The Simpsons, what makes it such a great show!!!!!

[GWW]

Like a lot of people i really enjoy the Simpsons, although with the amount of repeats it does go over the top.

I'm not sure whether or not it would be an exaggeration to say its the best adult cartoon since Flinstones, or maybe it is the best of all time??

My reasons why its such a popular show? Probably number 1 is Homer's funny lines/sayings and we all know a number of those!! Its certainly good to be able to laugh at the stupidity of someone else (albeit a cartoon character). I remember when the show started showing here in early 90's, Bart was the most popular character, i guess maybe because it was young children who were initially watching the show. Not only are the individual characters funny though, the storylines are generally great as well, although i must say the "spooky" specials generally aren't worth watching (or as enjoyable anyway). Its a comedy but in its own way deals with issues such as nuclear power, the treatment of the eldery, capitalist greed, etc etc.

Another reason why i enjoy the show is that it has characters represented from a wide cross spectrum of society - the school teacher/principal, the school bully, the doctor, the grandfather, the evil millionaire, the "criminal", the preacher, the nerdy next door neighbour, the drunk, the foreigner (Apu), the baby, the overworked mum, the cop etc etc.

I must say at one stage i did enjoy South Park more, but the Simpsons is an inherently better show as it doesn't need to rely on vulgarity/bad taste for its humour (well as much as South Park anyway!!).

I realise we've got another thread on Simpsons sayings. I just thought i'd start up another more general one as a way of discussing what makes the show such a popular one, and other comments about the show in general, such as favourite episode etc.

What do other people reckon?

[zipzap]

The Simpsons from about season 9-10 went from being one of my all-time favourite shows to something I never watch. I'd like to think maybe that's because I've grown up, with more mature tastes, but I know that's not the case...

I think I wrote on another thread the writing in today's episodes is dreadful, it tries to be too contemporary. Homer is now completely unlikeable as a character. There is no subtlety to the humour and the stories. Every episode has to have a guest star - shows that rely on that (eg. the Nanny) are extremely lazy in my book. Every episode features the whole cast (ie all the once-fringe characters) in some mob scene - without fail.

The repeats are the only episodes I might watch. At it's time it was brilliantly subversive but now is just a product like the junky shows it used to parody.

IMHO