Simpsons Plagiarism?

maltrab said:
Same with the only fools episode when Del Boy fell through the open bar hatch, it had been done in LOSW some years before
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Remind me which episode of LOTSW that was?

Of course, the business about Trigger's broom (which I think we hear too much about to be honest) was done years ago thanks to Roy Clarke in Open All Hours.
 
Plagiarism is a pretty strong term to use. There actually aren't all that many successful plagiarism lawsuits when it comes to TV and movies, mainly because you can't really claim most of it as unique. For example, a lot of model train fans wear a hat while they play with their set; it's something that goes back decades and can be seen in advertising from before it was used in LOTSW. As for this particular case, each of the following it possible:

A. The writers of that specific Simpson's episode intentionally copied the scene.
B. The writers had seen the LOTSW episode but did not with intent create a similar scene.
C. The writers did it as a way of honoring LOTSW.

Either way, I doubt Roy Clarke or the BBC care.
 
Sarkus said:
Plagiarism is a pretty strong term to use. There actually aren't all that many successful plagiarism lawsuits when it comes to TV and movies, mainly because you can't really claim most of it as unique. For example, a lot of model train fans wear a hat while they play with their set; it's something that goes back decades and can be seen in advertising from before it was used in LOTSW. As for this particular case, each of the following it possible:

A. The writers of that specific Simpson's episode intentionally copied the scene.
B. The writers had seen the LOTSW episode but did not with intent create a similar scene.
C. The writers did it as a way of honoring LOTSW.

Either way, I doubt Roy Clarke or the BBC care.
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I think this is perhaps an example of where US & UK meaning of the word differ, I understand in the US it has legal connotations but in the UK I'd suggest its a more benign term meaning copying or imitating usually without harmful intent. :):):)
 
wstol said:
Remind me which episode of LOTSW that was?

Of course, the business about Trigger's broom (which I think we hear too much about to be honest) was done years ago thanks to Roy Clarke in Open All Hours.
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It was in the special Crums
 
Barrychuckle said:
I think this is perhaps an example of where US & UK meaning of the word differ, I understand in the US it has legal connotations but in the UK I'd suggest its a more benign term meaning copying or imitating usually without harmful intent. :):):)
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Yep, here in the US, to plagiarize something is to copy something such as an article or a term paper (word-for-word) and pass it off as your own writing. College profs get very irritated when they find out that a student has submitted a plagiarized term paper. On the other hand, when one copies a scene or a germ of an idea concerning a scene, the word "copy" works very well. A man playing with a toy train even with a railroad cap is kind of universal concept. But, if on the Simpsons, there were three men who just happened to hop on a train engine that was running, put it gear, and then blow past a platform with the town band trying to play. Would that be plagiarizing? Who knows?
 
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