JUST HOOK IT TO MY VEINS
October 21, 2014 2:29 PM   Subscribe

Following a record-breaking $750 million syndication deal with parent company Fox, the FXX network most recently made headlines back in August with its twelve-day marathon of Every. Simpsons. Ever. But that was just the prelude to the real deal launching today: Simpsons World, a staggeringly comprehensive multiplatform video database including clips, news, featurettes, curated playlists, a heartbeat tracker of each season's popularity, and (for the intrigued who'd like to subscribe to their newsletter network) on-demand streaming of all 552 episodes and counting. Coming early next year is an even greater expansion of features, bringing full-series dialogue search, real-time script tracking, and "geolocation" of all scenes throughout Springfield -- something very close to Myles McNutt's vision for a shareable Simpsons clip database (previously). I, for one, welcome our new Simpsons-quoting overlords.

The roll-out is a bit laggy at the moment due to crushing traffic, but you can expect to find the database at SimpsonsWorld.com as well as on the FXNow app for iOS, Android and Apple TV (soon), and Xbox.
posted by Rhaomi (78 comments total) 39 users marked this as a favorite
 
Finally, no one now has any excuse for not understanding why i want to be 50 feet tall and covered in gold.
posted by The Whelk at 2:31 PM on October 21, 2014 [9 favorites]


Is this something I would have to have four fingers to understand?
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:32 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]


Homer: And these TV Guides: [fondly] so many memories. [opens one] "Gomer upsets Sergeant Carter"...oh, I'll never forget that episode.

[imagines]

Carter: [annoyed] Pyle!
Gomer: Shazam!
Carter: Pyle!
Gomer: Shazam!
Carter: Pyle!
Gomer: Shazam!

Homer: Heh heh heh...Shazam.

posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:33 PM on October 21, 2014 [4 favorites]


Finally, no one now has any excuse for not understanding why i want to be 50 foot tall and covered in gold.

Huh... I thought you'd just gotten a haircut.
posted by codacorolla at 2:33 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


That is actually really clever. I would love to queue up a , say, professor Frink playlist and just gloiven.
posted by Lemurrhea at 2:35 PM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]


> Finally, no one now has any excuse for not understanding why i want to be 50 feet tall and covered in gold.

So those FXX network creeps got to you too, huh?
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:36 PM on October 21, 2014


Because this is FXX and not Fox, you have to have a cable login to access the episodes? :-\
posted by yeti at 2:39 PM on October 21, 2014


Just the full episodes; you can still search and stream clips.
posted by Rhaomi at 2:40 PM on October 21, 2014


woohoo!
posted by Drinky Die at 2:40 PM on October 21, 2014


I came over here from the Simpson's quote group (referenced here) on Facebook and I'm so happy. I just wish I had FXX :( Maybe with HBO GO going online sub only, they can too? If not, that's a paddlin'.
posted by msbutah at 2:41 PM on October 21, 2014


TELEVISION! teacher! Mother! secret lover!
posted by The Whelk at 2:46 PM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]


So this is pretty wonderful but taking a look at the default clips for "Summer of 4 Ft. 2", they do not have Milhouse asking Bart what his favorite type of sprinkler is, so I'm not sure this was user tested with the right audience.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:46 PM on October 21, 2014 [8 favorites]


I believe this is one situation where South Park actually did it first.
posted by rhymes with carrots at 2:50 PM on October 21, 2014 [5 favorites]


Talk about a bad week for Netflix. Is there anyone not launching their own video website?
posted by phaedon at 2:50 PM on October 21, 2014


From the first link...
Fox’s Twentieth Century Fox TV and Twentieth TV have set a massive first-ever cable syndication and VOD sale of “The Simpsons” to FX Networks’ new outlet FXX...
Please excuse my ignorance of Hollywood deal-making but...Isn't that bit like taking $750MM out of your right pocket and putting into your left pocket? How can this even be called a "deal"?
posted by Thorzdad at 2:53 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]


entropicamericana: Aw, 20 dollars?! I wanted a Simpsons episode!
entropicamericana's brain: Twenty dollars can buy many Simpsons episodes.
entropicamericana: Explain how!
entropicamericana's brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services.
entropicamericana: WOOHOO!
posted by entropicamericana at 2:56 PM on October 21, 2014 [18 favorites]


Listen up, nerds. I don't want to have to visit other websites to read curated Simpson's playlists. Surely this is something we can achieve here! Right now! Live in this thread!
posted by Jofus at 2:59 PM on October 21, 2014


This is something they've done to absolutely gold-plate the popularity of inbound VPNs, right?
posted by Devonian at 3:03 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


This about sums it up
posted by The Whelk at 3:08 PM on October 21, 2014 [5 favorites]


More like this.
posted by entropicamericana at 3:13 PM on October 21, 2014 [6 favorites]


When the last Simpsons quote is beaten to death by the last Star Wars homage, western civilization has my permission to die.
posted by Apocryphon at 3:14 PM on October 21, 2014 [10 favorites]


What, no love for our longstanding (and outstanding) friend The Simpsons Archive?
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:14 PM on October 21, 2014 [6 favorites]


Not yet available on Verizon FiOS. More like FxAIL NOW.
posted by tonycpsu at 3:17 PM on October 21, 2014 [5 favorites]


When the last Simpsons quote is beaten to death by the last Star Wars homage, western civilization has my permission to die.

If you strike me down, I shall become more Max Power than you could possibly imagine.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:19 PM on October 21, 2014 [11 favorites]


Is that REALLY from the Simspons?
posted by Max Power at 3:23 PM on October 21, 2014 [4 favorites]


More like this.

It's not all The Simpsons you want to watch, it's all The Simpsons you CAN watch!
posted by GuyZero at 3:25 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


I don't understand, Jay Sherman went mad within ten minutes!
posted by The Whelk at 3:27 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]


Ugh, the site is terrible, Flash-laden and wonky. I'm having to change browsers to make it work (won't run on Chrome)....
posted by LooseFilter at 3:38 PM on October 21, 2014


Heh, I could only get it to run on Chrome (no go in Firefox).

Too bad it requires a cable subscription that I'll never buy. Why can't I just give them money directly in exchange for access?
posted by indubitable at 3:40 PM on October 21, 2014


Talk about a bad week for Netflix. Is there anyone not launching their own video website?

Actually, i'm still rooting for netflix. I think this model is going to go to the way of the dodo eventually.

A separate, waled off site that presumably needs its own app on your phone and probably wont work with your roku/android tv/apple tv/smart tv/kindle firetv/etc? fuck that.

The future shouldn't be, and probably won't be i'm hoping having to use crap like this but searching 300 things instead of 12ish to figure out which damn site i can stream a certain show on. It's like, maybe 3 services having everything.

Why aren't all these episodes just up on hulu, or amazon prime, or whatever? that's fucking moronic. I don't want to use another shitty service with another shitty site that doesn't play nice with any of my existing hardware.

Fuck, i'd be fine with having to pay for an extra "season pass" or whatever to get all this on one of the existing services, just don't roll your own bullshit pleaseeeee
posted by emptythought at 3:54 PM on October 21, 2014 [12 favorites]


Yeah, it ran on Firefox for me, but poorly. Also, I don't see that any of the Simpson's World content is up on the new FX Now app? It's supposed to be, from what I'm reading....
posted by LooseFilter at 3:57 PM on October 21, 2014


It's like, maybe 3 services having everything.

They have that now. Those three services are Dish Network, DirecTV, and your local cable company.
posted by Hatashran at 3:59 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]


Hatashran: They have that now. Those three services are Dish Network, DirecTV, and your local cable company.

Uh huh. Can I stream their entire back catalog on-demand via my computer, TV appliance, game console, or mobile device? No? I guess they're not a very good service, then.
posted by Mitrovarr at 4:05 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]


That is actually really clever. I would love to queue up a , say, professor Frink playlist and just gloiven.

Last week I spent half an hour looking for the clip where Prof Frink refers to "operation hoyvin-mayvin." the closest i got was a spanish-language clip on youtube. I honestly don't know if the humor translates.
posted by Zerowensboring at 4:05 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


I honestly don't know if the humor translates .

Well, presumably it translates okay into French.
posted by dephlogisticated at 4:11 PM on October 21, 2014


Do *these* sound like the actions of a man who watched *all* the Simpsons he could?
posted by Chrysostom at 4:15 PM on October 21, 2014 [10 favorites]


Aye he's not a man, but a remorseless Simpson's quoting machine
posted by The Whelk at 4:18 PM on October 21, 2014 [5 favorites]


Hm. Maybe I need to start collecting all the overlords Metafilter has welcomed, too.
posted by maryr at 4:19 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]


I for one welcome our overlord collecting overlords
posted by The Whelk at 4:21 PM on October 21, 2014 [8 favorites]


Fuck, i'd be fine with having to pay for an extra "season pass" or whatever to get all this on one of the existing services, just don't roll your own bullshit pleaseeeee

Well, that would require some sort of universal programming contabulator, an idea so ridiculous it makes me want to laugh out loud and chortle! But ahhhhhh not at you, o holiest of gods with the wrathfulness and the blood rain and the hey hey it hurts me.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:23 PM on October 21, 2014 [10 favorites]


Listen, The Whelk, I'm not as laid back as people think. Now here's the deal: I'm going to quote Simpsons episodes, and you're going to float there and like it.
posted by Chrysostom at 4:26 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]


I love the Simpsons so much that on my deathbed I plan to be listening to Larry King reading the Bible.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 4:28 PM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]


Just listen to your heart, and not the voices in your heard like a certain uncle did one gray December morn.
posted by The Whelk at 4:32 PM on October 21, 2014


The content you are trying to access is not available in your region.

Urge to kill… rising…
posted by erdferkel at 4:37 PM on October 21, 2014 [5 favorites]


The content you are trying to access is not available in your region.

Simpsons World


This is the most blatant case of false advertising since my suit against the movie The Neverending Story.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:50 PM on October 21, 2014 [17 favorites]


*Otto leaves store* That is Flagrant false advertising!
posted by The Whelk at 4:56 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


I can think of at least two things wrong with that title.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:09 PM on October 21, 2014


All 552 epasodes and counting? Epasode Numbar 164.774.7 is the only epasode you'll ever need.
posted by effbot at 5:10 PM on October 21, 2014 [4 favorites]


Yes, this should provide adequate sustinence for the streaming Simpson's marathon.....
posted by The Whelk at 5:11 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


Have they rolled out FXX's new logo yet?

or is that the one for FoxNooz?
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:19 PM on October 21, 2014


Why aren't all these episodes just up on hulu, or amazon prime, or whatever? that's fucking moronic. I don't want to use another shitty service with another shitty site that doesn't play nice with any of my existing hardware.

YES THIS. I don't want cable. I don't have cable. I have Netflix & Amazon Prime.

I actually would've kept paying for Hulu if they'd had actual Simpsons, instead of horrible modern zombie Simpsons, because they had South Park in a way that was easy to get to my Chromecast. (Of course the Android app is "soon", because it always is.)

I guess I'll just set up a little savings fund to buy discs of seasons 1-8 and maybe 9.
posted by epersonae at 5:34 PM on October 21, 2014


I feel like a kid in some kind of a store
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 5:46 PM on October 21, 2014 [4 favorites]


You know, FXX turned into a hardcore Simpsons channel so gradually, I didn't even notice
posted by Chrysostom at 5:58 PM on October 21, 2014 [14 favorites]


Convenient access to full episodes on Netflix or Amazon Prime is more of a Shelbyville idea.
posted by usonian at 5:59 PM on October 21, 2014 [6 favorites]


Fuckity fuck fuck...no fios? What the fuck?
posted by ShawnString at 6:03 PM on October 21, 2014


Fuckity fuck fuck...no fios? What the fuck?

Wow, you weren't kidding. That really bites. Luckily the four episodes they play almost every day satisfies my needs... unfortunately they seem to intentionally be playing a lot of the 10+ dregs.
posted by codacorolla at 6:07 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


Why aren't all these episodes just up on hulu, or amazon prime, or whatever? that's fucking moronic. I don't want to use another shitty service with another shitty site that doesn't play nice with any of my existing hardware.

YES THIS. I don't want cable. I don't have cable. I have Netflix & Amazon Prime.


Netflix has to pay $2,000,000 per episode just to get exclusive streaming rights (temporarily) for just the first season of The Blacklist. I'm not sure what kinda deal Fox would want in return for even non-exclusive streaming rights for The Simpsons, but I wouldn't be surprised if it would be in "Gee, we'd have to significantly raise our rates to break even" territory.
posted by sideshow at 6:14 PM on October 21, 2014


My one complaint with the Simpsons World app so far is that the older episodes only seem to play in 16:9 rather than the original 4:3. Boo-urns.
posted by pipian at 6:28 PM on October 21, 2014 [1 favorite]


well as on the FXNow app for iOS, Android

Android? The froyo is also cursed.

Homer: Is that bad?
posted by zippy at 6:44 PM on October 21, 2014 [2 favorites]


Listen, The Whelk, I'm not as laid back as people think. Now here's the deal: I'm going to quote Simpsons episodes, and you're going to float there and like it.
posted by Chrysostom at 4:26 PM on October 21 [1 favorite +] [!]


Not a favorite! Argh, he'll be quoting Simpsons for hours.
posted by LionIndex at 7:28 PM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]


THE DREADED REAR ADMIRAL
posted by Existential Dread at 8:30 PM on October 21, 2014


Eeeexcellent.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:47 PM on October 21, 2014


I'm a gulch!
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:09 PM on October 21, 2014


The content you are trying to access is not available in your region.

*pupils constrict*

Kids, would you step outside for a second?
posted by saturday_morning at 9:28 PM on October 21, 2014 [3 favorites]


Fuck, i'd be fine with having to pay for an extra "season pass" or whatever to get all this on one of the existing services, just don't roll your own bullshit pleaseeeee

Well, there are other sites that have The Simpsons, and well...I'll just leave this pamphlet here with you.
"So you've decided to steal The Simpsons"

MYTH: Simpsons Piracy is wrong.

FACT: The Simpsons are a big faceless corporation which makes it okay!
posted by FJT at 2:39 AM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


I seem to recall that prior to a cease-and-desisting a long time ago that lead to a gutting of the scripts, the archives at http://www.snpp.com/ were useful.
posted by mikelieman at 4:39 AM on October 22, 2014


I wish I had a Simpsons quote to point people who can't access the content to Hola Better Internet. It's sacrilicious.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 6:43 AM on October 22, 2014


I am thrilled about an all-Simpsons streaming channel. Hope Roku gets it.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 7:01 AM on October 22, 2014


(^ Roku got it yesterday, via the FX Now app....)
posted by LooseFilter at 7:08 AM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


No Directv. Hilarious. Well, I only have two or three season's worth of DVDs left to get anyway.
posted by dirigibleman at 7:35 AM on October 22, 2014


I wish I had a Simpsons quote to point people who can't access the content to Hola Better Internet. It's sacrilicious.

Access granted!

But... Oh. Full episodes are paywalled. Meh. (Are there ad breaks? I bet there are ad breaks.) Even if I wanted to join, I have no idea how to go about doing that; I've found a "Log In" button and a "Sign In" button (neither of which does anything), but no "Sign Up" or "Join" button. Maybe it's supposed to be on that giant empty black part of the screen I had to scroll past despite disabling all my ad- and script-blocking shit?

As far as I can tell, what's available for free is stuff that would be (and indeed once was) available for free anyway if they weren't so C&D happy.

So, like, fuck this, basically.

(The little "popularity" bar graphs seem to indicate that after the much-hyped grand opening day, there are maybe 1200 subscribers. A raging success!)
posted by Sys Rq at 8:53 AM on October 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


Everyone is probably at The Leftorium.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:50 AM on October 22, 2014


So the content finally appeared on my Apple TV in the FX Now app. It's pretty unstable, I watched two episodes last night and it crashed three times total, sending me back to the ATV home screen. (This rarely happens with other apps on the device. And of course, when you reopen the app, find the episode and restart it, it will automatically replay the last commercial break even if you've already watched it. Did I mention that there are commercials? There are short, Hulu-style commercial breaks.) The website hardly works on my desktop machine, on either (fully updated) Chrome or Firefox. FOX JUST LET ME PAY YOU TO DOWNLOAD THE SEASONS I WANT TO WATCH.

Love the idea, realization is very flawed.

< insert pithy Simpsons quote >
posted by LooseFilter at 1:51 PM on October 22, 2014


< insert pithy Simpsons quote >

"Meh."
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:13 PM on October 22, 2014 [2 favorites]


It's just not a good site. It lacks basic features you would get on Hulu or Netflix like...you know...the next episode autoplaying after the previous one is done. And it's just full of other bizarre annoyances that make it an ordeal to use. Very frustrating. You have solid gold content and are hiding it behind a terribad interface...why?
posted by Drinky Die at 2:38 AM on November 17, 2014


It's just as stupid as when news sites/stations or newspapers have their own video streaming player instead of just using youtube, for no particularly good reason. And it's ALWAYS garbage that glitches out when you try and full screen, or has a useless volume control, or refuses to switch out of fuzzy-realplayer-in-1997 quality even though the hd button is right there.

as i said before, they're total buttheads for not just releasing all this on netflix and hulu plus and everything. i have yet to see a home-rolled video player that was actually better or even on par with one of the major services, and the only ones i've seen that are even remotely usable are the adult swim one and the old southparkstudios player from a couple years ago.
posted by emptythought at 7:17 PM on November 17, 2014


Yeah, I just thank Jebus they have caption support at least. The viewership numbers for classic season three episodes is in the hundreds, I can't see how they don't view the launch as a failure.
posted by Drinky Die at 8:07 PM on November 17, 2014


After wading through the painful, slow web UI I watched a few episodes while sitting at my desktop computer, and that was pretty much it. Teen and early adult pavlovian conditioning really demands for a couch to be involved if I'm watching the Simpsons, and my ancient Roku doesn't support the FXnow app.

On reflection, all I really want is for Fox to dedicate a 30 or 60 minute weekday block on one of their numerous cable channels to running only classic episodes - from the first 7 or 8 seasons. I'd watch all the damn time. I did watch syndicated episodes all the damn time, back when those were the only seasons in rotation.
posted by usonian at 1:19 PM on November 18, 2014


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