Our Top Ten “The Simpsons” Episodes of All Time: 10. The Springfield Files

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My relationship with the Simpsons is a long and rather pleasant one. At the time the first episode appeared on FOX, I was old enough to enjoy it, and I was old enough to know that I’d be a hardcore “Simpsons” fans for a very long time. And that prophecy was not premature. After “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” I fell in love with the animated sitcom, and learned to enjoy it in syndication, watching each episode at least ninety times. I also tuned in to the rip offs. Does anyone else remember “Capital Critters,” “Fish Police,” and “Family Dog”? Just me, then? Okay.

Since I’m an eternal fan of the series, I thought I’d count down my ten favorite episodes of the series. There are plenty of episodes I kept out, but tough decisions aside, these are some notable episodes that stuck with me for a long time.

10. The Springfield Files
1997
Season Eight

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Remembrances of the Video Aisle

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A few people I’ve come across have viewed the sudden online VHS resurgence kind of silly. They mock the fact that fans long for the days when you had to pop in a brick sized tape, and rewind and forward through scenes. No menus, no extras, and often no widescreen. Just a movie, and some trailers in the beginning of the movie you bought. Often times you’d have to buy blank tapes from a store, and then record whatever you wanted from the television and that was a part of your library.

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The Guild: Complete Megaset (DVD)

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It’s surprising how much “The Big Bang Theory” owes a debt to Felicia Day’s web series “The Guild.” Both series are about a small group of flawed but likable individuals who hide in their fandom, and confront life through the lens of video games, science fiction, and pop culture. And one of their main rivals is a character played by Wil Wheaton. That said, “The Guild” really managed to expose actress and all around adorable geek goddess Felicia Day to the online masses, paving her as a self made comedic performer who felt unpolished, but never amateurish. Day’s character Codex is surely a flawed girl with neuroses that stifle her from achieving true happiness, but we root for her because Felicia Day knows how to write the character with empathy.

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Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters: The Complete Series (DVD)

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It’s almost as if someone saw “Power Rangers” and how much money it was making and wrote a check for a hundred thousand dollars. They then told producers to raid every single prop and costume store in Los Angeles, as well as every left over prop in the nearest studio warehouse. From there, they had to cobble together their own “Power Rangers” show. What we inevitably got was “Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills.” Even the title screams “We made this shit up in a terrible time crunch.”

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WINGS: Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (DVD)

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“Wings” was always something of a show that had genuine laughs, talented cast members, and a recognizable sitcom formula, and sadly was never that notable. Even with the appearance of Norm and Cliff from “Cheers” to help usher in the series and its setting, “Wings” was always kind of an under the radar series for folks that appreciated more downbeat comedy. Which is not to say “Wings” is a bad show, it just never quite reaches its stride until the first few seasons pass.

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The Butter Battle Book (1989)

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Dr. Seuss was one of the few children’s authors who did much more than rhyme brilliantly and tell stories about the Who’s at Whoville celebrating Christmas. And even then when you thought he was just telling you a story about a village celebrating Christmas, he was more commenting on the consumerism of Christmas, and how these villagers didn’t need all the materialism behind it after all. Dr. Seuss spent a good portion of his life writing and drawing political cartoons and ninety percent of the iconic characters in his stories were originally born from his political cartoons and years later when he ventured in to telling stories to kids about Cats in Hats, he was telling us much more about himself and providing a moral.

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