The Simpsons - Season 10

The Simpsons, soon to kick off its 19th season on the air, is still one of the funniest shows on television. While some may condemn the show as being past its peak, it still far surpasses almost any other mainstream media product in terms of intelligence and originality, and a healthy helping of bullshit detection. To be fair, the series did hit its creative zenith in the early 90's, and has been slightly hit or miss since. Season 10 stands out as one the last 'great' seasons of The Simpsons, currently the longest running sitcom in television history.

'Bart the Mother' in which Marge gives up on her mischievous son after he (inadvertently) shoots a bird dead, is a prime example of the show writers' ability to merge subversive humor with oddly touching storylines, and surprising depth of character. The episode 'They Saved Lisa's Brain' is just excellent, with Lisa joining MENSA after tiring of her town's boorish behavior; there is also a hilarious 'B plot' wherein Homer poses for some especially unappealing for boudoir photos

Not every installment is a classic: the episodes 'Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"', and 'Monty Can't Buy Me Love' have their moments, but neither are Simpson classics. However, Season 10 continues the series legacy as a vivid, insightful and sharp time capsule of American life, in this case of the late 20th Century. As always, celebrity cameos abound, from Kim Basinger to Elton John (he has some brief but fun scenes with Apu in 'I'm With Cupid') . A special shout out to the show's amazing cast of voice over actors, including Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright,Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer and my personal favorite, Tress MacNeille, voice of Agnes Skinner, Lindsey Naegele and Crazy Cat lady.

The commentaries are hit or miss, and often have nothing to do with the episode on view, veering off into insider chit chat about life as a Simpsons writer, not a lot of which is all that interesting. In addition to other extras such as deleted scenes and alternate endings, this set also offers animation extras for 2 episodes (Disc 1's Lard of the Dance, Disc 3's Homer to the Max). Utilizing picture in picture, this allows the viewer to watch a scene unfold in either 'Storyboard' or 'Animatic' format, adding insight into the show's production process. A donut worthy addition to your DVD collection.