Ron TaylorThe Simpsons: Season 1

Just recently got this, and it is fantastic.Why do I love this DVD set?#1 Is price. Compare the price for a 3 DVD set, containing the entire, un-cut, un-edited first season of the Simpsons! With the price for the special VHS releases they did awhile back, such as the "Political Simpsons Set," and the "Halloween Simpsons Set," and you will see which is the better deal (even now).#2 DVD quality. ( I have no idea what the other reviewers are talking about - I have a high definition TV, and I am using component video cables, and it looks crystal clear to me.) If you tape the Simpsons every week like I do, or you buy the few VHS releases they have put out, and compare these VHS versions to DVD you will see quite obviously the difference in quality of both video and sound (my DVD player is using s-video so that may be why my video is so much better). It is even more fun if you have your DVD player hooked up into a good sound system, surround sound Simpsons is INCREDIBLE! Then there is the fact that with DVD's you don't ever have to rewind anything ever again, and you can pause the action and slow-step through it, and actually SEE what is on the screen.#3 All 13 episodes of the first season:1. "Simpsons Roasting on an open fire"2. "Bart the genius"3. "Homer's Odyssey"4. "There's no Disgrace like home"5. "Bart the General"6. "Moaning Lisa"7. "Call of the Simpsons"8. "The Telltale Head"9. "Life on the Fast Lane"10. "Homer's Night Out"11. "The Crepes of Wrath"12. "Krusty Gets Busted"13. "Some Enchanted Evening"#4 BONUS MATERIAL!In contrast to VHS special features which invariably have to be tacked onto the end of a VHS tape, and only if the movie isn't that long - DVD special features can be numerous, and you can jump right to them if you like. As more and more seasons are released on DVD I imagine that the special features will be getting even more interesting as the cast and crew digs up their notes, cut-scenes and other goodies. But here is what was included on this set:DISK ONE:a.) "Bart the Genius" script.b.) "Bart the General" script.c.) "Moaning Lisa" script.d.) All episodes are available in the English language or French with only spoken language, or subtitles as well. Plus a sound selection of 5.1 Surround, or Dolby Surround.*The scripts are cool because they are scanned into the DVD format and you can step-through them and see the original script for an episode, including stage and voice actor-type directions, and you can see things that were crossed out, and replaced, or things that were highlighted or emphasized. It is something that you have to be a Simpsons fan to love*DISK TWO:a.) All episodes are available in the English language or French with only spoken language, or subtitles as well. Plus a sound selection of 5.1 Surround, or Dolby Surround.DISK THREE:a.) Never before seen outtakes. *The outtakes are from an unaired version of "Some Enchanted Evening," and they really aren't anything all that spectacular, just the Simpsons being goofier and more "cartoon-like" than they normally are. But the bonus here is there is the option of watching the outtakes with commentary from Matt Groeing, James L. Brooks, David Silverman and Al Jean.*b.) Animatic from "Bart the General." *This is sort of an "evolution of a scene" type thing, where you see a scene go from idea, to rough sketch to final version, it also has commentary by Matt Groeing and David Silverman.*c.) The Making of the Simpsons, "America's First Family". *Sort of a "behind the scenes" look into how the Simpsons got started, with a narration from some female narrator. Matt Groeing, tells the origins of how he got the Simpsons started - bumpers between the acts of the Tracey Ullman Show.d.) Foreign language clips. *These are just the same short clip of a scene but available in French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Portuguese. Useful if you are studying a foreign language and you want to try out your listening/comprehension skills. Or if you are curious as to what they Simpsons sound like in different countries.*e.) Tracey Ullman Short: "Good Night Simpsons." *This is just one of the many Tracey Ullman bumpers that they made, I was actually disappointed that they only included one of them on this set. But oh well - maybe the next set.*f.) Albert Brooks Audio Outtakes. *Albert Brooks did the voice for the romantic bowler Marge almost had an affair with. In this special feature they show clips of the show, and Albert Brooks goofing around with his lines, amusing, but not hysterical.g.) The art of the Simpsons. *Shows the creation and design of many of the Simpsons characters, and other interesting tidbits.*h.) "Some Enchanted Evening" script.i.) All episodes are available in the English language or French with only spoken language, or subtitles as well. Plus a sound selection of 5.1 Surround, or Dolby Surround.Well there is my review. I hope it has been helpful for those of you who read reviews to see if you should buy something. The only complaint I have about this DVD set is the packaging could have been a helluva lot sturdier. The DVD trays are in a 4-part fold out style, and the covers are done in thin cardboard-like paper. Although I must say that at least they chose a DVD tray that holds the DVDs in place while storing them, but allows you to remove them without any kung-fu knowledge. Plastic casing would have been better, or at least sturdier cardboard, but hey that is small potatoes compared to what you get. And the art of the DVDs and the case is very well done.

I was one of those fans who watched The Simpsons from the very start; back in those days, even at college, all we had were rabbit ears to pick up the less than clear local Fox station - some folks back then, in 1989, still did not even have a local Fox station. Things have changed a whole lot since the thirteen-episode first season of this classic comedy, but in many ways The Simpsons has not. As I write this, the show's still going strong and building upon the work done all those years ago. While there was a bit of experimentation back in the early days, the characters emerged fully formed from the very first show. It's quite a treat to be able to watch these first thirteen episodes in order again and to reflect back upon the controversy and instant impact this animated show immediately made on popular culture.I was amazed at how vibrant and familiar these first shows seemed; it seems like only yesterday that I was introduced to Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and all the denizens of Springfield. Every episode here is a classic. Watching There's No Disgrace Like Home, the third episode, I was unexpectedly taken back to the very beginning of Simpsons mania as I watched the Simpsons repeatedly administer shocks to themselves to the consternation of family therapist Marvin Monroe. And who could forget the terrible ordeal Bart endured at the hands of two French cretins (or little Adil Hoxha, foreign exchange student from Albania - a legend in the lore of Simpsons trivia) in The Crepes of Wrath. In terms of pure hilarity, look no farther than Homer's Night Out, in which Homer becomes the swingingest swinger in town and elicits a plea for help in the ladies' department from none other than Mr. Skinner himself. The first memorable guest performers also lended their special magic to the show early on: Penny Marshall as the baby-sitting bandit in Some Enchanted Evening, Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob in Krusty Gets Busted, and Albert Brooks as the RV salesman in Call of the Simpsons and Jacque, Marge's French admirer and bowling instructor in Life On the Fast Lane. I could write a paragraph about every single episode, as each one is a classic.The commentary for each episode is fabulous, as a whole gaggle of the geniuses who brought the show to life come together to laugh at the best bits, talk about the show's genesis and evolution during this experimental first season, and provide fans with all kinds of trivia and juicy tidbits about the whole Simpsons phenomenon. You can clearly see the show develop with each passing episode, particularly in terms of the level of detail in the animation and, to some degree, the voices. With the help of the commentaries, you get a whole new perspective on Homer and the gang. One can't help but be impressed by the way each character was developed early on, the chemistry that quickly emerged between all the characters, and the way in which serious issues were explored in such a comedic manner. Gosh, you had Marge and Homer's marriage on the rocks in a couple of episodes, Bart's deportation to France for his excessive shenanigans at school, the capture of Bart and Lisa by a wanted criminal, the framing and imprisonment of Krusty, the problem of illiteracy, etc. This show really had it all, right from the very start.I don't know why I waited so long to add The Simpsons Season One to my DVD collection, but I can't wait to get all of the seasons on DVD. After 15+ years, it's easy to take this show for granted, but this Season One DVD with all of its extras has reawakened my old passion for this incredible television show. Speaking of extras, you get a look here at the first animated version of the show, and it's just as horrible as Matt Groening and the other Simpsons bigwigs said it was. You have to see it to believe it. After seeing that, you realize more than ever how lucky we are to have The Simpsons in our lives.