Top 20 Simpsons Couch Gags

#20: Maggie Has the Remote

“Married to the Blob”
Bill Plympton’s surreal animation style has produced several unique couch gags over the years on “The Simpsons”. Most notably, his third contribution hit the sweet spot between his own style and the show’s. With the Simpsons on the couch, Maggie takes control of the TV remote, transporting the family to new locations each time she changes the channel. As the visuals and music intensify, they finally return home and Maggie throws the remote at the TV. The sequence is reminiscent of a Season 14 couch gag, in which Homer channel surfs through history. But Plympton’s artistic twist enhances the iconic intro, keeping viewers firmly locked in.

#19: “Robot Chicken”

“The Fabulous Faker Boy”
Various guest artists have pushed the boundaries of traditional animation for “The Simpsons” intro. All bets were off when the team behind "Robot Chicken" took over. After Homer is knocked through the house by Marge's car, he awakens in the sketch show's stop-motion format. Making the most of becoming an action figure, Homer goes on a rampage - blowing up Flanders, squashing Mr. Burns, and beating Otto in a drag race. It's the perfect use of the town’s characters in "Robot Chicken"'s chaotic dark-comedy style. It’s wrapped up with the actual Robot Chicken strapping the Simpsons to their couch for the start of the episode.

#18: Three Takes

“Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”
Couch gags continue to become more elaborate as the years pass. However, it would appear that early sequences were still as complicated enough for some wild bloopers. In a Season 5 classic, the Simpsons collide in three filming outtakes. They shatter to pieces in the first; morph together in the second; and explode in the third, never actually making it to the couch. Though the animation was experimental, the sequence was strikingly fast-paced. It was a fairly shocking and bizarre gag for that era of the show. After all these years, it’s still one of the funniest.

#17: 500 Episodes

“At Long Last Leave”
Between recycled sequences and abridged intros, “The Simpsons” didn’t reach 500 couch gags within 500 episodes. However, a celebration was still in order. “At Long Last Leave” opens with the first couch gag ever, followed by an epic montage of clips and frames from all the ones that followed. The Simpsons then gather one last time, before the image pans out to reveal a collage of couch pranks, arranged to form the number 500. This work of art was worthy of the milestone in 2012. Even though the collage shatters to reveal Homer strangling Bart, the retrospective moment still says a lot about how essential the couch gag is and has always been to the show’s long-running brand.

#16: “TiK ToK”

“To Surveil with Love”
Ke$ha's "TiK ToK" was one of the biggest party anthems of 2009, and even "The Simpsons" got down to the club-banger. An entire intro was dedicated to the town of Springfield lip-syncing the song. The elaborate sequence was part of "Fox Rocks", a 2010 event where the network’s shows featured varying musical numbers. The choreographed opening really captured the spirit of Ke$ha's jam and Springfield's colorful cast members, while also sticking to the show's pop-culture savviness. It was also a more wholesome dance party than the one Homer secretly hosted in "To Surveil with Love".

#15: Future Family Portraits

“Homer’s Paternity Coot”
Even if “The Simpsons” doesn’t always nail the future, the predictions make for interesting visuals. In a 2006 couch gag, a photographer snaps a lovely portrait of the Simpson family. Then, a slideshow of photos over the next seven years suggests a bleak and bizarre future. Homer is dead by 2008, and Marge remarries Lenny, but in 2010 Lenny and Carl apparently get custody of the kids. And then Marge and Jimbo get together. In 2012, Homer returns to the family as a robot, which is fine because everyone is robotized the following year. Thankfully, in real life, 2013 came and went without everyone becoming robots. But few couch gags have gotten fans thinking like these eerie snapshots.

#14: The Simpsons of Belleville

“Diggs”
The renowned work of Sylvain Chomet is a very different style of adult animation compared to “The Simpsons”. The French illustrator captivated Matt Groening so much that he was invited to draw a couch gag. In the surreal style of “The Triplets of Belleville”, Chomet portrays Homer eating snails while Marge looks for Maggie and Bart attempts to make foie gras - the hard way. When Homer grabs an extra escargot off the TV, it’s revealed where Maggie was all along. Chomet’s incorporation of French stereotypes is hilariously absurd and over-the-top. The bizarrely beautiful animation creates an opening scene that’s as striking as it is haunting.

#13: Eric Goldberg

“Fland Canyon”
Eric Goldberg has been a lead or supervising animator for some of the most iconic Disney characters since the ‘90s. There was no mistaking his whimsical style when he created a couch gag that paid tribute to Disney classics such as “Steamboat Willie”, “Cinderella”, “The Jungle Book” and even “Fantasia”. The sequence was as magical and funny as fans of both Disney and “The Simpsons” would have hoped. It may have also been another “Simpsons” premonition. Three years after the gag’s premiere in 2016, Disney announced their purchase of the majority of 20th Century Fox assets, including “The Simpsons”. But Goldberg proved it to be a perfect fit first.

#12: Couch: A Love Story

“Beware My Cheating Bart”
Bill Plympton’s tenure as a “Simpsons” animator started with a love letter to the couch gag’s namesake. In a surreal alternative origin story, Homer literally falls in love with his anthropomorphized couch. However, after Marge comes along and steals Homer’s affection, his heartbroken ex falls into a downward spiral. Don’t worry, it all ends happily, with the remorseful Homer giving the couch (and their chair-baby!) a home. The short film is every bit as strange as it sounds. Plympton stays true to the show’s irreverence, but his beautiful animation and poetic storytelling are remarkably moving. His work has all the makings of a classic couch gag and is an artful tribute to furniture we all take for granted.

#11: Banksy

“MoneyBART”
"The Simpsons" has never been afraid to criticize corporate practices - even those of their own network. And the anonymous British artist known as Banksy tends to be very direct with his iconoclastic illustrations. Put them together, and you get one dark, but very memorable, couch gag. An intro teasing Banksy's graffiti tags transgresses into a peek inside a 20th Century Fox studio, where workers mass produce couch gags in a dangerous sweatshop. Animals are slaughtered to create merchandise. Some viewers felt the spoof was too dark - but apparently, the storyboards were even sadder. Overall, it was a bold statement from a subversive artist.

#10: “Rick and Morty”

“Mathlete’s Feat”
An appropriately science-themed episode of "The Simpsons" opened with a surprise for adult cartoon fans. As soon as the Simpsons sit on their couch, Rick and Morty Sanchez’s spaceship crashes into their living room, splattering them everywhere. A panicked Morty is sent to clone the Simpsons while Rick wanders the house, eventually discovering that the family's DNA was contaminated with his own. It's a lengthy gag, but the "Rick and Morty" animation team perfectly showcases their pop-culture awareness and hilarious shock sci-fi style. The couch gag became a favorite among viewers of both shows. And we have to agree when the Bart-Rick crossover blurts out: ["No more guest animators, man"]. This hybrid is tough to top!

#9: “The Couch Gag: Part One of Six”

“Four Regrettings and a Funeral”
Matt Groening is a known fan of the fantasy genre. So when the “The Hobbit” Trilogy was released, a couch gag paid a remarkably faithful tribute to Tolkien’s story and Peter Jackson’s creation. The Simpson family embarks on a sweeping quest from Springfield to find "The Comfy Couch". Along the way they encounter their friends as Middle-earth characters. The crossover is perfect, as are a few hilarious jabs at the ultimate fantasy franchise. Despite all the endless walking, this spoof is distinguished by its level of detail in the animation designs. It's a genuinely epic minute-and-a-half. It's also one of the few timely couch gags to be this timelessly entertaining.

#8: “MusicVille: A Silly Simpsony”

“The Kid Is All Right”
Disney enthusiasts will be familiar with the visually and musically rich "Silly Symphony" shorts of the '30s. The "Silly Simpsony" gag pays homage to 1935's "Music Land" in particular. In fact, Lisa liberating Springfield from Mr. Burns' classical music tyranny is an almost exact adaptation of the original short's premise. But "MusicVille" is a swinging improvisation, playing to the absurd humor and personalities of beloved "Simpsons" characters. They really seem to harmonize with the instruments they're adorably animated as. Musically and artistically, it's an infectious composition for music, "Simpsons" and Disney fans alike.

#7: The Day of the Couch

“Marge’s Son Poisoning”
What about all the other couches on "The Simpsons"? The opening to "Marge's Son Poisoning" finally brings Springfield's furniture to the forefront, though not in a way anyone expected. Before the Simpsons can sit on their sofa, it bares monstrous teeth and begins chasing them. It’s then revealed that couches across Springfield have attained sentience for a gruesome uprising. It's a boldly surreal horror show, and it's kind of awesome. Moe also gets a notable time to shine when he stands his ground against his own tavern booths and barstools. The spectacle of carnivorous couches is thankfully far out, but it is one way to promote appreciation (or is that fear?) for your furniture.

#6: Circus Line

“Lisa’s First Word”
The 1992 episode “Lisa’s First Word” was an event even from its opening sequence. There had been some pretty elaborate couch gags by then. But the Simpson family put on a real show when they formed a kickline in front of the couch, and the walls lifted up to reveal an enormous circus set piece. It was a big breakthrough in animation for the show and immediately became an iconic sequence. With its showmanship and concise length, it went on to be the most reused couch gag “The Simpsons” ever produced. There have been much loftier ventures since this technical achievement, but the circus line’s ambition and charm really drew a crowd.

#5: “La-Z Rider”

“Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles”
Illustrator Steve Cutts’ affinity for comic book style and classic cartoons made for a unique and original couch gag. After throwing on a pair of sunglasses, Homer rides his couch into a slick opening credit sequence styled after an ‘80s action show. As the muscled-up Joe “Kaz” Kazinsky, Homer and his couch sidekick blow up some baddies to Paul Engemann’s “Scarface (Push It to the Limit)”. It’s “Miami Vice” meets “Knight Rider”, with a few other ‘80s easter eggs thrown in. There are a lot of hilarious and undeniably cool visuals throughout the fast-paced minute-and-a-half. Despite its length, online views and audience response suggest that there’s no pushing “La-Z Rider” to any limit.

#4: “Powers of Ten”

“The Ziff Who Came to Dinner”
The Eames brothers reduced the universe to a single atom in less than 10 minutes in “Powers of Ten”. This mind-blowing science documentary was replicated in one of "The Simpsons’" most out-there couch gags. The shot pans out of the Simpson house into infinity, while Strauss's cosmic anthem "Also Sprach Zarathustra" plays on. The zoom out finally reveals that the entire universe is contained within one of Homer's molecules, proving him as the star of their world after all. His response to this incredible revelation? Simply, "Wow." Although, when the gag was recycled, he says, "Cool" or "Weird." Either way, it is a mesmerizing homage to the “Powers of Ten”, and says a lot about the unpredictable genius of "The Simpsons".

#3: Guillermo del Toro

“Treehouse of Horror XXIV”
A master of horror and fairy tale retellings, Guillermo del Toro was a natural choice for the opening to 2013’s “Treehouse of Horror XXIV”. It follows the same basic structure as the average “Simpsons’ intro, but with a horror twist. In a short time frame, del Toro manages to cram in references to classic and modern horror and sci-fi, including all of his own films. When Lisa falls through a hole in the couch, del Toro acknowledges how similar “Pan’s Labyrinth” is to “Alice in Wonderland”. These easter eggs make for a highly rewatchable display of this filmmaker’s self-awareness and encyclopedic pop culture enthusiasm. More than that, it’s one of the most entertaining couch gags to date.

#2: The Sampsans

“Clown in the Dumps”
As one of the most acclaimed animators of his generation, Don Hertzfeldt has a notorious disdain for commercial appeal, and there's certainly no accusing him of selling out with his mad but brilliant couch gag. A time-travel remote sends Homer to the year 10,535, where the Simpson family have become distraught mutants in a crude cartoon purgatory. It's an audacious satire of “The Simpsons’” longevity, steeped in futuristic horror. Are sitcoms doomed to be reduced to an amorphous cycle of catchphrases and advertising? Hertzfeldt's disconcerting vision clearly isn't for everyone. But it is as artistically daring and thought-provoking as any couch gag produced on the show.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The Flintstones on the Couch, “Kamp Krusty”

Two Iconic Animated Sitcoms Meet When the Flintstones Beat the Simpsons to the Couch

“Get Smart”

Homer Pays Tribute to the Classic Spy Show’s Intro

M. C. Escher, “Homer the Great”

The Simpsons Converge in a Living Room Redesigned After Escher’s “Relativity”

Monty Python Foot, “Homer Goes to College”

The Simpsons Get Cozy On the Couch, Until the Giant Foot from “Monty Python” Appears

Anime Simpsons, “‘Tis the Fifteenth Season”

The Simpsons Take the Form of Anime Icons in an Action-Packed Intro

#1: The Homer Evolution

“Homerazzi”
As long as "The Simpsons" has been around, it's satirized nearly every facet of the human condition. That includes human evolution. A simply perfect couch gag traces Homer's entire ancestry, back to a single-celled organism. The literal trek through time is a phenomenally animated and visually hilarious epic. There's also evidence that Moe is a de-evolution in humanity. In the end, the Homer sapien is welcomed home with, "What took you so long?". The alternate line, "Did you bring the milk?" perfectly sums up mankind's struggles after eons of survival. True, a crash course in evolution is one of the longest couch gags ever, but with educational spectacle and brilliant existential jokes, it's arguably the best ever, too.