The first ten or so seasons of The Simpsons are almost mythical among comedy nerds. Say what you will about the more recent seasons of the show, which seems like it’ll go on forever at this point, but those early seasons seem to be the closest thing to comedy perfection ever created. The show was most obviously groundbreaking for being the first real cartoon for adults, but what made it a classic was the writing. Striking the perfect balance between highbrow humor, goofy gags, winking meta references and heartfelt emotion, every episode is like a masterclass in comedy.
People can argue all they want over which episodes or seasons are the best, but there’s no arguing with the incredible influence of those first seasons. Which is why “Classic Simpsons†is the focus of our first theme week here at Splitsider. Look for features every day focusing on the show and the impact it’s had, from both people behind those seasons and people influenced by them.