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In contrast, the political satire of Capitol Critters ensured that the series was of no interest to kids but, despite attempting some Ralph Bakshi-esque flourishes, the show was also curiously toothless when it came to providing some actual satirical bite. However, The Simpsons was also a show about a small-town family at the end of the day, and no one watching needed more than a superficial interest in American politics to get the show’s pointed satirical jabs. With plenty of US presidents appearing on The Simpsons, it is hard to deny that the show did indulge in political satire from time to time, and many of the best Golden Age outings of the series took aim at politicians and the media who cover them alike as epitomized in the ruthless, still-relevant “Sideshow Bob Roberts” (season 6, episode 5).

The most brazenly adult of the shows attempting to copy The Simpsons’ success, Capitol Critters had another problem - no target audience. Meanwhile, the belief that talking animals were automatically guaranteed to be comedy gold is one the writers of The Simpsons never held, but one that did not help the critical reception of the show’s early imitators. If the eponymous family were not so fond of each other, The Simpsons would have simply seemed mean-spirited, an issue many of its would-be competitors fell afoul of. The citizens of Springfield made The Simpsons’ supporting cast a hilarious bunch, but it was the family dynamic that made even the show's more bitter, brutal moments of satire not only bearable but surprisingly light-hearted. Related: The Simpsons: Maggie Is The Only Kid To Ever Call Homer 'Daddy'Īfter The Simpsons became a huge success and before the likes of Family Guy and South Park expanded on the show's original appeal to gain fame, success, and fandom of their own, a slew of short-lived, infamously ill-conceived knock-offs attempted to be “the next Simpsons.” A look at these shows, and why each one failed, illustrates a recurring issue of networks seemingly not knowing what the appeal of The Simpsons was.

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