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Simpsons
(The Early Seasons)
A Techtite Review
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) :
| All text, Title
graphics, and pix not of reviewed product, are created by TECHtite,
copyright 2000; all rights reserved. Screen captures of program
reviewed are discrete thumbnails, used only for the purpose of
review, and by no means represent any affiliation with TECHtite
and the distributors of that product. For further "legalese"
& disclaimers, click here... |
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Burnout
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Small
Crater
Large
Crater
Deep
Impact
