 |
| I don't think Grampa was this happy ever again. |
The first episode to air (though not the first produced) was a Christmas special. The first act reintroduces the world and its characters for those who hadn't been keeping up with the Tracy Ullman shorts. Bart's trouble making at the school's Christmas show was worth a laugh. Lisa's... lively rendition of the Santa Claus of the south seas sets her character up for years to come. Patty and Selma are introduced as Marge's sisters who Homer despises and vice-versa. Ned Flanders was a perfect neighbor, especially when compared to Homer and his failings. The first act was very enjoyable as it set all of this up. The next act didn't provide too many laughs. Bart and his tattoo was the bulk of the entertainment, but otherwise it was mostly a plot-mover, showing that the family has no money to spend for Christmas.
The final act has Homer finding ways to salvage Christmas. His humiliating work as a mall Santa was an enjoyable watch, and seeing him and Bart adopt former race dog Santa's Little Helper just as his previous owner dumps him was a bit heartwarming. Who knew that it took a simple dog to save a family's Christmas.
Quick Review
It seems like such a long time ago, and that's because it has been a long time. The Simpsons are airing episodes from its 24th season now, an unprecedented achieved for a scripted program. There are many, many fans of the series who are younger than the series itself. While the show's historic highs have allowed it to find the awful lows that it has seen in recent years, there's no denying that, when it is finally, finally, said and done, the Simpsons will of been one of the best programs to of ever graced the small screen. The series, which began as a series of shorts on the Tracy Ullman Show, became popular, even more so than Tracy's show itself. The popularity quickly translated to a standalone half-hour show, and within a couple of years, it was a big hit for the still fledgling FOX network. Overall, it was a solid episode, and a great way to start the series.
Final Score: 7.9
No comments:
Post a Comment