Simpsons Creator Bashes Fox Network

POSTED BY: Succatash
UPDATED: Tuesday, April 1, 2003 19:08
VIEWED: 8824
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SUCCATASH

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 5:39 AM

Matt Groening has worked with Fox for a long time, and he doesn't have nice things to say.

Wednesday, March 19, 2003

Groening and his writers relish the chance to mock the once-fledgling fourth network.

"I love the strength of The Simpsons -- that we can get away with so much. They don't like it. We took jabs at Fox News and we were told not to, so we decided to do it more."

"They don't like The Simpsons either. The idea of a TV show that they haven't gotten their greasy fingers all over creatively drives them nuts. That's why almost everything else is so lousy....That's a dark company...."

Full Article:
http://www.canoe.ca/Television/mar19_simpsons-sun.html

FEENIX

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 5:55 AM

wow...fox has carried many good shows...ther was firefly, dark angel, titus, Andy Richter....wait anyone see a pattern...they are killing good shows...and Mr fillion is right the show was mistreated. DAMN YOU FOX

SUCCATASH

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 6:05 AM

Yeah, I like the part referring to Fox as a "once-fledgling fourth network."

Fox has become a crappy network and everyone knows it.

BRTICK

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 8:07 AM

Quote:
"They just fired the guy who created The Bernie Mac Show. I'm sure that show is getting much, much better now. The fans loved (Futurama), but they couldn't find it. It never got promoted. The fans delivered a petition with 130,000 signatures and there was no reaction from Fox.

"We won the Emmy for best animated show a few months ago and I didn't even get a begrudging phone call from anyone at Fox. That's a dark company that they can't even make a fake phone call."

wow, big surprise, they don't care about creators or fans....

Keep Flying!

FEENIX

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 2:42 PM

Anyone seen the crap new shows they are rolling out. I cant watch...they look that stupid. Sure they could be funny for an episode, maybe 2, but they are gonna run out of material.

BROWNCOAT1

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 6:09 PM

I can appreciate the fact that Fox is a network, a business, and like any business, they are out to make money, but when did morals, ethics, and common courtesy go out the window in the pursuit of the almighty dollar? Seems to me that the least they could do is treat their investments well and w/ some courtesy.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

OLDGUARD

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 7:09 PM

Well, consider that the man running Fox News is the cousin og George W. Bush, it doesn't surprise me that anything even remotely unflattering is going to be quashed. Such as an anti-Alliance group in space?

SABI

Friday, March 28, 2003 5:05 PM

Please tell me you have proof that the head of FOX News is G.W.'s cousin. I would LOVE to see that in print.

And the Simpsons did something funny a few episodes ago... something about these creatures behind a closed door and they melted or de-materialized or something and then on the door you see "FOX Network Execs". Sorry I don't have more detail - it was gone in a flash, but it was a major slam that I truly relished.

ZEKE023

Friday, March 28, 2003 6:03 PM

Would it even be worth it to boycott FOX? Could we make a dent in their ratings?

If their shows are really that horrible, why can't we ralley people to publicly state that they will no longer watch the network? One would think that the fans of their newly cancelled shows would at least think about joining such an effort.

What would really get them is if we found a list of products that advertise on FOX, and boycott them. Who wouldn't go out of their way to buy a different brand of toothpaste in order to get back at FOX?

This may be pointless... but it makes me feel better to write it.

SUCCATASH

Friday, March 28, 2003 6:14 PM

The link to the article no longer works. Here's what it said:

Simpsons creator bashes Fox network, plots feature film debut

Last year, after an interviewer asked The Simpsons creator how long his animated juggernaut could go on, it was reported around the world that Homer was about to scarf down his last doughnut.

"All I said was we're closer to the end than the beginning and since we started in 1987, I didn't think we'd be on the air in 2030 or whatever. That's all I meant," Groening tells the Sun.

"But it looks like we're going to be on forever. That's my new line."

The same isn't true for his other cartoon comedy, the space-age Futurama, which never took off like its earthbound big brother.

Discussing the DVD of Futurama's first season, Groening confirms that, while Fox still has a number of episodes in the bank, production has halted and the cast and crew have moved on.

'OUT OF THEIR MINDS'

For that, Groening squarely blames Fox.

"The people at Fox didn't ever support the show and it wasn't to their taste and, in my opinion, they're out of their minds.

"But they don't like The Simpsons either. The idea of a TV show that they haven't gotten their greasy fingers all over creatively drives them nuts. That's why almost everything else is so lousy. The groundbreaking shows, the ones that cause the most intense reaction, are not the result of too many cooks. It's a strong, creator-driven vision.

"They just fired the guy who created The Bernie Mac Show. I'm sure that show is getting much, much better now. The fans loved (Futurama), but they couldn't find it. It never got promoted. The fans delivered a petition with 130,000 signatures and there was no reaction from Fox.

"We won the Emmy for best animated show a few months ago and I didn't even get a begrudging phone call from anyone at Fox. That's a dark company that they can't even make a fake phone call."

And as any Simpsons fan knows, Groening and his writers relish the chance to mock the once-fledgling fourth network.

"I love the strength of The Simpsons -- that we can get away with so much. They don't like it. We took jabs at Fox News and we were told not to, so we decided to do it more."

Certainly, Fox is in no position to threaten the series, which remains one of its most popular hits and has spawned a merchandising empire. Not bad for a series that was conceived in the late '80s when James L. Brooks, who was producing The Tracey Ullman Show, hired Groening to create animated shorts for Ullman's show.

After 48 shorts, The Simpsons went solo and became an instant sensation.

Many of the early episodes were penned by Groening and co-producer Sam Simon and, unlike many creators who abandon ship after the first few years, Groening remains very much involved with The Simpsons on a daily basis -- whether it's tinkering on toys, games and DVDS, or reading over scripts and giving input.

The show's staff writers include several Canadians, including Joel Cohen, who hails from Calgary.

"Canadians are funny," Groening says. "It's surprising. Listen, my ancestors are from Norway, Russia and Holland -- not areas of the world you associate with knee-slapping comedy."

With The Simpsons recently renewed for at least two more seasons, it's set to become the longest running comedy in television history.

Beyond the small screen, there's also the much-rumoured Simpsons feature film, which Groening confirms he's working on. "We're talking about doing it. We just want to make sure, if we do, it doesn't follow in the dismal footsteps of other currently-running TV shows turned into movies. I can only think of one that worked and that was South Park," he says.

"You want to honour the fans of the show, but you want to give them a little more. With the TV show, every week it's like a little movie. There are certainly enough incidents to fill a regular movie comedy. Whether people could stand it for an hour and a half, I don't know."

Has YOUR mom seen Firefly, lately?

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