20th Century Fox | 2000 | 473 mins. | Not Rated
It’s hard to believe that The Simpsons first made their debut as a series of shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show back on April 19, 1987. The skits were later developed into a half-hour prime time show which began airing on Fox in December, 1989. With the series entering its 21st season this fall, many fans have long said that that The Simpsons lost the raw, comedic edge that made the show so unique by the end of the nineties. However, while ever episode may not be a gem, the fact is, creator Matt Groening and his colleagues continue to produce more hits than misses even after all these years.
The twelfth season (2000-01) contains both award winning and classic episodes. “Worst Episode Ever,” finds Bart and Milhouse banned from The Android Dungeon after stopping The Comic Book Guy from buying a box of priceless Star Wars memorabilia for $5, but are hired as his replacements when the Comic Book Guy has a heart attack and is advised to leave his job in order to make friends. Hank Azaria won an Emmy for his voice work which is first rate. “Homr,” an homage to the 1968 film Charly (for which Cliff Robertson won an Academy Award), won The Simpsons writers an Emmy.
As has become a tradition with The Simpsons, the set begins with the annual Halloween themed “Treehouse of Horror XI” Admittedly; this installment is rather weak when compared to previous offerings. The traditional three acts depict Homer as a ghost trying to get into heaven, an amalgamation of Grimm’s fairy tales, and the hostile takeover of Springfield by vengeful dolphins. While the latter segment is classic; the first two segments feel like the writers really worked to find material in order to stay with the three act formula. The episode does include some nifty pop culture references including Heaven Can Wait, Ghost Dad, The Untouchables, The Birds and Jaws as well as fairy tales like Goldilocks and Hansel and Gretel. The twelfth season also saw the airing of The Simpson’s 250th episode, “A Tale of Two Springfields.” While the plot of Homer leading a revolt when he learns that the town has two area codes is a bit much, the fact that The Who, along with an animated Keith Moon makes a guest appearance makes this one a keeper.
As always seems to be the case, there are plenty of noteworthy people who show up to do guest appearances during the twelfth season. Kelsey Grammar and Joe Mantegna return to reprise their roles as Sideshow Bob and Fat Tony respectively Drew Barrymore, Amy Tan, Stephen King, John Updike, Jay Mohr (as Christopher Walken), Joshua Jackson, Leeza Gibbons, Patrick McGoohan (who reprises his role of Number Six in a The Prisoner homage), Edward Norton, The Doors Robbie Kriegier, Michael Keaton, Tom Savini, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Venus Williams, Serena Williams Gary Coleman, NSYNC, Stacy Keach, Kathy Griffin, Frankie Muniz and Shawn Colvin.
Was The Simpsons as good in its twelfth season as it was in its first five? Probably not. Even though the writers might not strike with all twenty-one episodes contained in this set, they manage to sprinkle bits of humor throughout. More amazingly, the writers have stayed on top of societal trends—cultural and political—and continued to integrate them into the scripts. After twelve years, that’s a pretty amazing accomplishment.
Like previous releases, The Simpsons is presented in its original 1.33:1 full-screen ratio. Clean and bright, the transfer shows few digital flaws. The colors are surprisingly vivid, even though these shows are now eight years old. This is no doubt the best you’ll ever see The Simpsons in standard definition.
The audio is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1, with stereo tracks in Spanish and French. Dialogue is crisp and clear, with an emphasis on the center channel. While you won’t find much activity in the rears, this track does what it needs to do very well.
Special Features:
Since the release of the first season in 2001, The Simpsons have provided a bevy of goodies. As with all previous releases, each episode is accompanied by a commentary track. On all of them, creator Matt Groening is joined by show runners, writers, animators, directors, and cast members. The commentaries on each season usually yield a guest star or two, and this time around we have Roger Daltry of The Who showing up to talk about his band’s appearance on “A Tale of Two Springfields.” In addition, recurring guest star Joe Mantegna (Fat Tony) joins in on “Insane Clown Poppy” and “Pokey Mom.”
Most episodes also feature optional deleted scenes accessible when a small scissors icon appears in the lower right corner of the frame. There quite a bit of deleted material. One of the most memorable features Roger Daltry cursing at Marge.
On Disc 1, we have a short introductory piece called A Comic Moment with Matt Groening (1:22). An Animation Showcase allows us to watch “Treehouse of Horror XI” with picture-in-picture storyboards or animatic, with the ability to use the angle button to jump between views. The Special Language Feature offers up “Homer Vs. Dignity” dubbed in Hungarian, Portuguese, Ukrainian, or Italian. Under Art and Animation, we can view “Lisa the Tree-Hugger” with an illustrated commentary with the animators in a feature called A Bit from the Animators (13:15).
Disc 2 contains Comic Book Guy: Best. Moments. Ever. (9:38) a greatest hits compilation from the series; featuring the beloved self-hating shut-in. You’ll notice how Hank Azaria’s vocal characterization has changed slightly over the years. There’s also another A Bit from the Animators (11:36), this time discussing “HOMR” with an illustrated commentary.
Disc 3 contains only one extra feature (aside from the episode-specific commentaries and deleted scenes), and that is another Animation Showcase, with optional picture-in-picture storyboards or animatic for “Day of the Jackanapes.”
Finally, Disc 4 starts off with the option to Play All Deleted Scenes (24:12) with or without commentary. The Global Fanfest (7:28) is a highlight reel from a mini-Simpsons Con that took place in 2000 on the Fox backlot. Alf Clausen, the voice actors, and Matt Groening all make appearances. Oddly, the event was emceed by Mark Walberg, now the host of Antiques Roadshow. A selection of Commercials (total 1:38) is included. Under the heading Art and Animation we have a brief Sketch Gallery (0:48) and another A Bit from the Animators (11:26), this time providing an illustrated commentary for “I’m Goin’ to Praiseland,” although the menus don’t specify the episode.
Every disc also has its share of Easter eggs but they’re pretty easy to find and I don’t want to ruin the pleasure of the hunt by detailing them here.
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