It's about time they quit while they are ahead! I LOVE THE SIMPSONS! It is the greatest animated show of all time, which started so many others. I watched it when it premiered on aussie TV in 1990, and it was instantly a hit. Everyone was talking about it at school - I remember the day after the first episode aired (It was Bart The Genious), the teacher said to us the next morning "Who watched The Simpsons last night?". Everyone put their hands up - the room fell into an avalanche of conversation - "we laughed at the bit when maggie was pushing all the buttons...", "we laughed at this, at that". All this after the first episode! Everyone was after the short lived 'Simpsons Illustrated' magazine, and the classic 'The Simpsons sing the Blues' CD.
The thing is, though, that the series did nothing but improve. Once Homer's voice changed (most fans can tell the season in which it did), the show was guaranteed of laughs. From the classic Blood Fued with Mr. Burns, Lurleen Lumpkin, to who shot Mr. Burns... can you remember the Bartman? The Network here in Australia which airs it used to screen it at 6pm each weeknight in competition with the 2 other networks which screened the news (Yep, there are only 3 commercial channels here in aus). Nowadays, repeats are screened on average of about 4 times a week at different times ranging from wednesday nights to sunday nights. You just never get sick of the Simpsons, and Homers halarious antics!
But, I must now pose the question - you can get too much of a good thing, cant you? Lately, while the series has remained funny, the storylines are just getting a little too extreme, and, need I say it, Homer just a bit too stupid. I hate to say it, but Principal Skinner being an imposter to his mother was a lame storyline - and moving the whole town to another site after homer ruined the old one, awwwwww, I dunno about that. Yeah, its just supposed to be a funny show, but I feel the producers have put the family through a bit too much now. Forget Homer banging in on celebritys, destroying the whole town and getting into global situations (Like when Bart went to Australia) - it was better then the show concentrated on the small family problems, then it was funnier.
The Simpsons are a great show, but it would of been greater if they would of ended production a few years ago, then it would of been a 'Great little show'. Now I feel its gone on a bit too long. But, nevertheless, i still LOVE THE SIMPSONS!!!!!