There isn't much you can do to ruin a continuous marathon of "The Simpsons," except for maybe this. D'oh!
FXX is right in the middle of its 552-episode marathon, and it's reportedly pulling in huge ratings, but many fans have noticed something definitely isn't quite right with the early episodes.
Rather than airing episodes in their original standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio, they are being shown in 16:9 for HD television. The problem is "The Simpsons" didn't switch to that format until 2009, according to the Verge, so many of the episodes are being cropped, zoomed in on and stretched, resulting in a noticeable difference from the originals.
The Verge
Fans of the show will be able to find the original episodes on the new "Simpsons" app once it's released. And they may want to get comfortable because FXX will air the syndicated versions of episodes instead of the originals after the TV marathon is over. These eliminate jokes to make room for more ads, explains Indiewire:
The uncut episodes will be available in 4:3 on the "Simpsons World" app, but those looking to tune in to the episodes they saw when they originally aired will be mighty disappointed. FXX says they plan to break out the originals only for special occasions (and presumably still in 16:9).
Despite the fact that the 16:9 format unavoidably crops out parts of episodes that were meant to be seen, it is still hard to find a lot wrong with FXX's 12-day "Simpsons" binge, and for purist fans of the show, the "Simpsons World" app is due out in October.
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