The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase

It is very sad to see how The Simpsons has dwindled in quality following season 8. Weird, daft stories and increasingly annoying characters has replaced the brilliance and wit of yesteryear.

"The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" is a clever satirical take on how TV-producers, who allow their creations to live well beyond their expiry date, invariably will produce cheesy spin-offs in lame attempts to cash in on previous success.

Therefore, it is ironic that the creators of The Simpsons didn't heed their own warning, but have instead been "kicking the dead horse" ever since the awful "The Principal and the Pauper"-episode of season 9.

Mr. Groening should have quit while he was ahead, and quite frankly this episode represents the cusp of the series development.

Hold on tight, it's all downhill from here...

Someone implies that if one didn't like this episode it's because they didn't get what was being done. That the fact that the three new shows weren't any good was the whole point. I'm sorry. I'm a bright guy and a big Simpsons fan and I know what they were trying to do. It just didn't work.

I loved this episode, the send up of the Simpsons in different spin-offs was really well done. Chief Wiggum in a Magnum PI style episode was very funny, the Simpsons doing the Variety Show (a bit like the Brady Bunch) and Grampa in a Love Machine helping Moe, almost a remake of My Mother The Car.

This is one story that had the potential to be re-hashed in later Seasons in different situations. Great episode, really enjoyed it, in my top 20 list.

The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase is a great Simpsons episodes with three hilarious segments and may not seem well written,but that is the whole point,which means it is actually very well written.I loved seeing their take on giving supporting characters their own spin off series,which is something I would actually like to see,particularity the Simpsons because there are so many great characters,my favourite segment was Chief Wiggum PI,followed by the Simpsons Smile Time Variety Hour,and the Love-Matic Grampa,all the storyline's are actually terrible,purposely as many spin off series were written like this,it was a very clever but risky episode,because a lot of people probably didn't understand the joke.Troy McClure's scenes presenting this episode are some of the highlights,I loved this character and seeing him deliver his lines like he really is an actor being forced to say this was always hilarious.Funny and ridiculous,the Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase is a very enjoyable Simpsons episode,and another classic from the eight season.

Troy McClure takes us through three spin off pilots of the Simpsons that never got the greenlight.We see Chief Wiggum and Principal Skinner become buddy cops,Moe get love advice from a deceased Grampa,and the Simpsons presenting a live TV show,with the exception of Lisa.