Today’s the day when Season 20 is released on DVD and Blu-Ray, bypassing the natural order of the release of seasons 13 – 19. Normally in these updates we detail all the special features contained in said shiny new release. Not this time. Not because I’m a jerk. But because Fox decided not to include any this time. So what am I to fill the rest of the post with? How about:
Ten Reasons To NOT Buy This Set:
- Despite usually being a talking point for Matt Groening in his DVD introductions, this set does not have a commentary for every single episode. How many commentaries do you get, I hear you ask? Zero. Big. Fat. Zero. What’s Matt Groening got to say about that in his intro? Oh yeah that’s right — he isn’t given one on this set.
- Okay I lied, you get one special feature. A sneak peek of the 20th Anniversary Special. In 3D! On Ice! What’s that, you watched the entire thing last night? You and 13 million other people who now have no reason to own this ‘complete set’!
- Despite them being readily accessible due to the time since these episodes were produced, no deleted scenes have been included on this set. No deleted scenes! What they kept in must have been pure gold!
- You watched these episodes already in the last twelve months. Were they really that great that you must see them all again, today? Over Season 13?
- Free cast poster! If you’re lucky. Some have already reported that their set has omitted this bonus feature.
- The cover does not match the rest of the series at all.
- The Blu-Ray version does not contain a booklet detailing the episodes. Just a one-page slip with the episode titles on it. Handy, considering you paid more for this set!
- The discs are contained within everybody’s favorite drink-coaster creator — the same cardboard packaging used in Seasons 11 and 12. Why purchase your drink coasters when you can instantly turn your Simpsons DVDs into instant scratch-heavy coasters simply by inserting and removing your discs from the box for general usage!
- The disc menus are a plain black screen with single-color line-drawings. Further emphasizing that Fox rushed this release out to make a quick buck, without a care in the world about what true fans want out of a season release.
- The *proper* release in 2014 will have everything it was supposed to have.
You can purchase this box set at Amazon or any good retailer, but remember you’re only purchasing it for the episodes in Season 20, which wont cost you a cent if you download them.
Proper release in 2014?
Seriously?
there is a release every year or two a year so yeah by then season 20 should be arond again on dvd with a lot of extras plus the complete 20th anniversary special unless thats in 21
that closing statement is quite bold. i like it a lot.
i cant believe that fox would rush something like “The Simpsons”?
Very disappointing 🙁
They could’ve done something at least a little extra, such as having the set include all the shorts from the Tracy Ullman show. That’s the least they could’ve done for making such a crappy set. It would’ve made sense to have the Ullman shorts too to compare them to how they were over 20 years ago.
i think they should have every tracey ullman short in one boxset for like 10-15 dollars
If they do have a proper realese in 2014, they should an extra one of 2 discs of the tracy ullman shorts. That would be cool.
joe, it’s just a prediction, that if the release order returns to two a year and resumes from season 13, that season 20 will eventually be done properly. either that or every release from now on will follow this formula so that this one isn’t out of place in the long term.
Most of the reason not to buy this set is just plain whining.
I think the only thing that got me mad was that I paid an extra 30 to get the blue ray, and i won’t have the booklet. I guess I’ll steal it from a display case.
How disappointing. With Seasons 1 – 12, The Simpsons probably got the best treatment a TV show can get on DVD. So many extras. Commentaries on every single episode. It’s really surprising Matt Groening would let this set be rushed out like this.
After all the complaints when season 6 was released as only a Homer head, they offered the free replacement box (flimsy, mine was falling apart after a week, but hey it’s free) and then re-released it in a normal box. It seemed like at least someone cared about the quality of the releases and was listening to the fans.
It would be interesting to hear what Groening has to say about this release. A confirmation that the set will be re-done with extras would be nice so we don’t have to buy it twice, but I doubt they’ll do that because no one would buy this one then.
I regret pre-ordering this on Amazon. If I had known it was such a rush job, I wouldn’t have bought it. I can’t imagine Matt Groening and crew being happy with this release. Hopefully they’ll give it a proper release later on, but I kinda doubt it. I think my Simpsons dedication just found its breaking point and will no longer be buying future DVDs (unless they pack them full of worthwhile extras and make the product design sensible and not self-destructive).
How many times have I said The Simpsons shouldn’t be on FOX? Too many.
Cheers for the heads up Adam, won’t buy it now.
I was quite excited, now disappointed. I hope they don;t just do ‘new’ and ‘old’ season sets in 1 year, then I’ll have to wait 7 years till the *proper* release!
I sure wish I had waited. I wish this post had been up on Sunday or Monday. I could have saved a lot of money and waited till the proper release of this season comes out. Now I know why we wait so long for the seasons to come out. I know it’s taking forever however we do get pretty near complete! From now on I will wait a week or so before buying Simpsons season sets!
i’d rather season 13 came out because i want it in rdeer and btw click my name (jake) and it sends you to a website that lets you watch every episode,read the first 138 comics,watch shors 1-7 wacth the movie and more
I dont care about the special features (I like to have them though), but I am still going to buy it because its The Simpsons, and therefore I must Have it
Ihope Fox makes better season 20 DVD box set later on:[
What Fox has done to us is their biggest attempt to cut corners with their DVD releases. They should’ve been releasing the season sets much faster and already had the first 19 seasons already released before releasing season 20.
We all have our own limits.
Does Fox think we will buy anything they slap The Simpsons on.
It’s just like none of us would enjoy watching an episode that for the entire 23 minutes, we see nothing but a close up of either Bart’s or Homer’s bare behind. Idiocracy anyone. Oh wait, Fox tried to stop many people from watching that.
I will still buy it when it comes out in Australia on the 20th of Jan, then if they do remake the season in 2014 – I will buy that one too.
I had no problem with the timing of the set because I love the simpsons, but I’m too busy going to school, working, and doing constructive things with my life to pull out a half hour to watch tv. DVDs are more convenient, I can fit them to my schedule.
i just wish they’d hurry up and release all the seasons on dvd before dvd become extinct like vhs!
ps i really hate the cardboard sleeves my season 11 and 12 are already scratched to hell!!
It’s a pity (i’m french but i love your web site and THE SIMPSONS)
I very much doubt they’ll re-release it after season 19 comes out on DVD… but I can’t help but think they might bring out a “special edition” for the angry fans.
Despite reading this article beforehand, I bought my copy today (in Australia) and I’ve got a 6th reason not to buy the DVD… the discs have been GLUED into the box. Each of my discs has got glue on the data side of the disc from where the sides of the box have been glued together.
Still considering taking it back.. depends if the discs actually work.
Brought my copy of the DVD in Australia today and the one good thing about the DVD is that the special feature is actually handy as the special hasn’t been shown on television yet 😛
i wouldnt have bought it anyway. well, maybe just to have a complete set. season twenty is the (comic book guy voice) worst season ever! i would much rather they have waited until we all recovered enough from the shock of seeing so much garbage on tv before they released the dvds. that said, im still a huge simpsons fan and love season 21. i most definitly will buy all the others as they come out
Hey, let’s make this the biggest return ever! Everyone who bought this set… watch it once, watch the preview, take it back to the store for a refund! Hurry! Let’s send a message to Fox and the Simpson’s that we fans won’t settle for cheap, rushed crap!
Okay, okay, technically, this IS a season 20 set. If Fox and Simpson’s want to market a second line of season disc sets and sell them at a reasonable price (collector’s editions with all the goodies in a protective case for $40 each, then season sets in a self destructive paper case for maybe $20 each). Cool! More power to them, but let’s not have just one or the other and certainly not at random like this release is. The fans are pissed off or getting pissed on, and I wonder what Fox and the Simpson’s have to say about that!
We’re devoted fans! We can’t wait! We will be excited about new products and will buy them when they’re released! So, I didn’t notice the lack of “collector’s edition” on the box during purchase, but I’ve never seen a Simpson’s Season DVD that was ever a plain old season set. They’re all collector’s editions right? Not season 20! As others note and I certainly miss, there’s no Easter Eggs, friendly Matt introduction, deleted scenes or commentary available. The box is another cardboard fold up that has your discs glued in and will gradually ruin your media upon each use (is this a green thing? Marketing? WTH!? the Beastie Boys piss me off with that also, so I digress). Shoot, there’s not even a decent animation for the menus, just cheap (and really slow) line animation. I’ll be retuning my set tomorrow night.
Shame about the special features. I love watching the deleted scences!
I hope it comes out in the uk because the episodes are the best i’ve ever seen although Lisa the drama queen totally sucks.
Anyway if season 13 does come out this year then it will probably come out in September/October like 11 and 12 did.
Imagine this scenario: Your daughter opening up the gift, sees that it could be Gucci, then as she realizes her mother is a total cheapo, her face falls and she runs to her room, crying.
This was definitely a quick money-grab. I’m not impressed. I just assumed since seasons 1-12 had commentaries and other extras, this one would, too. I guess that’s what they were banking on. It seems you can’t trust anyone in show business, these days.
Fox had to of forced Matt & Crew to do this, although if this was Matt’s idea i am really disapointed. I actually thought I had just been careless with my season 11 & 12 DVD’s, couldn’t understand why they skip after 1 or 2 watches, glad its not my fault, but kinda pissed, I think these boxes are an environmental thing, They should put Swartzwelder in charge of box design. For me the Commentaries are the best part of the sets, I feel very ripped off. Also why did they air “Mypods & Broomsticks” before chrismas,when the opening sequence i set in boxing week sales.
No poster in the Season 20 DVD if you bought it here in canada! They must think we’re slow……EH
Aslo very happy to see they will be coming to Vancouver in season 21. I hope the saterize our city well, not just say the name like when the went to Calgary (Im Spelling as fast as I can). Vancouver is a great city but there is alot to make fun of us for soo have at er. I know it won’t be but I hope it is as good as “Bart vs. Australia” wich is the BEST EPISODE EVER, I know that every aussie that likes the simpsons thinks it was the greatist, & I know I lot of aussies, most of whom now call frogs Chazwazas
season 13 is coming out on DVD AND BLURAY ON AUGUEST 24TH NO JOKE!!! RALPH IS ON THE COVER. http://WWW.TVSHOWSONDVD.COM TO SEE THE TWO COVERS AND THE NEWS.
well I think yall should stop whining you wanted.Do you know how much work people do to just make a simpsons box set …well they do alot of work.AND this is hoyou reparte them!!!!!!!!!!!Well I think non of yall thierve this I think yall are just acting like whouses!
i’ll wait about a year or so when this set is like 10 bucks on the internet, then i’ll CONSIDER buying it.
I rather would of waited for season 13 through 19 to come out until I bought season 20 thats how I expected the release to come out and the episodes aren’t as good as season 13 either. I think they could of at least put the whole simpsons documentary on the DVD since its teh 20th season and thats the 2oth anniversary in 3d on ice. And could they of added Matt Greanings documentary My Wasted Life and all the ullman shorts. I like the commentaries but im not one to fuss over them but what I just listed and teh deleted scenes and maybe a few behind the scenes looks at the writing and development(not included in previous dvds) All of this would make me happy to buy the set I would still be upset about the crappy packaging but I would buy it even if it had the drink coaster pack. I think the non head packaging of season 6-10 would be a good choice for the packaging. Well all of that is what I think
I bouth the dvd box and can’t find the “20th Anniversary Special” on it ????????????