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The Simpsons has earned all kinds of accolades over the past 18 years. But lately the longest-running American sitcom may as well be stamped with the Krusty Brand Seal of Approval.

While writer turnover is as inevitable as creative burnout when a show spans nearly two decades, The Simpsons‘ decline was at first gradual and excusable, then sudden and difficult to watch. Were the new scripters even fans? Homer became an angry ass instead of a cranky buffoon. And classic jokes were shamelessly repeated, as if the creators didn’t realize that many viewers know past episodes by heart.

Then the series got a big-screen jolt. This summer’s The Simpsons Movie may not have matched the show’s best moments, but it was a pretty impressive try. Sharply drawn both literally and figuratively, the film offered satire and a Simpsons-save-the-day story arc that was saturated with old-fashioned sight gags and witty one-liners. True, series creator Matt Groening and executive producer James L. Brooks had to bring in old blood to pull it off. But the success of the project likely kept a number of the disheartened from giving up on the show for good.

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