What Happens: When Bart steals a police car, a new judge ( Jane Kaczmarek) holds his parents accountable too. And this was when it was still shocking to hear a cartoon say “damn.” The Simpsons is best when it works on multiple levels, but in the early days it was just one level. It took until season three to really find the satirical groove in Simpsons stories. How It Stacks Up: Give ‘em a break, they were just getting started. Alas, that’s one place Bart can’t fake it, so he doesn’t fit in at all. What Happens: Bart swaps aptitude tests with Martin Prince and is sent to a school for the gifted. (Photo by "Bart the Genius" (Fox Broadcasting Company)) So, before the 27th season of The Simpsons begins with its controversial opener, “Every Man’s Dream,” let’s look back at how the last 26 season premieres stack up, counting down to the best premiere!
Some of the later seasons have even made it into the top ten because I think that The Simpsons has always found new ways to stay relevant and top itself. (“Treehouse of Horror” specials deserve their own list, so it’s a good thing we did that last year!) For several years, The Simpsons kicked off with a “Treehouse of Horror” episode, but we’re not counting those here. To clarify things a little, we are looking at the first regular episode of each season. As it turns out, I have never missed an episode of The Simpsons, so this is basically the article I’ve been waiting to write my entire life. Springfield’s favorite yellow family returns to Fox this Sunday for their 27th season, making this the perfect opportunity to look back upon 26 years of The Simpsons and rank all the season premieres.
(Photo by Season 27 premiere (Fox Broadcasting Company))