I love the lack of enthusiasm and promotion for these commentaries. I'll admit, a bit of my fandom died when they axed the DVDs.
Each year I look forward to two things as a Simpsons fan: the new season, and the new DVD release. I loved the DVDs because it sort of re-introduced me to an older season. Aside from when they aired, I haven't seen seasons 18+ in order. So to have them all packaged and given a bit of context of their place in the shows history with commercials, extras, and commentary sort of made the older seasons "legit" or "canon" or whatever. I guess it was just very official feeling to add the latest release to the shelf.
The reasoning for canceling the DVDs has also read as really shady to me. I'm not the #1 Al Jean fan, but I like the guy well enough and would never stoop to the levels some have in hating him and wishing ill will for him. But it really pissed me off when he was so out of touch with why the DVDs were cancelled, just echoing what FOX told him, and then acting aloof when it was revealed that the DVDs were actually selling well. The whole thing reeked of the FX NOW app being the reason they axed DVDs, to get more people to subscribe, which was just very sleazy on FOX's part and really made me upset with Jean. I wish the guy, and other higher ups behind the show, would fight a bit more for the DVDs. I know that in the case of other TV shows, the creators have had to fight for home video releases. The lack of effort on Jean and Groening's part to clear things up or try to find alternative methods of home video distribution has really annoyed me.
King of the Hill just received a blu-ray release and shows like American Dad get MOD DVD releases, yet The Simpsons doesn't?
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Annnnnnyway, I'll make an attempt to listen to these this week, though the lack of discussion makes me thing there isn't much going on in the tracks. Do they touch on the fact that they are for FX and not the DVDs at all?