The Simpsons/The Complete Third Season

The Complete Third Season The Simpsons
Release Date	August 26, 2003
Format	DVD
Region	1
Distributor	20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Disc Count	4
Episode Count	24
Running Time	672 minutes
Retail Price	$49.98
Video	Full Screen (4:3)
Audio	English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish: Dolby Digital Surround French: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles	Spanish, Close Captioned
Purchase	Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk
Previous Season Set	The Complete Second Season
Next Season Set	The Complete Fourth Season

Overview

"Pardon me if I sound a little emotional in this introduction, but when I come home after work and turn on the TV and gaze at all the old re-runs of The Simpsons, I get a bit choked up. When I see those yellow-skinned, overbitey cartoon characters I love so much running through their sweet, innocent paces in some almost-forgotten adventure from more than a decade ago, my eyes start to water. As I watch their high jinks and snappy retorts and merry mix-ups, I find myself stifling a sob or two. But don't get me wrong. I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm crying because I'm filled with rage. Do they really have to hack up the syndicated episodes of The Simpsons so poorly, butchering them to the point of near incomprehensibility? Just to squeeze in several more commercials for heavily salted snack-treats? Is this how TV repays our years of slavish, unquestioning loyalty?

What I'm saying is that if you're hip to the while recycled Simpsonian merchandise thing, then you're really going to dig this little baby: the whole uncut third season of the show, with all the jokes, credits, and original animation glitches intact. We've continued with the acerbic audio commentaries by the writers, animators and actors for every single episode - although by the end o this season you'll notice we've run out of things to say and have filled the suondtrack with a lot of quiet scuffling and squealing. (Just some foolish horse-play, I assure you. Won't happen in the next boxed set).

This is the season in which The Simpsons have found love. We see Homer and Marge getting married at Shotgun Pete's Wedding Chapel (just over the border from whatever state Springfield's in). We leer at Homer's near-romance with country singer Lurleen Lumpkin. We recoil at Marge's sister Selma's marriage to the ever-conniving Sideshow Bob. We stare in disbelief at Milhouse falling in love with someone other than Lisa (Samantha Stanky, to be precise). Plus we get a ganer at the 1971 sex-education film "Fuzzy Bunny's Guide to You Know What," not to mention Homer's psychedelic ride in the SpineMelter 2000 massage-char or his unforgettable rhapsody in the Land of Chocolate.

All in all, not a bad batch of shows. I actually think this makes Season Two look like Season One." - Matt Groening

Disc Breakdown

Disc 1

• Episodes: Stark Raving Dad, Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington, When Flanders Failed, Bart the Murderer, Homer Defined, Like Father, Like Clown

Extras

• Commentary on all episodes
• When Flanders Failed Pop-Up
• Storyboards
• Baby Translator
• Commercials
• Easter Eggs: Barbara Bush Letters Featurette and George Bush Quote Featurette

Disc 2

• Episodes: Treehouse of Horror II, Lisa's Pony, Saturdays of Thunder, Flaming Moe's, Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk, I Married Marge

Extras

• Commentary on all Episodes
• Flaming Moe's Pop-Up
• Storyboards
• Baby Translator
• Multi Language Featurette
• David Silverman Sketches
• Easter Eggs: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Peoples Choice Awards, Emmy Awards, Dan Quayle Potato/Potatoe, Loggers Controversy Featurette, SNPP.com Easter Egg
• Maggie 8-Ball (ask Homer)

Disc 3

• Episodes: Radio Bart, Lisa the Greek, Homer Alone, Bart the Lover, Homer at the Bat, Separate Vocations

Extras

• Commentary on all episodes
• Radio Bart Pop-Up
• Baby Translator
• The Simpsons Character Poster
• Animation discussion with Matt Groening, Jim Brooks and Al Jean
• Easter Eggs: Audio outtakes, Kelsey Grammer outtakes, outtakes from "Homer at the Bat," Ad Lib Hee Haw Names, "The Otto Show" funny run between Hank and Spinal Tap, Mr. Burns outtakes of "Excellent" line from "Brother Can You Spate Two Dimes?" Danny Devito's additional Baby Translator lines, Homer's run while interrupting Herb, Barney and Boggs belching contest from "Homer at the Bat" and audio tape of the table read for "Treehouse of Horror II"

Disc 4

• Episodes: Dog of Death, Colonel HomerBlack Widower, The Otto Show, Bart's Friend Falls in Love, Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?

Extras

• Commentary on all episodes
• Baby Translator
• Colonel Homer Pop-Up
• Jukebox Feature (11 songs)
• Easter Eggs: Unseen promo footage of Colonel Homer
• Interactive Game Trailer