Family guy steals? NEVER! [Archive]

darth los

19-Jul-2007, 03:40 AM

I was sure that when the family guy emerged as a major show that the simpson's were finished. That show is so much funnier. I guess there are still people out there who like the simpson's though. I sure as hell don't know any of them though.

Danny

19-Jul-2007, 05:43 AM

tellus somethin' we didnt know, onyl reason no one complaisn though is cus family guy is a dman sight funnier than the simpsons.

MinionZombie

19-Jul-2007, 11:23 AM

Nyahhhh...The Simpson's have shown increased improvement in the second half of season 18, and then there's the movie which does look funny as poopy trim. :cool:

Family Guy got really sucky at one point, I mean really sucky, partly down to WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY OVERUSING that "it's like the time when" jokes. :rolleyes:

Then it got back on track...they're two different shows, though The Simpson's needs to regain it's original bite, and ditch a good portion of the sentimentality/crazy adventure plotting...which was what was happening at the end of season 18.

Danny

19-Jul-2007, 12:16 PM

^ y'know since the family guy episode on south park season 6 (which aint out over here but check out the one that ends with peter in bed with bill clinton...yeah you heard me) have had almost no falshbakc jokes and rely a lot mroe on plot, even the jokes that ahve nowt to do with the plot occur were the characters are far more often.

so unlike the simpsons the actaully trying new directions to improve, though so did king of the hill but thats still under the radar in comparison, still a great show though i tel'-yhu-whut. *sips beer*....yep.:D

AcesandEights

19-Jul-2007, 01:25 PM

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Andy

19-Jul-2007, 01:41 PM

MinionZombie

19-Jul-2007, 02:02 PM

Rocko's Modern Life!!! :D CLASSIC! :) (As were Ren & Stimpy).

The Simpson's, as I've said before, is possibly starting to pick itself up again by ditching the adventure plots ("The Simpson's are going to...[insert destination]") and regaining a bit more satirical bite. The second half of the 18th season has shown this, I think after incredibly poor season showings throughout 15, 16 and 17, they sought about improving their output...so of course, with shows taking a long time to make from start to finish, that translates into the second half of season 18 where improvements are shining through.

Although they haven't really spoken about it or really addressed it, they have sort of, they know their output has been poor of late and they were wanting to improve...well, seems like they might be doing just that in the second half of season 18...hopefully season 19 (bloody hell!) will continue this trend, and hopefully the Simpson's movie will inspire them to improve their TV show output.

Andy

19-Jul-2007, 02:22 PM

They need to go back to family stories, not these whacky adventures, thats what killed the simpsons.

They do real life but slightly exagerated so well, and thats what made them big in the beginning.

MinionZombie

19-Jul-2007, 07:47 PM

They need to go back to family stories, not these whacky adventures, thats what killed the simpsons.

They do real life but slightly exagerated so well, and thats what made them big in the beginning.
And that's where they have/are heading in the second half of season 18, it was more about Springfield again and the characters themselves, rather than location gimmicks...and it was a little less OTT on certain aspects. Part of the lure of the show was that it was kinda life-like, so they're clawing back a bit of that again.

Heck, the episode near the end of season 17 about creationism in school was great, that's how a Simpson's episode should be...but also some good, honest fun - which they're getting back to as well (rather than gimmicks or OTT daftness).

There was a gloriously traditional Simpson's style moment in "24 Minutes" where Millhouse and Homer were riding a dumpster around Springfield like a car, sounds cack from me, but it was genuinely funny.

Hopefully season 19 will continue to regain lost ground and return to formulas and styles that work(ed).

darth los

19-Jul-2007, 08:07 PM

I Admit the simpsons has gone downhill alot, but at its peak (season 2-10) it was the best show on TV by far.

I just cant get into family guy, it has the odd good joke but i just dont like the "its like the time when..." humour. its TOO infantile, and this is coming from someone who loved beavis and butthead, ren and stimpy, rocko's modern life, 2 stupid dogs... legends of the animated world.

They work more based on shock value imo. I can't count the number of times i was like, " they didn't just say/do that did they?" Sometimes i feel that it should be on adult swim. I definitely don't want my kids watching it.

MinionZombie

20-Jul-2007, 11:51 AM

Ug, Adult Swim...teenage swim more like...there's nothing adult about it...still, Robot Chicken rocks.

EvilNed

20-Jul-2007, 02:31 PM

darth los

20-Jul-2007, 05:58 PM

Family Guy isn't funny, it's just Simpsons all over again. And I got so annoyed with all those "Remember that time when I..." jokes that would then instantly go to a flashback. Talk about beating a dead horse.

That's a way to fill time when you've run out of storyline. Just like those 80's sitcom episodes when they used to have flashbacks for an entire episode.

Andy

20-Jul-2007, 06:52 PM

Flashback episodes where a way to show people their favourite clips back before VCR's where mainstream, not becuase the writers needed a way to "fill time when they've run out of storyline"... in fact many shows where under network pressure to do more flashback episodes than they did.

Using "its like the time when..." jokes as episode filler becuase they have run out of story is just a obvious sign of very bad writing IMHO.

MinionZombie

20-Jul-2007, 07:07 PM

It was clearly a part of the show's style - the flashbacks, but they used it way too much - that, that overuse, was a sign of decreased writing (by those pesky manatees :lol:).

Mind you, clip shows are still common waaaaaaaaaaaaaay after the invention of the VCR, so it still acts as filler. I mean who needs a Friends or Simpson's clip show? They show them EVERY DAY. :lol:

darth los

20-Jul-2007, 07:25 PM

As for the reason that they did it back then was to show their favorite moments before the vcr is a very good point. But just because that's a reason doesn't mean it was the only reason.

Andy

20-Jul-2007, 07:50 PM

It was clearly a part of the show's style - the flashbacks, but they used it way too much - that, that overuse, was a sign of decreased writing (by those pesky manatees :lol:).

It might well of been the shows style, and it may well be my cynical view of family guy, but it never clicked with me.. it seems stupid, unfunny, unoriginal and overused.

Mind you, clip shows are still common waaaaaaaaaaaaaay after the invention of the VCR, so it still acts as filler. I mean who needs a Friends or Simpson's clip show? They show them EVERY DAY. :lol:

You know at one point the simpsons staff where under pressure from FOX to make 5 clipshows per season?

Show makers often have to fight networks over this.

As for the reason that they did it back then was to show their favorite moments before the vcr is a very good point. But just because that's a reason doesn't mean it was the only reason.

Oh certainly it wasn't the only reason, but it was the main reason clipshows came around, that and their cheap to make lol.

darth los

20-Jul-2007, 08:19 PM

Oh certainly it wasn't the only reason, but it was the main reason clipshows came around, that and their cheap to make lol.

It's true. You don't even need the actual actors to make them either, which makes them ideal to make in the off-season.

EvilNed

21-Jul-2007, 12:56 PM

darth los

21-Jul-2007, 07:08 PM

I actually think making a flashback episode in a Sitcom is tougher than making a real episode. Becuase you have to sit through and watch every episode over and over and select your favourite of them and then get to cutting.

There are some episodes that are better than others and the people involved with the series know that. I'm sure there are certain "golden" moments throughout a season that they have in mind for episodes such as those.

MissJacksonCA

21-Jul-2007, 10:16 PM

Not that it would really suprise anyone but...

I like the Simpsons more than FG but I like King of the Hill more... that's true or my name isn't Rusty Shackleford :D

I'm just wondering though... is anyone involved with the Simpsons also involved with FG? Are they just recycling material or what?

mista_mo

29-Jul-2007, 03:56 AM

Simpsons isn't particularly well written at all...the actors are what bring life into the show, not the poor dialogue or bad jokes or humour. Family guy burst onto the scene and was a marked improvement over the simpsons. It was actually funny, and came at a time when the days you could sit back and laugh for an entire simpsons episode was over. I still refuse to watch new ones as the show has been in a huge decline for about...6 years or so?

come on, 18 years on air ffs. all the ideas are the same or go back to allready done ones, and the writers are stuggling. And it's obvious. Just let the show die and forget the past few years of it; a show that now relies on celebrity appearances instead of a plot and most attempts at humour are so ham fisted and half assed....

King of the Hill all the way; a show that got better as it got older.

Maitreya

30-Jul-2007, 05:04 AM

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That's all I have to say.

Andy

31-Jul-2007, 01:41 AM

come on, 18 years on air ffs. all the ideas are the same or go back to allready done ones, and the writers are stuggling. And it's obvious. Just let the show die and forget the past few years of it; a show that now relies on celebrity appearances instead of a plot and most attempts at humour are so ham fisted and half assed....

While i do completly agree that the simpsons is long past its sell by date and needs to end as soon as.. i personally think they lost their way at the end of season 9.

While i do agree, i dont find family guy funny at all, i dont think its surpassed the simpsons and i dont think it ever will, i am a huge fan of "adult" cartoons from classics like beavis and butthead and ren and stimpy to modern stuff like south park.. but i dont like family guy, never have. the humour is repetive and unfunny and they just use pop culture, quick "single scene" jokes and "its like the time when..." jokes to the extreme.. take those 3 jokes away and family guy is nothing.

EvilNed

31-Jul-2007, 12:18 PM

That's all I have to say.

Yuck. Talk about taking it too far.

bassman

31-Jul-2007, 01:10 PM

I would prefer to watch "Family Guy" over "The Simpsons" anyday, but "The Simpsons Movie" was actually surprising. I laughed through most of it...

And to all you people complaining about "Family Guy" having certain jokes that are re-used such as the "It's like the time when...", take yourself back to when "The Simpsons" was young and think of these phrases, "Do'h", "Eat My Shorts", "Don't have a cow, man", "Hi Everydbody!", etc. These catch phrases were constantly reused in the height of the show's popularity(and some are still used) just to get a cheap chuckle.;)

MinionZombie

31-Jul-2007, 01:22 PM

But of course, The Simpson's used catch phrases, whereas with Family Guy it's repeated structural elements being used over and over again, and sometimes being used far too much...

bassman

31-Jul-2007, 01:32 PM

And "The Simpsons" wasn't using them too much? Some of the Simpsons catch phrases are still being used as jokes in the new movie.

I'm not trying to defend one show or another, but just saying that all shows have their reused jokes.

Andy

31-Jul-2007, 01:49 PM

And to all you people complaining about "Family Guy" having certain jokes that are re-used such as the "It's like the time when...", take yourself back to when "The Simpsons" was young and think of these phrases, "Do'h", "Eat My Shorts", "Don't have a cow, man", "Hi Everydbody!", etc. These catch phrases were constantly reused in the height of the show's popularity(and some are still used) just to get a cheap chuckle.;)

Actually out of all the catchphrases you posted there, if you go back and watch the early episodes their not used that often, probally the most used one there is D'oh! and that was used once or twice every other episode.

There's a difference between having caracter catchphrases (which almost EVERY tv show has) and using the same old tired jokes all the time, about 20 times every episode.

bassman

31-Jul-2007, 02:30 PM

Actually out of all the catchphrases you posted there, if you go back and watch the early episodes their not used that often, probally the most used one there is D'oh! and that was used once or twice every other episode.

There's a difference between having caracter catchphrases (which almost EVERY tv show has) and using the same old tired jokes all the time, about 20 times every episode.

Okay, fine. Scratch the catchphrases. Here's some more repetetive stuff that the simpsons purists tend to forget. And this is only a few...

Homer choking Bart, Lisa having a crush that never works out, Itchy & Scratchy, Kursty's commercials about the unhealthy food, etc etc