The Simpsons

[Avaitor]

The DVD's return!

I have no real use for these episodes, but this is good for those who do or want to own the whole series. We're getting season 18 for sure, and they're working on commentaries for the next 2 seasons. They want to at least do 19, since season 20 was released for the 20th anniversary, but they also want to rerelease that year, since its set was barebones.

[Nel_Annette]

I'm glad it's back, as I wanted to collect everything, but now I'm a bit miffed about season 20. I originally held off on buying it because of the possibility of a rerelease with commentary, but when the DVDs were canceled I bought it just to make sure I would have it. Now I might have to double dip, which I was trying to avoid years ago to begin with.

[Daikun]

[Dr. Insomniac]

I've had no interest in collecting Simpsons DVDs past 9, but I do want to know what the commentaries will be like for the later seasons. Did they say anything interesting in the post-season 9 commentaries? I remember hearing that Matt Groening mocked that one episode where Mr. Burns meets the Loch Ness Monster.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I borrowed my friend's DVDs for 11 and 12 because there was no chance of me ever buying the worst Simpsons seasons.

The commentaries were bad. Mike Scully was the only one there with self-awareness (other than Groening, when he was there) about how bad the plots and resolutions were. Everything else were people like Selman defending every stupid decision and explaining away every complaint as without merit. I can see why the series went downhill since no one who currently works on the show realizes just how bad what they are writing truly is. Scully deserves flack for season 11 and 12, but at least he was willing to cop to the crappiness. He even did so in season 9 and 10's lesser moments. None of the other writers ever did.

The commentaries went downhill with the show.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Season 10 had a few good moments. Scully and Groening mocked a bunch of the dumber episodes like the Loch Ness monster (Scully actually apologized for this episode on the commentary) and the jockey crap in the horse episode. Season 10 was shaky enough, but the commentaries actually helped me warm up to them. It's not a great season, and it'll never be a favorite or one I'll rewatch much, but the commentaries are worth the entry price with the episodes. It's the last season with good commentary, though.

[Commode]

Here's a database for all the commentaries up through season 17.

http://tvacdb.sandboxen.com/series/Simpsons

I stopped collecting the sets at 15 and I couldn't care less about buying anymore DVD sets.  I have FXNow if I really want to watch those episodes.

[Commode]

I haven't even watched a Simpsons episode in I can't even tell you how long now.  Rarely watch TV in general though, really only use it for sports.

[Dr. Insomniac]

The last episode I can recall watching was the one that crossed over with Empire. And only because I wanted to see how bad it was, only for it to be boring and undeservedly long.

[Kiddington]

I didn't even realize they discontinued these. Shows how much I care.

8 was the last one I bought? I think? Honestly I hate that I've become "that guy", but I've really started to drift away from physical media the past few years. There's just so much crap I have sitting around at home that I don't watch, and probably will never watch. CatDog? Wild Thornberries? Complete Series sets of shows I don't even like and will literally never do anything with? Definitely money well spent. If it's something I really want I'll still make room, but I just don't have the interest (or frankly, budget) for this stuff like I used to.....and anything post-Maude getting bunted off the grandstands doesn't and won't ever fall under "really want" status.

[Foggle]

I'm not drifting away from physical media but I have basically stopped buying TV series on video at this point. I got The Wire and Twin Peaks on Blu-ray because I know I'll be watching them over and over, but aside from that, I've started only focusing on getting my favorite films (of which there are many). I've very proud of my collection, which you can see here if you'd like, but I can definitely understand the sentiment of finding something like that to be a waste of time. Me and my fiancee just really love movies.

More on topic, I've enjoyed a lot of early Simpsons material, but I'm one of those weirdos who never actively watched the series at all. The chart Daikun posted earlier made me wonder what the best stopping point in the show is. What season do you guys think was the last good one?

[Spark Of Spirit]

I always say that the first decade is essential.

Season 9 is the last great season, and season 10 is the last good one. Every season after that is hit or miss or outright bad.

As for physical media, I buy very few series as it is. Nothing has changed for me on that front.

[Commode]

Yea part of it is I don't buy much physical media any more.  I've got Sling TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime that pretty much gives me access to all I need, and whatever isn't on those I use the various add ons on Kodi.  I realized a year or so back how much space I was wasting with all the DVDs and Blu Rays and game discs I had, and either sold off the stuff I didn't want anymore or put the discs into binders and threw the plastic cases away.  Freed up so much space.

Think I only have like two Simpsons DVD sets with me right now anyway, most of my sets are packed up at my parents house.

[Avaitor]

I'd say that 8 was the end of the glory years, but season 9 was still a good to great season. The tenth is when things start going south, but there's some good episodes. If I find it for $5 or less, I'll consider buying it.

I'm still a bit of a physical media whore (I actually just bought the first 4 seasons of Archer for a few bucks a pop), but I'm also open to streaming. I'm just a little iffy on the longevity of streaming, like how Netflix loses shows left and right.

[Painted Outlaw]

So, I decided to finally close up on another thing I missed when I was younger (previously occupied by Robocop and... well, other stuff; it's a list in progress) by trying to watch what I can of the Simpsons.

So far, I can say that Homer has some nice expressions:

Spoiler

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