Sept. 25 finally saw the release of the first season DVD collection of one of America’s most beloved animated shows – “The Simpsons.” The first season comes in a three-disc set, including the original 13 episodes and a variety of extras, making it a must-have for “Simpsons” fans.

The first season is not usually regarded as the best, due to lower quality animation, undeveloped character voices and plots not quite as funny as later ones. However, the episodes are still full of classic “Simpsons” moments with plenty of laughs, as well as the beginning of many characters and on-running gags.

With the DVDs, the episodes have never looked or sounded better as the high quality transfer provides a clear and crisp picture, as well as taking advantage of newer sound technologies. There is even French audio tracks and Spanish subtitles. While the episodes are entertaining, most “Simpsons” fans will have seen them all before and may not want to rewatch them time and time again. This is where the DVD extras included really make the package worth it.

Original Scripts – Original scripts for four of the episodes are included. This is an intriguing addition as it allows you to see how episodes were originally written and how they were changed to the final version. Notes from the directors, producers and actors offer extra insight into how changes came about.

TV Specials – Two specials, “America’s First Family” and “Bart T-shirt Controversy,” show some history behind how “The Simpsons” came about and the trends it inspired. While short, both features are a nice addition.

Unaired Episode/Early Character Sketches/Animatic – These behind-the-scene extras give viewers a idea of how the animation works as well as a glimpse into the minds of the creators. It is interesting to see how characters were originally planned and developed before the show even aired. Included commentaries allow you to hear about the decision process and offer humorous insight to how the creators viewed their earliest work.

Commentaries – Each episode contains an audio commentary from that episode’s directors, writers and producers. These are the best extras included on the DVD, as they not only explain how each episode developed and what changed, but they feature the creators taking a look back to comment on how far they have come. Each commentary contains plenty of information and humor and can be viewed and enjoyed repeatedly.

Misc. – Outtakes, a “Tracy Ulman Show” episode and foreign language clips round out the extras and give you just a few more reasons to dig into the DVDs and discover what they have to offer.

Overall, the first season DVD is a great collection that “Simpsons” fans should add to their collections. For $29.99, it is well worth the price and offers hours of enjoyment, not only from the 13 episodes, but in the wonderful extras provided.

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