The Simpsons - The Complete Third Season [DVD] [1990] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

replacement for my sons scratched DVD collection. Great condition for price

My fault I purchased wrong zone

The third season of "The Simpson's" defines the beginning of the show's peak, and is arguably the best season ever. The animation is finally at the level we are now familiar with, the voices have pretty much settled into their permanent tones, and the effective use of celebrity voices becomes a highlight of the show. Perhaps most importantly though, season three sees Homer become the centerpiece of the show, as Bart's shtick had become rather tired by this time. As a result, the show's humor takes on a more adult edge, and the possible selection of story lines expands to include the nuclear power plant, Moe's, and other "grown-up" locales. Moreover, after being freed from being the show's centerpiece, Bart takes on a more interesting, varied personality. All that said, what is really important is whether or not the episodes make you laugh, and without fail season three delivers. As much as I love "The Simpsons" there are always one or two stinkers in every season, but fortunately, this collection is the exception that proves the rule. From top to bottom there isn't a single episode in season three that I would skip over. At the same time, these episodes are for some reason rarely seen in syndication, so seeing them here uncut makes them all the more enjoyable; sort of like reuniting with a long lost friend. In fact, I can't recall having ever seen the "Bart the Murderer" episode in syndication, and I had actually forgotten that it even existed. Likewise, "Flaming Moe's" my all-time favorite episode, and perhaps the most bitingly satirical episode ever, shows up once in a blue moon. The same can be said for "Black Widower" which reintroduces a much more polished Sideshow Bob, "I Married Marge", the first of many fantastic "flashback" episodes and "Bart the Lover" which features some great lines from Homer and the best end credits graphic ever. I could go on, but any fan of "The Simpsons" will know and love these episodes as well, if not better, than I do. I will say, though, that these DVD's are a step above the first two seasons. Instead of the ugly, clunky menus, there is a streamlined interface, which includes the much requested option to play all of the episodes on the disc back to back. At the same time the color is rejuvenated, as one would expect from the prior releases, but perhaps somewhat surprising is how good these discs sound. The first two seasons always sounded a little off to me in 5.1 surround, but season three sounds fantastic; the producers deserve a lot of credit for taking full advantage of the available technology. Likewise, the addition of commentary for every episode speaks to the dedication to these releases, even if it is unlikely I'll ever listen to all twenty-four of them. In the end, if you are a fan of "The Simpsons", nothing I say here is going to make it more likely that you'll buy this set. Like me, you're compelled to for the sake of owning the episodes, even after the lackluster production values of the first two seasons. However, I can reassure you that this set defines a new standard for Simpson's collections, and the additional features are worth every penny. Conversely, if you're a casual fan, but thinking about buying one of the seasons, start with this one. If it isn't the best season ever, it is certainly in the top three, and the layout and extras on these discs are light years ahead of the previous two collections. Enjoy!

I'm the type of Simpsons viewer who pre-orders the DVD sets as soon as they're available and then watches the release date on the calendar until the glorious day comes. This time around, I was particularly excited, as some of the best episodes ever come from season 3. For the first two seasons, I went to my local mall DVD/video store, put down my deposit and then took another trip the day it came out. I did this so that I would get it the day it was released and not have to wait an extra few days for it to arrive in the mail. This time, I pre-ordered it from Amazon and was pleasantly surprised to see that it didn't cost me any more (with super-saver shipping) and it inexplicably came in the mail the day after it was available in stores! So I was really happy with this arrangement. I was also really happy with the DVDs themselves. I always watch them first with the creator/director/producer/whatever commentary on first. With the first two seasons, I honestly never got around to watching the episodes without the commentary because the quality of the show had not reached its peak and the episodes come off as boring and pointless to watch, as they're shown in syndication all the time. This is not true with the third season. The episodes are a pleasure to watch in their own right, particularly ones that aren't shown in syndication as much, like "I Married Marge" and "I Love Lisa." Also, the commentary on season 3 is much more interesting, as I think the show's powers-that-be have finally gotten the commentary thing down. A new addition to the third season is commentary by Julie Kavner, Dan Castellanetta, and Nancy Cartwright, who sometimes break into their respective characters' voices (my favorite is Nancy Cartwright's "My water broke, man!" in Bart's voice), which is really interesting and cool. Their presence also let you in on little bits of trivia such as which exchanges between characters are ad-libs and which regular or guest star does the voice of the minor characters. They're also very honest in critiquing more recent episodes (in reference to the third season, someone says, "this was when the show was good") and explain some of the more obscure references, which is nice as well. The little extras can be cute. The Butterfinger commercials are a little unnecessary (we've all seen them a million times or more) but the footage of the Bart balloon at the Macy's parade is really funny, reminiscent of the footage of the Simpsons' "appearances" at the Grammys from the second season DVDs. So, now I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the legendary fourth season. If this pattern holds, they'll continue to improve and I will happily shell out the $40 every eight months or so for each increment of my personal archive of this generation's best television show.

I really bought this because I wanted Homer at the Bat, but I love this whole season. It was a great one. The Ramones episode, Colonel Homer, and really good stuff here. There are 4 discs with 6 episodes each. This is when the Simpsons really started hitting it's stride. Disc 1: Stark Raving Dad - Homer put into a mental institution because of his pink shirt when Bart put his red hat into the laundry. Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington - Lisa wins an essay contest and the Simpsons go to DC When Flanders Failed - Flanders opens the store for left-handed items Bart the Murderer - Bart starts working for the mob when Principal Skinner goes missing Homer Defined - Homer saves the nuclear plant from meltdown Like Father, Like Clown - Krusty reunites with his father Disc 2 Treehouse of Horror II - Monkey Paw, Bart the Omen, Lisa's Pony - Homer buys a pony for Lisa Saturday's of Thunder - Homer and Bart do a soap box derby Flaming Moe's - Homer gives Moe the idea for a new drink, the Flaming Moe Burns Verkaufen Derk Kraftwerk - Mr. Burns sells the nuclear plant to Germans I Married Marge - The flashback of Homer and Marge courtship Disc 3 Radio Bart - Bart gets a microphone for his birthday and put it in the well pretending to have fallen in Lisa the Greek - Homer discovers Lisa has a knack for picking winners of football games Homer Alone - Marge has a breakdown, Homer is alone with the kids Bart the Lover - Bart pretends to be Mrs. Krabbaple by posing as her on a personal ad. Homer at the Bat - Homer rules the company softball team Separate Vocations - Bart and Lisa take tests at school to show their future potential - Lisa fails at Sax, Bart the Cop Disc 4 Dog of Death - Santa's Little helper needs surgery Colonel Homer - Homer manages a country singers career Black Widower - Side Show Bob tries to marry Selma The Otto Show - Bus Driver Otto loses his license Bart's Friend Falls in Love - Milhouse falls in love Brother, can you spare two dimes - Homer finds his long lost inventor brother Herb

As many other reviewers have already listed the episodes available on the third season DVDs, I will try to break down various aspects of the volumes to tell you what works well and what doesnt work so well... Picture, sound quality: 5/5. The animation looks really sharp on this collection, as in previous releases. Fox takes its time releasing episodes, but it shows in all the work that went into the drawing and animation. Interactive menus: 4/5. I was annoyed at the menu interface for the season 2 DVDs, due to repetition and time-wasting, but this collection is much better. Every disc plays a different set of randomly-selected segues when moving from the main title (a background of the Simpsons family on the couch) to the episode selection menu. They are quick (good), often humorous (good), and in total there are probably over 20 different scenes (very good.) It is like having additional chalkboard or couch scenes that open every episode. They have also added humorous backgrounds to language selection and subtitle menus- check em out! Easter eggs: 4/5. The DVDs contain added features that are not listed on the packaging or menus: still photos, additional audio tracks, etc. For example, on the episode "Homer Alone" you can use your remote control to see penciled sketches of Homer, Bart, and Maggie. Audio commentary: 4/5. The commentaries are good, always featuring Matt Groening, Mike Reiss, the writers and actors, and others. My only complaint is that they lowered the episode volume so much that it can be difficult to follow the story if you are not already familiar with the episode. Episodes: 6/5. One of the all-time great seasons for the Simpsons. A huge number of must-see shows, including Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington, Emmy-nominated Radio Bart, Lisa the Greek, Flaming Moe's, and others. Great guest stars too, plenty of Phil Hartman as Troy McClure. Overall: 5/5. A must-have for any Simpsons fan!

I agree with many other people who are complaining about the release schedule on these Simpsons DVD collections. Is it necessary to wait an entire year between each season set? Other Fox shows are coming out much more quickly, and even the related Futurama only had five months between the sets for its first and second seasons. What gives with the Simpsons? Anyway, if you can stand the unnecessarily long wait, Season 3 of the Simpsons delivers 24 masterpieces as the series truly confirmed its status as one of the greatest in TV history. After warming up in the first season and solidifying the major characters in the second, this third season is the beginning of the golden age of the Simpsons. There is not a single weak episode here as the writing and production reached the levels of sheer brilliance that would continue for another four or five years. There is no TV series in memory that is written as strongly as the Simpsons. The key strength of the third season is the expansion of the supporting cast, as many non-Simpson characters received star treatment in their own episodes, making them as well-drawn and complex as the central family, and making them classic characters in their own right. This includes Flanders in "When Flanders Failed," Krusty in "Like Father, Like Clown," Patty and Selma in "Black Widower," and even Santa's Little Helper in "Dog of Death." I challenge you to find another TV show with such a large collection of well-drawn and complex characters. There are also great cameo appearances this season, like the second Sideshow Bob saga in the aforementioned "Black Widower," and (sadly) the last appearance of Unky Herb in "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes." The DVD extras are not too much to get excited about, except for some trivia tidbits in the otherwise predictable audio commentary by the production staff. But the episodes themselves will keep you satisfied for decades to come. That's how long it might take for the rest of the series to be released on DVD.