Stop. Watch. Listen

'Simpsons' meets 'GOT' in adults-only animated series 'Disenchantment'

Matt Groening, creator of 'The Simpsons', says his new Netflix show is about 'life and death, love and sex, and how to keep laughing in a world full of suffering and idiots'

05 August 2018 - 00:00 By Andrea Nagel

AT A GLANCE:
WHAT: Disenchantment, a new animated series by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening.
WHO: Bean, an alcoholic medieval princess from Dreamland, and her friends encounter mystical creatures.
WHY CARE: The Simpsons was revolutionary in its commentary on modern American life - prefiguring shows like South Park. Anything Groening creates deserves a look for this reason alone.
WHERE TO FIND IT: Netflix from August 17.
'DISENCHANTMENT' IN DEPTH:
The year was 1989. The Berlin Wall came down and over two million East Germans crossed from the east to the west of Berlin to celebrate; the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize, recognised for his nonviolent campaign to end China's domination over Tibet; the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill resulted in one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters ever; and Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge and Homer were born, resulting in The Simpsons becoming part of popular culture.
"Matt Groening's iconic animated series turned hyper-referentiality into an art form, regularly packing in throwaway references to high and low culture right from the start," wrote Darren Franich in Entertainment Weekly.
It was a delight to see the stars of the day, from singers to actors, politicians and sports people in the show. Tony Bennett was one of the first guests, but Dustin Hoffman, Michael Jackson, Stephen Hawking, Ellen DeGeneres, Mark Zuckerberg, Halle Berry, Anthony Bourdain, Pharrell Williams and loads of others have appeared in the 30 years that the show has aired.
But all good things seem to slowly decline, and after almost three decades of The Simpsons, the show has become a little tired. Groening also produced another show, set in the future, called Futurama, which, despite being nominated for 12 Emmy Awards (it won six) and various other accolades, never quite reached the popularity of The Simpsons. Futurama aired on Fox from March 28 1999 to August 10 2003.
Fifteen years after Futurama, Groening is about to release his next animated offering, Disenchantment, for Netflix. In the show's recently released teaser the narrator says: "You've seen the future in Futurama, you've seen the present in Springfield, so what's the obvious third move? The past, of course. Welcome to Dreamland!"
WATCH | The trailer for Disenchanment..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.