I last watched an episode of The Simpsons in high school. The show was a big part of my childhood, but it had lost its luster by the time I turned 18. Homer and the family just weren’t funny or entertaining enough to keep my attention for 22 minutes. The fact the animated sitcom is still on the air some 20 years later is absolutely baffling.
Who is watching The Simpsons these days? No one has talked about the TV show since the movie came out back in 2007. The only thing I’ve read about it in the past 15 or so years was when they did the crossover episode with Family Guy.
Apart from that, you wouldn’t even know The Simpsons was still blasting out new episodes each and every year. I can’t imagine the show suddenly became funny again since the time I stopped watching. If anything, it is likely more beholden to the same formula that could no longer entertain my generation two decades ago.
Formula is the important word here. Animated sitcoms should learn when to stop. And that moment is when the creators become obligated to a routine that allows the same thing to be produced in perpetuity. Because you can come up with new episodes and it is easy to do, doesn’t mean you need to do it.
There is perhaps no better example of this than Family Guy. Had Seth MacFarlane concluded the series sometime after season ten, the show’s place in the comedy hall of fame would have been secure. Instead, they are still churning out new episodes and it has become a TV equivalent to McDonald’s–you see it everywhere, all the time but have no desire to stop even if you liked it back in the day.
Look, I get why animated sitcoms like The Simpsons and Family Guy don’t call it a day. It is free money for everyone involved. But, as we learned with King of the Hill, sometimes stopping is for the best.
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The exception to the rule about animated sitcoms
There are exceptions to all rules and when it comes to animated sitcoms, South Park has broken the mold. That is because Matt Stone and Trey Parker avoided falling into a tired formula. You could even argue the show has gotten better with age.
Not everything South Park has done in 25 years has been a home run. But the show’s willingness to try new things and not let themselves or their audience get comfortable has allowed it to keep viewers engaged. Not being forced into 20+ episode seasons has also helped.
At the end of the day, less is always more when it comes to animated sitcoms. That conclusion may underwhelm some of you, but it is still better than Maggie shooting Mr. Burns.
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