In quite possibly the TV news story of the century, the makers of the Simpson's have tinkered with an opening sequence so close to perfect that... well it was just fine the way it was ok!
Now I’m a firm believer in never messing with a good thing, but it seems that’s what Fox have done after 429 tried and true episodes of our favourite four-fingered family. The basic plot is the same (Homer loses the glowing rod, Bart skateboards all over the shop, Maggie honks the horn etc.) although in changes apparently here for good (say the network bigwigs) it seems the rabble have been let in.
Of course I don’t mind a bit of Patty and Selma in my episode every now and again, but do they really need to join the supermarket queue? Likewise Sideshow Bob, the Cat Lady, and even that gun-toting Cowboy guy. All good characters, but enough so to make the opening credits?! The idea would have seemed almost unfathomable a week ago.
At least the beefed-up opening has been conceived with the aid of the show's original creator, but even with the eponymous Matt Groening behind the helm there is something a bit annoying about a new opening sequence. Released to mark the show's debut oh High Definition in the US, the new opening isn’t bad, rather the sort of change to ruffle purists' brows on couches all over the world.
As long as the episodes keep cracking out the jokes (yes, there have in fact been good episodes in recent years) a new opening shouldn’t matter too much then. But it is hard to shake the feeling that maybe this was just a bit unnecessary from the start.
Kinda like the Simpsons Movie. And we all know how that turned out...
Here it is, the new opening sequence in all its Youtube glory.
Yea or Nay?