STUDIO: Fox
RELEASE DATE: October 21, 2008
STARRING: Various
WRITTEN BY: Various
DIRECTED BY: Various
FEATURES: See Below

I feel like I've been praising the way Fox handles their "Animation Domination" season sets for my entire life. With the eleventh season of The Simpsons and the sixth volume of Family Guy (they don't follow precise seasons for Seth MacFarlane's often brilliant series so we get "volumes" instead) hitting this month, it would be repetitive to do full reviews on either of them. Here's the quick version - everything about these sets, all the way down to the packaging and the menu screens, was designed and implemented with fans of the show in mind. Every single episode of both sets include a commentary track that features creators, writers, actors, and more. Both sets include deleted scenes and rare featurettes that should make fans of The Simpsons and Family Guy smile. Just the now-common inclusion of "Family Guy Live!" on the sixth volume of that show and the inclusion of the awesome original sketches and animation showcases of The Simpsons make these sets stand above the glut of TV seasons released at this time of year. Minor complaint - they should have included Family Guy's Star Wars spoof, "Blue Harvest", on the sixth volume. It's been available separately for a while but there's something wrong about not being able to have every episode in the actual volumes. But that's IT. Literally. One complaint. Video, audio, extras, quality of the shows themselves - all well above average. So, instead of boring you with praise, I'll let you know what you're in for. The five best episodes from the eleventh season of The Simpsons and the sixth volume of Family Guy with plot descriptions courtesy of IMDB:

Best of The Simpsons: Season Eleven

1. "Behind the Laughter"
The Simpsons discuss their fame in a behind the scenes look at the show.

2. "Brother's Little Helper"
Bart is put on medication to control his behavior, but the pills cause him to become paranoid and insane.

3. "Beyond Blunderdome"
When Mel Gibson becomes convinced that Homer is the only man with the guts to tell him the truth, he insists Homer accompany him to Hollywood to help fix his newest film project, a remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

4. "Eight Misbehavin'"
Apu struggles with fatherhood after Manjula gives birth to octuplets.

5. "Grift of the Magi"
A toy company purchases Springfield Elementary and uses the student body as a focus group for their new Christmas toy Funzo.

Best of Family Guy: Volume Six

1. "McStroke"
Peter sues a fast food chain after he suffers a stroke from eating over 30 hamburgers in one sitting.

2. "Stewie Kills Lois"
Stewie kills his mother Lois. But one year after her disappearance, Peter is charged with her death.

3. "Lois Kills Stewie"
With Lois back in Quahog, Stewie escapes with Brian to Washington, D.C. and sets out to initiate his latest plan for world domination.

4. "No Meals on Wheels"
After Peter finds a valuable coin and sells it for $50,000, he and Lois open their own restaurant. Peter is dismayed, however, when Joe and all of his handicapped friends begin using the restaurant as their hangout, and bans them all. This leads to a huge showdown and an ironic fate for Peter.

5. "Padre De Familia"
Peter discovers that he is an illegal Mexican immigrant, so he is forced to take a job as a day laborer for Lois's father.

Full List of Special Features on The Simpsons: Season Eleven

...and loads more!

-- Brian Tallerico

       

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