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[UberTag]

So you've survived the marathon on FXX and decided to give some current era episodes a chance? Well, you're in luck because Springfield is about to get invaded by the Griffins, Bender is going back in time to kill Bart (and befriend Homer) and the Simpson family is about to visit Rigel VII. They're even going to get terrorized by their Ullman Show circa-1987 selves during this year's Treehouse of Horror.

But first we have to kill off a character... and it was Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky. To the surprise of nobody. Wonderful.

As with last season's thread, this will be the place to discuss new episodes away from the classic era loving confines of the Simpsons Community thread where such talk would be considered blasphemous.

I will also break down which episodes are worth watching after the fact so you can avoid the 20 or so episodes that will undoubtedly be unwatchable drek. You can skip all of those and just watch the good ones.

For instance, last season I told you to watch Brick Like Me, Steal this Episode, The War of Art and the first 10 minutes of Treehouse of Horror XXIV.
Had you taken that advice you would have enjoyed a solid 90 minutes or so of quality modern HD era Simpsons and avoided the episodes that were truly awful.

Here is this season's helpful rankings list of what to watch and what to avoid.

4.5 out of 5

I Won't Be Home for Christmas

4 out of 5

Covercraft
My Fare Lady
Super Franchise Me

3.5 out of 5

Blazed and Confused
The Others {THOH XXV Segment}
Sky Police
The Simpsons Guy {Family Guy Episode}

3 out of 5

A Clockwork Yellow {THOH XXV Segment}
The Kids Are All Fight
The Man Who Came to Be Dinner
Opposites A-Frack
The Princess Guide

2.5 out of 5

Let's Go Fly a Coot
Simpsorama
Waiting for Duffman
The Wreck of the Relationship

2 out of 5

Bart's New Friend
Bull-E
School is Hell {THOH XXV Segment}
Walking Big & Tall

1.5 out of 5

Clown in the Dumps
Peeping Mom

1 out of 5

The Musk Who Fell to Earth

MATHLETE'S FEAT - Sunday, May 17th | Episode Production Code = TABF16 / Writer = Michael Price

SPRINGFIELD ELEMENTARY CHANGES TO EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CURRICULUM

When a modernized Springfield Elementary has a technical meltdown, Lisa transforms it into a Waldorf school. Meanwhile, Groundskeeper Willie becomes the coach of the mathletes.

 

[MikeMyers]

Subscribed.

The crossovers will be interesting, at least. I'm mainly curious to see them.

(BTW, drop by the SM Community UberTag, haven't seen you there in a while).

 

[RadioHeadAche]

I know it hasn't aired yet, but seeing Family Guy there, and knowing they had to keep a rape joke in the episode makes it difficult for me not to think of this every time:

 

[Exterminieren]

I smell many, many cheap cartoon crossovers.

 

[Dilly]

Can see them killing of Krusty because doing his voice probably strains Castellaneta's voice the most.

 

[obin_gam]

Is Jean still the showrunner?
If so, someone needs to fire his ass A.S.A.P. It's clear who was the actual talent when he ran it with Mike Reiss.

 

[Nerdkiller]

Is Jean still the showrunner?
If so, someone needs to fire his ass A.S.A.P. It's clear who was the actual talent when he ran it with Mike Reiss.

Apparently so, though Selman still gets to lead a few episodes per season and they usually turn out decent.

Also, it's probably a minority opinion, but colour me excited for the Family Guy cross over. The trailer gave me a few laughs, so I can only hope for more of that. Now if you excuse me, I better go before the lynch mob gets me for enjoying Family Guy.

 

[glaurung]

Can see them killing of Krusty because doing his voice probably strains Castellaneta's voice the most.

I think it'll be Krusty's dad, the rabbi.

I have incredibly low expectations for this season.

 

[Member876]

I'm going in with low expectations, hopefully there are few gems in this season.

 

[Hamlet]

Great OT and I'm pretty excited to see how the Futurama crossover episode turns out.

 

[Mael]

One death and 2 crossovers?
Looking at the trailers, the 1rst one seems too mean to be funny.
The 2nd one is looking like trash on sticks, the boy Griffin is especially grating.
The 3rd one is looking good.
I'm not hopeful...

 

[UberTag]

I think it'll be Krusty's dad, the rabbi.

I have incredibly low expectations for this season.

Rabbi Krustofsky is a safe bet.
The revealed promo pics have tipped off that it's a Jewish funeral.

As for the season itself, I think it's important to always temper expectations for a season as a whole but to elevate them accordingly for certain episodes.

I have abysmally low expectations for both the premiere and The Simpsons Guy but am upbeat about Simpsorama, any Selman show-run episodes (The Wreck of the Relationship, Opposites A-Frack), the Judd Apatow episode (Bart's New Friend), the Others parody in this year's THOH (despite Gillis on board to write) and the twice held over The Man Who Came To Be Dinner.

 

[cacildo]

Ubertag, i salute your hope and perseverance towards another (probably) awful modern simpsons season



Because i really lack the stomach for this. Just seeying those promo stills with its pretty colors and shadows... ugh

 

[Veritigo_X]

Had no idea about the Futurama cross over. Will be the only Simpsons episode I watch this year... or decade for that matter.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

Fuck it, the marathon renewed some love I once had for The Simpsons. And gave me another chance to watch some of the more recent solid episodes. Will DVR this season, looking forward to the Futurama crossover.

 

[FloppyDelux]

Will watch these like i did with other seasons.

 

[Timeless]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAUY1J8KizU
Homer = executives at Fox who approved the crossovers
The Krusty Burglar = The Simpsons

 

[MattPeters]

My guess, Comic Book Guy will die from a heart attack while bitching at customers in his shop.

 

[Gloam]

Wow, Marge sounds really old in that first clip. Haven't seen the show in a while, that's quite the shock. Not that I expect people to stay young forever, just weird to hear I guess.

 

[UberTag]

Wow, Marge sounds really old in that first clip. Haven't seen the show in a while, that's quite the shock. Not that I expect people to stay young forever, just weird to hear I guess.

Julie Kavner's voice direction is extremely inconsistent.
She can still do Marge's voice well but if she's not capably directed a garbage delivery like in that first clip will leak through.
Shearer has had similar consistency issues with characters like Otto.
I've often thought they should bring in a capable voice director like Andrea Romano to bring out the best performances instead of half-assing it with their writers and current crew.

 

[Grizzo]

That first clip made me uncomfortable. Something about seeing Lisa watching Homer struggling to breathe...

But I have hopes for the Futurama crossover episode.

 

[terrene]

You know, over the last year I decided I was going to watch all the Simpsons I had skipped, complaining of the loss in quality. I had dropped off around Season 9.

It has really been a lot of fun. They clearly started having too many Treehouse of Horror ideas because they would do these anthology episodes with three stories in them. They would also have a musical episode, and every once awhile, a return to the character-driven plots that are equal parts touching and funny. And at least once an episode they still drop a joke that makes you laugh and that you have to admit is cleverly written.

Overall I'd even say the latter-era Simpsons is more consistent and funny than most comedy sitcoms that have come after it, except for a very rarified list of elites like Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, It's Always Sunny, Louie and early seasons of Community and Futurama. That's a very small list of very amazing shows, many of which have their own "meh" periods/episodes.

I'd say it's like 30% great episodes, 60% good episodes, and 10% "meh or worse" in the new Simpsons seasons.

Bottom line, it's been a lot of fun and totally worth it. Will be watching this season, too. Skipping the Family Guy episode because being on Family Guy's turf means being subjected to Family Guy humor.

Not really appreciating the "odds that the episode will be watchable" schtick in the OP like the Simpsons is some kind of indefensible piece of shit that you're watching out of guilty pleasure. It's a legitimate contender for the best comedy TV show of all time, and it's really not like there have been major changes like on SNL or something.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Fuck the haters, I'm on this train until they run that sucker into the ground.

Honestly, there was a lot to laugh at in that Family Guy/Simpsons clip. Although it makes me uncomfortable to see a rape joke on the Simpsons.

 

[Bravocado]

I just want to see the Futurama cast again.

 

[UberTag]

The Simpsons’ Al Jean warns that the show could go on forever, and other teases for this season - A.V. Club

The Simpsons will be starting season 26 later this month, and executive producer Al Jean recently sat down with Deadline to talk about the show’s future. When asked how much longer it will go on, Jean said it “could last two more years, maybe four, maybe more,” before adding that “no one has talked to us about wrapping the show.” In other words, nobody seems to have any intention of letting The Simpsons end any time soon.

The Simpsons will return on September 28, and then again every year after that until the universe explodes.

 

[RadioHeadAche]

I'll check out this season because some of the recommended modern episodes were decent. Expectations will be low, however.

 

[Aaron Strife]

I feel like the show's creative team has been preparing for the show to get canned for a while. Al Jean even said something to the effect that Holidays of Future Passed was supposed to be the series finale and they were surprised when they were renewed past that.

Stunts like these are funny. Like anyone is thinking they'd kill off Bart or Homer over a character who's been in like three episodes

 

[Shadowlink]

Haven't really watched a new episode of The Simpsons in a long time, but I'm going to assume they'll kill off Krusty's father based on the title of that episode.

 

[BatDan]

The Simpsons’ Al Jean warns that the show could go on forever, and other teases for this season - A.V. Club

They'll never stop the Simpsons! Have no fear, we've got stories for years

I'm starting to believe that conversation in Tapped Out is the reason the show is still going. Merchandise!

 

[Ahasverus]

The Simpsons’ Al Jean warns that the show could go on forever, and other teases for this season - A.V. Club

I hope forever doesn't include him. Conan needs to come back.

Haven't really watched a new episode of The Simpsons in a long time, but I'm going to assume they'll kill off Krusty's father based on the title of that episode.

I actually think they'll kill off Krusty himself.

 

[RadioHeadAche]

Still waiting for the robot Marge episode.


No the stiff animation in the intro doesn't count.

 

[The Real Abed]

Looking forward to the crossovers. Mildly interested in the death episode. But eh. I prefer when they do cliffhangers. Which they've only done one and a half times so far. Who Shot Mr. Burns and Nedna which ended up not even continuing into the next episode aside from a stupid 3 second scene.

 

[B.K.]

CLOWN IN THE DUMPS - Sunday, September 28th @ 8:00pm

That episode title pretty much confirms that it's Krusty's father that dies.

 

[BatDan]

Still waiting for the robot Marge episode.


No the stiff animation in the intro doesn't count.

Days of Future Future turned Homer into a robot so they used the concept but not the character.
"Moe Gets a Cell Phone" Bart got one in "Lost Verizon"
"Crazy Wedding" That's probably the closest as there was an episode where Grampa married Selma.

 

[bistromathics]

They'll never stop the Simpsons! Have no fear, we've got stories for years

I'm starting to believe that conversation in Tapped Out is the reason the show is still going. Merchandise!

"sorry for the clips showww!"

 

[Mysterious]

Sideshow Mel is dying.

 

[UberTag]

Still waiting for the robot Marge episode.

They're working their way up to Robot Marge. Last year was Robot Homer.

CLOWN IN THE DUMPS - Sunday, September 28th @ 8:00pm

That episode title pretty much confirms that it's Krusty's father that dies.

Homer wearing jewish funeral garb is kind of another giveaway.

 

[UberTag]

In addition to sharing details about new episodes (both before and after they air), I will also be providing links to interesting new content relating to the show.

To kick things off, we have a meeting of the minds between David Mirkin (showrunner for Seasons 5 & 6), Al Jean (showrunner for Seasons 3 & 4 with Mike Reiss and Seasons 13+) and Matt Selman (showrunner for most of the decent episodes since Season 23).

3 Simpsons Showrunners Reflect on New Fans and the ‘Classic Era’ Myth - Vulture.com

Lots of chatter on the launch of the upcoming Simpsons World app (only available in the United States) can be found within.

Al Jean on the FXX marathon's ratings...

AJ: We were gratified that the ratings went up every night and peaked on the last day. Some people had said, “Oh, they’ll stop watching the minute season eight ends,” and that didn’t happen. Just the opposite happened, which was wonderful.

Matt Selman on characters that are fun to write for...

MS: I mean, certainly Moe has become a very prominent character in the show recently but has had great episodes throughout the series. He’s a writer favorite because he’s dark and demented and he’s suffered a lot, but he has a tender, vulnerable soul, so you have him do terrible things, but you still feel sorry for him. Writing Moe episodes, the amount of unusable material pitched is very high.

David Mirkin on how Jim Brooks pitched the story concept of Lisa's Wedding...

DM: When I was running the show, Jim was incredibly busy doing multiple films, so he couldn’t be here as much. But still I would get a call from him and he would say, “You know, I have an idea that we go to the future — I don’t know how we go to the future, I leave that to you — and Lisa meets the love of her life and he can’t take the family, he can’t deal with the fact that it’s the Simpsons.” And that’s all he said. I knew it immediately that it was a brilliant, brilliant idea. And that would happen all the time.

Matt Selman plugs The Man Who Came to Be Dinner... which, incidentally, I expect will be one of the best episodes of the season...

MS: Actually, Al and Mirkin co-wrote an episode that’s coming up that’s very funny and directed by David Silverman, by the way.

AJ: It’s actually a Jim Brooks idea of going to the planet of Kang and Kodos.

DM: I have no memory of any of this.

[Laughs.]

MS: No, it’s really funny and beautiful and I think captures both of their sensibilities wonderfully.
That’s this season?

AJ: Mid-January, yeah.

All 3 of them discuss the "classic era" and what makes a good episode stand out...

The show’s been on for so long and had a cultural peak. Does it ever get frustrating, when you feel like you've done a really fantastic episode, that it can’t be considered a "classic" because "classic" means "old"?

AJ: Well, I personally don’t know what a "classic" means. It seems to me that it is whenever you left for college. And by the way, whatever bar there is, it’s moved so many times. And again, I was there then, and I’ve been here the whole time. We do it the same way. Shows now make me laugh just as much as shows then.

MS: Plus, it’s like Al was saying, every fan has their own personal experience. You have an entry point in your life, and it’s natural that you’re going to have an exit point. And we have people whose entry point is episode 300, and then they get tired of it in episode 450, and that’s pretty good. Those are the classics to them. One of my kids is in the fifth grade, and it seems that’s when a lot of young people discover the show. And I am the coolest dad in the fifth-grade class right now. But they don’t know what those classics are.

AJ: My daughter’s the same. Because we have the single DVDs, she watches them like she eats potato chips. And she doesn’t go, “Ooh season three, alright.”

DM: “Well, what the hell happened after season eight?” That’s what your daughter said to me.

AJ: For all of this part of the interview, just put in parentheticals: “Very defensive.”

And on the character that dies in the premiere this Sunday...

Okay, last question: You’re going to kill Krusty’s dad, right?

AJ: Okay, a character will die in the season premiere. The actor portraying that character won an Emmy for portraying that character. I’m now going to go through the next week without giving any more information. [Laughs.]

Both Clown in the Dumps and the Simpsons Guy air in 5 days.
I would advise that you downplay your expectations for both of them.
But it will still be nice to have the show back.

 

[Moofers]

This just looks like the show is so completely out of ideas and they are doing this tired fucking angle to trick you into watching.

 

[TheOddOne]

- Sepinwall: At long last, 'The Simpsons' & 'Family Guy' meet: Woo-hoo?

As a whole, is "Clown in the Dumps" a threat to make it into my top 10 — or even top 50 — "Simpsons" list of all time? Not really, but it's yet another reminder that even after 552 previous episodes, a movie, and a bunch of "Tracy Ullman Show" shorts, a new "Simpsons" can still make me laugh, still make me sniffle, and still make me happy the show is producing new episodes.

As for that "Family Guy" episode — and it is a "Family Guy" episode, written by their people, though it features guest voices by "The Simpsons" cast — it's alternately fascinating, frustrating, amusing and annoying in the way so much of that series is. It is made by people who clearly have a ton of affection for "The Simpsons" — and the self-awareness to include many jokes about all the ways that their show and its characters were inspired by the people of Springfield — but who want to make clear the ways in which their show and characters are different.

More at link. Some major spoilers.

 

[UberTag]

Frankly, I'm surprised by the acclaim for the premiere episode. Not that Cohen doesn't have the chops but given what they've paraded out thus far as preview clips, I haven't exactly been bowled over.

I don't take hyperbolic comments like "features some of Yeardley Smith's best acting ever in the series" lightly. That's a bold statement to put out there. Especially coming on the heels of last year's Pay Pal which also boasted some great delivery from her.

It's not like this lauded B-story is uncharted territory or anything - as much as the show may pretend that it is. Lisa has been faced with the death of her kitten, her jazz mentor, several other Snowball replacements, a beached whale, her grandmother... I mean, hell, they killed off Homer once last year already (which I've tried to forget about).

Would love to be proven wrong for doubting this one, though. It's not like season premieres have had a great track record in recent years.

And because I haven't bumped this thread to call out the recently added clips for this weekend's episodes, I'll mention those as well here.

CLOWN IN THE DUMPS - Sunday, September 28th @ 8:00pm

Promo Clip
Episode Clip #1 - Who Will Die on the Season Premiere?
Episode Clip #2 - Roasting Krusty
Episode Clip #3 - Cancelling The Bit

THE SIMPSONS GUY - Sunday, September 28th @ 9:00pm (technically a Family Guy episode... but whatever)

Comic-Con Promo Clip
FOX Promo Clip
Episode Clip #1 - Peter's Offensive Dishwasher Cartoon
Episode Clip #2 - Springfield, U.S.A.
Episode Clip #3 - The Griffins Visit The Kwik-E-Mart
Episode Clip #4 - "Eat My Shorts" vs. "What the deuce?"
Episode Clip #5 - Brian & Santa's Little Helper's Kitchen Confidential
Episode Clip #6 - Peter and Homer Fill Up
Episode Clip #7 - Free Stolen Car Wash

 

[UberTag]

Yay for duplicate posts. That's okay... I've been saving some material for just such an occasion.

27 Simpsons Facts You Probably Don't Know
Homer Simpson does the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Groundskeeper Willie's Views on Scottish Independence

 

[The Lamonster]

So this is Krusty in Heaven, right? I guess he's the one that dies.

 

[UberTag]

So this is Krusty in Heaven, right? I guess he's the one that dies.

My money is that he's having a dream sequence where he talks to his recently deceased father in Heaven who prods him to return to work on the show that he loves.

 

[Betty]

So this is Krusty in Heaven, right? I guess he's the one that dies.

I'm not so sure, it's too obvious, like everyone else I say it's his father that bites it.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

I remember in the commentary for 'Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part 2' (I think) the room had a laugh at how poorly kept a secret Maude's death was. Al Jean joked that they were going to run promos "This Sunday someone on the Simpsons DIES! Will it be Maggie? Homer? Bart? Or will it be MAUDE FLANDERS?"

The 'someone's going to die' image reminds me of exactly that. It's going to be Rabbi Krustofsky.

 

[UberTag]

Because we now have Simpsons episodes regularly airing on FXX, every Sunday you can look forward to a themed marathon built around the episode that will air on FOX later that evening.

To the surprise of nobody, this week's is Krusty-centric...

4:00pm Krusty Gets Busted (S1E12)

4:30pm Like Father, Like Clown (S3E6)

5:00pm Krusty Gets Kancelled (S4E22)

5:30pm The Last Temptation of Krust (S9E15)

6:00pm Insane Clown Poppy (S12E3)

6:30pm Today, I Am a Clown (S15E6)

7:00pm Once Upon a Time in Springfield (S21E10)

7:30pm The Ten-Per-Cent Solution (S23E8)

Hey look... all of the Jackie Mason episodes made the cut but not other Krusty episodes like the time he faked his death to get out of owing money to the government or the time he ran for office or the time he took on Bart or Lisa as apprentices or his many other confrontations with Sideshow Bob. How very odd!

 

[UberTag]

This week's "guest artist" couch gag is being done by acclaimed American animator Don Hertzfeldt (I've included some of his work below so you can have an idea of what to expect).

 

[FloppyDelux]

This week's "guest artist" couch gag is being done by acclaimed American animator Don Hertzfeldt (I've included some of his work below so you can have an idea of what to expect).

YES! also i HIGHLY recommend everyone should watch his Rejected Cartoons vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9R1ODvReQE(NSFW..ish...)

 

[crimzonflame]

Louis has a dad?