The Simpsons Reign Over All

I did not expect Fox's The Simpsons to last for 500 episodes, and yet every time I watch an episode I am still surprised how relevant this cartoon can be.  Last Sunday's 500th episode was no exception, as it illustrated Springfield's frustration with the antics of this crazy family.  Of course, this was followed by the town's understanding that they needed this family more than Springfield itself.  We now have more than one generation who has learned about American culture through this eyes of this little yellow family.  At this point, maybe we need them more than they need us.

Matt Groening recently describes the nature of his creation in the LA Times,

"The Simpsons" from the very beginning was based on our memories of brash '60s sitcoms — you had a main title theme that was bombastic and grabbed your attention -- and when you look at TV shows of the 1970s and '80s things got very mild and toned down and ... obsequious. And I loved the idea of Mayberry — how in "The Andy Griffith Show" you got to know Floyd the Barber and Goober at the gas station and so on. We can do that with Springfield even more so; in animation you create your own universe, so we could populate the show with as many people as wanted. I thought it would work, but it worked better than I thought.

What is pretty amazing today is how ubiquitous cartoons have become on prime time (particularly Fox) with programs such as The Cleveland Show, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, The Boondocks, Futurama, and American Dad.  Of course, prior generations grew up with The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Critic, and even Beavis and Butt-head (recently restarted by MTV).  And just last month two new cartoons were added to the prime time line-up:

-- Napoleon Dynamite (Fox, January 15th, 8:30 pm ET):  An animated series based on the hit film, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE follows the comic adventures of America's most awesomely awkward teenager and his offbeat family and friends as they navigate small-town life in rural Idaho. Whether he's facing down bullies or discovering the meaning of friendship, NAPOLEON (voice of Jon Heder) proves that true heroes follow their own path - especially when they have secret ninja skills from the government.

--  Unsupervised (FX, January 19th, 10:30 pm ET):  Unsupervised is an animated, half-hour comedy about two eternally optimistic best friends "Gary" and "Joel," who are navigating the harsh landscape of adolescence and trying to do what's right despite having no parental guidance whatsoever. Gary's father took off years ago and left him with his absentee stepmom, while Joel's elderly parents remain unseen and uninvolved. And the adults that are actually present in Gary and Joel's lives are anything but role models. At first glance, Gary and Joel's world may be bleak but their worldview is bright as they guide themselves through life with each other to depend on.

I am not sure if the attraction is eternal youth among the characters, lower production costs (without big name stars), a return to our youth with Saturday morning cartoons, or something else.  But the formula seems to be working.  I would like to know if any other country is so reliant on adult cartoons for social commentary.  I have heard of puppets (and we had this as well with the prime time Muppet Show), but I am not sure about cartoons.  This is a topic for another day.

Who's the Boss?: Starz Knows the Answer

I was happy to see Starz's new series Boss was recognized at last month's Golden Globe Awards, with Kelsey Grammer winning Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama.  Season one was a dark take on the great city of Chicago, recently voted the most corrupt city in America by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. 

Grammer was profiled recently in the LA Times and stated he might be interested in a real run at political office:

Getting into politics has always been in my head. I was raised by my granddad, who was a military man, and he always said you had to serve your country. I registered for the draft when I was 17, but Nixon was withdrawing the troops, so I was spared that. But it has always been there that I want to do my part for my country if I can. Fred Thompson pulled it off — being both an actor and a politician — but I think I'd have to leave acting behind before I could do it. That's something I would do when I'm finally an adult [he chuckles].

I am not sure if Fred Thompson is the model I would use.  How about Ronald Reagan?  Whatever way he goes, I hope he knows that ear-pulling, infidelity, shouting temper-tantrums, and illegal drug use is not really part of the political process.  Okay, maybe it is for some, but let's agree it is not the case for most successful politicians.  

February Shows: Pants and Smash

February 2 saw the premiere of MTV's latest foray into television drama with I Just Want My Pants Back, a silly show that sadly is not much more than it's title.  After the 30 minute pilot involving refrigerator sex, snarky dialog, and the expected loss of one's pants (and not much else of value), you are left with an empty feeling.  You need to ask "Is the life of such young people really this bleak and aimless?"  Overall, this new show came across as a shallow New York version of Chicago's Happy Endings, where happiness still reigns among some of the youth in this country. 

February 6 was the start of NBC's Smash, the long-awaited adult version of Glee.  Then again, maybe not.  While the first season of Glee had humor and hope, NBC's new show starts off a tepid Fame-like material and does not offer much hope beyond that.  While I like the cast, Smash did not have the energy I expected with its back story of divorce, adoption, and bad blood between two artists/creators.  You seem to be walking into the middle of a well worn plot and not all that interested in catching up.  And even the idea of creating a musical from scratch sounded interesting until it became the tale of Marilyn Monroe.  Really?  That's what this new generation is clamoring for?  I just don't get it.  Smash is a dud.

Update:  I Just Want My Pants Back has been cancelled by MTV, whereas Smash is getting a second season.  Oh well, one down and one more to go.

Previews of a Show Yet to Come: Touch

The January 25th premiere of Fox's new show Touch was an intense teasing of the senses before going black again and forcing us to wait until March 19th to see what happens next.  This device, where the networks seed their later release, has some merits when you want to stand out in a crowd of new shows.

What we see in Touch was a struggling, underemployed father Martin (Keifer Sutherland) trying to find a way to connect to his 11-year old son Jake (David Mazouz).  And while the show seems to be attaching itself to unnecessarily large themes, such as the death of the boy's mother in the Twin Towers, it successfully shows us a family trying to cope with a larger world that cannot understand them.  Of course, it is not a normal family since young Jake can detect patterns in his mind that foresee complex events before they happen around the world.  A series of events, mind you, that are so complex that should you leave your seat for one minute to grab a snack you are most likely going to miss an important clue that makes it all work.

Yes, Touch is intense and draining, which means you should give the program your full concentration and not use it as light entertainment after a busy day.  This is a good thing, mind you, since too much of TV is repetitive with puzzles one can resolve in minutes. 

Touch will officially premiere simultaneously in 100 countries this March.  I can already detect a pattern and foresee a network with a hit on its hand.

Update:  According to ScreenRant, Touch was renewed for a second season. I lost interest in this show with so many other coming out at the same time, but this is one I might revisit at some point in the future.