D'Oh! Back again...

Introduction

Wow, doesn't time fly! We are now up to season 11 of The Simpsons, and by this time the show is completely in its groove and is hitting its targets just like the last 5 or 6 seasons did. There are one or two misses in this season, and a few more start creeping in after this.

The Simpsons was the show that the kids at school who had Sky all talked about, but it became more widely known in the UK over time. Simpson-mania started, as did the huge wave of merchandising which is still with us today. Watching it on DVD reminds you of those halcyon days when it was broadcast on BBC 2 without adverts. And if you are a Virgin cable customer, your only choice nowadays is to watch Channel 4 for new episodes and then dive into the DVDs for the classic days of the show.



Here's what we get on this set:-

Beyond Blunderdome
Homer becomes a Hollywood consultant to Mel Gibson as they try to remake Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Brother's Little Helper
Bart is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and prescribed "Focusin," a new drug which will improve his attention. But what does Major League Baseball gave to do with anything? Guest starring Mark McGwire as himself.

Guess Who's Coming to Criticise Dinner?
Homer (aided by Lisa) becomes the food critic for The Springfield Shopper. When he starts giving bad reviews, local restaurant owners decide to stop his reviews for good...

Treehouse of Horror X
Another three grisly tales:-"I Know What You Diddily-Iddily Did." - Ned Flanders returns from the grave seeking revenge after Marge accidentally runs him over.
"Desperately Xeeking Xena" - Bart and Lisa develop super-powers. Can they rescue Lucy Lawless from "The Collector"?
"Life's A Glitch, Then You Die" - The millenium bug destroys the earth after Homer makes a mess of sorting out Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's computers.

E-I-E-I-(ANNOYED GRUNT)
The family move to an old farm to escape the results of Homer's challenging a man to a duel. Homer manages to grow "Tomacco," an incredibly addictive cross between Tobacco and Tomatoes. Guest starring The B-52's (who play the end credits in the style of Love Shack).

Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder
Homer bowls a 300 game and becomes a local celebrity. But his star soon wanes and he looks for something else to bring fulfilment.

Eight Misbehavin'
After the whole town seemingly give fertility treatments to Apu & Manjula, they have octuplets who become the talk of the town...until a couple in Shelbyville give birth to nine.

Take My Wife, Sleaze
Homer and Marge win a motorbike at a 1950s diner. Homer forms a new gang called "Hell's Satans", but such a gang already exist and they don't like their name being stolen. Guest stars John Goodman as Meathook, Henry Winkler as Ramrod, and Jay North as himself.

Grift of the Magi
Funzo, the latest evil toy is out in time for Xmas.

Little Big Mom
Marge breaks a leg whilst ski-ing, meaning Lisa has to look after the house. Cue tension...



Faith Off
Bart becomes a faith healer.

The Mansion Family
The Simpsons are tasked with looking after Mr. Burns' mansion. Guest starring Britney Spears as herself.

Saddlesore Galactica
Homer and Bart adopt Duncan, an abandoned racehorse, named Duncan. Can they revive his fortunes?

Alone Again, Natura-Diddly
A controversial episode in which (look away now if you've never seen it) Maude Flanders dies in an accident at the racetrack. Homer then "helps" Ned to get over his loss. Guest starring Shawn Colvin.

Missionary: Impossible
Homer runs away (yet again) and becomes a missionary on a remote island.

Pygmoelian
Moe gets his picture on a Duff Beer calendar, but decides he needs a face lift. He then becomes an acting star...

Bart to the Future
Bart sees into his future, and doesn't like what he finds...

Days of Wine and D'oh'ses
Barney Gumble sobers up and Bart and Lisa discover why they appeared on a telephone directory...

Kill the Alligator and Run
More holiday trouble for The Simpsons during spring break in Florida...

Last Tap Dance in Springfield
Lisa learns to dance...

It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge
Otto is about to get married, but Marge intervenes...

Behind the Laughter
A classic spoof episode where we see the real off-stage life of the Simpsons. A great end to the season.

Video

A standard full-frame transfer, as you would expect for an 8-9 year old TV show. The presentation of the source material is very good, even if the source material itself isn't up to today's standards. It's bright and colourful and very nice to watch.

Audio

You can listen to a nice DD5.1 remix of the original stereo soundtrack. Whilst it's not earth-shattering, it's very good given the source material. It's also nice to see that they've made the effort to remix the sound, as although it's slightly false and forced at times, it does sound good overall. Purists will probably long for the original soundtrack as broadcast, but I think that this remix is fine and certainly wouldn't opt for a soundtrack with less audio channels!

Extra Features

Another nice little selection of extras.

As with other seasons, commentaries on each episode featuring various producers, directors, actors and writers. The commentaries cover technical material, as well as stories from production and discussions of the impact of the show. A nice way to watch some of the episodes that you've seen a million times before (I know I have!)

We also get an introduction to the set from Matt Groening, and deleted scenes for several episodes, animation showcases, storyboards, animatics and more besides.

Watch out also for Easter Eggs.

Conclusion

Another great season of The Simpsons on DVD.

The picture is probably about as good as it could be, and the soundtrack is very nice indeed. Add to that the usual selection of extras (including commentaries for every episode), and you get a great set.

As with previous seasons, this one is packed up in a very good DVD box set. It really is a must for fans, even though it's always on the TV. To be able to watch without annoying adverts is great. An excellent showcase of the show for the more casual viewer.

Very highly recommended, particularly if you need a Simpsons fix as you don't have Sky One any more!.