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Techtite's TV Reviews! |
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 Note : This is not a review of the current status of the series, as much of a salute of what it once was, and how to get these classic episodes on tape! Let's start from the very beginning, when a cool idea was at its coolest. The Simpsons, at first, was a mere between-skits cartoon short on The Tracy Ulman Show. Little by little, its popularity grew. Everyone loved its modern frankness and honesty of family life, unlike other everything-is-perfect type cartoons like Jetsons and Flintstones. In due time, Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie had a Christmas special, then their own series...and the rest is prime time history. What made the show amusing was how admirably a "mere cartoon" survived the bigger hurdles of any sitcom. It's survived the 100th episode mark, and then some, topping the episode count of even the original prime-time run of The Flintstones. It survived an even bigger hurdle, staying afloat after the Bart "don't have a cow man" Simpson fad had faded away. It did all this, even more shockingly, with the exact same regular characters throughout; no el cheapo spacemen named "Kazoo," nor new neighbors that resemble monsters (remember Flintstone's Wierdly and Creepela?). For a long time, the series was tops, with rave reviews from even respected magazines. The plotlines kept strong for many years. Classic stories include the notorious villain, Sideshow Bob, voiced by Kelsey "Frasier" Grammar. Poignant moments include the cute episode when nerdy schoolkid Ralph develops a crush on Lisa, and gradually gains both her respect and that of the whole school. Bart had equally amusing girlfriends, with guest voices that included everyone from Sara Gilbert to Meryl Streep(!). Among the best of the best were the Halloween episodes, which made hilarious spoofs of classic Twilight Zone stories. For years, watching the latest "spooky Simpsons" on Halloween was a must-see event at my house. The end result is a major slice of 1990's television. As one episode gloated, nearly every character had a fave catch phrase; from the greedy Mr. Burns' "Excccccelent!" to Homer's classic "D'oh!" Even baby Maggie's only real word to date --"Daddy!"-- was done with great effect, both emotionally and as television entertainment as a whole. FYI: word is that this single word was voiced by none other than Elizabeth Taylor! That is just a small sample of Simpsons' strength in grabbing effective voice talent. Even better: FOX has put the best of these episodes on tape, for you to keep for all time. Next to Disney films, I can't think of a better animated video collection to own! Yes, the most recent season(s) stink royally, though the former season episodes are classics...and nothing will ever change that!
Some links to buyable Simpson Memorabilia (video, books, games) :
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