The Simpsons: 10 Most Important Episodes Ever Made

8. Bart Vs. Australia (16.6)

"The reason we can be nasty to any country, any person, any race or creed, is because we are always the most nasty toward the United States, toward our main characters." These were words uttered by showrunner David Mirkin on the DVD commentary track for Bart Vs. Australia, almost as an excuse for the highly controversial (and brilliantly funny) episode that saw the iconic family on a trip to Australia after one of Bart's pranks goes array. Bart Vs. Australia is often cited as one of the best episodes of the show thanks to a succession of great, memorable jokes and the way that it targets the world's perceived absurdness associated with Australian culture - without holding back. Many took offence, failing to see the irony behind the episode's warped perspective of the land down under. Bart Vs. Australia, aside from establishing The Simpsons as an important cultural force willing to take potshots at anything (including an entire country), also marked the first time that The Simpsons ventured abroad and embroiled themselves with foreign lands to hilarious effect - a trope that has since taken them to countless far-off destinations.