[6/10] Well, the Simpsons shorts died as they lived -- with a decent idea and middling execution. Homer getting into a rage and injuring himself over the kids’ antics already feels really generic here. The fact that it’s centered around the ability to watch TV (and a debat rover Itchy and Scratchy vs. a bowling tournament no less) feels Simpson-y enough, but like so much in these shorts, there’s just not enough there, even for a one minute bumper.
That’s the end of the original run of shorts. What did I learn from watching them as a lifelong fan of The Simpsons? That great things from unexpected places. Some of these shorts are good. A large chunk of them are middling-to-bad. But there’s very little in them that suggests the groundbreaking humor and sardonic take on American life that would come to define the subsequent series. ANd there’s even less to suggest you’re watching the seeds of what would become, for my money, the greatest television show of all time. It’s a reminder that greatness takes time and collaboration, with the creatives behind the Simpson family still finding their voice on television, and waiting for other creatives to join the team, who would elevate into the superlative series we know and love.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2021-05-17T04:47:25Z
[6/10] Well, the Simpsons shorts died as they lived -- with a decent idea and middling execution. Homer getting into a rage and injuring himself over the kids’ antics already feels really generic here. The fact that it’s centered around the ability to watch TV (and a debat rover Itchy and Scratchy vs. a bowling tournament no less) feels Simpson-y enough, but like so much in these shorts, there’s just not enough there, even for a one minute bumper.
That’s the end of the original run of shorts. What did I learn from watching them as a lifelong fan of The Simpsons? That great things from unexpected places. Some of these shorts are good. A large chunk of them are middling-to-bad. But there’s very little in them that suggests the groundbreaking humor and sardonic take on American life that would come to define the subsequent series. ANd there’s even less to suggest you’re watching the seeds of what would become, for my money, the greatest television show of all time. It’s a reminder that greatness takes time and collaboration, with the creatives behind the Simpson family still finding their voice on television, and waiting for other creatives to join the team, who would elevate into the superlative series we know and love.