Goode Family Not Great

But the show has influenced much of modern TV, says author

(NEWSER) - Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons, a show that has influenced everything from modern TV to the president’s speechwriter—but is now barely relevant. “There will never be another show or entertainment program as wide-reaching as The Simpsons,” says John Ortved, author of The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. But, he tells Salon , “After it hit that 10-year mark, the show had a serious drop-off in quality, and it's just never, ever come back.” More»

' The Goode Family ' features clan trying a little too hard to stay eco-friendly

(NEWSER) - Goodbye Hank Hill, hello Gerald Goode. Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge's new animated series lampoons a vegan, hybrid-driving Midwestern family whose motto is: "What would Al Gore do?" The Goode Family sends up the greener-than-thou clan’s efforts to maintain an environmentally friendly, strictly PC lifestyle just for the sake of keeping up with their friends. More»

Critics, fans, brace for last episode tonight

(NEWSER) - After 15 seasons, viewers will make their final trip to County General Hospital tonight in the series finale of ER. Critics and fans are reflecting on the groundbreaking show:

• Mixing “medical triumph” with “personal angst,” ER “may have begun as a show about salvation, but it became a show about the near impossibility of salvation—a show less about healing than about damage,” writes Neal Gabler in the Los Angeles Times.

Generation Y's 'woe is us' attitude blindingly reflected in NBC's sci-fi drama

(NEWSER) - Beginning their third season tonight, the scrappy band of young world-savers of NBC’s Heroes is just in time, Alessandra Stanley writes in the New York Times. The dangers they have to face, from a sinister conglomerate started by their parents to deadly viruses, make a convenient parallel to the complaints of Generation Y, who feel that they've been burned by boomer indulgences and misdeeeds. “Heroes gives its fans cathartic validation,” Stanley writes. “You inherited a screwed-up world, and it’s not your fault.” More»

You'll spoil it for others—and yourself: Daniel Carlson

(NEWSER) - If you've ever had a television show spoiled by live-tweeters, you'll probably appreciate Daniel Carlson's directive: "Step away from the keyboard," he begs viewers, because "live-tweeting ruins everything." Yes, he's annoyed at plot spoilers—but more importantly, he points out on Pajiba , tweeting while watching the show "negatively affects the way you experience the story." He doesn't even check Twitter while watching Breaking Bad, he points out—not to avoid spoilers, but simply because he's engrossed in the show. More»