nations can break the ice by discussing The Simpsons. Which is nice.

(Please note, all pictures displayed here are not mine are used without permission of their owners because I'm recommending this show, thus increasing its viewing figures and advertising revenue. However, should anyone else who owns these images disapprove, please can they mail me and I'll remove them.)