THE SIMPSONS: The Nineteenth Season Going Strong on

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from its 19th (yes I said 19th) season is one of the most hilarious animated series on television from creator Matt Groening and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with THE SIMPSONS: The Nineteenth Season.

The Simpsons had a very humble beginning in 1987 as a short on the equally hilarious Fox series with Tracey Ullman Show. It jumped from a half hour Christmas special in 1989 and regularly on 1990. For those of us who hate age-math, just know that in those 19 years all the laugh lines we have are 95% caused by this animated family we have come to embrace as our own.

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie along with Grampa Simpson introduced us to characters that most of us could pin point as someone in our own. Who could realize that 19 seasons later, these characters would still be with us and, more importantly, still going strong with no signs of stopping (which those of us who love to laugh truly appreciate!)

The season begins with Homer being very upset that he isn't rich after saving boss Burns from dying. It takes only one flight on a jet with an awesome dinner to feed his already insecure insecurities. Next, Homer becomes an opera singer after an accident but he can only do it lying down!

Louie is a tow-truck driver who becomes friends with Homer and gives him a tour of the tow-truck life. Maggie has become too attached to Marge so she thinks a school to learn independence might not have been the best idea. Marge decides to be friends with a guy in prison and it doesn't turn out exactly how she planned.

Going into Halloween, the Simpsons do it up right with parodies of movies and their take E.T. GOES HOME with Bart finding alien Kodos, MR. & MRS. SMITH as Homer and Marge team up to assassinate Kent Brockman, and HECK HOUSE with Ned Flanders asking God for bad powers and the ability to teach about the seven deadly sins.

Homer is in deep do-do when not knowing the color of his wife's eyes while Bart's popularity is threatened when Millhouse takes over with a life without parents. Marge decides the world needs a gym for regular sized women and Homer's insecurities lead him to a little knife work from the local plastic surgeon.

Sideshow Bob still has it in for the family Simpson but it all goes a slide side-ways when Bart makes it impossible for Bob to get what he needs to survive. Of course this turns everyone against Bart. Homer is dealing with no memory and Marge, Bart, Maggie and Lisa seems to be missing along with his memory. Then Homer sets off election mayhem with a fast-food burndown, Ralph Wiggum being a joke and then it turns out not to be so funny after all.

Homer reminisces about being a musician big giving it up for Marge and all because he found her diploma. Valentine's Day turns into a little bit of a ride down famous couple lane when Homer and Marge become Bonnie and Clyde, Lady and the Tramp along with Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen. Bart has to rethink hid pranks when realizing that someone might be causing them all to go wrong.

Marge thinks Homer may be cheating so makes a call to a reality show to track him down and get answers. Lisa and Bart are fearing they may be sent to the big house for murder! Chazz Busby accepts Lisa into his ballet school and her dancing feet get better with a strange odor around.

Mayor Quimby is after anyone late on their taxes and sultry seductress Lurleen Lumpkin is back and Marge is not in a forgiving mood. When Bart's 4-H Club friend Lou is being considered for hamburger, he tries to find a way to keep her - forever! Making a family film turns big time for Lisa as they all head to the Sundance film festival where her work is adored. Homer's Mom Mona is back and informs her son she is done with protesting but her final act turns out to be more of a protest than ever.

Finally, Lisa is Krusty the Clown's newest replacement and Sideshow Mel tells that story. Bart and Homer have other fun plans deciding to be the ones to find the Kissing Lincolns penny.

Special guests include Steve Buscemi, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ted Nugent, Matt Dillon, Stephen Colbert, Maya Rudolph, Placido Domingo, Lionel Richie, Maurice LaMarche, Alan Moore, Jack Black, Dan Clowes, Kelsey Grammer, Keith Olbermann, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jon Stewart, Dan Rather, Weird Al Yankovic, Kurt Loder, Terry Gross, Topher Grace, The Dixie Chicks, Beverly D'Angelo, Zooey Deschanel, John C. Reilly, Jim Jarmusch, Drew Carey, Lance Armstrong and Glenn Close.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The DVD includes the Special Features of 4-Disc Set Containing The Complete Nineteenth Season With All 20 Episodes listed below, "A Plea for Santy" by Matt Groening, Special Language Feature, Thank You Audio Commentary on Every Single Episode with Writers, Actors and Directors.

Episodes include He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs, The Homer of Seville, Midnight Towboy, I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Treehouse of Horror XVIII, Little Orphan Millie, Husbands and Knives, Funeral for a Friend, Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind, E Pluribus Wiggum, That '90s Show, Love Springfieldian Style, The Debarted, Dian "N" for Nerder, Smoke on the Daughter, Papa Don't Leech, Apocalypse Cow, Any Given Sundance, Mona Leaves-a, and All About Lisa.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

Creator Groening has had an amazing career as a cartoonist, writer, producer, animator and, in many cases added his own voice to The Simpsons. His work has brought home a slew of awards including Primetime Emmy(s) Award(s) for Outstanding Animation as well as Outstanding Character Voice-Over, Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Original Music, Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Cartoon and TV Show, People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy and Favorite TV Family and Favorite Animated TV Show, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing, Teen Choice Award, TCA Award, TCA Heritage Award, Satellite Award, British Comedy Award, GLAAD Media Award and Peabody Award. Many of these awards have been won several times over.

That all being said and kudos by the way, The Simpsons have been in my home from the very beginning. It has affected our humor in a major way and brought us into the world of merchandising buy outs. My sons had to have Bart Simpson tee-shirts, what can I say. The show was constantly on in our house and anytime there was a marathon you could find this family front and center with snacks and pajamas at the ready.

The amazing thing about The Simpsons is that we all feel like they are a part of us in a way that no other animated series ever has. We know them inside and out and still we tune in and laugh ourselves into a tizzy. We know Homer is just a walking disaster area, we know Marge is a saint in the way she deals with her family even if she makes a mistake a time or two, we know Lisa won't ever let herself be put in a box with labels, and we know Maggie is never going to give us more than the smacking sound of her pacifier.

What we know even more is that Bart is always going to be Bart and in a way gives us all hope to be the best naughty versions of ourselves. He is the prankster we all strive to be and has given us over the years one liners that are still in use 19 seasons later. That's something to be awesomely proud of.

Watching THE SIMPSONS: The Complete Nineteenth Season together with my family is a continual journey for our animated friends and this family is thrilled to be a part of seeing it again and again. It is equally pretty cool to have it now as part of our home entertainment library in the "frikken awesome animated stuff" section.

So prepare for the next season by bringing on the iconic 19th season with Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, Maggie and the rest of the Springvillians because their home is our home.

In the end - do'h!