It is generally thought among critics, fans, and even producers that The Simpsons has been on the decline since season nine. Having said this, it has been recently renewed for another two seasons, 27 and 28. This begs the question: is it the case that the Simpsons has actually declined in quality? Surely enough people watch it for it to have held onto its Sunday night time slot these 26 years. How has the Simpsons lasted this long despite an apparent decline in quality?
I think now the show just acts as some background noise. It's put on when you're doing something else and you want o have something on the tv you're comfortable with. The Simpsons is kind of like an old friend now that you still like but probably haven't seen in a while. It's still a decent show but I think its become we as an audience are starting to passively consume and because of its longevity it's become harder and harder to cancel. – Jamie9 years ago
I am interested in writing about LGBTQA representation in TV and analyzing these representations in terms of stereotypes, their character development and their overall contribution to the story. I will discuss a few of the shows that I watch regularly from a variety of genres to see how LGBTQA characters are represented in different genres. I will also discuss shipping, queerbaiting, and response to LGBTQA characters.
Very interesting topic! I was thinking about what actually qualifies as queerbaiting the other day and would love to see that question explored, because I think the lines between queerbaiting, having a token gay character, and simply casual representation are kind of blurred. And do you want to focus solely on TV, or maybe expand that a bit to LGBTQA representation in general popular culture? I was thinking of Welcome to Night Vale (podcast), which has a huge fandom right now and features very healthy sexuality and gender representation. – OneLittleLaurie9 years ago
Analyze the difficulties in the transition between the fantastical content of the Dark Tower series to the big screen. In what way would it be similar to such epics as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones? What will be lost in the transition? What can be gained?
THIS NOTE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE DARK TOWER SERIES. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I think the most difficult thing to portray will be the demon sex scenes, and how Roland's encounter with the speaking ring demon in The Gunslinger leads to Susannah's pregnancy in the later books. Also, sorting out Marten & Walter may cause some difficulty, and I can see the producers making a decision to merge their characters into one. – Kristian Wilson9 years ago
I've started to watch the dare devil series on Netflix, and I feel someone could write a cool article comparing his superpowers with other super heroes. Daredevil has a disability, which in some ways helps enhance his ability to be hyper sensitive in other ways. You could do a character analysis and contrast this with other super heroes who rely more on things like super strength, or some other type of forceful power. While most super heroes have some type of weakness, Daredevil's weakness is also his strength. You could either compare or contrast Daredevil with other superheroes.
You could also talk about other blind characters In TV and film, Like Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
This is arguably one of the greatest debates in television sitcom history. This article would explore the pros and cons of each iconic show and compare them to one another in regards to sense of humor, time period, characters, etc. Which one truly defined the great American sitcom?
Clearly this would be a subjective viewpoint, as there is no definite answers. Instead you could argue why both sitcoms are considered great, examining particular parts of each sitcom. – Ryan Errington10 years ago
I like your idea of a comparison. You can also analyse how HIMYM built off of (and arguably improved upon) the ensemble sitcom that Friends helped to popularized because it was created right after Friends ended. – Christina Cady10 years ago
You would also have to mention the big differences between the two shows. Namely, HIMYM had Ted telling the story to his kids and that added a mystery element to the show, while Friends was about the life of these five people. If you went with Ryan's idea above, talking about how these comedy sitcoms made the viewer connect with the characters, as well as pull big emotional punches while still keeping up the comedy could be two topics you mention. – Tyler McPherson10 years ago
Might also be interesting to address what facets of American culture each show highlighted and how each show was reflective of its decade.
– Monique9 years ago
The two shows are very similiar in that they are the great American sitcom for different generations. – MRichens9 years ago
I believe this would be a great comparison as this shows consist of some of the same writers as Friends. I believe it would be helpful to compare how different the series is without having the Ross/Monica brother/sister relationship in HIMYM. – JFBeck9 years ago
What can X-Files fans expect when the series returns for a limited run?
The fans are going to make comparsion to the orginal series and the show will go for a season or two..flounder then get canned. I don't think the producer will have done enough research to know what the fans really like. – sanjay9 years ago
I've been a fan of this show for over 20 years now. I watched it every week since it first debuted. I've seen both movies in the theater on opening day, and I loved both. I'm excited to see my favorite characters come back and to finally get to see some new episodes of the show that I love. While there are some fans out there who are already critical, already listing the many ways the new season will go bad, I like to think I am in the majority: a life-long fan excited to see my favorite show come back. – apbinne9 years ago
Glee, Smash and Nashville got a positive reaction from critics and viewers when they started… but eventually, it faded away. Of course, the people behind those shows is to blame, but the question is… is the genre in trouble?
Personally, I actually like Smash as a guilty pleasure.
While I never liked Nashville and Glee, Nashville has had 3 seasons so far (I don't know if it's been renewed for a 4th) and Nashville: On the Record (2014); Glee had 6 seasons and that's not counting Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (2011), The Glee Project (2011), and various associated media. In network television terms that's not bad- most series don't even make it that far.
Galavant may have aspired to be more than a limited series, but it aired over four weeks in January- sort of a dead time for network tv in general. The fact that there may be a 2nd season is impressive considering.
I think the fact that "there are at least 5 TV shows of every genre except musical" is also due to the fact that musical shows are hard to make. On some shows such as Smash, new music (often several songs) had to be written for each episode. For all of these shows they need to record the songs before that episode, and frequently choreograph performances as well. Shooting a full season of a network TV show is a busy schedule to begin with. For a musical it can be even more hectic.
I think one obstacle of writing a musical series is finding new things to sing about. I can't remember who said it, but one lyricist said that a musical needs to have a passion or obsession so that the characters have a need to sing. Some musicals don't work because it becomes awkward when they suddenly burst out into song. So finding an overarching theme that will sell the need to sing is difficult. – Cagney9 years ago
Flight of the Conchords is another show that should be mentioned. It was a different type of musical tv show as it was first and foremost a comedy. But you could talk about how it only lasted two seasons, the way they implemented music into their show being different to others etc. – Jamie9 years ago
Everyone loved The Simpsons in the good old days, but now everyone see's the show doing nothing more than beating a dead horse. The show now-a-days may not be awful, but it has been on the air for far to long. Recently, Harry Shearer, the voice of Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders and more, has recently left the show. Could this be a sign that the show needs to just drop dead, so we can remember how good it was?
Someone really should attempt to explain this. Perhaps focus on how the glory days have helped keep the show on air so long due to mere legacy? – Joseph Manduke IV9 years ago
I read a comment on an article on Harry Shearer's departure which was going on about how The Simpsons is like an old friend. You may not watch it anymore or as much as you once did, but it's nice to catch up every once in a while and to see how your old buddy is getting on. It's seen as a comforting thing to have something on tv for so long. – Jamie9 years ago
