Excerpt from an interview published in Wizard magazine N. 130, July 2002
What about American television?
Alan Moore: "The
Sopranos" is the best thing that's come out of American television that I
can remember. Most television I can't stand it... I don't watch hardly
any television at all. Sort of "Ally McBeal", "Frasier", "Buffy the
vampire Slayer", "Dr. Who", "Star Trek", "Babylon 5" --- all of this
stuff I just cannot be bothered with it. "The Sopranos" on the other
hand is actually well-written. It gas wonderful characterization. The
episodes, for the most part, are incredibly well-directed. I think over
these three seasons, the standard has been maintained wonderfully. Since
"Twin Peaks", it's the first American dramatic show that I've enjoyed.
That's not to say I haven't enjoyed "The Simpsons" or "South Park" or
some of the generally very, very good American cartoon shows.
I wouldn't have associated you with "The Simpsons" or "South Park".
Alan Moore: Oh well, you know it's not all gloom and doom at Moore Mansion [chuckles]. I think "The Simpsons" is very good because it is kept at a wonderful standard of craft and comedy for a very, very ling time. And it is subversive. I think sometimes because it has been around for so long, we forget how subversive [it is]. "South Park", I've got to say, my hat's off to them as well. I mean, considering it is mainly fart jokes and sort of gay jokes and all the rest of it. I think they manage to really push the line quite seriously for American television. They take the stories into all of these really uncomfortable areas. You're certain they're not going to be able to get away without severely embarrassing themselves, but they do.