DVD Review: The Simpsons: The Nineteenth Season

It’s been two friggin’ years in between home releases for The Simpsons. Why two years? Who knows? But, with Disney+’s streaming issues with The Simpsons catalog, home releases are starting to gain in value and could continue to do so. Add in special features, of which the producers of The Simpsons probably are doing better than anybody else at the moment, and you’ve got yourself one of the finest home releases of the year.

Included in the release across four-discs are all four seasons of The Simpsons’ 19th Season. Each episode has available episode commentaries from a variety of sources including Matt Groening, various producers, the voices behind the series, and even from some of the season’s guest stars which I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that! Unfortunately, the number of cast appearances are very much in the minimal for the episode commentaries, but the fact that each episode has SOMETHING is more than worth it.

There’s an available 5.1 audio track which sounds great, and even for a DVD, the visual elements are all crisp 4:3 aspect ratio! That’s right folks, pissed off at Disney+ cutting off the sight gags and such from their massive library of episodes from the longest-running animated series in primetime? The home release is gonna be your best bet. Moreover, you get the added benefit of DVD inside covers with Bill Plympton as your producer and they will leave your jaw on the floor on how amazing they look.

Again, I would’ve liked some additional special features to really take this one home. FOX includes a “Thanks for 30 seasons” note which doesn’t make sense in a home release for the nineteenth season, and don’t expect any deleted scenes, featurettes, or animatics for your animation nerds. In any event, The Simpsons are doing a bunch of things that most home releases aren’t even bothering with. And with Disney+ clearly not giving a shit about the show today, the home release might be the best way to watch the show in it’s purest form.