Every Simpsons Christmas Special - Ranked
2. Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire
Somewhat unusually, The Simpsons pilot episode was a Christmas special all the way back in 1989. Though they are undeniably one of the defining shows of the 90s, they just beat the buzzer to squeeze into the 80s too. That means by the time the show is cancelled, it will likely have spanned five decades.
It had featured in various shorts on the Tracey Ullman show, and this special served as an experiment to see if the family could carry a whole episode. Over 600 more later, it’s safe to say they can.
To some extent, they’re still finding their feet in Season 1. Smithers is black, Ralph has Nelson’s voice, Hank Azaria isn’t part of the main cast yet... it’s not classic Simpsons the way Marge Vs The Monorail is. But it’s the very first episode. A lot of the episodes here might inspire nostalgia in comparison to ‘Tis The Thirtieth Season, but none are so chock full of it compared the premiere.
Going back to the very root of the show and seeing that charming, not quite there yet animation style is a joy. Seeing Homer add Santa’s Little Helper to the family for the first time only makes it better.