Filling In the Image with Ourselves

Years back, a favorite television family was "The Brady Bunch":

while today a favorite family is "The Simpsons."

Of course, ideas change about comedy. The escapades of the Bradys might not tickle current tastes. However, is it just the plots that are different in these TV shows?

If live actors performed the script from an episode of "The Simpsons" would it be as engaging? Consider what Scott McCloud writes/draws about why comic characters with their generalized features are so appealing. Do we each pour ourselves into a character of "The Simpsons"? Is that one reason it is so popular?