The X-Factor 2011 - The battle hots up

By Jason Wright (Entertainment expert)

FOR the first time in quite a while, the remaining acts in the competition were all genuine contenders, with none really being classed as ‘joke acts.’  Here is how the latest drama has unfolded over the last two weeks…

WEEK 7

The Ultimate Saturday Night Blockbuster

THE X-Factor met Hollywood for a night of movie themes.  The name’s Colton, Craig Colton. (I mention that way because he was assigned a classic Bond number ‘License to Kill.’)  Showing off his great vocals once again as he has always done, he came under the firing line however for the first time with questions over whether the song was wrong for him.  After two weeks of mediocre performances, Janet Devlin somewhat returned to form with a simple yet effective rendition of ‘Kiss Me’ from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

     The other two Girls also had strong nights, even if it wasn’t their best to date.  Returning act Amelia Lily’s performance of the Bridget Jones song ‘Think’ focused more on a stage production than just the voice but was still very competitive.  After a second stint in the bottom two the previous week, Misha B went out and proved she can still compete with the best in the competition and her take on ‘I Have Nothing’ from The Bodyguard had Gary Barlow calling for people to start supporting her again.

     The one remaining group in the competition Little Mix tried something different this week.  ‘Don’t Let Go’ from Set It Off was a song that might have been upbeat but more stripped back with more emphasis placed on their vocal abilities.  In a nutshell, it paid off handsomely again.  Finally, Marcus Collins also went down the stage-show route (again) for his performance of ‘Higher and Higher’ from Ghostbusters, this time with the help of a gospel choir.  It just proves that he is the real deal and it would be a travesty if he at least didn’t make the final.

Curtain Closes On Craig

After a surprise appearance from legendary icon Bryan Adams in the finalist’s group performance, and somebody nicking his guitar without anyone noticing, it was time for the latest round of results.  With Misha B, Little Mix, Marcus and Janet all having done enough to go into the quarter-final, it left Craig, expected on his performance level, and Amelia, just a week after coming back, battling for survival.  Both acts gave it 110 per cent and this wasn’t going to be an easy decision.  Both Gary Barlow and Kelly Rowland stood by their acts but Barlow was bang out of order in saying that Amelia “shouted her way” through her sing-off performance.  It wasn’t shouting at all, it’s the way Amelia performs.  Tulisa based her decision on the sing-off performances and decided Craig had put more passion into his before Louis Walsh decided that Amelia was a better all-round performer than Craig.

DEADLOCK: However, it was the end of the journey for Craig

     That meant after seven weeks, a Final Showdown finally had the judges torn over their votes.  The Deadlock situation was called into play for the first time this series and not to anyone’s surprise, Craig finished bottom of the public vote and his time on the show was up.  A bitter shame as he had performed beyond everyone’s expectations but in a competition so close, it was a case of one bad night and you’re out.

WEEK 8

Everyone has a guilty pleasure

WITH five acts now left standing, it was now double the pressure as each one had to perform twice for the support of both the judges and the public.  In the first round of performances, each act performed a song of Guilty Pleasure.

Little Mix went first with Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ and although it was made to perfection, Louis wasn’t impressed by the choreography involved in it.  At least they coped better than Janet who tried the tested and failed formula of an up-tempo song, ‘MMMBop,’ and yet again, she fluffed the lines and this time blamed it on being about to vomit.

Misha B played it rather safe but effective with Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ before we got the rather usual spectacular from Marcus, this time putting it together with the Wham! Hit ‘I’m Your Man.’ Finally, Amelia Lily brought the first round to a close with a mind-blowing rendition of T’Pau’s ‘China In Your Hand’ with Gary claiming it to be better than the original version.  It of course didn’t go down well with the original artists of the track.

And everyone does need a hero

With the Guilty Pleasure numbers done, it was now time for the acts to showcase one of their big musical idols.  Little Mix got an opportunity to showcase a completely different side.  This time, there was no dancing, no gimmicks, just the four girl’s voices of ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera.  It was an emotionally-captivating performance which helped them on their way to becoming the new bookmakers favourites to win.

     Janet fared slightly better on her second song, Red Hot Chilli Peppers ‘Under The Bridge’ but it was evident that the damage from the first song had already been done as the judges didn’t really warm to this either.  Misha B meanwhile was having a rather predictable night but still remained on the top of her game with Roberta Flack’s ‘Killing Me Softly with His Song.’

For his hero’s song, Marcus also decided to strip things back with Stevie Wonder’s ‘Lately.’  A very difficult song to conquer and although it didn’t prove to be spectacular, it was still proof of why he deserves a chance in music.  Having mastered a power ballad in her first performance, Amelia Lily went for a rock style in her second outing with Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since You’ve Been Gone.’  Her first song of the night was better but nevertheless, it summed up her intent to take on the opposition since her return.

Janet bids farewell – but not in a dignified way

With three of the original four girls left at this stage, surely the odds were strong that one of them had to go this week.  Despite five acts being left, a Final Showdown was still held, signifying the rule changes in elimination made last year were no one year fluke.  In the public vote result, Amelia was spared a second consecutive sing-off, Marcus continued to flourish under his growing fanbase and Little Mix made X-Factor history in becoming the first girl group ever to reach the semi-final.

     That left Janet and Misha B; the latter in the bottom two for the third time in six weeks, having to sing again for the one remaining place in the semi-final.  They once again, showed why they were great competitors but Misha’s ability to deliver under the pressure was what swayed it with the judges.  Even Louis, the biggest fan of Janet, decided to send her home and when Tulisa sided and sent her home too, it was game over and her mentor Kelly sealed it – by deciding to opt out of voting!  Despite being warned by Dermot O’Leary about the consequences of her considering actions, she stuck by her decision to refuse in casting a vote.  Cue the jeering from the audience and the typical explosion of angry and furious comments on Twitter and Facebook.

SLUMP: Janet struggled to recover in recent weeks and it has cost her

      Regardless of the outcome, the truth is simply that Janet’s decline began in the fifth week of competition and her failure to recover from this slump has finally led to her paying the ultimate price – a shot at winning the competition.  However, there’s no denying that this is the last we will hear of Janet; she surely will be selling records and albums in the future.

     So, it’s now down to the final four – Amelia Lily, Little Mix, Marcus Collins and Misha B will battle it out in next week’s semi-final.  The prize, for three of them is a place in the showpiece finale live in front of 10,000 people at Wembley Arena.  It doesn’t matter whether this series is trailing in the ratings, this has surely got to be the closest semi-final field yet, anyone can well and truly miss out on the final.

Elizabeth Taylor - A Hollywood legend

Elizabeth Taylor (February 27 1932 - March 23 2011)

AFTER months of medical treatment, the fantastic and hugely popular Hollywood actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor has died.  She passed away, surrounded by her four children from congestive heart failure on Wednesday morning.  The British-born icon died in Los Angeles, aged 79.

     Often regarded by many as one of the greatest ever movie stars to have graced Hollywood, Elizabeth’s numerous marriages, countless divorces and love for diamonds had the world captivated for over half a century.  Born in London, her family moved to America when she was only seven years of age, and this is where the great love affair stateside began.

     Just five years later, Elizabeth’s glamorous look had won her a film contract and made her become a household name.  National Velvet was the first movie she starred in, as a budding teenage show jumper way back in 1944.  More films followed, but it was her appearance alongside fellow screen legend Paul Newman in the film ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ that really turned her from national hit into global superstar.

     Acting was important, but off-screen, Elizabeth’s complicated romances had already begun.  Having already experienced two broken engagements, she married for the first time at 18, to hotel owner Conrad Hilton jnr.  The marriage only lasted a year, and was to be the start of a familiar pathway.  Actor Michael Wilding was her second marriage, which was more successful.  They were hitched for five years and he gave Elizabeth the first two of her four children.  Film producer Mike Todd was husband no.3, providing Elizabeth with a third child.  Todd was killed in a plane crash, leaving the young Taylor a paled widow at the just 26.

STARRING: Elizabeth's role in Cleopatra was her greatest moment

     Elizabeth’s desire to be happy was starting to become over-excessive and there was little support when just a year after Todd’s death, she ran off with husband of her best friend Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher.  Her golden hour came in 1962, when she landed the mega part of Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra in ‘Cleopatra,’ one of the greatest movies of a all-time.  Off-camera, she had found love in Richard Burton.  It would be the start of a very tempestuous relationship.  Fifteen years of drama, heavy drinking, stormy rows and ultimately, two marriages.  Together, Taylor and Burton appeared in ten films together, with Taylor’s role in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ winning her a second Oscar in 1967. 

     By the time Burton and Taylor divorced for a second time in 1976, Elizabeth’s glamorous lifestyle was started to get affected.  She suffered from chronic back problems, struggled to control her weight and continued to drink excessively.  When her good friend Rock Hudson died from AIDS in 1985, Elizabeth took up a new and unexpected role.  She founded the American Foundation for AIDS research, which allowed Taylor to promote and heighten the awareness of the little-known disease.  As her own health deteriorated, Elizabeth checked herself into the Betty Ford Treatment Centre.  Having battled with drink and drugs for several years, it was a reality check for Taylor; face death, or get cleaned up. 

     It was whilst recovering that she embarked on an eighth marriage, this time to fellow addict Larry Fortensky.  They married in 1991, but it ended five years later, like most of the other marriages; in divorce.  In 2000, Elizabeth was made a Dame for her services to acting and her immensely successful charity work.  She admitted afterwards that it was ‘the crowning achievement of her career.’ 

     As her ill health continued to plague her, public appearances became less frequent.  Apart from a brief guest role on The Simpsons, AIDS funded events were the only occasions that Elizabeth could be seen for the cameras.  She struck up a very close and personal friendship with the singer Michael Jackson and was devastated by Jackson’s death in the summer of 2009.  A month later, Elizabeth underwent heart surgery and recently, was admitted back to hospital due to her delicate condition last month.

     To the end, Elizabeth Taylor retained her magic and glamour.  A turbulent personal life in the public spotlight, combined with a history of poor health and ultimately, a very successful acting career, she touched the lives of many.  Her death is a shock to many and although her loss to the film and acting world is a masterpiece of understatement, her legacy will remain forever.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor (February 27 1932 – March 23 2011)

The Oscars 2011 - King's Speech is the crowning glory

By JASON WRIGHT (Entertainment Expert)

THE stars of the big screen came out in glamour in Hollywood for the 83^rd Academy Awards.  The Oscars is the world’s greatest awards ceremony and although this may be honoured as an American event, Sunday night’s event proved to be a great success for the British.

TOP: Colin Firth completed a stunning treble

     Despite it not being a whitewash success as many people predicted, The King’s Speech still came out on top with four awards out of its twelve nominations.  All the nominations were the major awards it had been nominated in, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director for ex-Byker Grove and EastEnders director Tom Hooper and most importantly, Best Actor for Colin Firth in the film’s lead role.  Speaking of his delight, Firth exclaimed “I have a feeling my career’s just peaked,” whilst director Hooper labelled the success as “an extraordinary honour”.

     Inception, which was a big film hit last summer, also scooped up four awards, which were all in the technical department.  Following close behind were The Social Network, a documentary based on the creation of social networking site Facebook, with three awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Film Editing.  The Fighter, which also contains some British interest, earned a double in the Supporting acting categories for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo respectively.  However, Leo’s success was tainted by accidentally uttering ‘the f word’ in her acceptance speech.

WINNER: Natalie Portman deserved her Best Actress accolade

     The only big award not to go to a major film winner was for Best Actress which went to Natalie Portman in her role in The Black Swan.  Moved to tears by the accomplishment, Portman said “I truly wish that the prize tonight was to get to work with my fellow nominees, I’m so in awe of you.”  Meanwhile, the biggest shocks of the night were 127 Hours, directed by Slumdog Millionaire’s Danny Boyle, failing to win any of its six nominations but the modern day adaption of Western film True Grit was a total disaster.  It had earned a massive ten nominations but walked away empty handed.

     Elsewhere, two family films earned honourable recognition.  The live action adaptation of Alice in Wonderland earned two awards for its art and fashion design whilst Toy Story 3, the final chapter in the popular movie trilogy also picked up two awards for Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature.  It’s a deserved accomplishment for defying the odds in breaking several box office records worldwide last summer.

     This night however will be forever remembered for continuing the recent rise of success of British films on a global stage.  The King’s Speech certainly goes down as one of the best films in its generation and Colin Firth’s portrayal in the lead role is emotional and moving to everyone who watches it.

     The world of film never stops of course, and the race now begins to see who can get top honours in twelve months time.

THE OSCARS 2011 WINNERS

Best Picture: The King’s Speech

Best Director: Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech)

Best Actor: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Best Actress: Natalie Portman (The Black Swan)

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film: In A Better World

Best Feature Documentary: Inside Job

Best Short Subject Documentary: Strangers No More

Best Live Action Short Film: God of Love

Best Animated Short Film: The Lost Thing

Best Original Score: The Social Network

Best Original Song: We Belong Together (Toy Story 3)

Best Sound Editing: Inception

Best Sound Mixing: Inception

Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

Best Cinematography: Inception

Best Makeup: The Wolfman

Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland

Best Film Editing: The Social Network

Best Visual Editing: Inception

The Simpsons: 20 & Still Going Strong

This was posted on Thursday 22nd January at http://happydude88.livejournal.com/

Last Thursday, America’s favourite family, ‘The Simpsons’ celebrated its 20th anniversary. It seems like yesterday, when the yellow stars, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa & Maggie first appeared on the Tracey Ullman show, as a sketch in 1987. Fox turned it into a 30 minute cartoon from 1989 and it has been on UK screens since September 1990, thanks to Sky 1.

‘The Simpsons’ have had a rousing success including a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame and 25 Primetime Emmy Awards. Catchphrases like ‘D’oh!’ ‘Eat My Shorts’ and ‘Ay Carumba!’ are used regularly in today’s standardised UK language and despite the popularity of newer episodes waning in recent times, it has the memories to keep millions of fans talking for years to come.

In September 2009, Fox premiered the 21st season and there have been 451 episodes. Though it has been difficult to choose, here are brief summaries of my favourite 20 episodes: (In No Particular Order)

Whacking Day SEASON 4 1992
Springfield’s annual holiday, Whacking Day angers Lisa Simpson, who despises snakes being used as objects for whacking by the residents. Fortunately, she and Bart (expelled from Springfield Elementary) hatch a plan involving the late Barry White which saves the snakes and with some home truths, keeps everyone happy. Bart’s knowledge on the subject gets him back into school.

Mother Simpson SEASON 7 1995
In order to not work on a Saturday, Homer fakes his own death and eventually, Marge forces him to march down to the record database to straighten the situation out. It is here when he finds his mother Mona (played by Glenn Close), having previously been told she had died whilst at the movies. Soon, Lisa gets suspicious of Homer’s mum’s whereabouts and under intensive interrogation from the family, she reveals all. Mona reveals she had been on the run from the FBI and Mr. Burns for destroying his germ plant. Eventually, Burns catches up with her, but Mona, with help from Homer gets away from his clutches again, before saying an emotional goodbye to her son.

Homer’s Enemy SEASON 8 1997
A new employee at the Nuclear Power Plant, Frank Grimes takes immediate dislike to Homer’s ignorance and sloth at work. He quickly becomes Homer’s Enemy, but is amazed to see that everyone else doesn’t notice Homer’s slack attitude. Eventually, after Homer wins a Power Plant competition for kids, Grimes goes mad and goes on to be electrocuted. Classic episode!

Homer’s Triple Bypass SEASON 4 1992
The salty snacks catch up on Homer and following a stern telling-off from Mr. Burns at the Nuclear Powerplant, he suffers a heart attack. Later, it is revealed he needs urgent triple bypass surgery to stay alive. Finding the cheapest option possible, Homer has the surgery from Dr. Nick Riviera, who needs assistance from Lisa to make it a complete success

Secrets of a Successful Marriage SEASON 5 1994
Homer becomes a marriage counsellor teacher for an Adult Education Class, but needs to dip into his and Marge’s private marriage secrets to keep his class satisfied and intrigued with his lack of knowledge. After a hostile family dinner, witnessed by the class, Marge kicks Homer out. Homer begs for forgiveness from his wife, and once Moe tries and fails to woo Marge again, Homer & Marge agree to forgive and forget.

Brawl in the Family SEASON 13 2001
A game of Monopoly during an Acid Rain downpour in Springfield sees The Simpsons have a major brawl and they end up in jail. It is up to the Angel Gabriel to reconcile the family. However, his work is torn apart, when Homer & Ned’s Vegas Wives from (Viva Ned Flanders, Season 10) turn up and Homer confesses to the revelation. Kicked out by Marge, Homer gets ready to start a new life with Flickers, but Marge, Homer & the kids come up with a plan that get Flickers drunk and married to Grampa which saves the family and sees the Vegas wives run away back home.

Brother’s Little Helper SEASON 11 1999
After destroying the Fire Safety day with a destructive plan, Bart is pressurized by Marge & Homer to take a new drug, called ‘Focusyn’ to keep him concentrating. Bart takes a dramatic change in his behaviour, but is soon losing his mind, detecting that Major League Baseball is spying on him. After taking more drugs, Bart goes on a rampage through the town, which ends up with him blowing up the MLB satellite. Baseball ace Mark McGuire turns up and steals the information when Lenny discovers Bart had been telling the truth all along. Bart returns home, and is now prescribed on Ritalin.

Barting Over SEASON 14 2003
The 300th episode sees Bart find out he starred in commercials as a small baby. When he finds out that Homer spent all the money made, Bart wants emancipation from his family and leaves home. Bumping into skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, Bart settles down on the SkuTour, but Homer wants his son back and challenges Hawk to a skateboarding contest, which he wins. Bart returns home and Homer starts making commercials for Viagra Gel.

Bart the Daredevil SEASON 2 1991
After seeing Captain Lance Murdock produce a death-defying stunt at ‘Truckasaurus,’ Bart wants to follow in his footsteps. Despite Lisa and Homer’s reservations, Bart defies both and heads off to jump Springfield Gorge. Homer stops him in the nick of time, only to end up accidentally jump the gorge on Bart’s skateboard, with painful consequences….

Lisa on Ice SEASON 6 1995
Lisa looks set for her first ever F, after failing at sports. Suddenly, Apu spots her stopping Bart’s shots on a hockey rink and makes her the ice-hockey goalkeeper for the Kwik-E-Mart Gougers. Soon, Lisa becomes so good at the game; Bart is pushed out of the spotlight and starts a bitter rivalry with his sister. In a match between the Gougers and Bart’s hockey squad, coached by Chief Wiggum, Bart has a shot to win the match. However, he and Lisa put aside their differences and the game ends in a tie, leaving the crowd frustrated and in the mood to start a good old riot.

Lisa’s Wedding SEASON 6 1995
At a fortune-telling stand, Lisa is giving a vision of her future which sees her fall in love with British student, Hugh Parkfield. They get engaged and Hugh makes the trip to Springfield, to see Lisa’s family. As ever, Homer & Bart cause their usual mayhem which pushes Hugh to the limit. On the day of the wedding, he refuses to wear Homer’s cufflinks and tells Lisa he wants to cut off her family from their lives. Lisa is horrified and calls off the wedding. Back in real-time, she is told that the future cannot be changed, but try and act surprised.

Treehouse of Horror VI SEASON 7 1995
Undoubtedly, the best ever Halloween Special created. Tale no.1 sees Springfield being terrorised by advertising mascots and hoardings, which starts with Homer nicking the large donut off LardLad. Part 2 sees the grim story of Groundskeeper Willie getting revenge for his death, by attacking the children of Springfield in their sleep. When Bart & Lisa fall victim to the janitor, it’s up to Maggie to save the day. Finally, in effort to avoid a restless presentation from Patty & Selma, Homer escapes into the 3rd dimension and disappears into oblivion.

Three Gays of the Condo SEASON 14 2003
When Homer finds a postcard from Marge about a horrific night out from the early days of their relationship, he moves out in disgust of Marge’s resentment. Homer moves in with a couple of guys in an apartment together, who are ‘gay.’ Marge makes vain attempts to get back with Homer, who agrees to a date. However, he ends up arriving hours later, after drinking marquita with the lads. Homer returns home and is kissed by one of the guys. He runs away and then Moe poisons him with alcohol, eventually reuniting Homer with Marge.

24 Minutes SEASON 18 2007
In the style of American drama ’24,’ Marge attempts to make the perfect cake, to win a baking contest at Springfield Elementary school. Meanwhile, Dolph, Jimbo & Kearney plan to wreck the contest by releasing the ‘ultimate stinkbomb.’ The plan is eventually foiled in this well-written plot by Bart, Lisa & Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland.)

Marge on the Lam SEASON 5 1993
Upset by Homer’s lame excuse not to go to the ballet, Marge ends up going with neighbour, Ruth Powers and on a second excursion into town, end up on the run. Homer, on his own night out, bumps into Chief Wiggum and together, the pair chases Marge & Ruth all night, leaving under-qualified Lionel Hutz to look after Bart & Lisa. As the women head for a chasm, Homer makes one last plea to Marge, and they stop on the cliff-face, but Homer & Wiggum jump off it, fortunately landing in some solid waste.

The Old Man & the Lisa SEASON 8 1997
Poor investments leave Mr. Burns with no money, loses the Power Plant and his mansion home. After gentle persuasion, Lisa feels sorry for Burns, and introduces him into the world of recycling. A recycling plant is built, but Lisa is horrified when Burns pulls all aquatic life out of the sea, and turns it into goo. Lisa is sick and runs off, whilst Burns buys back his Power Plant and regains his fortune.

Wild Bart’s Can’t Be Broken SEASON 10 1999
When Homer, Carl, Lenny & Barney trash Springfield Elementary on a drunken rampage, Chief Wiggum blames the kids for the irresponsibility and places a curfew on kids. Furious, Bart, Lisa, Millhouse and co break the rule to see ‘The Bloodening’ at the Springfield Drive N Thru, but are arrested by Wiggum. The movie gives the kids inspiration to tell the adults secrets in revenge on the radio. It leads to a final showdown, which sees the old relatives join in and enforce a curfew regulation for anyone under 70!

Separate Vocations SEASON 3 1992
Following a Career Amplitude Test, Bart gets the passion to become a member of the Springfield Police Force. On the other side, Lisa’s future career comes out as a homemaker. She becomes disillusioned with life, and turns into a rebel at school, including stealing all the copies of the ‘Teacher’s Edition.’ The books are found by Principal Skinner and Bart following a random locker search. Bart, seeing what Lisa did, decides he doesn’t want to see his sister wreck her potential, to owns up to the crime and takes her punishment with good grace.

Mommie Beerest SEASON 16 2005
Moe’s is shut down after failing a health inspection, so Homer takes out a second mortgage in Marge’s name without consultation. Furious with her husband, Marge becomes the owner and helps re-open Moe’s and turn it into a bar. Homer’s jealousy nearly costs him his marriage, but on a plane for a weekend away, Moe reveals his feelings for Marge and is rejected, saving The Simpsons.

The Regina Monologues SEASON 15 2004
After making $3000 dollars from a brief museum opening, Bart treats the family for a vacation to London. The main objective is for Grampa to find an old love from World War I, but Homer causes havoc and gets arrested for crashing his Mini into the Queen. A deal is eventually compromised which means Homer can get away scot-free in exchange for Madonna to return to the States. This episode guest starred Tony Blair and Sir Ian McKellen.

The Simpsons success has seen a series of guests star appear. Leonard Nimoy, Stephen Hawking, Kelsey Grammar, Cyndi Lauper, Dolly Parton, Simon Cowell, Serena Williams, Tony Blair, Tony Hawk, Sir Elton John & Sir Paul McCartney just to name a few of many to have graced Springfield over the past two decades.

Worldwide, The Simpsons Movie made fortunes of money when it broke onto the big screen in the summer of 2007. Its reviews were mixed. A long-lasting storyline over 90 minutes didn’t quite fit in with the producers and creator, Matt Groening. However, its comedy element throughout meant it was still a quality piece of film material.

So, what is the next for The Simpsons? I certainly think that maybe the time has come to draw a line under the amount of time still being put into newer episodes, which don’t have the same charisma as the older classics. However, what can’t be denied is the legacy that the town of Springfield has left in our lives. The Simpsons have already become America’s longest family sitcom and they should be safe and secure in our TV schedules for many years to come.