Since its debut in 1989, across 552 episodes and 25 seasons, The Simpsons has become one of the most revered and beloved TV programmes of all time. It’s a true cultural phenomenon that’s influenced not just animation, but all areas of TV comedy and sitcom. For so many of us, its quotes and catchphrases have permeated our everyday vernacular, from single words like “crisitunity” and “embiggen” to phrases “you don’t win friends with salad” and “everything’s coming up Milhouse.”
Personal opinions may vary, but for me the show’s peak years were from season 4 through to 10. They’re consistently funny, all killer and no filler runs with barely a dud episode to be found between 1992-1998. Past this point the standard becomes a little more mixed, and recent seasons have been distinctly average at best. The beauty of The Simpsons though is that whenever you watch a newer episode that perhaps doesn’t tickle your fancy; you can always go back to the vast catalogue of bona fide classics and be entertained all over again. There’s more gold in those first 10 or 11 seasons than any other show can hope to achieve.
50. Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk (S3)
49. A Streetcar Named Marge (S7)
46. Weekend At Burnsie’s (S13)
45. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (S2)
44. The Cartridge Family (S9)
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43. Behind The Laughter (S11)
42. Rosebud (S5)
41. Flaming Moe’s (S3)
40. A Fish Called Selma (S7)
39. Two Bad Neighbours (S7)
38. Lisa On Ice (S6)
36. Mr Plow (S4)
35. 22 Short Films About Springfield (S7)
Another break from the norm here as the day-to-day lives of various Springfield residents are interwoven together in a series of short vignettes. There’s plenty of good stuff in there, including the Pulp Fiction parody going down at Herman’s Military Antiques ship and Moe getting robbed by Snake after Barney finally pays his bar tab. However the episode’s crowning glory, and the section that really makes this episode such a classic, is the dinner Principal Skinner hosts for Superintendent Chalmers. After burning the roast he had planned, Skinner passes off food from a nearby Krusty Burger as his own “steamed hams”. There then follows an exchange between the pair which I imagine most Simpsons aficionados know off by heart, culminating in the following moment of brilliance as Skinner trying to explain the apparent fire in his kitchen:
Chalmers: Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?
Skinner: Yes.
Chalmers: May I see it?
Skinner: Er… no.
It’s testament to the brilliance of this sequence that should I ever get to see the Northern Lights, I’m almost definitely going to run through this entire sketch before I do anything else.
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34. Krusty Gets Cancelled (S4)
I absolutely love Krusty as a character, and while he has prominent roles in plenty of other great episodes, this for me is his finest 22 minutes. After a hot new ventriloquist act called Gabbo becomes a huge TV hit, Krusty’s rating freefall and he is eventually cancelled. Bart and Lisa eventually rally Krusty and gather together his celebrity friends for a big comeback special. This was a great example of how celebrity cameos could be done to great effect when they were still used sparingly and rarely. Here we get the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Carson, Hugh Hefner and Bette Midler to name but a few, stepping up to help out Krusty in his time of need. Krusty’s futile efforts to revive flagging ratings are entertaining in their terribleness, especially his own terrifying attempts at ventriloquism. He eventually steals the show however with the greatest out-of-tune rendition of Send In The Clowns you will ever hear.
33. Mayored To The Mob (S10)
32. The Springfield Files (S8)
31. The Way We Was (S2)
29. Simpson Tide (S9)
28. Lisa The Vegetarian (S7)
26. Duffless (S4)
- Lisa’s Substitute (S2)
24. Boy-Scoutz N’ The Hood (S5)
23. A Star Is Burns (S6)
If we ignore the fact that this episode was in effect an ill-advised advert for short-lived animated series The Critic, a decision which perturbed Matt Groening so much he had his name removed from the credits, it’s still an incredibly funny outing. When Marge decides to organise a film festival in Springfield in order to try and raise their cultural standing, several Springfield regulars decide to enter movies, including Mr Burns. Burns is in great form in this episode as he appears determined to overcome his poor public perception. “People see you as somewhat of an ogre,” he is told by Smithers, “I ought to club them and eat their bones!” is his measured reply. He goes on to demand Steven Spielberg’s “non-union Mexican equivalent” in order to make the most self-aggrandising movie of all time. This is also the episode that produced one of the most commonly used Simpsons quotes where Smithers tries to convince Mr Burns the unhappy crowd were saying Boo-urns rather than booing his shambolic movie. To which comes Hans Moleman’s immortal reply, “I was saying Boo-urns”. The movies themselves are perhaps the episode’s stand outs, with Barney’s “Pukahontas” and Moleman’s “football in the groin” proving the pick of the lot.
22. Radioactive Man (S7)
Jiminy Jilikers. Things just never go right for poor Milhouse. When Hollywood comes knocking at Springfield’s door and the new “Radioactive Man” movie is made in their town, he somehow lands the part of the hero’s sidekick, Fall Out Boy. At first Bart is jealous of his friend, but he soon becomes increasingly happy for him, even if he remains completely oblivious to his pal’s growing disenchantment. There’s plenty of fun to be had at the expense of the apparent exploitative nature of the movie industry and the tedium of movie-making itself is also liberally lampooned throughout. There are also choice moments from Krusty, namely where he tries to show off his acting ‘range’, and of course Rainer Wolfcastle’s legendary performance as Radioactive Man, complete with the unforgettable line as a torrent of toxic waste floods his way, “the goggles, zay do nothingggg”. The episode combines the endearing storyline surrounding Bart and Milhouse’s friendship with the unashamedly cynical Hollywood satire to expert effect.
21. Bart Of Darkness (S6)
Milpooooool. Klassic Krusty. St Swythens Day. This episode is loaded with great sequences and it builds to one of the show’s all-time great film homages as Hitchcock’s Rear Window is parodied wonderfully. The plot revolves around the Simpsons getting a swimming pool and the kids experiencing fleeting popularity as a result, “Isn’t it amazing that the same day you got a pool is the same day we realised we liked you?”. Unfortunately, Bart lets it go to his head and after showing off for his adoring public, he winds up with a broken leg. Confined to a wheelchair for the summer, he grows isolated in his bedroom and after grudgingly using the telescope he is bought to pass the time; things take a turn for the sinister. The kids begin to suspect Ned Flanders may have killed his wife and while we know this won’t actually be the case, its fun watching the evidence mount up. The nods and winks to Hitch’s movie are moulded into the traditional Simpsons comedy seamlessly, and the full on musical Fantasia-esque routine that Bart jealously watches from his window is another nice touch.
20. Lemon Of Troy (S6)
Alongside the main storyline, Bart’s transformation into a stereotypical nerd (“You mean it ain’t me noggin’ it’s me peepers?”) is a funny subplot as well. Poignant in parts and successful in delicately handling a tricky subject matter, this episode also has two stand-out, laugh-out-loud funny scenes. First of all there’s the power plant co-worker with the giant hand, and finally, I’ll simply give you a name: Joey, Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo.
14. The Itchy And Scratchy And Poochy Show (S8)
12. Bart After Dark (S8)
10. Cape Feare (S5)
9. Last Exit To Springfield (S4)
8. Bart Vs Australia (S6)
The jibes at Australia’s expense have gone down in Simpsons folklore, from Marge’s inability to order Cof-fee (“Be-er?”), to the Crocodile Dundee parody that has now perhaps overtaken the original in its prominence. To this day “I see you’ve played knifey-spoony before” comes up in my day to day conversation far more than one might expect. Phil Hartman is great as ever, this time as Evan Conover, the America diplomat responsible for getting the Simpsons home safe and negotiating the ridiculous “booting” punishment. Evan is a great one-off character, his crowning glory coming after Marge makes her emotional plea for her son’s safety over the phone, before handing it back to Evan smugly, who we simply hear say, “So we’re in agreement. She won’t be allowed near the phone again.” It’s over the top and silly from the off, but it’s The Simpsons’ finest “on the road” offering, equally poking fun at the boorish American abroad.
7. Trash Of The Titans (S9)
3. Marge Vs The Monorail (S4)
When Mr Burns gets hit with a hefty fine for illegally disposing of toxic waste, the town of Springfield must decide how to spend their $3 million windfall. After they’ve discounted Mr Snrub’s idea to give it all back to the power plant, it starts to look like they might go with Marge’s idea of filling in the potholes on Main Street. That is until a charming stranger turns up in the form of Lyle Lanley. “You know, a town with money is a little like the mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it, and danged if he knows how to use it.” The man knows how to make an entrance. He then proceeds to work his magic on the entire town, even leading them in a song tribute to the majesty of the monorail itself. Springfield’s mob mentality is a recurring theme on the show, and here their predilection for mass hysteria is fully taken advantage of. Lanley is another character voiced by the sorely missed Phil Hartman, whose great contribution to some of the show’s best ever episodes cannot be overlooked.
1. You Only Move Twice (S8)
This article was originally posted in August 2014.
