R&R Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire

[littlejamshed]

Fairly unremarakble, but deserves credit for history sakes if for nothing else.

Favourite line: A somewhat bemused Aunt Patty (I think) simply stating, "Watch your cartoon, dear"

[CaptainZero]

Rating:
4/5

Comments:
A great feel-good episode for the whole family. This episode made a nice debut for the Simpsons even though it was never meant to be aired first.

Favourite Quote:
"But he's a loser, he's pathetic, he's.. a simpson"

Other Memorable Moments:
- Bart getting pulled out of the choir group for singing the batman version of jingle bells
- Flanders christmas light display with mechanized santa.. Homer comments that its too bright
- Bart's tattoo - "wait a minute.. how old are you?", "21 sir", "get in the chair"
- Homer checking the readouts at the the plant "mmhmm... mmhmm... " etc.
- Bart's tattoo again - "ow.. quit it... ow.. quit it... ow.. quit it..."
- The whole santa training part hehe

[Spider Pig1]

2/5

[margesbluehair]

5/5
very good episode.homer and bart was funny.unfotunnally patty & selma.
I got a question why they're not here all the shorts so we can rate them.

[Kiyosuki]

It's the first, and even if it's mundane in comparison to what was to follow that's why I love it. It's the Simpsons at its most raw self. This is every one of the main family at their core, beneath all the Mr Plow, Bartman, Monorail Conductor, injuries, mooning, activism, gun toting babies...all of it. Springfield is just anywhere USA. It's only humor's in its ironies, and the overall tone's bleak, dark, but with a little ray of light buried in there somewhere. It's not what made the Simpsons perfect television for a while, and an institution later, but it's what got it noticed because this is its soul.

I have to very passionately disagree that this wasn't the perfect series opener, I think it was. Or at least it was good enough, thinking in terms of it opening up to a 20 year old show may be missing the point. To be so against the tides of the time...but at the same time with it, it had guts. They didn't know then this was going to lead to a pop-cultural institution. For all they knew it was going to be cancelled in five episodes...maybe right after, it was just a little cartoon with a lot to say. It set the tone for the whole series pretty nicely, even if it built itself up from it to become something pretty different... at this show's core it's this episode.

[Banquo]

I love it, well all the first season episodes really. The show felt more realistic and sincere and it was more about the family instead of the crazy plots they throw together these days. Also Homer was portrayed as being a somewhat goofy but loveable dad, instead of being completely retarded and constantly angry like he is today.

[Jesse Pinkman]

not that great of a first episode... i don't like many season 1 episodes, and this is no exception... i think this is the fewest amount of laughs i have had at an episode {i've always laughed at least once}

[hughes]

This is a pretty good episode, but since it's the first episode I cut it from slack. If this appeared at any other time, I wouldn't like it as much and would probably give it about a 9, but the fact that it was such a good introduction to the characters and a heartwarming way to introduce us to the characters gets it an 11/15

[Simpsonsfan1981]

I just watched this for the first time in years today and was somewhat shocked at the basic level of animation and dialogue in this episode -I understand that this was the very first episode and I'm not holding it against the show or anything but it was just a shock to see it after watching years of the more sophisticated animation and style of even the later classic seasons.

That having been said, I loved this episode because it captured the very heart, soul and essence of what the Simpsons used to represent during the classic era. It introduced the characters very well and it combined humor with a solid plot and had the right combination of wittiness and sentimentality to make it a worthwhile episode. It was a great introduction to what would turn out to be a great show.

[The Robot Devil]

4/5. I am going to be posting in every R&R for episodes.

[bartyboy]

The start of something wonderful. 4/5.

[Mt. Doom]

It started it all, so I gotta give it 5/5

[Nauru-1]

It's nice and encapsulates the Christmas spirit pretty well. Nothing spectacular here though. 3/5

[Duffless]

I agree with bartyboy. 4/5

[Bella Drape 'er]

heartwarming lovely Christmas episode, better than Christmas Stories and Kill Gil Vol 1 and 2. But not quite as good as Miracle On Evergreen Terrace.

Still a remarkable achievement for a first episode. 4/5

[SIR oinks alot]

One of the best pilot episodes next to the futurama one. it felt like an episode of a drama rather than a comedy.

5/5

[Quazie89]

A pretty good episode, but it's not one of my favorites. I'll give it a 4/5.

[KrustyBart]

Easily one of my faves 5/5 i watch this episode a bunch of times during the Chrismas holidays

[cinco]

I saw it when I was eleven on a French channel (dubbed) and it blew my mind. I found the Lisa-dance with the opened legs during the schoolplay disturbing, it looked like she was naked. The class full of phony santa clauses, the money problem of the Simpsons, Maggie falling in her starshaped jacket, Barts tattoo, the horse-races, drunken Barney... This was a new breed of cartoon and I was sold. The one that started it all...(5/5)

[Poo_and_Ass_were_taken]

As with most of Seasons 1 and 2 (moreso Season 1) the jokes are spread a little thinner because the characters and their personalities are still being introduced.

Seasons 1 and 2 often have a few more heartfelt moments too, as the writers and staff were probably still deciding whether to go full throttle with the comedy or have a mix of both.

Later in season 6 we see the return to this tradition.

SROAOF was a great opener to a series, because it did have the magic of BOTH The Simpsons and your average 30-minute Christmas TV special, which were popular in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

A nice 'get to know the Simpsons' episode, as it should be.


5/5

[Dylan]

Just caught this tonight, it's a pretty underrated episode, I found it to be really enjoyable, it's a nice storyline, has some good gags and a certain feel about it. 5/5

[mmahomer]

It's the first, and even if it's mundane in comparison to what was to follow that's why I love it. It's the Simpsons at its most raw self. This is every one of the main family at their core, beneath all the Mr Plow, Bartman, Monorail Conductor, injuries, mooning, activism, gun toting babies...all of it. Springfield is just anywhere USA. It's only humor's in its ironies, and the overall tone's bleak, dark, but with a little ray of light buried in there somewhere. It's not what made the Simpsons perfect television for a while, and an institution later, but it's what got it noticed because this is its soul.

I have to very passionately disagree that this wasn't the perfect series opener, I think it was. Or at least it was good enough, thinking in terms of it opening up to a 20 year old show may be missing the point. To be so against the tides of the time...but at the same time with it, it had guts. They didn't know then this was going to lead to a pop-cultural institution. For all they knew it was going to be cancelled in five episodes...maybe right after, it was just a little cartoon with a lot to say. It set the tone for the whole series pretty nicely, even if it built itself up from it to become something pretty different... at this show's core it's this episode.

I agree with this. The show had to open somehow, and the writers opened it in spectacular fashion, even if this episode may not be as... amusing as others.

[the secret code]

I finally bought the first season, so it is like I am experiencing it for the first time, apart from when sometimes they play it on TV.

3/5 - C+

The highest three out of five it can get, but I just don't think that it deserves to get any higher. It isn't that there is too much wrong with the episode, it is just that the episode doesn't leave much of an impression, apart from it being the "first" episode.

[troymclure17]

7/10: Ahh, the episode that started it all. (Well, not really but I’ll get to that later) So, we start out with Homer and Marge going to Springfield Elementary Christmas Pageant. Like most season one episodes, there’s not many laughs. Yet this episode presents a lot of good introductions. Bart singing Jingle Bells, Marge’s Christmas letter, Lisa defending her Homer when Selma insults him, Homer and the Christmas lights, etc. We also get the first appearance of Flanders, Skinner, Mr. Largo, Millhouse, Mr. Burns, Moe, Barney, and many other characters that would become Springfield favorites in the future. As the episode goes on, “the money in the jar” has been spent to remove a tattoo via lasers (Ow! Quit it!) and Homer gets no Christmas bonus, and the Simpsons are screwed on Christmas. But only Homer knows this and gets a job as a department store Santa to attempt to save Christmas. Through a long series of events ending at a dog track, Homer does in fact save Christmas by bringing home the Simpsons new dog Santa’s Little Helper. So, to sum it all up this episode is hard to really judge. There’s not many laughs, the animation is crude, the voices are off; and yet this is a holiday classic. But as I said before, this episode gives a great introduction to the Simpson family, and to a lesser extent the world of Springfield.

[alifan]

its an ok episode but its not very funny and the animation especialy on the moths is a bit weird 4/5

[merzitar]

Hard decision to choose out of 2 or 3. .. I'd say 2.5/5 so let's just go for a 2/5.

I like this episode. It's a good way to introduce the family. I don't like it as much as I once did becuase when I first got Season 1 on DVD, I watched it to death, so I've seen the episode alot. I still like it alot though.

[Comicshow MolemanBob]

(This is the first of many Simpsons reviews I will be doing)

Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire

So this is the episode that starts them all. I thought this was a very good episode they did well at turning 1 minute shorts into a full twenty minute episode. It started off OK got better in the middle and then sort of got better towards the end. This is the first episode so it's not going to be up there with the best seasons (Season 3,5 and 8) but it was mildly entertaining. There were hardly any (if none) Laugh of loud moments but the plot was good and a very character driven episode.

Score: B-, 3.5/5, 7/10, Good

[The Wiggs]

4/5. Pretty good way to start one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.

[iambobdole1]

I found the Lisa-dance with the opened legs during the schoolplay disturbing, it looked like she was naked.

That was pretty weird.

Anyway, I think it was a great premier episode, with a lot of heart. Also, the kids singing fake lyrics to Rudolph over the credits is hilarious. 4/5

[Cracko Racko]

4/5