The Simpsons Season 16 Review‏

The sixteenth season of the Simpsons is finally on blu-ray. It originally aired November 2004- May 2005, and there were many gems that I completely forgot that happened. I’m not an obsessive watcher, the show has been on for most of my life, and admittingly I’ve missed a few. So to see them in flawless blu-ray it’s an absolute treat.

As always the Simpson hits all the relevant subjects, even almost 10 years ago, many of them remain true. From Lisa’s body issues, Bart’s growing pains, Marge’s jealousy, Homer’s rash decisions, and the strain on their marriage, the Simpsons still speak to us after all these years.  These aren’t the shocking episodes, they aren’t the ones about Gay Marriage or even webcam porn, but they’re just as good, and the continuity from the last sixteen years may be the best.

And the number of guest stars, there were many! James Caan, Thomas Pynchon, Kim Cattrall, Eric Idle, Tom Brady, Warren Sapp, LeBron James, Yao Ming, Michelle Kwan, 50 Cent, Gary Busey, Lucy Liu, Robert Wagner, Frank Gehry, Charles Napier, Amy Poehler,  John DiMaggio, Ray Romano, Stephen Hawking, Albert Brooks, Fantasia Barrino,  Jason Bateman, and Liam Neeson all showed up for an episode. 

On the Blu-ray, you'll find audio commentary for every single episode, with writers, actors and directors. The standard definition episodes have transferred over flawlessly, giving them a definition they lacked on the first showing. There's also deleted scenes, with extended pranks cut for running time, along with commentary.

For old fans, and new, this is a must. The extras alone make it worth grabbing, but the chance to see all of the episodes again may just be even better.