The Simpsons is dead. Long live King of the Hill (soon to be RIP)

[Mike Daniels]

As a hardcore Simpsons fan, I've held onto some hope that the show would eventually regain some footing after several years of less than prime writing.

However, the debut episode of this season revealed that the writers no longer have a clue. While there are still some fragments of good ideas, the writers don't seem to know how to bring them together into a narrative that flows, Homer is now a irredeemable crank/hothead and humor seems to come exclusively from characters referencing how the current plot line is so similar to a prior adventure.

Thankfully, one can still find good writing in King of the Hill. Unfortunately, it appears that this season will be the last for this underappreciated gem of a show. It's a farce that FOX continues to put this show into the 7:30 slot on Sundays thereby guaranteeing that the show will likely get bumped by a long running football game that starts at 4 p.m.

With the end of King of the Hill, comes the end of must see cartoons that don't rely on gross-out gags for 50% of their humor (South Park/Family Guy).

Anyway, end of rant.... THe question is where can one turn to find an intelligent animated series?

[WCGreen]

1. Justice League on CN

[cleofus1]

2. teen titans is for kids

but adults kind find it quite entertaining too!
justice league since the beginning of the second season has become the best comic book based animated series ever...ever...

[WCGreen]

3. Truly a stunning bit of writing...

And to get all those characters involved......

[cleofus1]

4. forsooth

verily....

[Mike Daniels]

7. Sounds interesting....what day and time?

[Greyhound]

5. It's been on for 11 years. I think it's impossible to keep up the

quality forever. Even M*A*S*H was sucking pretty bad after 8 or so. It's the nature of the biz.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

6. King of the Hill is still on the air?

Damn, I thought that show ended years ago. Ah well...

[Merrick]

8. I've been saying this for years now

Have you noticed they havent invented a single new quality character in forever? They used to introduce hilarious new people all the time. The writer's aren't the same, they dont have the talent and are just milking the potential of all these other great characters and relationship dynamics the original writers established long ago just well enough to keep their less discriminating audiences pleased and the others hopeful for a revival. Not gonna happen - the SImpsons died sometime after season 8-9. They should let this poor downtrodden cash cow out to pasture.

[flamingyouth]

9. This is the last season for King of the Hill?

No!:cry:

[Mike Daniels]

10. Seems that way although all mentions have been in articles

I checked the KOTH website and they haven't posted any news on the series status.

However, the writers quoted in the articles I've read have kind of acknowledged the end is near although they seem puzzled by the decision as the show is pulling good ratings for an animated show, the episodes remain strong and the writers feel there's still a boatload of character development potential amoung the principal characters (the Hill's, Bill, the Gribble's, Boomhauer (perhaps less so) and Khan's family).

From what I've read, a wedding will be incorporated into the final season. Shouldn't be too hard to guess who the bride and groom will be.

[flamingyouth]

11. I will be really sorry when it ends.

I've always loved it and now even more so now that I'm in love with a Texan and spent a bit of time down there. Well, at least they will go out on top (unlike the Simpsons...ugh :thumbsdown:)

[JVS]

23. Is there going to be a return to Beavis and Butthead?

That would be cool

[ernstbass]

12. King of the Hill ending - Oh No!!!

I love that show!!

[4_Legs_Good]

13. Gah! I missed the season opener???!?!?!?!?

It seems to me that the Simpsons has been hit or miss on a per episode basis. Not all of them are great, some aren't even good, but 1 in 4 is still magical. Well worth the rest.

And one Futurama reference justifies an entire season of production.

:)

david

[Mike Daniels]

16. I'll agree on a certain level

In going back and watching the earlier seasons on DVD I've noticed quite a few dog epidsodes in the years when the show was considered to be at it's peak. Similarly, the later years have have some episodes that I would rank as "keepers" that stand up to some of the "lesser" classic episodes.

However, I have a feeling that as the DVD selections move into the later years you'll probably stop seeing the entire season on DVD sets of 3-4 discs and see something more like "Best of Season "X"" which will include 6-8 of the better episodes from that season.

[mvd]

20. I missed it, too!

They've been starting in November recently, so I wasn't watching for it. IMO the Simpsons are still better than most anything on TV (and don't give me the TV has improved argument.) I laugh at even their worst shows. Once a fan, always a fan for me. :-)

[Lex]

14. I still love The Simpsons and think it's better than 99% of what's on TV.

I think the episodes are still worth watching, no question about it.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

18. I agree.

In fact, I find the criticism slightly pretentious... that's just me.

[DerekG]

19. The "it's better than 90%-99% of TV" claim no longer holds water

This is not the 90's. Television drama has improved immeasurably; and what few quality comedies exist are superlative ("Arrested Development" being the apotheosis).

Had "The Simpsons" ended with Season 8, it would have been remembered as the greatest television series ever. Alas, for over half its run, it has lingered in the shadow of "Futurama," "South Park" and "King of the Hill."

[Lex]

24. "Television drama has mproved immeasurably" -- ???

No way. "Arrested Development" is superb, but trust me, television drama hasn't improved immeasurably.

The Simpsons has never lingered in the shadow of South Park or Futurama.

[Maestro]

26. Gotta agree!

They are passed their prime but still good and getting overtly more political.

[jane_pippin]

15. Last season had some good episodes, and Family Guy has plenty of smart

jokes mixed into the gross jokes. And, for all the gross humor of South Park, the episodes are filled with smart social commentary.

Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network sometimes has good animated series. They rerun Futurama almost every night, and as far as new series go, The Boondocks cartoon is set to come out in October. They also have a lot of gross/violent shows for the sake of gross/violent shows, but even those have some good moments. (Sealab 2021, Tom Goes to the Mayor for instance.) I don't like anime, so I can't speak to that on Adult Swim, but just judging by the commercials for them they look like they might be worth checking out if you're into it.

Hang in there--I feel your Simpsons pain, but I'm not quite where you are yet. (Ask me how I feel at the end of this season though. For now, I'm in wait and see mode).

[RedCloud]

17. Simpsons dead? Why you, errrrrrr, nobody eats the Simpsons!

[Deja Q]

21. I remember when everyone said the Tomacco episode was the end of the line.

And that was something like four years ago!

[DerekG]

22. The death of Maude Flanders did for me

Pop in an episode from seasons 3-5, and then compare it to one produced in the past six to seven years. It's dispiriting.

[democracyindanger]

25. Buy or rent the Home Movies DVDs

Yeah, they're cancelled too, but there are a lot of good eps.

[LSdemocrat]

27. I think the Simpsons are on a upswing from the Season 14 low

Season 14 episodes are almost unwatchable, but I thought last season the episodes markedly improved, especially the episodes that are complete satires of modern life (the Wal Mart episode comes to mind). True, Sunday's season premier wasn't that great, but it's still better than some of the stuff they were doing 2-3 seasons ago.