Product Details

• Actors: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria
• Directors: Carlos Baeza, David Silverman, Jeffrey Lynch, Jim Reardon, Mark Kirkland
• Writers: Adam I. Lapidus
• Format: Box set, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Animated, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: June 15, 2004
• Run Time: 506 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (246 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001Z3IPS
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #717 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #8 in	Movies & TV > Animation > Comedy > The Simpsons
  #12 in	Movies & TV > Animation > Television
  #47 in	Movies & TV > Television > Funny Families

• For more information about "The Simpsons - The Complete Fourth Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

• This is item 4 in The Simpsons Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

By its fourth season, The Simpsons had come far enough where Lisa could make a self-referential joke about Dustin Hoffman and Michael Jackson's pseudonymous guest voice appearances in seasons 2 and 3, respectively. In this season, no less than Elizabeth Taylor (in two episodes), Bette Midler, and even the reclusive Johnny Carson blessed The Simpsons with their iconic presences. Awhile back, Entertainment Weekly ranked The Simpsons' Top 25 best episodes ever. Five gems from season 4 cracked the top 12, including the (debatable) choice for No. 1, "Last Exit to Springfield." Other episodes that loom large in the Simpsons legend are "Mr. Plow" (you know the jingle: "Call Mr. Plow / That's my name / That name again is Mr. Plow"), "Marge vs. the Monorail," featuring a Music Man-style extravaganza, and "A Streetcar Named Marge," the episode that outraged New Orleans residents, who heard their fair metropolis referred to as "a city that the damned call home."

The Simpsons smartly subverts traditional family sitcom convention, but anyone who thinks the show doesn't have a heart is advised to watch "I Love Lisa" and "New Kid on the Block," two fourth-season gems that absolutely nail the agony and ecstasy of unrequited crushes ("You won't be needing this," a heartbroken Bart fantasizes his babysitter saying while dropkicking his heart into a wastebasket in "New Kid"). While the Simpsons' celebrated ensemble gets all the glory, we must pause now to praise the peerless writing staff, among them, George Meyer, Al Jean, Jon Vitti, John Swartzwelder, David Silverman, and Conan O'Brien. One can only marvel in astonishment at the alchemy that went into creating, week after week, such essential episodes as "Kamp Krusty," "Streetcar," the profane and profound "Homer the Heretic," and "Lisa the Beauty Queen" (And that's just disc 1!). The animators, too, rose to the occasion, particularly in "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie," with its dead-on, ultra-violent sinking of the seminal Disney cartoon, "Steamboat Willie." And another benchmark in The Simpsons' rise to the TV pantheon: Its very first clip show. What Homer says about donuts in "Monorail" holds true as well for The Simpsons itself: Is there anything this show can't do? --Donald Liebenson

Product Description

The entire fourth season of the animated television show, The Simpsons.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 16-AUG-2006
Media Type: DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Long Dental Plan, August 22, 2005

By	My Uncle Stu (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I love the Simpsons. I'm not on either end of the spectrum, either the fans who think the show used to be great and now it's terrible, or the fans who think it is still as great as ever. I'm somewhere in the middle. I think, for awhile it was the smartest and funniest writing on TV. It is no longer at that level, but it is still more clever than most of what's out there. That's a pretty good accomplishment after all these years.

I am biased towards the early episodes. I even like the first season. I'm not bothered by the cruder animation or the fact that Homer's voice had not yet settled in to its eventual timbre. I like the early episodes, because back then Springfield was a parody of any small town or suburb in the United States. As the show went on, it became more and more clear that Springfield was Hollywood. Celebrity pals of the producers started showing up in episodes to be shamelessly flattered, there were more and more in-jokes about the world of entertainment, and then Matt Groening started making cameos. It was a sign of a decline. The show became too self-conscious, and eventually came around to be extra mean-spirited, meanness for the sake of meanness, as if that was the only the writers could prove they were still edgy. But enough about what started going wrong.

For the best of the Simpsons, I think the third and fourth seasons are it. The fourth season in particular has some episodes which are funny from beginning to end, funny no matter how many times you've watched them. There are more than a few episodes in this season that could arguably make a list of the ten bests. The episode Last Exit to Springfield, where they srike at the nuclear power plant, is as dense with comedy as the Marx Brothers at their finest. The episode displays a full-range of emotions. Lisa plays a moving protest song on the guitar, we get Mr. Burn's and Smithers at their most exuberant, we get the psychelic Yellow Sub sequence with Lisa on nitrous oxide, and some moments of true comedic courage, really pushing how long we can listen to Homor ruminate over the same thoughts.

This is the season that has Homor the Heretic, where Reverend Lovejoy categorizes Apu's religion as "miscellaneous." There's also A Streetcar Named Marge, Mr. Plow, Marge Vs. the Monorail, and many other solid episodes.

There are some early signs of the impending slide towards mediocrity, such as the first Simpsons clip show, and Krusty Gets Kancelled, an early example of nauseating kissing-up to celebrity guests. The extras don't add a whole lot to this set either. Like on the earlier seasons, the audio commentary can be interesting but is mostly the amimators talking about the animation. If that is your interest, you might like it. I'm more interested in other aspects, such as the writing, myself. But I'm hard to satisfy, because I actually find it disappointing when I find out where something is from. For some reason it seems more impressive when I think it's original.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally....The Good Stuff!!!, April 11, 2004

By	S. N. LLOYD-COOMBS (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're a true Simpsons fan, I think you'll agree with me in saying that this was one of the Finest seasons in the show's ongoing history. And Hey, its only taken 4 years for it to grace the DVD format...about time! But enough procrastinating, here are the goods, 22 episodes in all with a truckload of extras (like all Simpsons Boxsets) So here are the episodes and what happens in them if you need a little reminder. Enjoy!

Kamp Krusty - After making a deal with Homer to get good grades in school, Bart and Lisa go away to Kamp Krusty, "The Krustiest Place on Earth!" While they're initially excited about their summer, they soon learn that Kamp Krusty is a run-down prison run by the tyrannical Mr. Black and his C.I.T. henchmen, Dolph, Kearney and Jimbo Jones.

A Streetcar Named Marge - Marge is cast in the role of Blanche DuBois in Oh! Streetcar, the musical version of A Streetcar Named Desire directed by the flamboyant Llewellyn Sinclair at the Springfield Community Center.

Homer the Heretic - One Sunday morning, Homer decides that he'd rather sleep late than go to church. Marge is disappointed, but doesn't argue with him. While home alone, Homer dances in his underwear, drinks waffle batter and loafs around watching TV.

Lisa the Beauty Queen - To help Lisa get over her insecurities about her looks, Homer enters her into the Little Miss Springfield Pageant.

Treehouse of Horror III - In this year's scarifying special, the Simpsons gather for a Halloween party and exchange ghost stories.

Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie - Every kid in the world waits with bated breath for the Itchy & Scratchy movie, but Bart is the only one who's not allowed to see it.

Marge Gets A Job - When the Simpsons' house begins sliding off its foundation, Marge is forced to get a job to help make ends meet. Where else can she turn other than The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant?!

The New Kid on the Block - Evergreen Terrace welcomes two new neighbors, Ruth Powers and her lovely teenage daughter, Laura. Bart falls hard for Laura, but she thinks of him as just a little friend.

Mr. Plow - At the auto show, Homer impulsively buys a snow plow and starts a business as Mr. Plow. An incredibly snowy winter sets the business rolling, making Homer a success and earning him the key to the city from Mayor Quimby.

Lisa's First Word - While trying to get Maggie to say her first words, Marge tells Bart and Lisa about what they were like as babies.

Homer's Triple Bypass - In a series of terrifying X-ray shots of Homer's chest, we see that his heart is dangerously clogged with plaque and doughnut residue and that he is in need of a triple bypass operation.

Marge Vs. The Monorail - Mr. Burns is forced to pay a $3 million fine for illegally dumping toxic waste under trees in the park. At a town meeting where Springfield's citizens discuss how to best use the new fund. All agree on a Monorail.

Selma's Choice - Aunt Selma realizes that she might wind up dying all alone and thinks that having a baby can relieve her loneliness. She takes Bart and Lisa to Duff Gardens to test if she can handle Parenthood.

Brother from the Same Planet - When Homer leaves Bart waiting in the pouring rain after soccer practice, he must earn back his son's love. Bart expresses his anger by going to a Big Brother program and claiming to be an abandoned child so he can get a new "father".

I Love Lisa - Trying to be nice to Ralph Wiggum, Lisa gives him a Valentine's Day card. Ralph misinterprets the gesture and thinks that Lisa is in love with him.

Duffless - Lisa conducts a secret experiment for the Springfield Elementary School science fair to see who's smarter, Bart or a hamster. Meanwhile, Homer is forced to swear off beer after being arrested on a D.U.I.

Last Exit to Springfield - Homer finds himself filling in for the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's union leader when it comes time to negotiate their new contract with Mr. Burns.

So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show - Bart's April Fools' prank backfires and lands Homer in the hospital in a coma. At Homer's bedside, The Simpson family reminisces about all of the good times they've had over the years.

The Front - Convinced they can write better Itchy & Scratchy scripts than the writers who currently work on the cartoon, Bart and Lisa set out to write their own shows.

Whacking Day - Everyone in Springfield is excited for Whacking Day, but as the holiday approaches, Lisa condemns it as violent.

Marge in Chains - Marge gets busted for shoplifting at the Kwik-E-Mart and is sentenced to thirty days in prison.

Krusty Gets Kancelled - After the most successful advertising campaign Springfield has ever seen, The Krusty the Clown show gets bumped in the ratings by Arthur Crandall, a droll ventriloquist, and Gabbo, his excitable dummy. Krusty puts together a huge TV Special to rival Gabbo after word his show would be cancelled.

EXTRAS - We can be guaranteed the Commentaries on each episode, Featurettes, Early Drawings, Animatics, TV Specials and so forth. Forget about the Extras though, that's just the glazing on the Donut so to speak. What you want this set for is the...

...EPISODES. This is a definite MUST HAVE. Some of the greatest episodes ever created are in this box set. Do what Homer would do and act on impulse by pre ordering this baby ASAP. You will not regret it!

Mmm, DVD!

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest Simpsons season, November 16, 2004

By	Craig MACKINNON (Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

In my ever-so-humble opinion, Season 4 represents the acme of the Simpsons television show. Don't get me wrong - everything up to season 10 is funnier than anything else on TV - but Season 4 is the best of the best. The shows are packed with jokes in all forms - visual, verbal, puns, innuendo, and crude bathroom fare. The plots are thick - there are often several subplots happening simultaneously. And finally, there's the cutaways - musings (Homer talking to his brain), flashbacks, fantasies, etc. - that are consistently hilarious and insightful.

Using the same ranking criteria that I would use for the first three seasons, every episode would rank special mention. Therefore, I'll be a little more selective in what are the highlights of the highlights:

Last Exit to Springfield - Mr. Burns tries to cut the power plant employees' dental plan, so Homer leads them on strike after learning that Lisa needs braces. For my money, the greatest episode in the series (and for many others - it routinely wins "Best Episode Ever" polls).

Homer the Heretic - Homer starts his own religion after God appears to him in a dream.

Marge vs. the Monorail - Springfield is conned into buying a monorail in this Music Man parody. Leonard Nimoy makes the first of several memorable guest appearances.

Selma's Choice - After Homer gets food poisoning (in what is the funniest subplot in the series), Aunt Selma takes Lisa and Bart to Duff Gardens as a test drive to see how good a mother she'd be.

A Streetcar Named Marge - Marge and Ned star as Madge and Stanley in Oh! Streetcar! (The Musical). John Lovitz is brilliant as the obsessive director.

Homer's Triple Bypass - Homer needs a coronary artery bypass but can't afford the cost, so goes to cut-rate surgeon Nick Riviera.

New Kid on the Block - Bart sabatoges his babysitter's date with Jimbo because he has a crush on her. Meanwhile, Homer gets kicked out of an all-you-can-eat buffet and decides to sue the restaurant.

Lisa's First Word - a flashback episode that tells the story of how Bart dealt with the pregnancy of his mother and birth of his sister.

Such a list doesn't even begin to suggest the joys each and every episode brings. Even the much maligned clip show has some great moments, such as Homer imagining himself as a pagan burning Flanders, the Christian Missionary, on the first April Fool's Day.

So why buy the DVD edition if the Simpsons is available every hour of every day if you have a basic cable package? Well, most important is the lack of commercials and the ability to watch the episodes completely uncut. There are also some neat extras, not the least of which being the audio commentaries on every episode. After 100 or so episodes, some of the commentaries are somewhat thin, but others include guests such as Conan O'Brien and John Lovitz, which are as entertaining as the shows themselves.

If you only buy one Simpson's disc, make it this one. If you only show one episode to a skeptic of the show, make it Lisa's Substitute from Season 2 But A Streetcar Named Marge would be an excellent second choice. Unless the person you're showing it to is from New Orleans.