How the mighty have fallen.

Okay, you'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of The Simpsons than yours truly, but it seems they're really slipping. Used to be The Simpsons were the highlight of Sunday night, one last hearty guffaw before the work week sunk its talons of despair into you. Now, it's a victory for the show to elicit so much as a chuckle. The writing is flat and uninspired, the gags clunky and the set-ups just ridiculous. Take yesterday's "Simpsons go to London" episode (the latest in a series of "The Simpsons go overseas and wackiness ensues" episodes, most of which, quite frankly, blow). The episode hinges on Bart finding a $1,000 bill which blows through an open window. Trouble is, the set-up was shamelessly ganked from an earlier episode (the classic "Junior Campers" 'sode from back in the day, where Bart and Milhouse find $20 that is blown out of the Simpsons' window). Later, they reduce themselves to pointless and not-funny celeb cameos (JK Rowling and a squandered Sir Ian McClellan) and, worst of all, biting gags from National Lampoon's European vacation. Nosirree, the once-mighty juggernaut of laughter that was the Simpsons is no more. I sure hope they put it out of its misery soon so we can look back with fondness instead of disappointment.