Al Jean names favorite episodes from each season...

[missy_misery]

This was in the September 15th-21st TV Guide in the states, and I guess good for stirring convo while we wait for the Season Premire Sunday...:

S.1: Life on the Fast Lane
S.2: Homer vs Lisa and the Eighth Commandment
S.3: Radio Bart (Apparently mostly 'cause of the We Are The World Parody)
S.4: Marge Vs. The Monorail
S.5.: Deep Space Homer
S.6: Lisa's Wedding
S.7: TOH VI (For the Homer 3D Seg)
S.8: Homer's Phobia
S.9: Trash of the Titans
S.10: Viva Ned Flanders
S.11: Behind The Laughter
S.12: Homr (For the Davey and Golith Parody)
S.13: She of Little Faith
S.14: Three Gays of the Condo
S.15: The Way We Weren't
S.16: Future-Drama
S.17: The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
S.18: The Haw-Hawed Couple
S.19: Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
S.20: (Bonus Selection, he says): The Simpsons Movie.

Thoughts?  Disent?  Your own top eps from every season?

[Terry Y]

Well, I'll only pick from the seasons in which I've seen every episode.  Lessee...

1. Krusty Gets Busted
2. Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish
3. I Married Marge (probably my favorite episode ever)
4. Last Exit to Springfield
5. Cape Feare
6. (tie) Bart's Girlfriend & Lisa's Wedding
7. 22 Short Films About Springfield
8. Homer's Enemy
9. Lisa, The Simpson
10. Mom and Pop Art
11. Pygmoelion
12. Skinner's Sense of Snow
13. The Blunder Years

And I think that's about when I stopped watching regularly.  Honorable mentions in later seasons go to "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can," "Moe Baby Blues," and "Today, I Am a Clown." 

Oh, and of course, "The Simpsons Movie (On the Big Screen...)"

[Stretch_Dude]

He picked quite a few good ones, really.

[missy_misery]

Good choices, Terry!

Jean did select some good ones - the only picks I'm willing to quibble with are "Viva Ned Flanders" (compared to the rest of the season, tho...) and "Future-Drama" (And this is from one of the biggest defenders of that episode back when it originally aired).

[Stretch_Dude]

Good choices, Terry!

Jean did select some good ones - the only picks I'm willing to quibble with are "Viva Ned Flanders" (compared to the rest of the season, tho...) and "Future-Drama" (And this is from one of the biggest defenders of that episode back when it originally aired).

Yeah, I would've gone with "Bart the Mother" for Season 10. Probably "Sleeping With The Enemy" for Season 16.

[Kif White]

I've got no real issues with his classic-era ones, but I would never have picked Viva Ned Flanders for Season 10. In fact, it'd be my second worst after Monty Can't Buy Me Love. Behind The Laughter is also overrated, but is still probably better than most Season 11 episodes. I can't help but notice that his season 12 pick is the episode he wrote, not to mention being one of the worst from it, IMO. She of Little Faith wasn't bad, nor was The Way We Weren't, though I think there were slightly better offerings in Season 13 and 15 than them. Three Gays of the Condo was too awkward and hamfisted to me, and Future-Drama was absolutely horrid. Can't really comment on anything beyond this.

[c_nordlander]

I wanted to do this, but I just can't choose! 99% of everything up to Season 9 is my favourite episode. 

[missy_misery]

My top picks, for the heck of it:

1: Life on the Fast Lane
2: Brush with Greatness
3: I Married Marge (SNIFFLE!)
4: Homer's Triple Bypass (MORE SNIFFLE!)
5: Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
6: Lisa's Wedding (Almost picked And Maggie Makes Three)
7: Mother Simpson
8: Grade School Confidential (Secret War of Lisa Simpson = runner up)
9: Lisa the Simpson
10: Mayored to the Mob (I think I may have lost braincells trying to find a good one there...)
11: Behind the Laughter
12: Day of the Jackanapes (Runner up: Simpson Tall Tales)
13: Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge
14: Moe Baby Blues
15: Margical History Tour (That's about the only ep on reflection I can stomach from that ep)
16: Mommie Beerest
17: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore
18: 24 Minutes
19: Love, Springfieldian Style

[Andreas]

It's been a while since I watched the show the last time (both the classic episodes and the recent ones), but this would be my list:

1. Moaning Lisa (Runner up: Call Of The Simpsons)
2. Lisa's Substitute (Runner up: Bart vs. Thanksgiving)
3. Separate Vocations (Runner up: Stark Raving Dad)
4. Last Exit To Springfield (Runner up: Kamp Krusty, and many more)
5. Homer's Barbershop Quartet
6. Lisa's Wedding (Runner up: Bart Of Darkness, Lisa On Ice, and many more)
7. The Summer Of 4 Ft. 2 (Runner up: Bart Sells His Soul)
8. You Only Move Twice (Runner up: The Secret War Of Lisa Simpson)
9. Lisa's Sax (Runner up: Das Bus)
10. Lisa Gets An A (Runner up: Wild Barts Can't Be Broken)
11. Behind The Laughter
12. Trilogy Of Error
13. Little Girl In The Big Ten
14. 'Scuse Me While I Miss The Sky
15. The President Wore Pearls (Runner up: The Way We Weren't)
16. Sleeping With The Enemy
17. Girls Just Wanna Have Sums
18. 24 Minutes
19. Apocalypse Cow

[c_nordlander]

Just a question to the people who have chosen "Behind the Laughter" as one of their favourites (I guess Mr Jean himself isn't available for comment): do you think it was really that good, or just better than the rest of the episodes that season? Because I found it really unmemorable. It was a great set-up, but I don't remember it doing anything particularly witty or original with it.

[Tony_Baritone]

My list, on a sliding scale as always, and some of which are very personal:

1 :  Bart the General
2 :  Three Men and a Comic Book
3 :  Flaming Moe's
4 :  New Kid on the Block
5 :  $pringfield
6 :  Lisa's Rival
7 :  Bart Sells His Soul
8 :  The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
9 :  This Little Wiggy
10:  Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
11:  Last Tap Dance in Springfield
12:  Trilogy of Error
13:  Little Girl in the Big Ten
14:  Moe Baby Blues
15:  Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore
16:  The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star
17:  Girls Just Want to Have Sums
18:  24 Minutes
19:  Li'l Orphan Millie

[Andreas]

Just a question to the people who have chosen "Behind the Laughter" as one of their favourites (I guess Mr Jean himself isn't available for comment): do you think it was really that good, or just better than the rest of the episodes that season? Because I found it really unmemorable. It was a great set-up, but I don't remember it doing anything particularly witty or original with it.

It's not a particulary good episode, but the lack of better ones made me choosing this one. As you said, it was a nice idea, but after all, not that original. "Trilogy Of Error" was adapted a lot better, for instance.

[c_nordlander]

"Trilogy Of Error" was adapted a lot better, for instance.

Fully agreed! That was pretty awesome for its time.

[Kif White]

Okay, I'll bite.

1: Krusty Gets Busted
2: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
3: Flaming Moe's
4: Last Exit to Springfield
5: Cape Feare
6: Bart's Girlfriend
7: King-Size Homer
8: Homer's Phobia
9: Das Bus (close call with The Cartridge Family)
10: Bart the Mother (close call with Mayored to the Mob)
11: Days of Wine and D'oh'ses
12: Day of the Jackanapes
13: Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge
14: 'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky (close call with Moe Baby Blues)
15: The Wandering Juvie
16: Sleeping with the Enemy
17: N/A. Only saw five episodes. My Fair Laddy was the best of them, IMO)
18: N/A (only saw the THoH, and it was awful)
19: N/A

[simpsoy1]

I usually get the episodes and seasons wrong, but I'll give it a shot.

1.Some Enchanted Evening
2.Brush with Greatness
3.Separate Vocations
4.Last Exit to Springfield
5.Lady Bouvier's Lover
6.The PTA Disbands
7.Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield
8.Mountain of Madness
9.Lisa the Skeptic
10.They Saved Lisa's Brain
11.Little Big Mom
12.Day of the Jackanapes
13.Little Girl in the Big Ten
14.'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky
15.Fraudcast News
16.Midnight Rx
17.The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
18.24 Minutes
19. Funeral For a Fiend