When were The Simpsons good in your personal opinion?

I can't really remember when I stopped watching The Simpsons, it was so long ago. I know I definitely stopped watching before they ever changed the opening credits sequence. I think the last full episode I remember watching and enjoying was 'Treehouse of Horror XII' (the one with the leprechaun, toad-man and Pierce Brosnan in it)...so, yeah, quite some time ago. 

Are you a firm believer in the "Season 1 thru 9/10 were the show's Golden Era" idea

I guess I'd have to go with that^ (though the episode I mentioned above was from Season 13 apparently, so maybe there were some decent ones after Season 10...I just can't remember any others).

Seasons 3 - 8 were definitely the show at its high point. Though I'm sure they've had some good episodes since then, the consistency and high quality have dipped.

Although I do like some of his episodes, especially 'Lisa on Ice', I think the show started to go down hill when Mike Scully got more control. The episodes became more wacky, and the humor relied more heavily on slapstick.

Essentially, I believe the quality of The Simpsons is directly proportional to whoever was working on the show at the time... I know that sounds obvious, but so much talent passed through that show in the 90's. Brad Bird, John Swartzwelder, Bill Oakley/Josh Weinstein (the show greatly suffered from their departure), Conan O'Brien and David Merkin.

I watched the show on a daily basis growing up, and I still watch it occasionally now. After enough viewing, you kind of get a feeling for each writer/showrunner's style. For example, any of the Lisa episodes are essentially Al Jean channeling himself into the story.

People often treat The Simpsons as a single entity, but when so many different people have worked on the show over almost 30 years, it's more like 30 different variations of the same theme, with each writer having a unique approach. I think in the 90's it got a run of very talented individuals who certainly left their mark on the show.

season 1 is classic, season 2 is where it got really funny. i'd say up to around season 15. the classic mel gibson episode is somewhere around season 11. then it started changing a bit. eventually it went hd. there are some good episodes scattered here and there in the modern seasons though i haven't watched the last 3 or 4. every 7 seasons or so they do a futuristic episode and they have gotten better and better.

In my opinion, the show went downhil after the two-parter "Who Shot Mr. Burns?".

I still watch it with my 4 year old and 8 year old. Both love it. I realize it is not nearly as good as it was, but I have actually watched it since the beginning. I still find some of it funny. I actually watched a new episode last night and there were some funny moments.

Tracy Ullman shorts.

It's certainly changed a lot but I actually think it's still pretty solid. They've have some really good concept episodes in recent years and have gone off in some very bizarre directions. A lot of the early episodes I remember as a kid could have been from a live-action sitcom, but it's pretty out there at times now.