Season 5

“Is all TV this wonderful?” –Mr. Burns. A near perfect season, Season 5 of The Simpsons is extraordinarily entertaining and outrageously funny. It’s also the season of Bart, as he takes over hosting duty of the Halloween Special (“Treehouse of Horror IV”), is targeted for revenge by a recently released Sideshow Bob (“Cape Feare”), becomes the “I Didn’t Do It Boy” on Krusty’s TV show (“Bart Gets Famous”), is chosen by Mr. Burns to be his heir (“Burns’ Heir”), becomes the model for enlightenment for self-help guru Brad Goodman (“Bart’s Inner Child”), and is the key witness in the trial of Mayor Quimby’s nephew (“The Boy Who Knew Too Much”). But there are also several classic non-Bart episodes, like “Homer Goes to College,” “Deep Space Homer,” and “$pringfield.” Things get a little more zany and fanciful than in previous seasons (Homer becoming an astronaut is particularly out there), but the satire and parodies are as hilarious as ever. Additionally, the writers have tailored a number guest appearance specifically for such celebrities as James Woods, James Brown, Kathleen Turner, Ernest Borgnine, Conan O’Brien, Buzz Aldrin, Michelle Pfeiffer, the Ramones, James Tyler, and Robert Goulet. The Simpsons’ fifth season is truly one of the best of the series and it still holds up.