Supernatural Simpsons

Millennium was one of those shows I remember being horrified of when I was growing up. I know for some 10 to 13 year olds supernatural television like Millennium and the X – Files were weekly television viewing, but for people who just recently got over being afraid of the dark, the images from these shows could cause endless nightmares. Now after viewing them in class, and partaking in this blog which tells me “Don’t Be Afraid of The Dark” I see the interesting merits of such programming.

I am not sure if the episode we watched in class is considered a classic millennium episode or not, but I can see some of the reasons it failed and The X-Files succeeded. The X-files is enjoyable even to a casual fan because of the dry wit and appeal of its lead actors Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. The characters of Mulder and Scully transcended the X-files by becoming a fixture of 1990s pop culture, even appearing on The Simpsons. Frank Black’s bleak darkness like the show itself probably was too intense for American audiences. If you can’t be spoofed on the Simpsons you are never going to make it as a series.

In fact, much of the knowledge I have about supernatural television shows comes from various Simpsons parodies over the years. Each Halloween we can look forward to a new “Tree House of Horror” episode of the Simpsons. While the quality of the Simpsons has gone down by most standards over the years, as the series approaches its 20th season and the strange airing of the “Tree House of Horror” episodes after Halloween may be seen as a sign of a weaker cultural impact. Many of the parodies will stand the test of time as testaments to supernatural television that may be remembered more than the films and shows they spoof themselves.

The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, The X-Files, and countless other supernatural television shows and films have been parodied on the Simpsons. The seemingly endless syndication of the Simpsons will make the supernatural television parodied live on forever and entice television viewers to revisit the supernatural past.




I knew it would only be a matter of time before I would blog about the Simpsons, but at least it is something other than Lost. Although I have to admit watching Millennium and seeing John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) with a mustache and hair was highly enjoyable. Also, the villain pharmaceutical worker who poisoned Frank Black was the evil president Charles Logan on 24. When I Lost and 24 cross paths my mind begins to explode!