The simpsons vrs other cartoons (official simpsons thread)

[picolas]

it had two or three good parts like the uppity machine but it was mostly bad. moe having a tray of celery for no reason and then throwing it on the ground for no reason is classic shitty simpsons and i was disappointed by how much was imported from the office. the unscripted-sounding voice acting reminded me of family guy a lot actually.

[Pubrick]

the unscripted-sounding voice acting reminded me of family guy a lot actually.

i havn't seen the gervais episode, so i might be wrong in guessing this, but i always think of Dr Katz being the originator of the style you refer to.

[Weak2ndAct]

Yeah, I laughed harder at that ep than... gosh, I can't remember when the last time an ep was that funny.  It wasn't classic, but definitely good.  Double points for Homer yelling at Dan C. from the Fox tram.

[squints]

i'll have to check out this ep

[polkablues]

the unscripted-sounding voice acting reminded me of family guy a lot actually.

i havn't seen the gervais episode, so i might be wrong in guessing this, but i always think of Dr Katz being the originator of the style you refer to.

And Bob Newhart.

[hedwig]

Aint It Cool News and, more importantly, my 11-year-old cousin recently reported that a Simpsons teaser is being shown before "Ice Age: The Meltdown." it obviously hasn't shown up on the internet yet which means I might be forced to (gulp) leave the house in order to see it. One of the teasers is reportedly just a static shot of Homer sleeping, the other is a riff on Superman.

[MacGuffin]

Fox has set the DVD release of The Simpsons: The Complete Eighth Season on 8/15. The Simpsons will include a massive slate of extras too numerous to list here (but expect bonus material similar to what's been on recent season sets for the series). Two different packaging options will be available - Digipack and a plastic Maggie head.

[hedwig]

Two different packaging options will be available - Digipack and a plastic Maggie head.

[Gamblour.]

Haha, alright. We get Grimey on the side.

[Ravi]

We get Grimey on the side.

I love that incoherernt exclamation when he goes off the deep end.

Eedhugh, ADAHGH! ADHAGH!

[MacGuffin]

Guest Voices Announced for The Simpsons
Source: FOX

The list of impressive and eclectic guest voices continues to grow, with actors like Kiefer Sutherland, Natalie Portman, Michael Imperioli, Joe Pantoliano, Joe Mantegna, The White Stripes and Dr. Phil McGraw making voice appearances next season on "The Simpsons" airing Sundays (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Homer becomes a made man in the 18th season premiere episode "The Mook, The Chef, The Wife And His Homer," airing Sunday, Sept. 10 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT). After Lisa befriends Fat Tony's (Mantegna, reprising his role as Springfield's infamous mob boss) son Michael, Fat Tony invites the Simpsons over for dinner as a sign of gratitude. Shockingly, Fat Tony is shot by a rival family moments after Michael admits he would rather be a chef than take over the family business. Fat Tony's main thugs, Dante and Dante Jr. (guest voices Pantoliano and Imperioli), want Michael to be the new kingpin, but when he declines, Homer steps up and leads the family on a major mob spree.

The White Stripes guest-star as themselves in "Jazzy And The Pussycats" Sunday, Sept. 17. After Bart's arm is mangled by a tiger that Lisa rescued from the local pound, Bart organizes a benefit concert to raise money for an operation to repair his drumming arm.

Dr. Phil McGraw, Fran Drescher and comedian Richard Lewis stir up tricks and treats in the annual "ghoultide" Halloween trilogy, "Treehouse of Horror XVII," Sunday, Nov. 5.

In "GI (Annoyed Grunt)," Sunday, Nov. 12, after Bart gets out of a commitment to join the Army at 18, Homer falls prey to a couple of Army recruiters and lands himself in basic training. Homer, of course, treats this like summer camp and infuriates his hard-nosed colonel (Sutherland) when he is unfazed by the constant hazing and humiliation.

Other upcoming guest voices include famed authors Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, Michael Chabon and Jonathan Franzen. Later in the season, Portman, Lovitz, White, Hamlin and Idle also pay Springfield a visit.


Breaking TV News: THE FOX NETWORK REVEALS THE SIMPSONS WILL GO ON FOREVER
Don't count on the beloved cartoon to go off the air any time soon as Fox hopes to find a fifth animated wheel to add to Sunday nights 
Source: iF Magazine

THE SKINNY: As the Television Critics Summer press tour winds down, Fox was the last network to present their schedule and Entertainment President Peter Liguori today revealed that THE SIMPSONS will likely be on the network, long after the current two year pick-up it was recently given.

"I think I will be dead and buried before THE SIMPSONS ever gets removed from our air," says Ligouri. "And that's really a testament to what Al [Jean] and Matt [Groening] and Jim [Brooks] are doing with that show. It's really exciting just to go to their offices. They are as sharp and dedicated as they've ever been. Plus, there's going to be a SIMPSONS movie, which we think will introduce a whole new, young audience to the franchise."

Additionally Ligouri says Fox is constantly searching for the fifth wheel to their animation comedy block on Sunday night, but have yet to find the perfect fit.

"We are being aggressive and we are committed to trying to get a fifth animated show on that night," says Ligouri. "And it's somewhat frustrating to us. We push and we prod and we kick the tires and we offer opportunities for many animation creators to come to us. And there is no greater advertisement to the creative community that every Sunday night, when we're out there, and you see us go for two consecutive hours  from KING OF THE HILL down to FAMILY GUY and then all of a sudden there's a live action show. We're hoping that we're going to be able to crack that this year. It's a major priority for us. That's been a very successful night. The return of FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD has really helped us solidify our Sunday night and really helped us with younger males. We want to extend that." 

[Kal]

I hardly ever watch the Simpsons anymore... but for a second it would have been real cool if Jack Bauer showed up at the house.

[Ravi]

I saw an episode a week or two ago where Marge has amnesia.  How many times can one show jump the shark?  At this point its more like raping the shark.

[Redlum]

Welcoming Homer the tree-hugger
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5237038.stm

Whether you are a hypocrite, a poseur or a plain bozo, the environmental movement needs you, says George Meyer in The Green Room - either that, or a move to Jupiter beckons.

" That said, if we did turn the earth into an apocalyptic hellscape, a sick part of me would find it thrilling.

I would enjoy watching dazed stockbrokers and ad men clawing at the dirt for edible roots. I'd remind them that they'd been warned of their folly, right here on the BBC website. "

[Ravi]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060813/ap_en_tv/china_cartoon_ban

China bans 'Simpsons' from prime time TV
By JOE McDONALD, Associated Press Writer 34 minutes ago

BEIJING - D'oh! China has banished Homer Simpson, Pokemon and Mickey Mouse from prime time. Beginning Sept. 1, regulators have barred foreign cartoons from TV from 5 to 8 p.m. in an effort to protect China's struggling animation studios, news reports said Sunday. The move allows the Monkey King and his Chinese pals to get the top TV viewing hours to themselves.


Foreign cartoons, especially from Japan, are hugely popular with China's 250 million children and the country's own animation studios have struggled to compete. Communist leaders are said to be frustrated that so many cartoons are foreign-made, especially after efforts to build up Chinese animation studios.

The ban hasn't been formally announced, but newspapers already were criticizing it Sunday as the wrong way to improve programming.

"This is a worrying, shortsighted policy and will not solve the fundamental problems in China's cartoon industry," the Southern Metropolis News said. "The viewing masses, whether adults or children, will have no choice but to passively support Chinese products."

Chinese animators produce hundreds of hours of programs a year but aren't known for flair or originality. They draw on traditional stories such as "Journey to the West," about the adventures of the Monkey King, and have yet to invent characters to match the appeal of Mickey Mouse or Japanese icons such as Pokemon.

The cartoon campaign comes amid efforts by President
Hu Jintao's government to tighten control over other pop culture, ranging from movies to magazines and Web sites.

TV stations have been told to limit foreign programming, stop showing scary movies in prime time and have their hosts dress more conservatively and use fewer English words on the air.

Most cartoons on China Central Television, the national broadcaster, are Chinese-made. But more freewheeling local broadcasters show everything from "The Simpsons" to Japanese, South Korean and European cartoons dubbed into Chinese.

Film studios have been pushed to merge in order to create big, well-financed competitors. Officials have set up 15 animation centers to nurture the industry, invoking communist guerrilla vocabulary by dubbing them "production bases."

"The reason for the regulation is clear. It is to protect domestic cartoon production," the Southern Metropolis said.

The newspaper cited what it said was a recent study that found that 80 percent of Chinese children surveyed liked foreign cartoons and disliked domestic animation.

Chinese studios employ thousands of skilled animators, but many focus on doing work subcontracted by Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. and other Western or Japanese studios.

Broadcasters were told to limit use of foreign cartoons in 2000 at a time when Japanese animation dominated the market. In 2004, the government stepped up controls, saying Chinese cartoons had to account for at least 60 percent of the total shown in prime time.

In February, regulators banned programs that mix animation with live characters in an apparent effort to protect Chinese studios, which don't produce such programming. Regulators haven't released details, but the ban could affect popular children's TV shows such as "Blue's Clues" from the United States and Britain's "Teletubbies."

The government also protects Chinese film studios by limiting imports of foreign titles. But that strategy appears to have backfired by creating a market for pirated movies, which both foreign and Chinese studios say robs them of box office revenues.

On Sunday, Chinese moviemakers accused TV stations of becoming part of the nation's thriving movie piracy industry, airing up to 1,500 pirated Chinese movies a year.

Beijing also has thrown up barriers to other pop culture.

In April, the government disclosed it was no longer granting publishing licenses for foreign magazines in an effort to protect its domestic industry. That came after a joint venture that published a Chinese edition of "Rolling Stone" was forced to dissolve after a single issue.