# How'd You Like Futurama/Simpsons Sunday Night? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 19, 2001, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138 "2001-02-19T23:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2001, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/21 "2001-02-21T02:03:44Z")
Some of these older episodes…it’s just random stuff happening. Like the one with the horse, Duncan…its practically a random flow of conciousness. And the characters can be such smartasses now. And MENSA…it had a few good moments. Well, the last one with Stephen Hawking punching out Homer. 🙂 other than that though…flat. Like old cola. Maybe the Simpsons IS like old flat soda. I mean…perhaps it is time to call it an end? ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/22 "2001-02-21T13:57:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny Angel \* > \*\ ***pldennison** wrote: > > > [@](#): > > > > Is it really so unimaginable to you that some of us actually think the new episodes really are not entertaining? > > Not at all. Nor is it unimaginable that the old episodes would look just as bad if you brought such harsh expections to bear on them.\*\* But I watch the old episodes now, and they’re still funny. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so. I mean, I’m fully capable of the synrome you describe–I can barely watch any old movie with Robin Williams now, considering how much I’ve grown to hate him. But whereas I find many of the old “Simpsons” episodes still gut-bustingly funny, the last 2 or 2-1/2 seasons just don’t do it for me. > [@](#): > > That the Tennis episode is unstructured is a reasonable complaint, except in light of the fact that The Simpsons has been very loose with structure for a long time. Yeaaaahhh . . . that kind of plays into my complaint. > [@](#): > > When it does have structure, it seems tacked on, to give the show some semblance of sitcom plot arc. Personally, the more sitcom-like an episode is, the less I like it. I disagree completely. Nearly **all** of the episodes in the first three or four seasons maintained that structure and were some of the funniest in the bunch. > [@](#): > > There’s nothing new about the opening having nothing to do with the rest of the episode. They kick off each story with a McGuffin that is sometimes wildly misleading. But it didn’t used to be . . . the kickoff often was both the setup for the main plot as well as a subplot which was equally entertaining. The show has appeared to rely on increasingly “wacky” plots (the Spring Break/alligator episode was the absolute worst I have ever seen) and macabre humor, which IMO have been for the worst. > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Seasons 9 and 10 are in syndication now, and when I happen to catch them, nope, still not laughing, with rare exceptions. > > Holy crap. You didn’t like the Movementarians? The Play Date? The NRA episode? The retirement grease? The rat milk? The Mensa episoe? Those are nearly all Season 9, which I said actually had some real gems. The rat milk was from Season 10, and aside from the sci-fi convention, that was the **only** funny thing in the episode. The MENSA episode was so-so (except for “How many gazebos do those shemales need?”), but the play date was one of the best in a loooooong time, as was the NRA. I also disagree with you about “King of the Hill.” It manages to be funny despite the formulaity; and Dale Gribble and Bill Dauterive are about as funny as any characters you’ll find anyway. (Last week’s “Hank, if you’re steering, _who is taking off your shirt_?” quip had me rolling.) Oh yeah, more about “Futurama”: Not only was Nibbler rescued by the crew on Vergon 6, his species supposedly was responsible for excreting the dark matter (each pound of which weighs over 10,000 pounds) that the planet was famous for. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/23 "2001-02-21T14:40:54Z")
Re: King of the Hill: whatever happened to Luanne? Did I miss something? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/24 "2001-02-22T03:43:14Z")
Ah, little Nibbler. Your ways always astound and bedazzle us. 😛 I agree…a lot of these eps \*\* are \*\* weird things happening. In the old days, the beginning would be weird but it would start things off, get them rolling. Now its that- on a much greater and wackier scale. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2001, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/25 "2001-02-22T10:05:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tengu \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by betenoir \* > > **if it had been cancelled I would never have gotten to see the comic book guy in bed with Edna Skinner.** > > Agnes Skinner (‘It means “Lamb of God”!’). Edna is _Mrs Krabapple_’s last name. > > \*\* That’s \* Ms.\* Krabapple. Everybody knows she’s not married, for God’s sake! OK, I’m just trying to recoup some credibility after getting Agnes’s name wrong…\. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2001, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/26 "2001-02-22T20:44:15Z")
Honey I think she _is_ married. I remember one episode in which she was bitter because her husband left her. Or was that Ms. Hoover…and the kids all call her Mrs. Krabbapel, don’t they? I’ll check snpp. It’s okay. I feel bad too. I should have caught your error, but I didn’t. Damnit, Agnes, Agnes, Agnes! ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/27 "2001-02-26T16:53:01Z")
I had to resurrect this thread to say that the Comic Book Store guy dressed up like the Flash made me laugh out loud for 5 minutes. Oh, and I got the Join the Navy message the first time they flashed it on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/28 "2001-02-26T17:38:48Z")
Yvan Eht Nioj!! ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/29 "2001-02-26T17:57:12Z")
This week’s **King of the Hill** was the best episode I’ve _ever_ seen. Snoop just brought it home! ---
**Author:** ![Tretiak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Tretiak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tretiak)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/30 "2001-02-26T18:01:04Z")
I was all prepared to say N’Sync N’Sucked, but I actually thought it was a pretty funny episode. I half-agree with the criticism that it is not as funny as it used to be. I just seem to recall a lot of episodes I thought were bad when I first sayw them are now among my favorites. The one that comes to my mind is “Bart vs. Australia”, I hated it the first time but love it everytime I see it now. ---
**Author:** ![AETBOND417](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@AETBOND417](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AETBOND417)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2001, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/31 "2001-02-26T23:27:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \* > \*\*This week’s **King of the Hill** was the best episode I’ve _ever_ seen. Snoop just brought it home! \*\* I missed it. ☹ Are you saying Snoop Dogg was in it? If so, then I really wish I had seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2001, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/32 "2001-02-27T00:22:49Z")
I’ve been singing “Yvan eht nioj” all day. A catchy tune, that was! The Simpsons was especially good last night. And I, too, thought it was gonna suck because of N’Sync–but it didn’t. I loved what the voice synthesizer thingie did to Ralph’s voice! King of the Hill was good, but Fututrama was on the lame side. Oh well. Love Malcolm, as usual. “I’m…one…procedure…away…from…a…Range…Rover” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2001, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/33 "2001-02-27T00:54:27Z")
I agree wholeheartedly with **Phil** once again (what _is_ the world coming to?), particularly with regard to the Spring Break/alligator episode of _The Simpsons_. That has to be once of the most poorly written, poorly plotted, poorly conceived episodes of any once-great television series that I’ve ever seen. (With the exception, of course, of most of the Falsone/Ballard/Gharty arcs in _Homicide_.) At least the elf jockey episode, while bizarre, at least did a reasonable job of poking fun at itself. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138/34 "2001-03-02T14:17:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AETBOND417 \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by JuanitaTech \* > > \*\*This week’s **King of the Hill** was the best episode I’ve _ever_ seen. Snoop just brought it home! \*\* > > I missed it. ☹ Are you saying Snoop Dogg was in it? If so, then I really wish I had seen it. \*\* Not only did **King of the Hill** guest star Snoop, but he was a _pimp_! …And his name was Alabaster something-or-other! It was a riot! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/howd-you-like-futurama-simpsons-sunday-night/55138.md?page=1)