When Bart gets a tattoo, Marge is forced to spend the family Christmas money on getting it removed; but at least they'll have Homer's Christmas bonus to cover them. However there is no bonus to be had, but Homer is too proud to admit it and sets out to take up an extra job to somehow try and save Christmas for the Simpsons.
The pilot for one of the most successful shows on television is a remarkably assured affair. Going from the rough shorts on the Tracey Ullman show to this, the jump is impressive and, although it is not as good as it would become a couple of series later, it is still unmistakably The Simpsons. The plot is pretty much the reliable turn to Homer trying to do things right while failing at the same time, it is not as sharp a comedy as later episodes and not as clever but it is still an enjoyable Christmas special with a gentle comedy. The message about the Christmas spirit is nothing that new but it is quite refreshingly free of sentimentality.
The characters are not quite the Simpsons that I have gotten used to but they are still OK. Homer is more a lovable dolt rather than the bitter, angry dolt that I personally prefer; Marge is a simple loving mother while Bart is naughty but still just a boy. Lisa is Lisa from the start and I enjoyed seeing the cast of support characters at their starting points (Barnie, Moe, Grandpa, Marge's sisters etc) but this is not the episode to come to looking for the characters you know from later episodes. Matching the characters, the voice work is not as strong and sharp as it would be later most noticeably Homer is slower and thicker in his voice than later.
Overall though, this is a surprisingly solid first full showing for The Simpsons. It isn't the programme that it would become in several series time but it is still an enjoyable Christmas special with some good laughs and a general air of humour to it.
The pilot for one of the most successful shows on television is a remarkably assured affair. Going from the rough shorts on the Tracey Ullman show to this, the jump is impressive and, although it is not as good as it would become a couple of series later, it is still unmistakably The Simpsons. The plot is pretty much the reliable turn to Homer trying to do things right while failing at the same time, it is not as sharp a comedy as later episodes and not as clever but it is still an enjoyable Christmas special with a gentle comedy. The message about the Christmas spirit is nothing that new but it is quite refreshingly free of sentimentality.
The characters are not quite the Simpsons that I have gotten used to but they are still OK. Homer is more a lovable dolt rather than the bitter, angry dolt that I personally prefer; Marge is a simple loving mother while Bart is naughty but still just a boy. Lisa is Lisa from the start and I enjoyed seeing the cast of support characters at their starting points (Barnie, Moe, Grandpa, Marge's sisters etc) but this is not the episode to come to looking for the characters you know from later episodes. Matching the characters, the voice work is not as strong and sharp as it would be later most noticeably Homer is slower and thicker in his voice than later.
Overall though, this is a surprisingly solid first full showing for The Simpsons. It isn't the programme that it would become in several series time but it is still an enjoyable Christmas special with some good laughs and a general air of humour to it.