If The Simpsons debuted today?

[wildojinx]

While I realize that a lot of comedy now does have at least some influence from The Simpsons, if the show debuted in 2017, what would be the reaction?

[The Legend of Groose]

Depends, if it's season 1 Simpsons, no way in hell. Today Simpsons it would have a season or 2, late 90s Simpsons would have a few seasons.

[Deleted]

A big reason why The Simpsons was so influential because it was animated where it can get away from censors and remain topical and timeless. I think there would been another influential animated comedy would of came along.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Apr 4, 2017 22:06:37 GMT -5 @supersweetbotch said:

A big reason why The Simpsons was so influential because it was animated where it can get away from censors and remain topical and timeless. I think there would been another influential animated comedy would of came along.

Depends who came along wanting to do one. James L Brooks had the pull to say Fox couldn't give notes, unheard of in TV and even get a cartoon on primetime TV, which hadn't been done since the Flintstones.

[Deleted]

Apr 5, 2017 0:30:15 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Apr 4, 2017 22:06:37 GMT -5 @supersweetbotch said:

A big reason why The Simpsons was so influential because it was animated where it can get away from censors and remain topical and timeless. I think there would been another influential animated comedy would of came along.

Depends who came along wanting to do one. James L Brooks had the pull to say Fox couldn't give notes, unheard of in TV and even get a cartoon on primetime TV, which hadn't been done since the Flintstones.

Like I said it's impossible to tell. But there was an animated resurgence with Disney around the same time that someone would of came up the idea of an animated sictom sooner or later. Breaking Bad nearly didn't get on the air because network executives thought it was too similar to Weeds and Vince Gilligan said he would of never pitched the idea if he heard about Weeds earlier. I can imagine there might of been countless brilliant pitches from brilliant minds who never made it to Hollywood because they might of pitched something that sounds to similar of this and that.

[Mozenrath]

Apr 4, 2017 20:53:22 GMT -5 The Legend of Groose said:

Depends, if it's season 1 Simpsons, no way in hell. Today Simpsons it would have a season or 2, late 90s Simpsons would have a few seasons.

Yeah, that first season would have probably been much too dry. Then again, putting that time in did also give people a chance to get a feel for the characters, so it served its purpose. It'd have had to at least have some of the Conan-era humor to last, though.

[Wolf Hawkfield no1 NZ poster]

I would give it 3 seasons tops before FOX cancels it.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I don't think people really realize the people behind it when it debuted, Sam Simon and James L. Brooks were HUGE names, plus a network that only had people watching for Married with Children....the only show getting any kind of ratings for them.

The names, the circumstances of how the show got made, a culture of the late 80's.....This all factors in.

I don't know how many of you were there when the Simpsons landed in 89, but if you were a kid, like I was, 7 or so at the time and your parents let you watch it, you were badass. It was basically like letting hardcore porn on network TV today.

[fuzzywarble, squat cobbler]

Apr 5, 2017 3:09:23 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

I don't think people really realize the people behind it when it debuted, Sam Simon and James L. Brooks were HUGE names, plus a network that only had people watching for Married with Children....the only show getting any kind of ratings for them.

The names, the circumstances of how the show got made, a culture of the late 80's.....This all factors in.

I don't know how many of you were there when the Simpsons landed in 89, but if you were a kid, like I was, 7 or so at the time and your parents let you watch it, you were badass. It was basically like letting hardcore porn on network TV today.

I was 11 when it debuted. My school banned Bart-related shirts.

[Glitch]

If the first few seasons came out today, it would be considered tame and of date. By out of date, I mean how the show treated certain things as being shocking. Like how Bart constantly saying the word Hell was seen as offensive to the other characters.

[Ultimo Gallos]

Apr 5, 2017 3:09:23 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

I don't think people really realize the people behind it when it debuted, Sam Simon and James L. Brooks were HUGE names, plus a network that only had people watching for Married with Children....the only show getting any kind of ratings for them.

The names, the circumstances of how the show got made, a culture of the late 80's.....This all factors in.

I don't know how many of you were there when the Simpsons landed in 89, but if you were a kid, like I was, 7 or so at the time and your parents let you watch it, you were badass. It was basically like letting hardcore porn on network TV today.

I was in my early teens when the show started. It was the first cartoon in decades to draw fans of all ages ,plus it aired on a broadcast network. It was a huge deal when season 02,IIRC,was aired against The Cosby Show.

[Shy Guy]

"family guy did it first!"

[Lupin the Third]

I don't know if it would have had the same impact like it did back then. And I don't think it would've lasted as long as it did.

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

Apr 5, 2017 3:09:23 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

I don't think people really realize the people behind it when it debuted, Sam Simon and James L. Brooks were HUGE names, plus a network that only had people watching for Married with Children....the only show getting any kind of ratings for them.

The names, the circumstances of how the show got made, a culture of the late 80's.....This all factors in.

I don't know how many of you were there when the Simpsons landed in 89, but if you were a kid, like I was, 7 or so at the time and your parents let you watch it, you were badass. It was basically like letting hardcore porn on network TV today.

I remember reading that there was massive uproar in places that Bart talked back to Homer.

[xCompackx]

It's tough to say since The Simpsons probably inspired a lot of more adult animated shows that we see nowadays, but I'd imagine it'd be a late-night Cartoon Network show. Maybe not Adult Swim since, again, who the hell knows if even that would exist, but probably Cartoon Network.

[Deleted]

Apr 6, 2017 10:50:16 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave is Correct said:

Apr 5, 2017 3:09:23 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

I don't think people really realize the people behind it when it debuted, Sam Simon and James L. Brooks were HUGE names, plus a network that only had people watching for Married with Children....the only show getting any kind of ratings for them.

The names, the circumstances of how the show got made, a culture of the late 80's.....This all factors in.

I don't know how many of you were there when the Simpsons landed in 89, but if you were a kid, like I was, 7 or so at the time and your parents let you watch it, you were badass. It was basically like letting hardcore porn on network TV today.

I remember reading that there was massive uproar in places that Bart talked back to Homer.

I can remember people being upset about that.

My school not only banned Simpsons related shirts, but one of my elementary school teachers would give people detention for saying "d'oh" because she considered it a curse word.

[sfvega]

What?! The Simpsons was a cultural phenomenon. I watched it, my friends watched it, our teachers watched it. I remember it being thought of as a little more adult because of some of the dialogue, but I don't remember much public outcry. And I'm from the Midwest, home of the public outcry.

Seasons 2-9 would have absolutely found a home. Their humor still holds up today. But as with all cultural phenomenon's, part of the reason that it was so popular is because it spoke to the people of that time frame. So it's as likely, if not more, to age poorly in terms of cultural significance.

Then again, Futurama was cancelled just as it was hitting it's prime, so maybe even 10 years later, it would have perished.