New on DVD

By Paul Semel
Special to MSN Entertainment

Most television shows are lucky to last 10 episodes, let alone an entire season. But "The Simpsons" hasn't just lasted a lot longer -- a 19th season begins this fall -- it has lasted long enough to collect 10 seasons on DVD. In honor of the newly released "The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season," which augments every episode with commentary tracks as well as outtakes, commercials, and art bits, we're taking a look at the best episodes from each of the show's first 10 seasons.

Season 1
Name: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
Original Airdate: Dec. 17, 1989
Written By: Mimi Pond
Directed By: David Silverman
What Happened: When Mr. Burns cancels the annual Christmas bonus, and Marge spends all of the family's holiday money getting Bart's bitchin' tattoo removed, Homer tries to make some quick cash at the dog track.
Why It's The Best: Maybe it's because of sentimental value -- not only is it the first episode, but it's also the first one we ever saw -- but it could be because the mix of pathos and heart, as well as some seriously edgy humor (well, for 1989, anyway), got us hooked right away.
Hey, This Is Funny: This wasn't supposed to be the first episode. Or a stand-alone Christmas special. "The Simpsons" was supposed to debut in the fall of 1989, but when problems arose with the episode "Some Enchanted Evening," they bumped the season back to January 1990 and ran this episode in December as a special.
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete First Season"

Season 2
Name: "The Simpsons Halloween Special" aka "Treehouse of Horror"
Original Airdate: Oct. 24, 1990
Written By: John Swartzwelder (segment 1), Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky (segment 2), Sam Simon and Edgar Allan Poe (segment 3)
Directed By: Wes Archer (segment 1), Rich Moore (segment 2), David Silverman (segment 3)
Special Guest Star: James Earl Jones
What Happened: A trio of scary treats: the "Bad Dream House" segment has the family moving into a haunted house; "Hungry Are the Damned" has alien siblings Kodos and Kang abducting the family; "The Raven" is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale with Bart as the bird.
Why It's The Best: Again, maybe it's sentimental value -- this is the first Halloween special -- but it could also be because we love Kang and Kodos ... and the idea of Bart the raven telling Homer, "Get bent!"
Hey, This Is Funny: Despite the name, this is actually the only "Treehouse of Horror" to take place in Bart's tree house.
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season"

Season 3
Name: "Flaming Moe's"
Original Airdate: Nov. 21, 1991
Written By: Robert Cohen
Directed By: Rich Moore and Alan Smart
Special Guest Stars: Phil Hartman, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, and Joey Kramer.
What Happened: After Moe claims Homer's homemade drink as his own, the bar starts attracting a lot more people ... including the members of Aerosmith.
Why It's The Best: Because the surreal scene in which everyone in Homer's eyesight starts saying "Moe" just really blew our Moes, uh minds.
Hey, This Is Funny: According to Wikipedia, bartenders in Finland supposedly make real Flaming Moes by mixing Koskenkorva vodka and salmiakki, a salty licorice candy. And, we assume, fire.
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season"

Season 4
Name: "Kamp Krusty"
Original Airdate: Sept. 24, 1992
Written By: David M. Stern
Directed By: Mark Kirkland
What Happened: Lisa and Bart head off to Kamp Krusty for a summer of fun and sun, but instead get a summer of slave labor and gruel.
Why It's The Best: Because it has the best toast anyone has ever given, ever: "To Evil!"
Hey, This Is Funny: The plot of this episode was originally considered for a full-length "Simpsons" movie, but when the writers couldn't make it work, they scrapped the film idea and just made a regular-size episode. It wouldn't be until 2001 that work on the just-released "The Simpsons Movie" would begin again in earnest.
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season"

Season 5
Name: "Cape Feare"
Original Airdate: Oct. 7, 1993
Written By: Jon Vitti
Directed By: Rich Moore
Special Guest Star: Kelsey Grammer
What Happened: Three years ago, in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted," Krusty's sidekick "Sideshow" Bob hatched a fiendish plan to frame his boss for robbery. And he would've gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for those meddling Simpsons. Which is why, in this episode, Bob is out to get his revenge.
Why It's The Best: Because every "Sideshow" Bob episode is great, and this outrageously bizarre one is the best of the bunch (and, arguably, the single best "Simpsons" episode ever).
Hey, This Is Funny: According to the book "The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family," edited by Ray Richmond and Antonia Coffman, this was the last episode by the show's original writing staff.
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season"

Season 6
Name: "And Maggie Makes Three"
Original Airdate: Jan. 22, 1995
Written By: Jennifer Crittenden
Directed By: Swinton O. Scott III
What Happened: When Lisa notices a distinct lack of Maggie pictures in the family album, Homer explains their absence by telling the story of Maggie's birth as a funny flashback.
Why It's The Best: Because any time we get to see what Homer and Marge were like before the weight of the world crushed their spirits, it's hilarious.
Hey, This Is Funny: Though she usually doesn't talk, when Maggie has spoken, it's been with the voice of Elizabeth Taylor ("Lisa's First Word"), James Earl Jones ("Treehouse of Horror V"), and Harry Shearer ("Treehouse of Horror IX").
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season"

Season 7
Name: "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish'"
Original Airdate: April 28, 1996
Written By: Jonathan Collier
Directed By: Jeffrey Lynch
What Happened: After one of his army buddies dies, Grampa reveals that he and his squad made a pact during the war -- one involving stolen artwork -- that could make him rich.
Why It's The Best: Because we love Grampa as if he was our own. Which is to say, on special occasions and holidays.
Hey, This Is Funny: Many of the paintings stolen in the episode are based on real works of art that went missing during World War II.
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season"

Season 8
Name: "You Only Move Twice"
Original Airdate: Nov. 3, 1996
Written By: John Swartzwelder
Directed By: Mike B. Anderson
Special Guest Star: Albert Brooks
What Happened: Homer is offered a great new job in a wonderful new town. So you know it all has to go wrong somehow.
Why It's The Best: Because Albert Brooks' performance as Hank Scorpio is so sublime and ridiculous that you have to wonder why he's never been cast as a James Bond villain.
Hey, This Is Funny: Like Jon Lovitz and Phil Hartman, Brooks played a number of different characters on "The Simpsons," including Marge's friendly bowling instructor Jacques ("Life on the Fast Lane"), RV salesman Cowboy Bob ("The Call of the Simpsons"), and self-help guru Brad Goodman ("Bart's Inner Child").
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Eighth Season"

Season 9
Name: "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons"
Original Airdate: Nov. 16, 1997
Written By: Richard Appel
Directed By: Steven Dean Moore
Special Guest Stars: Jan Hooks and Andrea Martin
What Happened: Just as he starts to enjoy his bachelorhood, and his Firebird, Apu's arranged marriage, and his marriage-arranging mother, come back to haunt him.
Why It's The Best: Because it's a classic example of how "The Simpsons" isn't just about the Simpsons.
Hey, This Is Funny: When this episode originally aired, Bart was shown tossing pages from a Bible into a fire. But if you watch the episode in reruns, or on DVD, Bart is shown tossing pages from a book titled "Hymns."
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Ninth Season"

Season 10
Name: "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"
Original Airdate: May 16, 1999
Written By: Donick Cary and Dan Greaney
Directed By: Jim Reardon
Special Guest Stars: George Takei, Denice Kumagai, Karen Maruyama, Gedde Watanabe, and Keone Young
What Happened: The Simpsons are going to Japan, where Marge wants to see their take on the club sandwich. But when they lose all their money, they have to go on a game show to win tickets home.
Why It's The Best: Because it's a classic example of how "The Simpsons" can parody other cultures as effectively as it can our own.
Hey, This Is Funny: Even though "The Simpsons" has aired in Japan for years, this episode has never been shown there because it insults Japan's emperor and, if Wikipedia is to be believed, because it insults Hello Kitty.
On DVD: "The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season"

In addition to his regular contributions for MSN TV, Paul Semel writes about music, movies, TV, celebrities and video games for publications such as Giant, Big Shot, Emmy and Electronic Gaming Monthly.