R&R Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire

[Kiyosuki]

I came across this review from this past december on Roasting, and it's actually really eloquently put. It reflects a lot of how I feel about this one, but also the perspective of where the Simpsons has gone vs. what it started out as and arguably what put it on the map.


And I definitely agree with him, the thing should be treated like Charlie Brown's Christmas special no matter how old it is.

http://www.acartoonchristmas.com/201...-an-open-fire/

[Veganpunk]

5/5

It's the first. I remember watching this the night it aired. The humor is spot on. As a 10 year old kid I could relate The Simpsons with my family. It's an episode that I watch every year around Christmas with my wife and two kids now. A very sweet, funny, and heartwarming Simpsons.

[LittleMissLisaSimpson]

One on the best christmas episodes of The Simpsons I've seen and a really great start to season 1. I always watch this at Christmas Time. A Holiday Classic! 5/5

[Blobulle]

Can someone delete this post ?

[Blobulle]

I decided to translate all my critics.

For the first episode of the Simpsons I found it really sad ! A good start, I quickly become accustomed to the drawings and the voice of Homer, but when he begins to lose hope for a good Christmas with his family it becomes very sad ! But we learned why the dog is called Santa's Little Helper and how the Simpsons met him... 12/20 => 3/5

[irvine_11]

Revisited this episode not too long ago and have to say it's really underrated. A very touching start to a groundbreaking series. 5/5 (A-)

[Bleedin' Gums Murphy]

Superb and not only is it heartwarming but it has some classic lines i.e The Lisa and Selma exchanged. 9/10!

[heavymetallover]

A great episode, especially considering it is more than 20 years old. Very fluid and funny.

Grade: 9/10

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

I came across this review from this past december on Roasting, and it's actually really eloquently put. It reflects a lot of how I feel about this one, but also the perspective of where the Simpsons has gone vs. what it started out as and arguably what put it on the map.


And I definitely agree with him, the thing should be treated like Charlie Brown's Christmas special no matter how old it is.

http://www.acartoonchristmas.com/201...-an-open-fire/

What ruthless language.

5/5.

Would be 4/5 but I'm feeling nostalgic.

[Toomanygrandmas]

- This episode's got spirit. Christmas spirit. -

Ah, 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire', what a significant episode. Not only is this episode significant being the season-opener, but is significant of course, being the first ever episode of the show. Previous to watching it yesterday, I hadn't seen this or anything else from Season 1 in a long, long time. Now is the time to give the whole season another watch, and where else to start, but the very beginning.

Like the rest of the first season, 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire' has a pretty simple premise, but it is an effective one. It's a Christmas episode, which are usually a treat to watch. Also, like numerous other Christmas episodes ('Marge Be Not Proud', 'Miracle on Evergreen Terrace'), it is a farily dark and depressing one - but does have a happy ending (something 'Miracle on Evergreen Terrace' unfortunately lacks). This episode does have a very Christmassy feel to it, more than any other Christmas episode. The whole build up to Christmas, the shopping for presents. It just gives you the warm fuzzy feeling of Christmas, but still manages to blend well with the dark tones of Homer being unable to provide for his family, despite his best efforts. Another thing unique to this episode, other than the Christmas feel to it is the pilot-feel to this. What I mean is that this episode is interesting to watch, as it feels detatched from the rest of the show. Firstly, we have a lack of opening credits and all that, and only hear what would soon become a very famous tv theme a few times through the episode. Secondly (though this could apply more to the whole of Season 1), it is interesting to see how different the characters and locations were back then. Barney didn't seem like a drunken loser yet. Burn's office was much brighter and smaller. Ralph and Todd sound much different. Whilst these differences are interesting to see, they feel kind of weird to someone like me who hasn't watched the show since it was first broadcast. It's an issue that can't really be helped, since the show was still developing, but it sort of bugs me nonetheless. Also, as with Season 1 you have your animation and voice issue stuff, but it's forgiveable - the show has to start somewhere. Though I don't remember Season 1 being very funny, there were some reasonable amusing moments in this episode, so that was nice. There's only one other thing I have to say about this episode, which is probably its only main fault. The problem is that the ending, and some other parts of the episode felt corny and cliched. Sometimes the episode was parodying Christmas specials, through the voice of Bart. Yet at other times - especially the ending - it felt like it was being the very thing it earlier was parodying. Still, the emotion in the episode was in the right place, so I can't really criticise it too much.

In conclusion, 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire' is a good episode, a good season-opener and a good beginning to what would become a legendary tv show. It has its faults, like corniness at times and other issues that damage Season 1, and it isn't my favourite Christmas episode (no prizes for guessing which is, considering that I never shut up about it), but this still is a good episode. It has heart, and it has a real Chirstmas feel to it.

+ The most Christmassy Christmas episode
+ Nice emotional scenes
+ Has nostalgic value, for what it is
- Gets corny
- Suffers from issues other episodes of the time face, yadda, yadda

4/5

7.5/10

[Cam23]

What's to dislike?A great episode and the start of "the magic".

[Prune Tracy]

First time I saw this episode was last Sunday. I was looking through my DVD collection and found a Simpsons Christmas specials DVD that I had forgotten all about. I then remembered that I never saw this episode before, so I thought, "Aw, what the heck."

I'm so glad I decided to pop that DVD in. What an amazing way to start off a brilliant series. Season 1 or not, this episode is a masterpiece. The story is just so real and even touching. Homer's "He's a Simpson" line is now one of my favourites in the entire series. Absolutely no flaws, and without cutting slack for being the first episode, 5/5.

[Veganpunk]

I find humor in the fact that the first spoken line of the first episode is “Oh, careful Homer.” The episode starts out at the Springfield Elementary Christmas pageant. Here we get to see the infamous “Lisa Simpson as Tawonga the Santa Claus of the South Seas.” Bart makes an appearance for the now classic Batman version of Jingle Bells.
We then cut to the family in the living room, getting ready for Christmas. Bart and Lisa are writing their letters to Santa, Homer is fighting the Christmas lights, and Marge is writing a letter to the extended family. Marge’s line “Bart, well….. we love Bart.” always cracks me up. We are shown, through a phone call from Patty and Selma that they don’t get along with Homer at all. The scene when Homer turns on the Christmas lights, only to be out done by Ned Flanders sets up their relationship for the show.
Bart, Marge and Lisa go to the mall to buy Christmas presents. Bart gets a tattoo, that should read Mother, but before it’s finished, Marge yanks him out. She has to spend the Christmas present money to get the “moth” tattoo removed. Meanwhile at the Power Plant, we are shown that Homer isn’t the model worker, and learn that the employees won’t be getting their Christmas bonus. When Homer finds about the tattoo removal, Dan delivers the hilarious line: “Oh, it’s true the jar is empty. Oh my God, were screwed. Christmas is cancelled.”
To cover up the fact that they have no Christmas money, Homer offers to do the Christmas shopping. He goes to the Circus of Values, where “nothing is over $5.00. On his way out, he literally bumps into Flanders, and we are reminded again of how much more Flanders life seems better than the Homers. Homer goes to Moe’s, where he runs into Barney, who gives him the ideal to become a mall Santa. The whole scene where Homer is in Santa school is full of laughs.
Homer comes home late from his second job to find Patty and Selma in his house. They taunt him about not having a Christmas tree, so he runs out to buy one. He drives a long time, passing tree lots that are too expensive, only to reach a private forest where he cuts down his own tree.
We cut back to the mall, where Bart is dared by Milhouse to pull off Santa’s beard. When Bart realizes its Homer, and why Homer is doing it, he shows respect and admiration for his dad. Homer gets his check, which ends up only being 13 dollars. Barney and Bart talk Homer into going to the dog track. Bart delivers his famous line “If TV has thought me anything, it’s that miracles always happen to poor kids at Christmas.”
At the racetrack, instead of betting on the sure thing “Whirlwind”, Homer bids on the late entry “Santa’s Little Helper”. Back at the house, Patty and Selma are badmouthing Homer. Even though throughout the episode, Lisa is shown to be a normal 8 year old, she turns to them and defends her dad, using words that most 8 year olds would not know. (She even points this fact out in her rant to defend her dad.)
Santa’s Little Helper comes in last at the races, causing Bart and Homer to look for a winning ticket in the parking lot. Santa’s Little Helpers’ owner lets him go, and he runs and jumps into Homer’s arms. Bart wants to keep him, and Homer delivers one of my all-time favorite lines of the show: “But he’s a loser. He’s pathetic. He’s……a Simpson.”
They come back home, and Homer starts to tell everyone about how Christmas is ruined, but nobody pays him any attention once they see Santa’s Little Helper. As the credits scroll, the Simpson family is gathered around the piano, singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, with Bart and Lisa adding in extra words.

This episode has everything that makes The Simpsons so special. The jokes are subtle and plenty, the plot is fleshed out, and it has heart. You really feel for Homer throughout the whole episode. Homer is shown to be a caring (yet not too bright) father and husband, who will go to any lengths (the second job, the Christmas tree) to provide for his family. Most of the humor lies in the fact that the family is just a normal, middle class family that struggles through day to day life, and the jokes are delivered in quick dialogue. Bart and Homer’s relationship is interesting in this episode. Homer is quick to anger at Bart, and Bart is shown to not really respect his father, until the Mall Santa scene. Even until the end of the episode, Bart is the only family member that really knows what Homer went through to some extent.
I saw this episode on the original airing, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s gone down in history as being one of those must watch Christmas shows (i.e. Charlie Brown, Christmas Vacation, Christmas Story) every year. There will be many more episodes that will come out later that were overall better, (more jokes) but there isn’t much wrong with “Roasting.” And it is a very strong pilot episode.

90%
9 out of 10.

[Homer the Vigilante]

First time I saw this episode was last Sunday. I was looking through my DVD collection and found a Simpsons Christmas specials DVD that I had forgotten all about. I then remembered that I never saw this episode before, so I thought, "Aw, what the heck."

I'm so glad I decided to pop that DVD in. What an amazing way to start off a brilliant series. Season 1 or not, this episode is a masterpiece. The story is just so real and even touching. Homer's "He's a Simpson" line is now one of my favourites in the entire series. Absolutely no flaws, and without cutting slack for being the first episode, 5/5.

What the fuck are you talking about? Season 1 is great.

[Prune Tracy]

What the fuck are you talking about? Season 1 is great.

Yeah, but some others don't think so. And sometimes people rate episodes higher just because they're the first episode. I'm saying that this episode doesn't need that kind of boost.

[Unckie Herb]

5/5

[The Angry Animated Comedy Nerd]

I love it, what else can I say.

[IloveToGetBlotto]

Fantastic episode! 5/5! Back when the simpsons had real problems! Man i really hate the new seasons Cant even watch them tbh.

[db105]

Not the funniest episode, although it has its good moments, but it makes up for it by having a lot of heart. Great character work and storyline. I love how it manages to satirize heartwarming Christmas shows (through Bart's expectations, based on Christmas cliches, which invariably end up in disappointments) but all the same eventually becomes a touching and heartwarming Christmas story in an unexpected way. The tension between Homer and Marge's sisters is great too. A classic.

Grade: A

[Tubbb!]

I am bumping this thread today because FOX (in the US) will be re-airing this episode as a part of their 25th Anniversary tonight.
I watched it when it first aired as a bright-eyed preteen, and I'll be watching tonight as a cynical old jackass.

Who wants to speculate if FOX will butcher this episode for tonight's airing? If they have any decency, they'll leave it intact.
We'll see....

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

But it's not Christmas!!

[parklife]

seems bizarre to air this tonight for that very reason

[Tubbb!]

But it's not Christmas!!

Does anything FOX ever do have rhyme or reason? (TOH episodes in November, for example.)
Personally, I'd rather see an episode of The Tracey Ullman Show... but I'll take SROAOF and the 25th Anniversary Special over having to sit through the usual Seth McDouchebag circle jerk.

They're also airing the Married With Children pilot tonight.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

That Married With Children pilot will likely be the only thing I watch.

[Mr. Trampopoline]

Since nobody's talking about it, I might as well alert somebody with this for posterity:

Tonight, at the end of the third act, before the commercials, there was a message (with the font and background from "At Long Last Leave") that said something to the effect of...

"Happy 25th Anniversary FOX! We Still Love You*.

*Expect FOX News"

Don't quote on me on that exact wording though, I don't have a recording/screenshot handy on me.

[Mozy]

They sure don't make them like they used to!

[Homer Defined]

Watching this again on FOX tonight, I had forgotten how much humor was tied into what was a heartwarming Christmas story. I'm glad out of a case of animation mishaps, this ended up being picked as the series premiere over Some Enchanted Evening it was a great start to what would become a great series. 9/10

[Tubbb!]

Don't quote on me on that exact wording though, I don't have a recording/screenshot handy on me.

Here you go.

I'll say that it was nice to see it again on broadcast TV. I refuse to rate the classic episodes, because I can't rate something that I've lived with for 20+ years without giving it a biased 5/5... looking at that world with rose colored glasses and all as I do.

I will say this, the line that Marge screams in the mall ("Where's that Bart!") always manages to make me cringe / giggle. I don't know why, but it does.

Also this:
Patty: It's almost nine o'clock.
Selma: Where is Homer anyway?
Patty: It's so typical of the big doofus to spoil it all.
Lisa: What, Aunt Patty?
Patty: Oh nothing, dear. I'm just trashing your father.
Lisa: Well, I wish that you wouldn't. Because, aside from the fact that he has the same frailties as all human beings, he's the only father I have. Therefore, he is my model of manhood, and my estimation of him will govern the prospects of my adult relationships. So I hope you bear in mind that any knock at him is a knock at me. And I am far too young to defend myself against such onslaughts.

Patty: Mm hm. Go watch your cartoon show, dear.

I miss that kind of exchange.

...over having to sit through the usual Seth McDouchebag circle jerk.

I see there was an entire segment right at the top of the anniversary special dedicated to him. FOX never fails to fail me.

[Zombies Rise from the Sea]

Well... Since it aired during a part of Fox's 25th Anniversary, might as well review it right?


Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

Who can dispute The Simpsons place as one of animations finest series (before Season 10 that is)? It was beautifully animated, it took risks with it's humor, it was funny, it had references you had to look up to get, it had repeatability, it had appeal and it won awards but of course even one of the finest series has to start somewhere and this is where this episode comes in which is oddly enough, a Christmas special and the first of many that the show would do. Now this episode is not the first produced, no this is the 8th episode produced; it was just pushed because the fledgling Fox network needed something from the Simpsons to air. (they just can't sit on the Simpsons and let that go to waste) It's funny, this episode doesn't feel like it's a pilot yet introduces a majority of the stuff that the series would be known for.

Now I know of some common complaints that plague this episode; bad animation, somewhat schmaltzy at times, suffers from flaws like awkward plotting and characterization (seems to be usual Season 1 stuff) hasn't exactly found it's grounding yet but when you're looking at it from a general standpoint, you find that the flaws actually enhance the product; make it what it is much like "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown". The supposedly bad animation actually gives the product charm and appeal (personally I like the animation, I think it's a decent example of what The Simpsons can do at the time though they could do better), the characterization helps to weigh down the special and the overall moral of the story is the most important thing the special has going on; flaws are seen as bad by many people but they can make a thing good, just all those little technical quirks and all those little mistakes. I'm not saying that this special is 100% perfect, I mean I have to agree that it doesn't really hit it's stride and compared to later Season 1 episodes there are a lot of things they could of been done better, (especially the humor but I contend that it wasn't meant to be humorous and there are some scenes which show a hint of satire and parody, scenes which are a hint of what's to come.) I mean they could of paced the thing better and keep the momentum going but as a product of it's time and as a Christmas special. It's 95% perfect.

The seeds of what would become the Simpsons are planted here, (they were planted on the sketches for the Tracy Ullman Show but you get a clearer picture on how they'll effect the series) the world, the characters, everything... Our first introduction to the world of Springfield is a one that has us in shock, mainly because of the then general perception that any animated world has to be wacky and zany or at least Disney-like (well, maybe a few of these worlds aren't zany but still.); we're expecting a world that's like those worlds but instead we get a world that's like our own, with bars and malls and stores and even down ridden areas with a sense of life brought upon by the various people who inhabit Springfield; It becomes clear within a few seconds that this isn't some animated world created by people, this is a real living world that would come to define The Simpsons; there isn't much of Springfield shown but even though the taste may be small and while we would of liked to see more of Springfield, the impact of the world will always remain with us; that and the fact that more of Springfield will be revealed later on.

In the town of Springfield lies the family from which the series gets it's name from, "The Simpsons"; if you researched the TV series just a bit or even walked around your neighborhood, you probably know who these characters are so let me just say that this is our first introduction to America's favorite family... They aren't as developed as the later times but they manage to instantly set themselves out from the crowd of what could be considered the sitcom characters of yesteryear by being dynamic and sensible; they weren't characters who let their roles define them or who constantly spoke their words in a way that made the studio audience laugh, no... they were people who let their personalities and actions speak for themselves. Watching Lisa (she isn't as defined as she'd be in later seasons but I'd say she's got personality) during a scene as she cheers at the Christmas special is a example of that personality, it just shows her happiness and excitement especially in contrast to everyone around them. It's nice to see characters that were just like us at the time; really gave the people something they could ultimately reflect upon in their lives and proved to TV that sitcom characters don't need to follow a specific formula to be good. We also get our introduction to a couple of the Simpsons family and relatives (this is the first episode that Patty & Selma are introduced in) and they're treated as just that, family and relatives; they're aren't given a big part but we do get a sense of their personalities and their relations to the characters and they play a respectable part in defining the Simpsons family mechanic as a whole.

Christmas specials have usually been smalty, pandering, hope filled stuff; you think this special would be the same but what this episode does is take that and turns it on it's ear, providing the exact opposite of what those specials are supposed to do and building a basis for the series as a whole; one of the things that provide that basis is the class differences between The Simpsons and other families in that The Simpsons aren't exactly rich, they're middle-class, really poor middle-class to be precise. Christmas for a poor-middle class family is a different thing, I mean Christmas is usually a time for joy, a time for extravagance and presents, a time for togetherness; to provide a perfect Christmas (which every person thinks of) is tough, especially for the father. It's a frightening thought when someone is unable to provide the perfect Christmas considering the spontaneity of life and it's even more frightening when you have to go to low depths just to try to provide the perfect Christmas, compared to people opposite to you who easily have the things necessary to provide a perfect Christmas. (which is a running point throughout the episode) The people behind the Simpsons understand the fears and they use it to their advantage to create the plot that would drive the special and provide an underlining meaning to Christmas as a whole.

Putting Homer in the shoes of a person who wants to provide Christmas was one of the greatest ideas the writers have ever had and one of the defining points of the episode, (keep in mind that this was during the time when Homer was the voice of reason, before he was changed to a illogical person and after that an opus jerk.) Homer has always been the one to provide a perfect something to anything, even though he fails; sure, not everything has to be perfect but can you really blame him for just wanting the best for his family? Because of that, he's the perfect person to focus the majority of the Christmas special on. Much of the second and third acts provide the best scenes of the special because through these acts we see Homer as a caring person that can hold on to the smallest amount of hope, even through the worst of times and even when he has lost hope himself... it reveals a lot about Homer's character really, many times we assume him to be a person who doesn't like kids and only cares about slacking off but to see him actually conversing with kids, to see him so determined and hopeful, to even see him sweetly bond with Bart (which he rarely does) over a common issue like Christmas tells us about the true Homer, the one who's hidden underneath those piles of fat. It's just so compelling to see him forced in the situation where he has to provide the perfect Christmas, (the situation and overall story may be sitcommish but they did it in a way that's sensible and charming, charming enough to negate the complaint.) seeing him to the lowest of depths just so he can hopefully provide his family with a perfect (or at least the best possible) Christmas, that alone ties the whole room together.

If there's one thing this special is known for, it's the seemingly realistic and downtrodden take on the whole miracle and Christmas spirit thing; TV has always been the place where miracles roamed and everything seemed to work out in the end, to have a TV show just shove realism in your face with images of low paychecks and disappointment contrasted with mentions of hopes and miracles on Christmas is shocking and depressing (depending on which side of the fence you're on), especially on a medium we use to escape reality. It makes you think whether or not this is a true TV Christmas special if they show the grounded truth behind Christmas and the disappointments behind it; I mean are TV specials really meant to make you happy in the end? are they supposed to show the turmoils of life when it comes to Christmas? Personally I'd like to think that it's something that make it different from other Christmas specials, something that helps enhance the sensibility the world has and something that gives our characters a certain something that makes them feel relatable; plus I feel that it's not ultimately all doom and gloom, the entire thing works up to a point where they're at the lowest they can be and then out of nowhere, a miracle comes in; not a big miracle but a miracle that we've all come to know and love. Everybody believes that miracles are supposed to be these big things that resolve everything, they perceive the best miracles to be the ones that are grand when in actuality the best miracles are usually the small ones that make us all happy in the end. So all that doom and gloom teaches us something in the end; it's not about finding that perfect Christmas, it's about taking advantage of and making the best of what you have and being thankful for the small miracles that do pop up.

In the long line of Christmas specials, there will always be classics, middle of the road affiars and stinkers. "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" is yet another one in that long line but it is a classic, mainly for it's skewered take on Christmas and it's sensible take on miracles like "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown" before it; this special is genre-defying in that it takes all known conventions and turns it on it's ear, creating something that's may initially shock people but in the end, truly create something that'll bring people closer together. Sure, it has it's flaws but those flaws bring out the best of the special, making it a timeless classic in the books of time. As a Christmas special, this is one you'll want to gather the family around to watch; as a Simpsons episode, it's a really good first impression to what would be a fantastic animated series. (ignoring Season 10 and above) Our first taste to everything is as good as we'd imagine and even though it's not developed as much as we'd like, they successfully set the basis for what would be further development throughout the series; the main focus of this special is Homer and while he may not be the same person he was in Season 8, he manages to pull off the impossible and provide us with an impressive performance that makes us follow him every step in the way as he is faced with constant obstacles; making him the very thing that drives this special. It's close to being a Simpsons classic though but some flaws hold it back; nonetheless this is groundbreaking and the success of the special told the public and FOX execs. "we're here, we're different, get used to us.", a pretty bold statement in the late 80's/early 90's and one that still stands today. (if not for the impact of it)

9.0/10

[Septimus Singus]

Brilliant start. 5/5