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[jigglet]

It's common knowledge the original writers left during Season 9.

I had vague memories of Season 10 onwards being pretty bad, but I went back and started watching them all starting from Season 1 again and holy shit, it's not a gradual decline in quality after Season 9...it's a sudden drop off a cliff. I know the original writers left mid way through Season 9 but even the second half of Season 9 was still fantastic and still holds up today. But Season 10? Sweet fucking jesus the jokes are just BAD. Everything about them is so cringy.

I was graduating from high school to Uni during the time and I thought I had outgrown them. But now I realise I never did; they were just trash.

 

[Spukc]

I never liked it xD

okay maybe the movie and those halloween specials.

(futurama is basically not shit simpsons)

 

[Faust]

Its only gotten worse. The modern writers pull out all the stops to push, not a funny cartoon, but to stand on their soapboxes and use the characters to do so.

Also they did my boy Apu dirty.

 

[DKehoe]

I was just talking to a friend about how good those first few seasons are. People shit on modern Simpsons now, and they aren't wrong to do so, but name another show that had 9 seasons that were that good.

This video does a good job talking about the decline

 

[UnNamed]

I think season 11 was the last decent season. They had bad episodes after that, but the moment they really jumped the shark is that episode with the opening on Kesha' song.

The main problem with The Simpsons is they used to be a cultural phenomenon. The Simpsons create, media and people talk about that.
Now it's just to copy other trends, with no new ideas or identity. New episodes are parody of successful movies, successful songs, current events. But not in a good way like South Park, just a lazy poor copy. People and media create, The Simpsons copy them.

 

[GoldenEye Samurai]

I used to love The Simpsons as a kid, but I fell off hard before the 9th season ended. Just lost interest. I got back into shows like that when I found Family Guy and Futurama, though. Both of which I’ve enjoyed a lot more than I ever enjoyed The Simpsons. It’s a shame Futurama died even after a brief resurrection. It was a great show.

 

[MayauMiao]

I didn't even know Barney now drinks coffee. What a disaster.

 

[Spaceman292]

Season 10 had some good stuff, but also a large number of Lisa episodes. The Halloween episode is great, and I like the one where Homer becomes a trucker.

 

[jigglet]

I didn't even know Barney now drinks coffee. What a disaster.

You mean he drinks coffee sometimes, not that they've completely replaced beer with it? Say it ain't so?

 

[Valedix]

stopped watching after the movie.

 

[jigglet]

Season 10 had some good stuff, but also a large number of Lisa episodes. The Halloween episode is great, and I like the one where Homer becomes a trucker.

Yes I have to admit there are the odd decent episodes here and there but by and large Season 10 was atrocious. I'm scared to even wander into Season 11. I'm curious, but I'm expecting a bad time.

 

[ManaByte]

Its only gotten worse. The modern writers pull out all the stops to push, not a funny cartoon, but to stand on their soapboxes and use the characters to do so.

Also they did my boy Apu dirty.

In the early 2000s the show got REALLY bad and unbelievable with all sorts of stupid and extreme adventures the Simpsons went on.

They stopped that about ten years ago. And yes, the soapboxing is extremely bad now. But the show has become more grounded than what it became and there is maybe one funny episode a season now.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Its only gotten worse. The modern writers pull out all the stops to push, not a funny cartoon, but to stand on their soapboxes and use the characters to do so.

Also they did my boy Apu dirty.

Forever lost to appease the wokies who don’t even watch the show.

 

[INC]

No apu, no watch

 

[Nester99]

3-12 is the sweet spot for me. My Bro says 5-9 but I think he is crazy. s4 is one of the best.

 

[p_xavier]

Bob's Burgers has been consistently good which is surprising since it's been ten years. What killed The Simpsons are guest stars IMO.

 

[Faust]

Forever lost to appease the wokies who don’t even watch the show.

Seriously! He had a doctorate, IIRC, in Computer Science. He was one of the most suave men in Springfield and could land any woman he wanted. He was always kind, caring, and was more than willing to help friends, even if they were brain dead like Homer.

Yes, he worked at a QuickieMart, and yes he had an accent, but his actual character was so much more. He was one of the greatest characters on the show and an excellent role model. He did what he loved.

 

[Mistake]

Forever lost to appease the wokies who don’t even watch the show.

I live in the middle of nowhere and the local gas station is run by an Indian family. Nicest folks you’ll ever meet. Not surprised that people who take the quirks of reality offensive have ruined the show

 

[SafeOrAlone]

3-12 is the sweet spot for me. My Bro says 5-9 but I think he is crazy. s4 is one of the best.

Season 2 is great imo. It's not quite as polished as 3-9, and there is the occasional awkward moment, but it's as charming as ever and still very funny.

OP, I agree that the show drops off a cliff after season 9. It's not gradual at all.

While I think the Simpsons as a show has run it's course, I like to think that ending the show and bringing them into other mediums could give the franchise the kick in the pants it needs. Maybe a game as ambitious as the South Park one or another movie. Really, I'll take any attempt to break them out of the rut their in. It's not like it could hurt at this point.

 

[Spaceman292]

Yes I have to admit there are the odd decent episodes here and there but by and large Season 10 was atrocious. I'm scared to even wander into Season 11. I'm curious, but I'm expecting a bad time.

11 is about even with 10. Then it nosedives at 12.

 

[jigglet]

Season 2 is great imo. It's not quite as polished as 3-9,

Season 2 is brilliant. Season 1 is also so damn charming. I couldn't stop smiling watching it. It's simultaneously wholesome and culturally disruptive.

 

[poppabk]

There are plenty of popular shows that are worse than the current Simpsons even. Its just a mediocre show in a sea of mediocrity nowadays. I never actively watch it anymore but I still get a few chuckles if a newer episode happens to be on. Except maybe that Panda one.

 

[HawksWinStanley]

There were some gems after season 9 into the early teens but they were few and far between. Those first 8 or 9 seasons though were incredible. Back when The Simpsons was more than just comedy, it was actually pretty heartwarming and touching. And then it just turned to shallow and unfunny, and then eventually just awful.

 

[Space Runaway]

Season 2 is great imo. It's not quite as polished as 3-9, and there is the occasional awkward moment, but it's as charming as ever and still very funny.

Season 2 is brilliant. Season 1 is also so damn charming. I couldn't stop smiling watching it. It's simultaneously wholesome and culturally disruptive.

Yeah even though it's a transitional season it still has a lot of great episodes and even the lesser episodes(None are bad, they're all good) still have lots of classic jokes and scenes.

 

[Yoboman]

Season 9 is the decline

I remember watching the debut of the Homer vs New York as a kid and it felt markedly less funny than all the previous seasons and reruns I'd been watching for years

I cant even name any episodes in that 10 - 12 range because I tuned our halfway through 9 and any time I came back to an episode it was some unfunny shit with a celebrity cameo

I think the last time I ever tuned in Bart was in a boy band and it was the worst shit I ever saw

Seasons 3-8 are gold though

 

[DetectiveBananas]

It had its prime and then just kind of existed for the sake of nostalgia for the better years. The only silver lining now is that the voice actors are getting paid better for new episodes than they did back when they were killing it on the show. So good for them I guess

 

[SafeOrAlone]

Season 9 is the decline

I remember watching the debut of the Homer vs New York as a kid and it felt markedly less funny than all the previous seasons and reruns I'd been watching for years

I cant even name any episodes in that 10 - 12 range because I tuned our halfway through 9 and any time I came back to an episode it was some unfunny shit with a celebrity cameo

I think the last time I ever tuned in Bart was in a boy band and it was the worst shit I ever saw

Seasons 3-8 are gold though

I agree it’s in decline at that point, but still “feels right” to me.
It’s fascinating in that way. It really tiptoes the line, and then truly drops off a cliff in season 10.

 

[MaestroMike]

I never forgot

 

[p_xavier]

Season 9 is the decline

I remember watching the debut of the Homer vs New York as a kid and it felt markedly less funny than all the previous seasons and reruns I'd been watching for years

I cant even name any episodes in that 10 - 12 range because I tuned our halfway through 9 and any time I came back to an episode it was some unfunny shit with a celebrity cameo

I think the last time I ever tuned in Bart was in a boy band and it was the worst shit I ever saw

Seasons 3-8 are gold though

Worst episode for me was with the son of Frank Grimes, absolute trash that ruined a good episode that made fun of itself.

 

[Infiltrator Irelia]

I have a distinct memory that will never leave me of watching "Hit the Alligator and Run" on it's original airing. It was so awful I just changed the channel, and I was a mega Simpsons fan. The show was dead to me after that episode, then I realized how much garbage I had put up with until that episode.

 

[belmarduk]

Trash of the Titans is one of the best Simpsons episodes (although it would've been a lot better without U2) and that was in season 10. Its definitely season 11 that it fell off.

 

[ipukespiders]

I watched up until... maybe 1997? I don't even know what season that was.
Life got really busy, and any free time was consumed by gaming.

 

[T4rz4]

Then Simpsons are in decadence for 21 years? Woah

 

[jigglet]

Then Simpsons are in decadence for 21 years? Woah

Yup that’s what it implies. Insane huh. Who the fuck is watching it / keeping it alive?

 

[niilokin]

I wasn't aware when the decline started to happen, I loved watching marathons of early simpsons episodes on tv as a kid but at some point I started noticing the pop culture embracing and simpsons family goes on an adventure-episodes which I fucking hated.