It was the production line when it switched to digital sometime after S13... Al Jean's return was S13 and while it wasn't in its prime it felt like the same show, after the pipeline was digital-only, they couldn't adjust it during draft or storyboard revisions quite as easily.

Phil Hartman died, that’s why.

>>223591952
A job on the simpsons would have had no prestige and not a lot money at first. Then it became an institution and a writing job there was a prized plum for nepo babies and other industry brats.
It happens on every show

>>223591952
I think the assessment of late S13 is a bit too optimistic, since I think the switch to digital had occurred halfway through the season. I'd have to revisit it though, and it's hard as hell to find dvd copies, much less blurays. I'm not that interested in subbing to Crave or Disney+

>>223591952
>>223592413
Good news is that it actually may be nearing the end, VAs and staff had to take a pay cut recently.

>>223592371
Was that around the time they added shading to characters? Timeline woud fit.

>>223592371
maybe digital offered them even more control, but they didn't have the same natural rhythm to detect when jokes weren't working or the capability to work a joke up even further. 2002 was the absolute cutoff for the 'Old Simpsons', beyond that it exists in post-911 landscape that is much less tethered to human characters

>>223592460
I'm not sure, usually shading in early episodes was a dramatic decision that would've been director-influenced right? I think I heard that their pupils became smaller when digital entered.

>>223591952
All the good writers either left, switched over to Futurama, or just plain stopped giving a shit.

>>223591952
Staff moved on and were replaced with people who weren't as good.

>>223591952
All the talented writers left to work on other projects

>this guy was the showrunner for ages, but he (officially) wrote less episodes than Swarzwelder
How?
https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Category:Episodes_written_by_Al_Jean