The Simpsons. 33 seasons in, the show has reshaped the landscape of television comedy and redefined what audiences expect from animated shows thanks to its famously inventive Golden Age during seasons 3 through 11.
As such, it should come as no surprise that Bojack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg listed The Simpsons among the biggest influences on his animated dramedy. The equally tragic and comic series may have been a character study focusing on Will Arnett’s eponymous antihero, but Bojack Horseman’s tendency to combine poignant moments with surreal humor owes a clear creative debt to The Simpsons. This makes Bob-Waksberg’s favorite Simpsons episode an obvious choice since the outing is an early example of the show’s masterful tonal balance.
Bob-Waksberg listed The Simpsons’ second Christmas episode, season 7, episode 11’s “Marge Be Not Proud,” as his favorite of the show’s 700+ outings. It is a fitting pick, as proven by the showrunner’s reasoning behind his decision: “My favorite episode is ‘Marge Be Not Proud,’ where Bart steals a video game. It’s an insanely well-crafted joke episode but it’s also incredibly sincere and beautiful and heartbreaking”. The influence of this balance between jokes and moving moments can be seen throughout Bojack Horseman, whose own Christmas special also poked fun at the typically saccharine style of sitcom festive episodes.
Why "Marge Be Not Proud" Influenced Raphael Bob-Waksberg
In the years since "Marge Be Not Proud" aired, there have been many more Christmas episodes of The Simpsons, but few that were as unexpectedly sad as the early outing. The influence that The Simpsons had on Bojack Horseman is always relatively obvious thanks to both shows marrying grounded, sometimes poignant drama with over-the-top, goofy comedy. However, the image of Bart’s sad attempt at a snowman cobbled together from scrap snow under the car, contrasted with the unhinged zaniness of "Lee Carvalho’s Putting Challenge," particularly nails the tone of Bojack Horseman almost two decades before the series aired.
The Simpsons has been endlessly influential as a comedic series, with its forays into more experimental comedy broadening the type of jokes that sitcom writers could use and its risqué content paving the way for more adult-oriented animation on television. However, in recent years, it is The Simpsons’ sweeter moments that are inspiring tributes from movies and TV shows, and the masterful balance between comedy and drama seen in the show’s Golden Age is earning newfound respect. As such, it should come as no surprise to fans of Bojack Horseman that the series creator was influenced by one of The Simpsons’ best early combinations of silly humor and touching drama - since the same delicate tonal dance made the Netflix series such a critical hit.