The Simpsons DVD box set - Just call it All in the Family 2000!

I’d like to begin my review on The Simpsons – The Complete First Season DVD with some excerpts from a message on the inside cover of the box set written by the man behind the madness, 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!”

“So enjoy. We’ve got more Simpsons episodes to make, then broadcast, the re-run, the chop up for syndication, then sell to you on DVD. But you know something? We wouldn’t have it any other way!”

Pure comedic genius, laced with over the top irony and sarcasm. And I’m not only talking about Matt’s scathing open letter to us, voracious consumers, but to the show he created as well. Pure comedic genius.

Introduction
The Simpsons began over a decade ago, as a crudely drawn set of animated shorts featured on the (highly underrated) Tracy Ulmann show. Included on the DVD set is the first ever short, Good Night, Simpsons, where we see Homer and Marge tucking their three children into bed. Bart is confused and worried by his father’s reply to his query, “What is the mind?” (a rather un-Bart like question as we come to know him!). Maggie and Lisa are both shaken and terrified by Marge’s sharing of the bedtime rituals, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite” and “Rock-a-bye-baby”. Thus we are introduced to the Simpsons.

The DVD box set is packaged quite lavishly. Including a sturdy metallic silver cardboard case, the insert unfolds like a book, displaying the three picture DVD’s and a small booklet. The included booklet is rather short on info, simply containing brief episode synopsis’s and chapter selection information. Still, the packaging features some amusing artwork that should please any fan of the show.

The special features are quite abundant, which is where DVD’s usually really shine. You can listen to commentary for each episode, eavesdropping on the writers, directors, and even Matt Groening himself, talk, laugh, and groan over various aspects of the episode in question. While I’ve only listened to a few of the commentary tracks so far, I must assure you they are much more exciting to listen to then you might first think. With movies, I am usually bored listening to commentary, but it’s a completely different angle with regards to The Simpsons. Listen closely and even the most seasoned and die hard fan will learn something!

Also included are original scripts for several episodes, and not just the content of the scripts, but snapshots of the scripts themselves, so you can see errors, corrections, drawings, ideas, and all sorts of various sketching that were added to the scripts. The art work collection is also very cool, including various renditions of many characters before their final look was chosen. We get to see a sort of “character evolution” as we view different artists ideas of what the character should look like, as well as them building upon one another’s interpretations.

Getting to watch never seen before footage is always a favorite of mine when I watch a DVD, and you won’t be disappointed here as well! There’s five minutes of outtakes from the last episode of the first season, Some Enchanted Evening as well as clips from the 5th episode, Bart The General.
You will also get to view a briefer version of the BBC released, ”The Making of The Simpsons, which was a 50 minute documentary detailing the birth of The Simpsons phenomenon.

But wait, there’s more! You can listen to many clips dubbed in foreign languages, so you can laugh as Homer and company rant away in French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese. You also get to see the original Life in Hell cartoon that inspired Simpson’s producer James L. Brooks to tap the comedic genius of Matt Groening. For those of you who don’t know, Life in Hell was a comic strip written by Matt that features the similarly caustically charged humor that we’ve grown to love on the Simpson’s, but preformed by two diametrically opposed bunnies. If you’re a Simpson fan and have never seen Life in Hell, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

As we’ve come to expect from DVD’s, I’m sure there are many easter-eggs hidden throughout the menus, but I have been unable to find any in the two days I have owned this box set (but already watched three times over!) Coming in at around four and a half hours, I think the $29.95 I spent on this gem was the bargain of the year!

The Episodes

One thing that many of us need to remember is that these early Simpson’s episodes may not seem as sharp or funny as what we’ve come to expect from this ensemble. Many of our most loved characters may not even have been introduced yet, although many are eventually introduced by the end of the season. Some, like Barney and Mo, are just included as already present fixtures, like The Simpsons family themselves.

You may also notice the animation may seem a bit slapdash, and the audio scratchy, and the voice overs peculiar. Remember this however; these episodes were created on a fairly modest budget, and I’m sure those early pioneers had no idea in hell the institution they were laying the ground work for. One commonly held annoyance is the early version of Homer’s voice. Sounding much more baritone than the modern Homer, it always seems to annoy me, even though the man behind the voice never changed (Frank something, sorry Frank!)

The characters personalities were also still being shaped and formed, so it’s not uncommon to feel an inconsistency with the actions of some of the characters. Just remember, we are watching the growth of a child, that will eventually grow and emerge as a snot-nosed, rabble rousing, trickster punk adolescence (I’m talking about the personification of the show, not Bart!)

I’m not going to summarize each and every episode from the first season, however, I will list them for your convenience and information. I really think re-hashing the plot of each installment is unnecessary if not extraneous. We’ve probably all seen them, and if you’re like me, probably seen them dozens of times each (isn’t syndication wonderful? Simspons twice a day!) It is always a treat to see an episode that you can’t quite remember, or are unsure of ever seeing in the first place; it’s like Christmas in, well whatever month you’re in outside of December!

Episode 1 - Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire - December 17, 1989
Episode 2 - Bart The Genius - January 14, 1990
Episode 3 - Homer’s Odyssey - January 21, 1990
Episode 4 - There’s No Disgrace Like Home - January 28, 1990
Episode 5 - Bart The General - February 4, 1990
Episode 6 - Moaning Lisa - February 11, 1990
Episode 7 - Call Of The Simpsons - February 18, 1990
Episode 8 - The Telltale Head - February 25, 1990
Episode 9 - Life On The Fast Lane - March 18, 1990
Episode 10 - Homer’s Night Out - March 25, 1990
Episode 11 - The Crepes Of Wrath - April 15, 1990
Episode 12 - Krusty Gets Busted - April 29, 1990
Episode 13 - Some Enchanted Evening - May 3, 1990

Conclusion
My personal favorite from the first season is Krusty Gets Busted, where we are introduced to Bart’s all time hero, the boozing, womanizing, and philandering Krusty the clown. This is followed closely by the hilarious, Life on the Fast Lane, where a suave bowling instructor, voiced by the hilarious Albert Brooks, tries to seduce Marge away from Homer. In fact, every episode is a keeper here, like pretty much every episode ever made.

Part of the magic of The Simpsons in their ability to stay fresh and to reflect the “state of the nation”. My favorite aspect of The Simpsons is the political humor, as well as the scathing commentary on the institution of religion. The Simpsons poke fun at such establishments, but also never take themselves too seriously that they can’t learn a lesson or two. This DVD collection is a must have for anyone who calls themselves a fan of The Simpsons, and would even be a great introduction to those still unfamiliar with the phenomenon. As a final note, whenever I talk about The Simpsons, I like to stress one particular point. I so tire of hearing people complain that this show is very inappropriate for children and that it teaches them bad habits. My reply to you is The Simpsons was never intended to be a “children’s” show, and the fact that you assume it is such just points to your own ignorance and propulsion to jump to uneducated conclusions. So pardon me as I sneak up behind you and yell in your ear, “DOH!”