Is The Simpsons the most iconic TV show of our generation?

[Joseph41]

I'm defining "our generation" as those born from, like, 1990-2005.

Growing up (before Foxtel was big, Netflix etc.), The Simpsons was, like, the show to watch. 6pm, Channel 10, every night. We had at our disposal the glory seasons (Season 1 - Season 10), and IMO it's left quite a legacy.

I have some questions.

1. Is The Simpsons the defining TV show of our generation? If not, what is?
2. To those born closer to 2000 than 1990, was The Simpsons the show for you and your friends in the way I'm describing in this post? Or had it been overtaken by alternatives?
3. What's your favourite episode?

[Wales]

I'm defining "our generation" as those born from, like, 1990-2005.

Growing up (before Foxtel was big, Netflix etc.), The Simpsons was, like, the show to watch. 6pm, Channel 10, every night. We had at our disposal the glory seasons (Season 1 - Season 10), and IMO it's left quite a legacy.

I have some questions.

1. Is The Simpsons the defining TV show of our generation? If not, what is?
2. To those born closer to 2000 than 1990, was The Simpsons the show for you and your friends in the way I'm describing in this post? Or had it been overtaken by alternatives?
3. What's your favourite episode?

1) I think so. I grew up watching it at 6pm Channel 10. It's been a thing ever since I grew up. Born 1999

2) Simpsons, Family Guy and Ben 10 were the most discussed shows when I was growing up.

3) It would have to be the one where they take the holiday to Japan. That was neat. Simpsons Movie if that counts too

[Calebark]

Ohh, definitely. There are certainly more popular shows, and shows that have made more money (I think), but nothing is as far-reaching as The Simpsons.

I was born in '98, and it was definitely the show. One of my mates had Foxtel (woah -- big deal!), and I remember being excited as they showed The Simpsons on Fox8 a lot.

My favourites were always the Halloween ones! My top one is Treehouse of Horror XIV, where Homer kills the Grim Reaper, Milhouse and Bart find a magical stopwatch, and Professor Frink reanimates his father.

Another of my favourites is where we find out that Homer is only an idiot because he has a crayon stuffed up his nose. When he takes it out, he is revealed to be a genius. However, he alienates his family and friends, so he decides to put it back in for their happiness. It made young-me sad.

Just something more to add: I prefer early Simpsons to early Futurama, but I prefer late Futurama to late Simpsons. Futurama also has more emotional episodes (see: 'The Luck of the Fryrish', 'Jurassic Bark').

[Wales]

Ohh, definitely. There are certainly more popular shows, and shows that have made more money (I think), but nothing is as far-reaching as The Simpsons.

I was born in '98, and it was definitely the show. One of my mates had Foxtel (woah -- big deal!), and I remember being excited as they showed The Simpsons on Fox8 a lot.

My favourites were always the Halloween ones! My top one is Treehouse of Horror XIV, where Homer kills the Grim Reaper, Milhouse and Bart find a magical stopwatch, and Professor Frink reanimates his father.

Another of my favourites is where we find out that Homer is only an idiot because he has a crayon stuffed up his nose. When he takes it out, he is revealed to be a genius. However, he alienates his family and friends, so he decides to put it back in for their happiness. It made young-me sad.

Just something more to add: I prefer early Simpsons to early Futurama, but I prefer late Futurama to late Simpsons. Futurama also has more emotional episodes (see: 'The Luck of the Fryrish', 'Jurassic Bark').

That crayon one is really deep actually. Loved it.

Futurama..I'll have to re-watch that sometime.

I can't believe I forgot Pokemon though. That was le shit back then. #teamrocket

[Joseph41]

Just something more to add: I prefer early Simpsons to early Futurama, but I prefer late Futurama to late Simpsons. Futurama also has more emotional episodes (see: 'The Luck of the Fryrish', 'Jurassic Bark').

Literally nothing beats The Glory Years of The Simpsons.

Literally nothing.

[brenden]

Other contenders: Lost, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Neighbours, Supernatural, South Park/Family Guy/Futurama... POKEMON? Haha.

In terms of iconic... it's probably near impossible to go past the Simpsons.

[Joseph41]

Other contenders: Lost, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Neighbours, Supernatural, South Park/Family Guy/Futurama... POKEMON? Haha.

In terms of iconic... it's probably near impossible to go past the Simpsons.

Of those, interestingly:

Lost: Never watched it.
Friends: Didn't watch it at time of airing (would have been fucking intense in hindsight lol #cliffhangers). Have since watched every episode of all ten seasons multiple times. One of my favourite shows.
HIMYM: Never watched it.
Neighbours: Never watched it, except for when I was waiting for The Simpsons. 😂
Supernatural: Never watched it.
South Park: Never watched it.
Family Guy: Only watched it later on.
Futurama: Tried, but never got into it.
Pokémon: Never watched it.

[Calebark]

Neighbours: Never watched it, except for when I was waiting for The Simpsons. 😂

Did you sing the theme song as the show was ending? That's my entire experience of Neighbours.

[Joseph41]

Did you sing the theme song as the show was ending? That's my entire experience of Neighbours.

You know I did, hahahahahahahaha. But at the same time I was thinking, "hurry up - get to the couch gag."

[K888]

I never saw The Simpsons in the same light as other people. When I was a kid, my parents didn't let me watch it and then when I got older I would try watching it and just never found it that amazing. Sure, some episodes are pretty good, but I just don't think it's as iconic to me as other people. I also watched a bit of Futurama and South Park and the like.
The Saddle Club was always the show for me
When I was a kid, I guess the most popular shows were the stuff on WB Kids on a Saturday or whatever it was called - Ben 10, Hannah Montana, the classics - oh and Blue Water High! And those even older shows - I can't even remember their names, but like the one where they were all basically teenagers on a spaceship and there was the guy with the frosted blond tips (was this called Silversun or something?), there was the show with the parallel universe or something (Parallax maybe?) and a few others.

Oh man, what a trip down memory lane. Basically, I think that there's a lot of shows that make up the iconic TV show category, and it just depends on what you and your family watched when you were a kid.

[vox nihili]

Of those, interestingly:

Lost: Never watched it.
Friends: Didn't watch it at time of airing (would have been fucking intense in hindsight lol #cliffhangers). Have since watched every episode of all ten seasons multiple times. One of my favourite shows.
HIMYM: Never watched it.
Neighbours: Never watched it, except for when I was waiting for The Simpsons. 😂
Supernatural: Never watched it.
South Park: Never watched it.
Family Guy: Only watched it later on.
Futurama: Tried, but never got into it.
Pokémon: Never watched it.

The fuck kind of childhood did you have?




Jokes aside, I was never a big Simpson's fan on account of the fact that I was one of those awful people who never got to watch it as a kid; however, I can definitely see where you're coming from about it being the show of our generation. There's nothing like it, tbh and nothing with anywhere near the kind of reach it had at times.

[Calebark]

the one where they were all basically teenagers on a spaceship and there was the guy with the frosted blond tips (was this called Silversun or something?), there was the show with the parallel universe or something (Parallax)

DUDE

I HAVE TRIED MENTIONING THESE SHOWS TO PEOPLE, BUT I FORGOT THE NAMES

NOBODY ELSE HAS KNOWN OF THEM

FINALLY

F I N A L L Y

THANKS

excuse my excitement

[heids]

I... have watched neither The Simpsons nor any of the others Brenden listed.

[Calebark]

I... have watched neither The Simpsons nor any of the others Brenden listed.

[Joseph41]

The fuck kind of childhood did you have?

Enjoy these three pixels: