The Simpsons - Season 1

Contains the complete first season, with all 13 episodes.

All episodes are presented in 1.33:1 and are almost perfect when compared to TV airings, or old VHS tape. Definitely a crowd-pleasing picture.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is lifeless, with practically no surround input, other than the occasional burst of music. These shows were originally recorded in Dolby Stereo, before the show had the budget to upgrade to Surround, so perhaps future DVDs will have stronger aural content. But this is adequate.

Considering the A-grade material from one of the best DVD studios, this is an extremely disappointing effort. The commentaries are boring and the voices too quiet to be heard. Also, the participants seem to be unable to remember much about the episodes they are commenting on. Not much fun.

The BBC documentary shouldn't really be advertised as such, as it has been edited from one hour to less than five minutes. A rip-off.

The Bart Simpson ABC news report is a hidden feature accessible by clicking on Bart's T-shirt on the third disc extra feature section. It is superficial at best.

The outtakes are amusing, when it's Albert Brooks, but the cut scenes from Some Enchanted Evening are ugly workprints and boring.

There are also about ten early sketches of characters like Skinner and Martin Prince. And I cannot think of anyone sad enough to sit and read through the scripts to three of the episodes.

The foreign language clips are useless and not worth a mention.

This package is a wasted opportunity, but the next season box set will probably be better, as there was more to work with from then on.