The General Discussion Lounge

[Drunk Barney]

What's all this talk about Matt Selman being showrunner? I keep seeing snippets of talk about it. Am I missing something?

[brody]

Selman's name is the one that seems to pop up the most. Although I wouldn't hold my breath, seeing as Jean has found a niche.

[Charlie]

I doubt he'll ever become sole showrunner, but at the moment he and Maxtone-Graham are Executive Producers with Jean, but Jean still has the most input into the show (<-- just wanted to clear that bit up as to not have another incident like at KLS, eh TFD? :P)

[Nebuchanezzar]

Selman's the strongest writer on the crew at the moment, and always seems to have a habit of making episodes that are funnier, cleverer, better and more akin to the general style of The Simpsons than anyone else. I'd certainly prefer someone new to take over the job rather than someone old. It's hard to remain fresh for too long. Jean's done a great job (it always needs to be said), but he has turned the show a bit stale. Selman would no doubt inject new life into the series.

[Homer Gumble]

Who's Duffman Working for?

i don't know.

[futuramagirl]

Ummm Isn't he working for Duff?

[Postmaster]

I imagine Selman would have been offered the oppurtunity by now, but listening to him on the commentaries, he doesn't come across as the most confident or assertive guy, so even though he may have the most consistent record of all the current writers, that doesn't necessarily mean he's best to be running the entire show. I suppose Oakley & Weinstein aren't the most assertive of people either, but at least there's two of them.

[Homer Gumble]

Ummm Isn't he working for Duff?

Now i know,It Was the Guy From the episode when homer Almost killed himself. he were hungry and they moved him to the baseball Stadium. Duffman Beat Him in the End!

But What is That Guys Name?

[Mr Black]

Get the season 11 and 12 episode guide mate, it's got all the information.

[Homer Gumble]

Get the season 11 and 12 episode guide mate, it's got all the information.

Thanks!

[grissom]

Hmmm, spotted a wrong answer on my Simpsons daily trivia calendar today. The question is:
"In 'Skinner's Sense of Snow', during a flashback to when he was in Vietnam, Skinner recalls how one of his men wanted to escape while their guards were doing what?"

And the answers are:
A. Polishing silverware
B. Planning to open Pho restaurants after the war
C. Partying with Jane Fonda
D. Watching "Gilligan's Island"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm 99% sure that the right answer is C. The calendar says it's D.

[DumHonkey]

I think the calendars wrong.

[Nebuchanezzar]

I imagine Selman would have been offered the oppurtunity by now, but listening to him on the commentaries, he doesn't come across as the most confident or assertive guy, so even though he may have the most consistent record of all the current writers, that doesn't necessarily mean he's best to be running the entire show. I suppose Oakley & Weinstein aren't the most assertive of people either, but at least there's two of them.

The same could have been said for Mike Scully. For all of his faults, he left a definative mark on the show in his style, and definately moulded the show around his style woth assertiveness.

But so long as it ain't Ian Maxtone-Graham.

[Postmaster]

No I think Scully seems quite a relaxed and witty guy, he makes some funny jokes in the commentaries, even though he decided he wasn't very good at it, he made his start in standup as well.
So in that sense he was good, but he doesn't seem like he's as organised and pays as much attention to detail as O&W.

Of course I am now making huge judgments about people I've never met. here.

[Nebuchanezzar]

I haven't got season 9 yet, so I'm only basing what I said off commentaries and interviews and stuff. In something like Lisa on Ice or Lisa's Rival, he seems very quiet and even a little shy at times. Maybe its because Groening and Mirkin never give anyone else a chance when they're together.

[Imperciph]

Groening and Mirkin are my favorite pairing on commentaries. Of course, all of them great. Bill and Josh are very informative and come off as being very earnest and honest about their work while Jean, even though somewhat dry compared to others, is always full off never-heard tidbits and anecdotes and Reiss is genuinely hilarious and sincere. But Groening and Mirkin together always make for the liveliest commentaries : their chmeistry is awesome and each of their respective style of humour and vision of the show complement each other very well.

From what I've seen of Mike Scully, he comes off as a genuinely nice guy who is funny at times.

And though it probably is an incredibly blanket statement to make, from the commentaries I've concluded that Oakley and Weinstein were the most organised and experimental of all showrunners while Mirkin was the most assertive and used flexible reality with greater proficiency. The strong emotional core. I also feel that out of Jean and Reiss, Jean excels in character-based humour while Reiss excels in gag-based humour. (though that can be concluded from the consistency of character-based humour while the unevenness of wackier gags of the solo Jean era).

[Charlie]

Hmmm, spotted a wrong answer on my Simpsons daily trivia calendar today. The question is:
"In 'Skinner's Sense of Snow', during a flashback to when he was in Vietnam, Skinner recalls how one of his men wanted to escape while their guards were doing what?"

And the answers are:
A. Polishing silverware
B. Planning to open Pho restaurants after the war
C. Partying with Jane Fonda
D. Watching "Gilligan's Island"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm 99% sure that the right answer is C. The calendar says it's D.

Yep, the calendar's wrong. Here's the exact quote from the episode:

Sarge, let's make a break for it while the guards are partying with Jane Fonda.

[Mr Black]

Know thinking about it I remeber it. There is a question in my simpsons trivia book which says: Who is Bart's best friend? At first I thought this was an easy question- Milhouse. The book said it was Martin Prince! They were only friends when Martin made a go-kart for Bart to race in, and when Martin gave Bart tuition for his test. What are horrible mistake!

[Postmaster]

What are horrible mistake!

:silly:

[Dr. Nguyen Van Thoc]

Before I watch my daily dose of two episodes a day, some quotes already get stuck in my head. Like when the episode when homer goes to the superbowl with that travel agent, I got stuck In my head with "dune buggies", really weird cause in that episodes there's that guy who draws caricatures of everyone with dune buggies. This is an example but I have it with other episodes too, anyone else has that?

And first of all, the hologram is missing, they're is no such team as the "Spungo's", and apparently, they seem to be printed on some kind of cracker.



Btw I just watch em on tv so don't know which episode will be on

[TheForbiddenDonut]

I've gotten through the first two discs of season 9, and I'm very unimpressed. I'm definitely glad I own it and everything, what for some of it's good episodes, but how can anyone label this as being a classic season? Not really much discussion here, just wanted to get that off my chest.

[Nebuchanezzar]

Lol. Actually, I've noticed the same phenomenon, although I have a weak explanation for it. Quite often, I think about certain Simpsons episodes in day to day life - that's their strength. Anyway, the episode that I was thinking of has a very uncanny knack for appearing on TV the next day or during the weak. My explanations.

a) The broadcast order has become subconsciously imprinted on my mind, so I know what's coming and think about it when I don't fully intend to.

b) The Simpsons is shown so often here, that I could think about any episode and there's a strong chance it'll be on within a week or so.

c) I think about the Simpsons too often.

Yep.

[Nebuchanezzar]

I guess there aren't enough walking into the sunset endings in season 9 for you then, TFD. What makes it a classic era? Why, it must be the 21 or so great episodes in there that make it a classic season, to me.

[TheForbiddenDonut]

Wow, Neb, that was really unexpected. And it's pretty understandable why I don't think this is a classic season. Because it's generally unfunny, there are some terrible characterizations, and it's the first season in which I have started handing out 'D's.

[brody]

Indeed, the only episodes of Season 9 that I would consider classic (or even great) are Oakley-Weinstein hold-overs. The rest of it is pretty bland, almost like the show today. Even Scully's best episode here, Natural Born Kissers, isn't what I'd consider a total classic.

The City of New York Vs. Homer Simpson B+
The Principal and the Pauper B-
Lisa's Sax A
Treehouse of Horror XVIII B
The Cartridge Family B+
Bart Star C-
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons D+
Lisa the Skeptic C
Realty Bites D
Miracle on Evergreen Terrace B-
All Singing, All Dancing C+
Bart Carny D
The Joy of Sect B
Das Bus B-
The Last Temptation of Krust B
Dumbbell Indemnity C-
Lisa the Simpson A
This Little Wiggy D
Simpson Tide B+
The Trouble With Trillions D+
Girly Edition C+
Trash of the Titans D
King of the Hill B
Lost Our Lisa B-
Natural Born Kissers A-

Really not too impressive, aside from the holdovers.

[Nebuchanezzar]

I guess Bart the Mother is a holdover or something, but we're not talking about production codes are we? We're talking seasons. Meh.

The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons D+
Lisa the Skeptic C
Realty Bites D
All Singing, All Dancing C+
Bart Carny D-
Dumbbell Indemnity C-
This Little Wiggy D
Trash of the Titans D

I'd like to hear reasons for the harsh grading in those episodes, and the relatively high grade given to All Singing, All Dancing. While I'm at it, is it possible to