alt.tv.simpsons

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alt.tv.simpsons (called "a.t.s." by regular readers) is a usenet newsgroup dedicated to discussing the American television program, The Simpsons. The newsgroup achieved notoriety when its existence was alluded to on the program itself in the episode Radioactive Man.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] History

The newsgroup was created by Gary D. Duzan during the third week of March 1990, four months after the first airing of a regular episode of the program, which was the Christmas special that aired on December 17, 1989.

The comments of alt.tv.simpsons have been extensively quoted or cited in the writings of mass media commentators. This has led to times where relations between writers and viewers have become strained. In one infamous case, writer Ian Maxtone-Graham made notorious comments about the fans on the internet, calling them "beetle-browed" and saying that he had barely seen the show before he was hired to write for it, in an interview with The Independent.[3] Writer Bill Oakley used to respond to select Simpsons fans through e-mail in a friendly manner,[4] but by 1996 claimed "[t]here are people who take it seriously to the point of absurdity".[5][6] Simpsons voice cast members Harry Shearer and Yeardley Smith have posted to a.t.s, and in a 1994 Life in Hell cartoon Matt Groening implied that he read the newsgroup.[7][8] Also, former executive producer Mike Scully posted on the newsgroup in 1998 anonymously.

On the DVD commentaries to the Simpsons, the directors and writers also mention the effect that the newsgroup had on them. This has made alt.tv.simpsons one of the first newsgroups to ever give rise to communication between a television program's fanbase and its producers.

Within the series, the character Comic Book Guy is often used to represent a stereotypical inhabitant of alt.tv.simpsons. Shortly after some readers began declaring certain new Simpsons shows to be the "worst episode ever," the Comic Book Guy began using that as his catchphrase. In addition, the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" is largely seen as a satire of the "hardcore fans" that make up the newsgroup.[9][4]

[edit] Episode capsules

The newsgroup grew rapidly, serving readers who missed new episodes or who live overseas with 'episode capsules.' Started by Raymond Chen[10], but quickly becoming a labor of love for a large group of volunteers, the capsules include episode transcripts, as well as observations, reviews, and other comments. Episode capsules include explanations of culture-specific jokes for the benefit of viewers outside of North America. Lists of references to previous episodes and other elements of popular culture are also common.

The capsules are stored and maintained on the newsgroup's website, The Simpsons Archive, the most comprehensive archive of Simpsons information on the Internet.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Turner, Chris (2005). Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Defined a Generation. De Capo Press, 282-283. ISBN 030681448X. 
  2. ^ Tossell, Ivor (2007-08-02), Worst. Column. Ever., Globe and Mail, <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070726.wgtweb27/BNStory/>. Retrieved on 18 November 2007 
  3. ^ O'Sullivan, Charlotte (1998-06-22). Behind Every Homer Is a Very Tall Man. The Independent. Retrieved on March 30, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Weinman, Jaime J. (2000-01-24). Worst episode ever. Salon.com. Retrieved on March 30, 2007.
  5. ^ Davies, Laura Lee (1996-09-25). Family Fortunes. Time Out. Retrieved on March 30, 2007.
  6. ^ Since 2005, Oakley occasionally posts - albeit rarely - on the NoHomers.net message board.
  7. ^ Groening, Matt (c). Life in Hell. October 28, 1994, Acme Features Syndicate.
  8. ^ Cherry, James A. (1995-12-12). Sideshow Bob Roberts. The Simpsons Archive. Retrieved on July 8, 2007.
  9. ^ Briere, Frederic (1997-09-21). The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show. The Simpsons Archive. Retrieved on March 30, 2007.
  10. ^ Hall, Dave (1999-08-01). A HISTORY OF ALT.TV.SIMPSONS: THE EARLY YEARS.... Retrieved on July 30, 2007.

[edit] External links