Talks of a "Simpsons" 24-hour channel in the works

[TheNewNeko]

Story here

Apparently one of the worst programs ever to plague the television has attracted so many fans and lasted so long that Fox is actually talking about making a 24-hour channel devoted to a show that promotes general stupidity, the showing of a disturbing amount of male nudity and in its run, tell about as many jokes as the number of fingers on one hand, with enough free fingers left in the same hand to hold a cigarette and a can of Budweiser.

My two biggest problems with this are that 1) even with 500 episodes, the show will run into reruns by the end of the second week. Remember: There are 48 half-hours in a day. And 2) There are some fans who are actually so dedicated to the show they'd probably sit down and watch it and have pee jars collecting up a mile high for when they have to do that.

Before any devout fans get their pee jars ready, this is only a trial balloon at this point, and new episodes would not air on this network for 12 months after the episode has aired.

[matchgame74fan]

LOL no. This show does NOT promote stupidity. In fact, Matt Groening has said that Homer Simpson is not an ideal person to live by. And way to generalize a fanbase.

On one side of the coin, this would solve the problem of current syndication of this show. Since the really older (and better) episodes are hardly ever shown. It's always only the last 5 years. But no, there really isn't enough for an entire network. They should probably just license the show to FX, Comedy Central, or adult swim or something. Though overall, I think I'd rather just be enjoying my favorite years on DVD uncut.

[rachelrunt]

The Simpsons has been the cash cow of Fox for years. It single-handedly saved the network from shutting down on a few occasions.

A 24 hr Simpsons network might last a week before even the most devout fans of the show get bored and the novelty wears off.

I liked the Simpsons years ago, but the show has lost its touch. What used to be fast, witty humour with a message of family togetherness has become a show that's commercial and only seems to care about who they can get to do a guest voice now. The show has run its course, and seems to currently be living on life support, but Fox refuses to pull the plug.

[CardSharks8689]

Actually, the really old episodes do air on Global TV in Canada during the weekends. They devote so many back-to-back airings on such channel on Saturdays.

Still, I truly despise the current Simpsons episodes, let alone the series itself. The show lost its appeal since Maude Flanders was killed off the show in 2000. I do enjoy the 1995-96 season, though - and I have that particular season on DVD. But other than that, The Simpsons suck.

As for this 24-hour channel, they can go through a trial run, but I can assure you it won't become a permanent channel.

[ebfdenver]

This same discussion will come up when the idea of Family Guy channel is brought up. The Simpsons never promoted stupidity. The general absurdities of life is one reason The Simpsons have stayed on for many years.

[rachelrunt]

This same discussion will come up when the idea of Family Guy channel is brought up.

Ha! A Family Guy channel! There is not enough marijuana* in the world to make that channel successful


*I, in no way, condone drug use. I've never even tried it.*

[SpeedAndStrategy]

LOL no. This show does NOT promote stupidity. In fact, Matt Groening has said that Homer Simpson is not an ideal person to live by. And way to generalize a fanbase.

Agreed. The show, at least in its prime, was a satire of where American society was going, and a lot of that included people becoming stupider and lazier. Homer's character was a reflection of that, not the other way around. Even starting around season 10, when the show did become too centered around Homer's wacky antics, I still don't think it was sending the message that it was good to be stupid. Yeah, I'm sure there are people who take the show's writing too literally and think it's "cool" to act like Homer or Bart, but you can't blame the show itself for that. The same thing has happened with countless other characters, from Archie Bunker to the South Park kids. It's not the creators' fault that people don't read between the lines. In fact, you could say that this just proves the creators' points.

On one side of the coin, this would solve the problem of current syndication of this show. Since the really older (and better) episodes are hardly ever shown. It's always only the last 5 years. But no, there really isn't enough for an entire network. They should probably just license the show to FX, Comedy Central, or adult swim or something. Though overall, I think I'd rather just be enjoying my favorite years on DVD uncut.

Agreed again. It would be nice if some cable channel would just pick up the first 9-10 seasons, or the first 200-250 episodes, or something like that. A channel devoted to the show would be overkill. Of course, I already have the first 9 seasons of the show on DVD, so I'm set.

[TheNewNeko]

The last episode I watched was the Halloween episode in 1996. It was at that point that I realized that the show was doing the same things over and over again. I literally couldn't bring myself to laugh at it.

LOL no. This show does NOT promote stupidity. In fact, Matt Groening has said that Homer Simpson is not an ideal person to live by. And way to generalize a fanbase.

Perhaps promote is the wrong word. The fact it's been on for 23 years and there are still people dumb enough to watch it thinking it is still original and fresh disagrees with you. Besides that, I know a lot of people that would emulate Homer Simpson and that's one major reason why it does in fact glorify stupidity. And I know people that would be so devoted to that show that they'd sit down and watch it fanatically, and if it was on 24 hours a day, either pass out from lack of sleep and/or die of malnutrition simply because they couldn't bear to be away from the testament to idiocy that is their favorite program.

This show should have been put out to pasture around Season 14. But Fox likes to beat a dead horse. I'm sure they'll just keep beating it until one of the main character voices actually die and then they'll try to squeeze two or three more years by having another voice actor taking his or her place.

A 24 hr Simpsons network might last a week before even the most devout fans of the show get bored and the novelty wears off.

Thankfully, it seems the consensus of people I know actually feel the same way as you do. I guess a person can only take so much blatantly moronic humor, male nudity and repeating of about 3 jokes over and over again before they flip the channel. Hopefully this never comes to pass. It just seems like a bad idea. Of course, Fox is no stranger to bad ideas... (glowing hockey puck, anyone?).

Fox has a habit of doing "Feast or famine" with their shows. Either the shows don't get a chance to succeed (M.A.N.T.I.S., V.R.5, Strange Luck, etc.) or they air the programs a minimum of 50% longer than they should have been on (24, Married With Children, King Of The Hill, etc.).

[whammy850]

Okay, my first thought was "Why in the bloody stinking HELL would they dedicate an entire network to ONE show?!!" Then I remembered what cable television looks like today. EVERY cable channel does this. At least if we had a Simpsons network they'd be advertising honestly what they do.

[matchgame74fan]

Perhaps promote is the wrong word. The fact it's been on for 23 years and there are still people dumb enough to watch it thinking it is still original and fresh disagrees with you. And I know people that would be so devoted to that show that they'd sit down and watch it fanatically, and if it was on 24 hours a day, either pass out from lack of sleep and/or die of malnutrition simply because they couldn't bear to be away from the testament to idiocy that is their favorite program. .

Just like there are plenty of people re:FANS who have long since stopped watching current episodes of the show at any given point where they felt like it because they think the show has changed for the worse. There are people who feel loyal to the show no matter what and people who only feel loyal to a certain part of the run. It's mixed all around. Personally, after season 11, the number of episodes I'd want after that would most likely fit on one disc. When I get all the DVD's I want, that'll be the stopping point. Hell, even Harry Shearer, one of the main voice actors, says the show is not what it used to be. Also, you freaking out about male nudity is hysterical. The number of episodes overall where we see any of that is rather minimal, and even if we did see it it wouldn't mean it's worth panicking over.

And again with the generalizations of what you think fans of something would do. This is the same kind of stuff that starts wank wars within fandoms. I'm getting really tired of people getting on their high horse and spouting generalizing crap like "fans of ______ are shallow, have no lives, etc." It's not cute and it's not funny. Would you like it if someone said this kind of stuff about game show fans, or anything in particular that you're a fan of? I would strongly suspect you wouldn't. I've grown to largely despise Deal or No Deal but I would never refer to fans who watched the later episodes on NBC as it grew to be full of gimmicks as dumb; and well, I'm going to be honest, even though I enjoyed it in the beginning, I never found it to be mind empowering during any part of its run. But in spite of that I'm sure the fanbase isn't dumb. That would be ridiculous to say.

I will agree though that Fox does have a history of being cancel-happy with other shows and treating them like crap (see Firefly (which they didn't even bother to air in the proper order), Wanda at Large, Boston Public, Titus, I could go on.).

[TheNewNeko]

Just like there are plenty of people re:FANS who have long since stopped watching current episodes of the show at any given point where they felt like it because they think the show has changed for the worse. There are people who feel loyal to the show no matter what and people who only feel loyal to a certain part of the run. It's mixed all around. Personally, after season 11, the number of episodes I'd want after that would most likely fit on one disc. When I get all the DVD's I want, that'll be the stopping point. Hell, even Harry Shearer, one of the main voice actors, says the show is not what it used to be.

Makes you wonder if he should have bailed out and said he wouldn't do it anymore. Would have saved us a dozen years of misery.

Also, you freaking out about male nudity is hysterical. The number of episodes overall where we see any of that is rather minimal, and even if we did see it it wouldn't mean it's worth panicking over.

Ever watch Naked News, my friend? Probably not. The program tried to integrate male and female anchors in 2003 by having one guy do a talking point on the show. The reception was overwhelmingly negative -- one guy wrote a letter that summed up my feelings in a nutshell when he wrote "Twenty seconds a year of a naked man on my screen is twenty seconds too long!", so needless to say, they kept the programs separate. Eventually the male anchors were pushed off to their own site and the male site doesn't even exist anymore, with programming having ceased on October 31, 2007. The female program, however, is in it's 12th year and still going strong.

That quote is pure gold, and my feelings mirror that.

And again with the generalizations of what you think fans of something would do. This is the same kind of stuff that starts wank wars within fandoms. I'm getting really tired of people getting on their high horse and spouting generalizing crap like "fans of ______ are shallow, have no lives, etc." It's not cute and it's not funny. Would you like it if someone said this kind of stuff about game show fans, or anything in particular that you're a fan of?

Will that stop it from happening? Probably not, right? I got some news for you in this society which seems to care more about not being called "racist" than actually calling a spade a spade: Sometimes you need to have tough skin. I actually went to high school for about 8 months in a predominantly black part of town called Hawthorne, which was a neutral zone for a gang war. If you went about 2 miles north, you were in Blood territory. If you went about 2 miles south (which my bus passed by), you would be in Crip territory. You could only imagine the number of racial "comments" that passers-by made, so I learned quickly about having to put up with people not liking me over things I couldn't control. It's not like I wake up in the morning and say "hmmm, I think I'll be a white boy today". If someone who's a Simpsons fan gets offended by what I say and has actually followed it for 23 years, let him or her tell me themselves. The type I know of have either long since abandoned the show or they are about as dumb as they come, as they follow the show like it's a freakin' religion or something. I actually knew a guy who would watch the show 11 times a week, and I know if the show was on 24 hours a day, he would probably watch it all that time.

I would strongly suspect you wouldn't. I've grown to largely despise Deal or No Deal but I would never refer to fans who watched the later episodes on NBC as it grew to be full of gimmicks as dumb; and well, I'm going to be honest, even though I enjoyed it in the beginning, I never found it to be mind empowering during any part of its run. But in spite of that I'm sure the fanbase isn't dumb. That would be ridiculous to say.

See above.

I will agree though that Fox does have a history of being cancel-happy with other shows and treating them like crap (see Firefly (which they didn't even bother to air in the proper order), Wanda at Large, Boston Public, Titus, I could go on.).

I forgot about Firefly. Terrific show. I never even remember the show being on but it's got a cult following and a lot of people loved it. But you see what I mean. Fox tends to draw out shows either too long or cut them off without even giving them a chance.

[matchgame74fan]

Ever watch Naked News, my friend? Probably not. The program tried to integrate male and female anchors in 2003 by having one guy do a talking point on the show. The reception was overwhelmingly negative -- one guy wrote a letter that summed up my feelings in a nutshell when he wrote "Twenty seconds a year of a naked man on my screen is twenty seconds too long!", so needless to say, they kept the programs separate. Eventually the male anchors were pushed off to their own site and the male site doesn't even exist anymore, with programming having ceased on October 31, 2007. The female program, however, is in it's 12th year and still going strong.

I never used either site, but from what I've read from people who actually used it, there were problems with how they were running the site (didn't like how the guys were made up, etc). It wasn't just simply the fact that it featured men, and of course straight men aren't going to want anything to do with it.

I am not a fan of female nudity one bit and I love True Blood; this is a show where you see nude scenes with both male and female characters. But if an episode comes on and we see Anna Paquin or some other female main character without any clothes but not any of the men that particular week I'm not going to get up in arms and rave about it like it needs to be taken off the air. It's not that serious.

And really, you can't have it both ways. Demand has honestly practically nothing to do with it. You can't go on and on about people overreacting about the concept of a woman having a nude scene or being scantily clad (and I've seen you do this in other threads on the old boards) on a show then when any man does it, turn around and talk about how awful and unappealing it is (like you freaking out about the concept of male models on TPiR) and how it doesn't need to be on TV. Because at the end of it all, you're being just as prudish; but just with the other gender. Total double standard if I ever saw one.

And I'm sorry, it doesn't take a fan who's watched every episode to see that the posts you've made chiding people about their supposed viewing habits and storing pee in jars are condescending as hell. Especially if a network devoted entirely to the show is going to surely broadcast more than just a certain amount of episodes past someone's particular point of creative decline. Also from the tone of your posts, you YOURSELF evidently haven't watched all 23 seasons, so I don't see how you can try and speak for that particular part of the fandom if I can't. That's hypocritical.

[billycw]

Man, I recall watching this show for the first time when Bart and Homer got lost in the woods....I even recall the opening when they fired back at the FIRST George Bush when he told America" families have to be less like the Simpsons...". The Simpsons were watching his press conference. The bit was before the intro and it was typical cutting edge Simpsons. Even recall the bits on the lousy Tracey Ullman Show.
Simpsons were fantastic until about 96 or so. Stopped watching except for Halloween specials every now and then. Fact, think I probably haven't watched ten episodes since 2000. Old Simpson episodes have that cutting edge. It's astounding the show has found a new audience.Neko's comments are very spot on.

BTW, Married With Children, X-Files and Simpsons kept Fox alive before the Sports programming got people to watch. Fox didn't even give MWC a proper send-off. Fox has a long history of abusing good shows. Never give them a true chance or drop them for something new before an audience can build. "Lie To Me" was a decent show that Fox dropped without giving it a fair shake. Had a growing ( albeit slowly) audience. The shows like Titus, Firefly etc are just typical Fox canning good shows and keeping crap on TV.What should anyone expect from a network that won't even program 10-11 EDT...

[TheNewNeko]

And really, you can't have it both ways. Demand has honestly practically nothing to do with it. You can't go on and on about people overreacting about the concept of a woman having a nude scene or being scantily clad (and I've seen you do this in other threads on the old boards) on a show then when any man does it, turn around and talk about how awful and unappealing it is (like you freaking out about the concept of male models on TPiR) and how it doesn't need to be on TV. Because at the end of it all, you're being just as prudish; but just with the other gender. Total double standard if I ever saw one.

There's no real double standard and I can tell you why. Who does The Simpsons appeal to? Honestly? Does it appeal to people in their 20s and 30s? It's supposed to, but it appeals to children. Any five year old can watch The Simpsons and see Homer or Bart's rear end twenty times a week, or thanks to the Movie, Bart's junk. I actually did see this scene and was genuinely repulsed, having predicted this would happen 12 years ago -- honestly, I saw a total of three minutes of the movie and that was three minutes too long. Most of the shows that you're talking about... True Blood, NYPD Blue, Chicago Hope, etc. come with severe restrictions on the content and usually are rated for people 17 and up. Similarly, one of the few games to feature nudity, God of War, also carries the rating for 17 and up. Far as I'm concerned, the standard should be equal.

Even shows that tempt viewers with the prospect of nudity, like The Playboy Club, are getting put under fire, even though since the show airs early in the evening, so you're not going to see anything until the DVD comes out. (little rule for you, homeboy... nudity can really only be shown on TV after 10 at night, or at least it's only supposed to be). So really, this standard you're talking about applies everywhere... I can assure you that if they ever showed Marge's rear end, even in a comical tone, there'd be people raising a fuss and getting butthurt. Guaranteed. That's why they don't do it. (that or Matt Groening has the same sexual orientation as you do, which honestly I'd believe given the show's penchant for it.)

And I'm sorry, it doesn't take a fan who's watched every episode to see that the posts you've made chiding people about their supposed viewing habits and storing pee in jars are condescending as hell. Especially if a network devoted entirely to the show is going to surely broadcast more than just a certain amount of episodes past someone's particular point of creative decline. Also from the tone of your posts, you YOURSELF evidently haven't watched all 23 seasons, so I don't see how you can try and speak for that particular part of the fandom if I can't. That's hypocritical.

I've seen fans that have devoted things to The Simpsons that would make your head spin. One contestant on Jeopardy! even wrote her thesis paper on the show. Talk about "Gimme a f---ing break". Have I ever told you why I stopped watching the show in general, amigo? You know about 90% of the reason, because I've stated it beforehand. The jokes were repeated ad nauseam and I was watching and unable to laugh at the show anymore, but also part of it had to do with a hardcore grade "A" burnout. I actually knew a guy who circled his life around The Simpsons. Literally, barring some sort of power outage, he would devote 6:30, 7:00, and 7:30 every night to The Simpsons. If you called him between 6 and 8, he'd be at the TV with Channel 11 on. If The Simpsons went 24 hours a day, I'm convinced this guy would never sleep. And when he was at my place, he would watch the show and laugh like a hyena even if he had seen the episode 300 times before. And because he was so devoted to that moronic drivel, I was completely burned out on it. I probably could have watched another season or two otherwise. It's sad that in this day and age he would do that when you could just buy the DVD's but he never really held a job long enough to buy DVD's so like most idiots, he just waited for the show to come on. And yes, at one point in time the show was on 3 times a day out here.

The show needs to just DIAF now but it won't because Fox will continue to beat a dead horse. I mean what caliber of people would sit through 23 freakin' seasons of this crap? The first five or six seasons were really good but they have to have been running on fumes for the last decade or more.

[matchgame74fan]

Most of the shows that you're talking about... True Blood, NYPD Blue, Chicago Hope, etc. come with severe restrictions on the content and usually are rated for people 17 and up. Similarly, one of the few games to feature nudity, God of War, also carries the rating for 17 and up. Far as I'm concerned, the standard should be equal.

So... if True Blood isn't comparable... then why did you bring up Naked News in the first place, and speak about the longevity of the female part of it? Also, I guess it's worth mentioning there was an entire episode that revolved around Homer and Marge caught outside with nothing on and there was no major outcry for her part in it.

And now you want to use the family argument. Well, in that case you might as well get on some of the cases of episodes of classic Nickelodeon cartoons in the 90's and early 00's because they did the same thing. And the primary audience for those shows is children. I don't really have a desire to see that concept stay or go, but saying it's unwholesome or something is going overboard. Especially when it happened as infrequent as it did. Better go after King of the Hill too, pretty sure they did that once or twice as well.

I've seen fans that have devoted things to The Simpsons that would make your head spin. One contestant on Jeopardy! even wrote her thesis paper on the show. Talk about "Gimme a f---ing break".

I don't see this as a big deal. It's not unheard of for students to write papers on TV shows (any kind: soaps, game shows, reality shows, you name it). I don't know the content of this paper but if you can make the show clearly relatable to the subject at hand, then I don't see the problem.

I definitely agree that the show has lost its consistent creative peak. They lost it years ago. Not worth having a show anymore if all you can crank out is 2, if you're lucky, 3 decent episodes tops a season after that point. My issue is the fandom pot-shots. I just don't see how that's necessary.