The Simpsons is a huge part of our collective pop culture. The longest running animated sit-com of all time has gone on to become as identifiable as The Flintstones or The Jetsons and the clever writing and interesting cast of characters ensures that the series is just as vital and popular today as it was when it first began to air a decade and a half ago. Though the series rarely hits the high notes that it did a few years ago, it still maintains a rabid cult following and is generally better than 90% of anything else on network television.

By the time that the eleventh season rolled around, the characters were all pretty well established and then some. That said, this season isn't quite 'more of the same' as there are some continuity altering events that take place here that would have ramifications on all of the seasons to come. The two big events this season would be when Apu and Manjula give birth to octuplets and when Maude Flanders dies at a race track.

A few season highlights include the Emmy Award winning Behind The Laughter episode that works so well as a brilliant parody of VH1's Behind The Music series in which we learn how the Simpsons fell apart after their massive success only to be unwittingly reunited by none other than Willie Nelson. Of course, the Treehouse Of Terror episode stands out as they all tend to do. This one, like so many that have come before and since, is a great blend of horror movie parody and Halloween themed fun in Springfield.

Homer has a few interesting career changes here, playing a food critic, a screenwriter, a farmer and a race horse manager - in the end though, like always, he's employed at the power planet. Bart too has a few interesting escapes this time around. He plays a jockey, gets addicted to behavior altering drugs, and enjoys a brief stint as a faith healer. Marge gets a little more attention than usual this go round, which is interesting, as she winds up helping a gang of bikers clean up their act, breaks her leg on a ski trip, and winds up possibly losing her mind. The Lisa-centric episodes tend to be the weakest for whatever reason, though her two spotlight's here are better than average as she learns how hard her mother has to work to keep house and dives into the insane world of tap dancing. Spotlight episodes on supporting characters like Flanders, Moe, Apu and Barney lend this season a really nice variety that gives it a lot of replay.

Here's a play by play of what episodes appear on each of the four discs contained in this set:

DISC ONE:

Beyond Blunderdome: Homer becomes fast friends with Mel Gibson who lets him help out on his remake of Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Homer's input, which fills the movie with violence, explosions and nonsense, obviously gets the pair into trouble. Mel Gibson provides his own voice.

Brother's Little Helper: Bart's troublemaking has gone too far and he's put on a drug called Focusyn so that he'll be able to concentrate and do better in school. Things seem to be off to a good start initially but when Bart starts talking about a conspiracy involving major league baseball his family has to wonder if they've made the right decision. Mark McGuire has a cameo.

Guess Who's Coming To Criticize Dinner?: Lisa helps Homer land a new job as a good critic for the newspaper - after all, who knows more about eating than Homer? His success soon goes to his head, however, and he turns into a snob and brushes off the one person who helped him find his success... Lisa. Edward Asner shows up in this episode.

Treehouse Of Horror X: Three more great Halloween themed stories! I Know What You Diddily-iddly-Did finds the Simpsons accidentally killing Flanders in a great send up of I Know What You Did Last Summer. Desperately Xeeking Xena finds the Simpsons playing Fantastic Four style superheroes. Life's A Glitch, Then You Die pokes fun at the Y2K paranoia that was running rampant in the world when this episode was created. Guest voices include Lucy Lawless, Tom Arnold and Dick Clark.

E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt): When Homer takes his new obsession with challenging people to duels, his bluff is called by a southern man with a penchant for pistols. The Simpsons flee Springfield and hide out at an old farm where Homer mixes tobacco, tomatoes and nuclear waste to create a brand new 'tomacco' which everyone finds insanely addictive. The B-52's have a guest spot in this episode.

DISC TWO:

Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder: Homer lies to Marge and goes out bowling with the guys where he bowls a perfect game. This makes him a local celebrity for a while but it comes at the cost of his relationship with his wife and children. Ron Howard, Penn and Teller, Nancy O'Dell and Pat O'Brien all guest star.

Eight Misbehavin': Apu and his wife Manjula are desperately wanting to have a baby. Homer and a few other do-gooder's slip them all some fertility drugs and before you know it, Manjula's popped out eight twin babies. At first the locals shower Apu and company with gifts but when nine babies are born the next town over, Apu has to figure out how to support his new horde. Jan Hooks and Butch Patrick appear.

Take My Wife, Sleaze: Homer wins a motorcycle at a fifties themed diner and starts a gang called the 'Hell's Satans.' Obsessed with biker culture, Homer takes a picture of Marge while she sleeps and sends it into a magazine. Unfortunately for him, another gang named the 'Hell's Satans' sees it, and wants to take their name back and claim Marge for themselves. John Goodman and Henry Winkler star.

Grift Of The Magi: Springfield Elementary is running out of money. The school is sold to a corporation that uses the school as a focus group for their upcoming Christmas season product launch. Unfortunately their latest toy, Funzo, isn't quite as cute and safe as he seems on the outside. Gary Coleman, Clarence Clemons, Joe Montegna and Tim Robbins all guest star.

Little Big Mom: Marge messes up her leg when a skiing trip ends in disaster. Stuck in the hospital and unable to take care of her family, she leaves Lisa in charge. Lisa finds that Bart and Homer are more than she can manage until she convinces them that they're sick with leprosy!

Faith Off: When Homer gets a bucket stuck on his head and Bart is able to remove it, the entire town of Springfield starts to believe that Bart has healing powers. Bart embraces his new position as a man of the Lord until local mobster Fat Tony decides that he'd like to use Bart's powers for his own devices. Don Cheadle and Joe Montegna guest star.

DISC THREE:

The Mansion Family: Mr. Burns is worried that his health is failing and so he goes on an extended visit to the Mayo Clinic and leaves the Simpsons in charge of his mansion. Homer takes full advantage of all of Burns' luxuries, including his boat, and winds up in a knife battle with a gang of pirates in international waters. Britney Spears guest stars.

Saddlesore Galactica: When Homer and Bart go to the county fair they're so impressed with a diving horse that they decide to take him home with them. Bart and Homer work together to turn him from a diving horse into a race horse and wind up getting into trouble with the jockeys. Bachman Turner Overdrive have a fun cameo in this episode.

Alone Again, Natura-diddily: When Maude Flanders is accidentally killed by a flying t-shirt shot from a cannon at a car race, Ned is understandably devastated. Homer knows that he and his family have no choice but the help Ned through this difficult time and they do what they can to help their poor neighbor.

Missionary Impossible: Homer makes a pledge to PBS that he has no intention of keeping. His actions catch up with him and he winds up having to flee the country. He winds up on a small, impoverished island where he works as a missionary and introduces casinos into the culture of the island. Betty White guest stars.

Pygmoelian: Moe's tired of his ugly mug and he winds up getting some plastic surgery done. The newly constructed and uber handsome bartender enjoys a newl life as a swinging stud and as a soap opera star.

Bart To The Future: This episode gives us a look into the future of the Simpsons where Lisa is the president of the United States of America and Bart is a lay-about who lives with Ralph Wiggum.

DISC FOUR:

Days Of Wine And D'oh'ses: Barney gets completely sloshed and when he sees a video tape of just how far gone and out he was, he decides to give up the bottle for good. He sobers up and takes on a new job as a helicopter pilot - but will he be able to stay sober for good?

Kill The Alligator And Run: Homer suffers from insomnia and decides that he should take the family on vacation. They wind up in Florida for spring break and, after enjoying a Kid Rock concert, wind up killing an alligator who happens to the town mascot which lands them a place on the chain gang. Kid Rock, the late Joe C., and Charlie Rose all guest star.

Last Tap Dance In Springfield: Lisa decides to take tap dancing lessons and she enrolls in a school run by a teacher who was once a former child star. As Lisa and her teacher learn from one another, Homer decides to go and enjoy some laser eye surgery.

It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge: Otto's all set to get married until it comes time to say 'I do' and he splits, leaving his former bride to be no one to turn to for help but Marge Simpsons. They take her in but Marge can't quite handle the stress and starts to show signs that she may be going insane. Parker Posey guest stars.

Behind The Laughter: The season wraps up with this parody of VH1's Behind The Music. Through various flashbacks and interviews we learn the dirty laundry and unsavory secrets of all the major Simpsons players and what lead to their ride and inevitable fall. Guest voices include Gary Coleman, Jim Forbes, Stephen Hawking and Willie Nelson.

All in all, this is generally a very strong season. The writing is clever and nicely satirical and the selection of guest stars, both A and B list, make some of the episodes really stand out (the Mel Gibson one in particular). There are times when things are a little formulaic but the formula that they stick to works well so even those lesser episodes are still enjoyable enough to work as fun entertainment.

Video:

Well, seeing as each and every one of the episodes in this set (and in fact the entire series) was broadcast in 1.33.1 fullframe, it shouldn't come as any surprise to see them presented in that very same aspect ratio on this set. As has been the norm with the The Simpsons complete sets so far from Fox, the video presentation is top notch. The colors look nice and bright, the image is strong, vibrant and clean, and almost all traces of dirt, debris and print damage have been eliminated from the picture. There aren't any problems at all with mpeg compression throughout the set during playback, though there is some mild line shimmering and light edge enhancement detectable in a few spots that, while not distracting or overbearing, is definitely there. Overall though, this is a very nice presentation in terms of video quality and each and every one of the episodes in this set look better on these DVDS than they do in reruns on TV, especially in terms of color reproduction. Everything looks brighter and more vibrant which adds to the fun of the series' unique look and style.