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Our Favorite Geeky Moments on The Simpsons

Chloe Albanesius
 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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Fox has now aired more than 550 episodes of The Simpsons, and while super-fans can relive the magic of Springfield via DVDs, TV reruns, and the occasional episode on Hulu or Google Play, the entire series run has yet to make its way to a streaming service - until now.

Upstart cable channel FXX has acquired the rights to every single episode of The Simpsons, and starting in October, cable customers with FXX will be able to watch episodes on demand via SimpsonsWorld.com and the FXNow apps. But before Simpsons World makes its debut, FXX is currently running a massive marathon of every Simpsons episode ever aired, in order, plus the The Simpsons Movie after episode 400.

Things kicked off on Thursday, and will run until Sept. 1 at 12 a.m. ET, which FXX said will be the longest-running marathon in TV history.

That marathon comes several months after Fox aired the 550th episode of The Simpsons, an episode that saw our favorite Springfield residents reimagined as Legos. But The Simpsons dates back to 1987, when the family made its debut as cartoon shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. It made the leap to Fox on Dec. 17, 1989 and it was only a matter of time before kids across the country were screaming "ay caramba" and telling their friends to "eat my shorts."

The Lego episode is not the first time The Simpsons tackled geeky subject matter. From the ill-fated monorail from season four to Lisa's adventures in social networking and guest appearances from Silicon Valley luminaries, the show has embraced high-tech subject matter time and again.

As you watch this week's Simpsons marathon, be on the lookout for the episodes featured in our slideshow, where Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Maggie tackle cell phones, gaming, sentient house guests, and more. We asked our staff for their favorite geeky moments from The Simpsons, so see what they had to say and add your own in the comments below.

Marge vs. the Monorail (Season 4)

If you're a fan of The Simpsons, chances are that any mention of a monorail will bring to mind this episode of the show, in which Marge battles a conman who convinces Springfield to build a monorail. Even Leonard Nimoy stopped by for a ride. Go ahead, sing along.

Deep Space Homer (Season 5)

In this episode, NASA is looking to boost interest in the space program, and selects an average American - Homer Simpson - to travel into space. Hijinks ensue, of course, including a little zero-gravity potato chip eating alongside Buzz Aldrin.

Treehouse of Horror VI (Season 7)

The Simpsons has had some pretty terrific Halloween episodes, known as Treehouse of Horror. The sixth installment, from 1995, featured three vignettes, one of which saw Homer explore his surroundings as a character in a computer-generated 3D world.

The Springfield Files (Season 8)

Leonard Nimoy returned for this episode, which also guest starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as their X-Files counterparts, Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who helped Homer track down an alien.

Das Bus (Season 9)

In this episode, which aired at the height of the dot-com boom in 1998, Homer tries to cash in by starting his own Internet firm, Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net. It is eventually acquired by Bill Gates, but in Springfield, Gates's version of acquiring a company means destroying Homer's office and refusing to pay up.

Treehouse of Horrors XII (Season 13)

In 2001, The Simpsons turned 742 Evergreen Terrace into "Ultrahouse." Lording over the home was a HAL 9000-esque digital assistant, voiced by Pierce Brosnan, who tried his best to get rid of Homer so he could have Marge to himself. Unfortunately for Pierce bot, Marge instead handed him over to Patty and Selma.

Marge Gamer (Season 18)

Marge is shamed by the local PTA into buying a computer and finally getting online. Once connected, she discovers a World of Warcraft-like fantasy MMORPG called Earthland Realms and gets hooked before meeting her demise at the hands of the Shadowknight (a.k.a Bart).

Lost Verizon (Season 20)

Bart, annoyed that he does not have a cell phone, steals Denis Leary's phone at a celebrity golf tournament, and uses it to prank call bartenders around the globe and buy Yankees gear for Boston-native Leary. Marge confiscates the phone and, at Leary's suggestion, turns on the GPS in order to spy on Bart. One quick trip to Machu Picchu later (long story), all is well again in Springfield.

Loan-a Lisa (Season 22)

Grandpa Simpson decides to give his family their inheritance before he kicks the bucket, which turns out to be $50 for each person. Lisa opts to invest her cash in Nelson Muntz's bicycle startup, which eventually takes off, prompting Muntz to drop out and focus on the business. Lisa goes to an entrepreneurs meetup in order to convince Nelson to return to school. But the event is full of extremely successful drop-outs, including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson. Ultimately, Muntz's business fails, but he makes it up to Lisa by taking her skating, where Zuckerberg is taking an unsuccessful spin on the floor.

The D'oh-cial Network (Season 23)

Lisa, sad that she has no friends, creates a social network called SpringFace. It becomes quite popular in Springfield, so much so that people can't stop using it, even while driving, causing accidents. The episode is considered to be a parody of The Social Network, and includes a guest appearance by Arnie Hammer, who played the Winklevoss twins in the movie.

A Tree Grows in Springfield (Season 24)

This episode, which aired about a year after Steve Jobs's death, saw Homer win a "MyPad" at a raffle and quickly become obsessed with it. The family takes a trip to the Mapple Store, which features an appearance by Steve Mobs. But it's not the first Apple-centric episode. A 2008 episode saw Lisa get her very own MyPod, which she promptly used to purchase $1,200 worth of music.

Stephen Hawking (Season 10, 16, 18, and 22)

Physicist Stephen Hawking has made several trips to Springfield over the years, the first of which was in 1999 to help disband a team of power-hungry Mensa members.

At Long Last Leave (Season 23)

The 500th episode of The Simpsons featured Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who recorded his lines for the show from the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where he has lived for several years now in order to avoid extradition to Sweden. In a nod, Assange's password in the episode is 1234.

Brick Like Me (Season 25)

The Lego episode, dubbed "Brick Like Me," finds Homer and his family living happily in a world made of the colorful bricks until visions of his cartoon self start creeping in.

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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