Spring Break
It's animation domination on Fox
Issue date: 9/25/08
Where can you find two hours of TV in which the characters never age? Well, sure, there's Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, but I'm talking about a night of all-animated programming on Fox. The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy and American Dad are all set to kick off the new season this Sunday on the network.
The night will begin with the 20th season premiere of The Simpsons. Seriously, 20 seasons.
Only 20 episodes are slated for production this season, as opposed to the standard 22-episode contract. At the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, Matt Groening, et al. received the statue for Outstanding Animated Program, marking the 10th time The Simpsons received the award.
Will the show have a repeat performance at next year's Emmys? Well, using the season premiere as a measure, it's a possibility. After 20 years, the writers still manage to find new storylines and to maintain a level of humor that is above average (in intelligence) for American media. In the season opener, Homer and Marge each find potential new career callings thanks to shenanigans at Springfield's first-ever booze-free St. Patrick's Day festival. For Homer, this means starting a business as a bounty hunter with Flanders as his partner-in-stopping-crime. Meanwhile, Marge is flattered when a bakery owner loves her cupcakes enough to offer her a job but is appalled to learn that it is actually an erotic bakery (the name, Au Naturel Bakery, apparently slipped under her radar).
The episode is funny, with more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, and the writers clearly are adept at maintaining solid plots even after two decades on the air. The humor, though smarter than most of what's on TV, is far from cutting edge. The most offensive jokes are aimed at the Irish.
Next up on the schedule is King of the Hill, which is still on TV.
At 9 p.m., Seth MacFarlane brings the goods with the sixth-season premiere of Family Guy. The show was up for two Emmys this year, including a nod in the Outstanding Animated Program (One Hour or Longer) for last year's Star Wars spoof, but, sadly, it failed to win either award.
The night will begin with the 20th season premiere of The Simpsons. Seriously, 20 seasons.
Only 20 episodes are slated for production this season, as opposed to the standard 22-episode contract. At the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, Matt Groening, et al. received the statue for Outstanding Animated Program, marking the 10th time The Simpsons received the award.
Will the show have a repeat performance at next year's Emmys? Well, using the season premiere as a measure, it's a possibility. After 20 years, the writers still manage to find new storylines and to maintain a level of humor that is above average (in intelligence) for American media. In the season opener, Homer and Marge each find potential new career callings thanks to shenanigans at Springfield's first-ever booze-free St. Patrick's Day festival. For Homer, this means starting a business as a bounty hunter with Flanders as his partner-in-stopping-crime. Meanwhile, Marge is flattered when a bakery owner loves her cupcakes enough to offer her a job but is appalled to learn that it is actually an erotic bakery (the name, Au Naturel Bakery, apparently slipped under her radar).
The episode is funny, with more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, and the writers clearly are adept at maintaining solid plots even after two decades on the air. The humor, though smarter than most of what's on TV, is far from cutting edge. The most offensive jokes are aimed at the Irish.
Next up on the schedule is King of the Hill, which is still on TV.
At 9 p.m., Seth MacFarlane brings the goods with the sixth-season premiere of Family Guy. The show was up for two Emmys this year, including a nod in the Outstanding Animated Program (One Hour or Longer) for last year's Star Wars spoof, but, sadly, it failed to win either award.
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