REVIEW: The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 19 XIX

I've mentioned quite often on this blog how there doesn't seem to be any "event" Halloween programming anymore. Aside from a TV series episode that has a thin Halloween plot and the main characters dressed up in costumes, the days of gathering 'round the TV's warm glowing warming glow for a Halloween special are long gone.

So much so, that those who grew up with them lean on the old standbys to fill the void.
Sure I still watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown religiously every year, but I know what's going to happen. And I know that Linus sure as heck'll show Charlie Brown next year. He'll see.

Then there's the last bastion of Halloween specials: The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes. Think about it: these specials are the same cast of lovable characters but it's a DIFFERENT special every year. And this special has been running for TWENTY YEARS. I never seem to think of it as carrying the torch because since FOX started running the World Series, it's always aired AFTER Halloween.
Holy crap I've been watching these for TWENTY YEARS. Seriously that just hit me. Whoah.

This year's episode brings us a mixed bag of parodies. You've got "Untitled Robot Parody" which sort of lampoons the Transformers toy line and films. "How to Get Ahead in Dead-vertising" seems out of place as it's a parody of the Emmy winning show Mad Men. I don't mind a parody of a niche show, but I only want horror and sci-fi-related subject matter in my Halloween special, thank you.
And the piece de resistance "It's the Grand Pumpkin, Millhouse" which is the first time The Simpsons tackle a parody of It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.
This segment makes the special. It's also the first time I'm glad that Treehouse aired AFTER Halloween as I just watched Great Pumpkin a few days before.

I would love it if these were compiled on DVD in 5 or 10 episode chunks. I know that that means I don't have to buy the Season DVD sets, but still. To have them all together on one double disc set would be great. Not a half-assed version like they put out in 2003 that only included V, VI, VII and XII.

Well now that the episode has aired it really is the end of the Halloween Season. Normally that puts me in a bit of a funk but there's one silver lining to this cloud: Daylight Savings Time lets you "fall back" into bed for another hour of sleep.
Wonderful.