A word from Matt Groening,
Welcome to the first of many deluxe overpriced DVD sets of The Simpsons. With 280 odd shows in the can and no end in sight, you might be able to complete your Simpsons DVD collection just before the next format comes along. Thanks for buying!
What we have here are thirteen crudely animated episodes, first aired in 1989 and 1990, all spiffed up, cleaned up, and augmented with bells and whistles, bonus materials, and self-pitying audio commentaries. If Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Marge look weirdly off-model, if their voices sound spooky or different, and if the animation seems particularly glitch-filled, just remember this:
we didn't know what the hell we were doing back then.
What's fun for me in looking back at all these old episodes is how many jokes and characters have stayed vivid for more than a decade. I love Santa's Little Helper leaping into Homer's arms at Christmas; the debut of Blinky, the three-eyed fish; Bart's game-winning Scrabble word "KWYJIBO" ("a fat, dumb, balding North American ape with no chin"); the Simpsons giving each other electroshock therapy courtesy of Dr. Marvin Monroe; Lisa playing saxophone with Bleeding Gums Murphy; Homer being mistaken for bigfoot; and Marge's bowling instructor Jacques strangely losing his French accent when yelling for onion rings.
I also dig Grandpa Simpson's letter to TV advertisers: "I am disgusted with the way old people are depicted on television. We are not all vibrant, fun-loving sex maniacs. Many of us are bitter, resentful individuals, who remember the good old days when entertainment was bland and inoffensive."
So enjoy. We've got more Simpsons episode to make, then broadcast, then re-run, then chop for syndication, then sell you on DVD. But you know something? We wouldn't have it any other way!
Your pal,
Matt Groening.
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Ok, I admit that this is my least favourite season that I own of DVD.
That's mostly because it's far less sophisticated. Plus it's rated "G" - unlike all other seasons.
It's still funny, but the unique "Simpsons" humour is nowhere to be found. The humour is different.
This season has a completely different feel, and it actually isn't all that bad.
(But I'm glad they figured out what works best for the show..)
As for the DVD, on the subject of "Special Features", this DVD is surely the best.
Special Features include:
Extremely interesting never-before-seen out-takes from "Some Enchanted Evening"
A featurette (most likely a news report) about how much they thought Bart was a negative influence.
And loads of easter-eggs.
I suggest to any fan of The Simpsons, buy this DVD (if you already haven't). Why? Because it's interesting to see the first glimpse (not including the Tracy-Ullman shorts) of the Simpsons, and mostly just to see how different it was.
Episodes:
The Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire - A great first episode. 7.2/10
Bart the Genius - Better than I thought it would be. 6.5/10
Homer's Odysee - Definitely not the best. 4.9/10
There's No Disgrace Like Home - Average. 5.3/10
Bart the General - A decent episode. 6/10
Moaning Lisa - A good episode. 6.6/10
The Call of the Simpsons - Good. 6.7/10
The Telltale Head - Average. 6/10
Life on the Fast Lane - Great. 7.3/10
Homer's Night Out - Okay. 6.2/10
The Crepes of Wrath - Quite good. 6.8/10
Krusty Get's Busted - Very good. 7.4/10
Some Enchanted Evening - Brilliant episode; one of my favourites. 8.3/10