I used to think there could never be too much of The Simpsons (World, 6.55pm, Star World, 7pm). But as tonight at 7pm or thereabouts we get two helpings on two channels, I am beginning to wonder. It is such a waste of prime time to put one of the funniest cartoons in television in competition with itself on the other side.
The bad news is neither channel is showing anything we haven't seen before. Star has been running the sixth series on Mondays to Wednesdays, but for reasons best known to themselves, on Thursdays and Fridays shows episodes from the first series.
Tonight that means we get episode 7G05, Bart the General, the one where Bart steps in to rescue Lisa from Nelson, the school bully, and ends up getting hammered. He turns to Grampa's loony pal Herman for advice and ends up leading a small army of Nelson's victims to victory.
On World, if you prefer, there is episode 3F01 called Home Sweet Homediddly-dum-doodily, a repeat from the seventh series. It took a few years for scriptwriters on The Simpsons to really let rip, and to dare to mock in the most acidic way, other TV shows, and social issues.
This episode, for example, is a great spoof on all those 60 Minutes reports about overreaching social workers removing normal kids from happy families.
Homer and Marge are accused of neglecting their children after Bart is discovered to have head lice, Lisa loses her shoes after a punch-up in the playground and Maggie is seen drinking water out of the dog's bowl.
Welfare workers place the little Simpsons in the nearest foster home, which happens to be the Flanders' place next door.
