The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom that has been on the air since 1989. The show was originally viewed as a risk by the network and initial creative team; however, the series is still going thirty-five years later, and it has inspired many other shows and creators in that time.

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When the show was first being aired, it was met with financial success and critical acclaim. Now that the show has been going for over thirty years, viewing numbers have dropped. This does not mean the show is bad; it just means that it isn't able to keep up with the massive success it had in its golden age. Many fans agree that The Simpsons' golden age was during its first ten seasons, but there have been plenty of great episodes since then.

10 "Pixelated and Afraid" (Season 33 - Episode 12)

IMDb Rating: 7.7

Season 33 marked a relative uptick in the show's overall ratings. Long-time writer for the show, Matt Selman, joined the showrunner, Al Jean, in more of a producer role here, and it shows. The newer episodes in this series were more heartfelt and earnest while still keeping the wacky humor that fans love. This is demonstrated perfectly in the twelfth episode of the season, "Pixelated and Afraid."

Almost every season of The Simpsons has included a marriage crisis episode for Marge and Homer. This episode does the same by stranding the couple in the wilderness. However, instead of retreading past arguments as the series often does, this episode focuses more on how much the couple is suited for each other. It's sweet, charming, and funny at times. It's a real winner for a show that has gone on for this long.

9 "Behind The Laughter" (Season 11 - Episode 22)

IMDb Rating: 7.9

By the time The Simpsons had reached its 11th season, the show had already been on longer than many fans would have expected. As such, the show was free to experiment with some format-busting episodes.

During the early 2000s, music channels were full of programs explaining the downfall of various celebrities. This was the perfect angle for The Simpsons to exploit, and it led to the parody episode, "Behind The Laughter." The episode is a parody of MTV documentaries that also poked fun at the show itself in a behind-the-scenes look at what made the series so big in the first place.

8 "Brick Like Me" (Season 25 - Episode 20)

IMDb Rating: 7.9

The Simpsons has parodied a variety of genres and other TV shows in its time, so fans had gotten used to the premise of a gimmick episode by the time Season 25 rolled around. This time, the show was teaming up with LEGO to do a full episode in the style of the brick-making company. LEGO had just had success with a film in this same format, after all.

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What followed was a great episode that used the Lego premise to its fullest. Instead of a heartless cash grab, "Brick Like Me" turned out to be a genuine attempt at making a funny LEGO Simpsons episode. There is even a warm Homer and Lisa story in here buried among all the clever jokes.

7 "Simpsorama" (Season 26 - Episode 6)

IMDb Rating: 7.9

The creator of The Simpsons is also credited with creating another animated sitcom, Futurama, in the late 90s. As a result, many fans of the genre were left wondering when the two shows would finally cross over. It took twenty-six seasons, but the two casts finally met in the episode "Simpsorama."

The story follows Bender as he goes back in time to warn of an apocalypse caused by Bart in the future. The rest of the crew finally make it back to the present, and the episode plays more on their relationship with the rest of the family. It is a completely non-canon, what-if style episode, but "Simpsorama" does a great job of crossing over these two giants of adult animation.

6 "24 Minutes" (Season 18 - Episode 21)

IMDb Rating: 8.1

One of the biggest prime-time TV shows around in 2008 was 24. This made it the perfect target for a Simpsons episode. However, the animated show could not create a full twenty-four-hour terrorist threat that lasted all season, so it opted for one twenty-four-minute episode instead.

This premise allowed some of the best Simpsons characters to play around in the format of 24 for a while, as the cast and characters from the actual show also got a look in for a few jokes. It may be a time capsule for the time, but the full-on 24 parody episode is still funny today, regardless of the premise.

5 "A Serious Flanders" (Season 33 - Episodes 6 & 7)

IMDb Rating: 8.2

When a group of debt collectors visited Springfield to act violently toward someone as kind as Ned Flanders, many fans raised their eyebrows. However, audiences were able to settle into the premise more when it became clear that this two-part episode was a complex parody of streaming culture.

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Introducing the show under a new fictional brand called Simpflix, the episode then goes on to partake in a lengthy parody of Fargo and other Coen Brother media. It may be out of character for the show, but this experimental, non-canon episode revealed that The Simpsons writers still knew how to do biting satire in the modern media landscape.

4 "Eternal Moonshine Of The Simpson Mind" (Season 19 - Episode 9)

IMDb Rating: 8.2

One common complaint from fans after the show ended its golden era was that Homer had become too mean as a character. Nicknamed 'jerk-ass Homer' he had become a shadow of the loving father and husband he had been when the show began, and fans feared they would get more of this obnoxious version of the character in "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind."

Homer starts the episode with no memory of the night before. His family is missing, the dog is afraid of him, and when he finds Marge, she has a black eye. Things get worse for Homer as he tries to retain his memories, and the episode ends with a twist. Instead of Homer being an abusive drunk, the whole thing turns out to be the set-up for a surprise party, one where everyone gets to celebrate what is great about the character.

3 "Holidays Of Future Passed" (Season 23 - Episode 9)

IMDb Rating: 8.3

Originally written as the show's final episode, "Holidays of Futures Past" takes a look at The Simpsons at Christmas thirty years in the future. Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are all grown up with kids of their own, and the show takes a look at the rest of the town in this place in time.

Instead of giving fans one final cliched look at future Springfield, however, this episode tries to deal with some serious issues in the family. Bart and Lisa get to reconnect as siblings, and Homer turns out to be a wonderful grandfather. If this had been the final episode, fans would have been able to say that The Simpsons ended on a high note.

2 "Barthood" (Season 27 - Episode 9)

IMDb Rating: 8.4

The Simpsons doesn't just parody TV shows. Boyhood was the 2014 movie that got all the buzz at the Oscars that year, as it followed the journey of a boy and was filmed over twelve years. As such, this juggernaut of pop culture needed to be seen through the eyes of the yellow family everyone loves.

The show doesn't just repeat the same beats as the film, though. Viewers actually receive an in-depth look into Bart's life as he ages over twelve years in "Barthood." Fans get to see his strained relationship with Homer develop, his feelings toward his rivalry with Lisa, and his touching relationship with Grandpa. It is a lot, but the show still manages to make this complex parody work as a half-hour comedy.

1 "Trilogy Of Error" (Season 12 - Episode 18)

IMDb Rating: 8.6

The episode "Trilogy of Error" is possibly the one that experiments with the show's formula the most. Fans don't just get one great episode here; they get three in a Pulp Fiction-style narrative twist.

The episode follows the events of Homer losing his thumb, Lisa inventing a robot, and Bart finding a stash of fireworks in three sections. Each new character's perspective fills in the blanks left in another story, and this inventive storytelling approach makes for one great story overall. Some of the jokes get repeated, but they are funny enough to remain interesting.