How The Simpsons Changed TV and Horror Forever

35 years ago 'The Simpsons' aired their first Halloween special. Horror & television were never(more) the same thereafter. Jon revisits the brilliance of the anthology formatted special with its nods to classic horror and EC comics DNA pulsing through it. Jon also unwraps how this TV special was such a game changer and how it made horror accessible for primetime television; and also how it has acted like a horror archive that preserves the legacies of the all the classics. The Simpsons is revolutionary in television but doesn't really get it's major kudos for its impact on horror...until now! Happy Halloween and stay scary!

00:00 Game Changers in Horror History

00:32 The Simpsons' Halloween Special: A Revolutionary Moment

01:46 Welcome to the Special Halloween Episode

02:28 The Simpsons' Impact on Horror

03:32 The First Halloween Special: Treehouse of Horror

06:03 The Segments of the First Halloween Special

07:46 The Simpsons' Viewership and Cultural Impact

10:19 The 1990s Television Landscape

20:10 The Simpsons as a Cultural Phenomenon

25:22 Animation as a Trojan Horse for Horror

33:06 The State of Horror in 1990

34:20 The Simpsons' First Halloween Special

34:51 Bad Dream House: A Clever Twist on Haunted House Tropes

39:44 Hungry Are The Damned: A Parody of 'To Serve Man'

44:02 The Raven: A Literary Gamble That Paid Off

52:19 The Simpsons' Influence on Horror and Pop Culture

58:42 The Legacy of The Simpsons' Halloween Specials

01:03:39 Final Thoughts and Personal Reflections

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