While not exactly to do with monsters or monsters at play for that matter. The Simpsons holds its place among the niche market, and I've decided to tackle the first season on DVD. Besides, I love The Simpsons and if I wanna write about the damn DVD, then I will. Hmph.

The first season of the insanely popular (and rightfully so) The Simpsons, is not how you say, a fan favorite. Many will say that the show didn't pick up full steam well into the 3rd or 4th season, but we all saw something was there. We knew it the first time we saw the shorts on the Tracey Ullman Show. Looking back in retrospect, these earlier episodes aren't great (by todays standards) however, they manage to hold their own, and they are a very important part of the history, of what is probably the best written show on TV today.

Fox presents for the first time on DVD, the first season of The Simpsons. Thirteen episodes are represented here (The complete first season,including the original Xmas episode), in their original unaltered versions. Now, I know that the first season is not everybody's favorite naturally, but there are some great moments represented in these discs, and any Simpson's fan owes it to himself to grab this set and start the collection of a lifetime.

Each episode is presented full frame, with a cool Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. While surrounds are kept to a minimum, the sound is clear as a bell and stereo output is better than could ever have been imagined. Video quality is also quite impressive. Definitely a cut above broadcast quality, it blows the previous video editions out of the water. Fox has done a tremendous job bringing the first season of this series to DVD, and fans should be proud.

As if the show wasn't enough, the extras are truly remarkable. Fox gives us an audio commentary on each and every episode. This alone is worth the price of admission. While the packaging states, audio commentaries by Matt Groening on all 13 episodes, this is only partly true. Groening appears on about half of them, but that's OK. Commentators are writers and directors, as well as Groening, and each is a solid 25 minutes, worth your time. Anecdotes are plentiful, with insights on the creation of the shows, in jokes, flubs, the animation process, to how many times they rag on Nixon, it's all here, and it's a blast.

Not enough you say? You still want more? Well, ya got it. 3 scripts, and not just scripts, but screenshots of each page, complete with doodles, and hand written notes and remarks. Too bad this is not a DVD ROM option so you can print them out. how cool would that have been, but alas, the screenshots will do just fine, they are a really cool addition. Outtakes from two episodes, including Albert Brooks going on and on as Jacques, Marge's bowling instructor. A Tracey Ullman short (they're prob saving the rest for future DVD releases, smart) and sketches round out the package along with some hidden features, including an ABC news report on those evil Bart Simpson T-shirts they sold 11 years ago.

I know a lot of people are probably thinking they are gonna wait till the third or fourth season to pick up The Simpsons on DVD, but I believe we need to show our support now. If we want to see these special editions get even bigger and better we need to act now. Besides, any self respecting Simpson's fan, needs to have this DVD in their collection. At under 30 bucks, there is no reason to not pick this set up.