The Simpsons: Every Sideshow Bob Episode Ranked Worst To Best

The first Bob episode in the widescreen era demonstrates just how enduring a character he is: while things are really starting to come off the rails for the show, this is a surprisingly good instalment, with a solid, zippy plot and some distinctive gross out material.

It’s a pretty ludicrous plot, typical of later Simpsons - Sideshow Bob has escaped prison by swapping his face with that of another inmate, and has cooked up another dastardly scheme to finally dispatch Bart - but it is handled with a focus often missing from latter day episodes.

Bart’s efforts to uncover the disguised Bob are good fun, as is the milquetoast new neighbour the would-be child murderer masquerades as. The story is admittedly silly but maintains its own inner logic throughout, and comes to a satisfying conclusion, with some uncharacteristic moments of gore.

While far from peak Sideshow Bob, the richness of this episode in a time when the show was going stale is a reminder of how much the writers and Kelsey Grammer had invested into their creation. It’s easily one of the most inventive and interesting episodes of the season.