> If there is an international prize for being hypocritical then BBC2 have just won it. In 2 weeks time they are having a Simpsons night to celebrate 10 years of the show.

Not least because the BBC was offered the first season of The Simpsons in 1990 for nothing. That's right - nothing, not a sausage. They turned it down, and that's why Sky picked it up. It was only on 23 November 1996 that they began showing the first three seasons - in the wrong order, naturally.

Mind you, didn't BBC2 cut all the Simpsons bits out of The Tracey Ullman Show as well? Good old Alan Yentob, eh?

If only Channel 4 had secured the rights, eh?

<dreams>

Then we could expect it every Friday night, 9.30pm, 50 weeks of the year.

And repeated on a weekly basis, like Fr**nds and *lly McB**l. McBeal has been shown almost continuously on C4 for 7 months, pretty good considering there are only 2 bloody seasons of it!

Imagine what a Friday night line-up Channel 4 would have then (ignoring the 9.00-9.30pm slot of course, which would still be excruciatingly terrible).

I know what you mean.

My parents have just got digital telly and I went home to stay for a week - I saw more new simpons episodes in that week than i did in 6 months of BBC2 simpsons stuff..

<orders Sky Digital and strokes the screen area with the word 'Paramount Comedy Channel' on it>

Wasn't The Tracy Ullman Show repeated remorselessly on sky a few years back. Probably still is, like that show which has made 04:30AM it's own, Dream On.

I still have terrible memories of the BBC showings, re:TUS. Just a crushing sense of disappointment every time I saw it. And yep, no Simpsons.

Mark E Smith provided the voice for Maggie in one of The Simpsons shorts. Would love a copy.

I think I can cope without seeing The Simpsons shorts, as they all look a little dreadful.

Tke saying that you wont see the person as a baby, but you will claim to be their best friend when they're a milti-millionaire.

i think the tracy ullman shorts are hideouslooking, but they're obviously the beginning point for something quite special, and deserve an airing occasionally...

>I think I can cope without seeing The Simpsons shorts, as they all look a little dreadful.

Well, we've all got to start somewhere! (I'd still be interested in seeing them, even though they are reputed to look shaky and comparatively amateurish.)

In fairness to the BBC (and I don't want to be, but...), the Simpsons shorts happened because the Ullman Show producers wanted something original to put in the 'bumpers' going to and coming back from commercials. Obviously, the BBC showings of these would've looked a trifle odd. But they should still have bought a compilation of them, or something. Or put out the shorts just before Newsnight, like Video Nation.

>Tke saying that you wont see the person as a baby, but you will claim to be their best friend when they're a milti-millionaire.



Bollocks. John Lennon was a great muso but no way would I buy a recording of him sitting in the back yard banging a biscuit tin with a wooden spoon at the age of 3.

>>Tke saying that you wont see the person as a baby, but you will claim to be their best friend when they're a milti-millionaire.
>
>
>
>Bollocks. John Lennon was a great muso but no way would I buy a recording of him sitting in the back yard banging a biscuit tin with a wooden spoon at the age of 3.

Ironically, Liam Gallagher's career seems to have gone in the opposite direction (if you've heard Little James with his howling "play with toys/though they make noise" couplet, you'll know what I mean).

Maybe we could buy him a little tin drum?

Apparently, and my sources may be incorrect, but Liam Gallagher is in fact, a gay. Either him or Fran Healy, I can't divulge further!

"a gay"?

Are they a breed? will they be seen at Crufts next year?

"And now, the 'Dykes' section..."

Yes, there are 'gays' 'lovely dykes' and those other ones, 'breeders'.

Or those ones who pretend to be somewhere in between.

Oh, and I still have no desire to see the Simpsons shorts.

They still look dreadful, no matter what ridiculously inappropriate analogy some 'anonymous' person uses.

So, to summarise, if I was John, and he in turn was Bartholomew J Simpson, he (that is I) mght well say

EAT MY SHORTS!

Well said, the wife!

Cheers hubs-o, I shall endeavour to bring you back a tanned waiter from Turkey next week!

<drools>

Get him to bring a plate of mash with him!

OK! Oooooooh I can't wait!

This reminds me of a retrospective Simpsons episode (not shown on BBC, of course) which did show about four or five of these Simpson shorts from the Tracy Ullman Show. They were staggeringly shaky and unfunny - in fact, the writers made a joke of this. All the shorts were shown in a row, and after the last one, we cut to Troy McClure, who was "presenting" the show, and he was staring at a monitor off camera with a look of mouth-dropping embarrasment on his face. Then he noticed the camera and said something like "Ha ha ha! You could see the raw talent even back then!"

Heheheh excellent. I love people who aren't so far up their own arses that they can mock themselves!

People like, say, Mr Benn!

Oh yeah, and apparently 'Simpsons Night' on June the 23rd is going to consist of 'Classic Episodes'

Such as 'Bart the Genius'.

And "There's No Disgrace Like Home" one of the worst eps ever cos the characterisations were al messed up.

I thought that episode was so good when I first saw it back in November 1996.

How wrong I was.

Thank God they saw sense and changed the characters pretty sharpish.

>I thought that episode was so good when I first saw it back in November 1996.
>
>How wrong I was.
>
>Thank God they saw sense and changed the characters pretty sharpish.


That was apparently the first episode that came back from the Korean animation house, and in an interview for Radio 3 (!) last year, James L. Brooks was saying that it was the longest week of his working life waiting for the next show, "because if they were all like that, there was no saving it".

It sure was terrible.

Homer pawning the TV indeed.

Pah.

It would've sunk like the Titanic if they'd all been like that.

Marge eating like a heathen while Homer looks on disgusted.


Pah.

Marge being quite happy making a total fool of herself while drunk at the party, while Homer gets ashamed.

Pah.

Lisa joining in with Barts demonic antics.

Pah.

According to the trails:

Simpsons Night on BBC2, 23 June

"New and classic episodes, plus a chance to vote for your all-time favourite episode."

Right - who's for sending a block vote of something terrifyingly recent just to see if the BBC will bow to them who know?

I'm gonna try my best. My bet is that there'll be an email/web vote on their 'cult tv' site, i have about 30 email adresses at my disposal so I'll try..for my fellow fans!

Vote for ToMacco.

oh, go on.

>I'm gonna try my best. My bet is that there'll be an email/web vote on their 'cult tv' site, i have about 30 email adresses at my disposal so I'll try..for my fellow fans!

I don't have Sky (yet) and have been relying on the video releases, so I'll trust your (and others') judgement on whatever you feel is the best episode.

Having said that, the best early one is Lisa's Substitute. Soppy, I know...but gets me every time. Right here, it does.

Oh, me too.

I think the vote will more likely be a choice of so called classic episodes.

The animation is truly appalling in those first season episodes. They seemed to be having difficulty with drawing things like walls, and anything else that involves perspectives. But this alone why Barney's hair was the same colour as his skin.
While we're on the subject, they were showing season 1 episodes on Live and Kicking a few months back, but after a few weeks, they switched to season 5 abruptly. Hmmm. Obviously didn't get the ratings they were hoping for.

Well, they're now showing season one on BBC2, and the ratings have plunged to around 2.5 million.

Oh, and the vote is a choice of six episodes, listed in the Radio Times this week.

Lisa's Wedding is one of them.

Unfortunately, the 'classic' episodes they're showing are 'Krusty Gets Busted' (which is a pretty good one, compared to the rest of Season One), and 'There's No Disgrace Like Home'.

<sighs>

'Much Apu About Nothing' is one of the new ones they're showing.

Will this earthly torment ever end? I'm glad Lisas Wedding is on though, I missed that when they showed it at 5AM ON CHRISTMAS BLOODY MORNING!!

sorry, I'm a little tired and overwrought!

Erm...Lisa's Wedding isn't on necessarily.

It's one of the choices, and if you want to see it, you'd better get voting, momma!

Ohhhhhhh Jeezy Chreezy!!

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

It's one of Matt Groening's 5 best ever episodes, apparently.

It won't be shown, I just know it.

WE WON!!!!!!!!!

<dances>

What a victorious, erm...victory!