For more than thirty years, “The Simsons” has been must-watch TV throughout the seasons. From the holidays to the heat of summer, TV’s favorite animated family has been there through it all. Summers for the Simpsons haven’t always a picnic, but they’ve always been memorable, whether they’ve gone to the beach, on a cruise or sent the kids off to camp. Below, we round up the best summer episodes of “The Simpsons” to watch, with a reminder that the entire series is now streaming on Disney+.
“Kamp Krusty” (Season 4)
Bart and Lisa can’t wait to go to Krusty the Clown’s camp, until Krusty himself doesn’t show up, their cabins are a bit more “rustic” than they imagined, and the camp’s bullies force them to make Gucci knockoffs during their craft time. They overthrow the camp, making Bart their leader and force the real Krusty to show up to save the day … by taking all the kids to the “happiest place on earth”: Tijuana, Mexico.
“Summer of 4 Ft. 2” (Season 7)
When the family goes to the beach for the 4th of July, Lisa reinvents herself and makes some cool friends — until Bart makes sure they know she’s an overachieving bookworm. Fortunately, Bart’s mean prank doesn’t ruin their friendship and Lisa goes home feeling loved and appreciated. (Meanwhile, Homer buys an illegal firework and blows it up inside.)
“Bart of Darkness” (Season 6)
During a heat wave, Bart and Lisa convince Homer that the only solution is to get their own pool, which makes them the most popular kids in town. Until Bart breaks his leg and is confined to his bedroom for the rest of the summer. That leads, naturally, to a “Rear Window” homage where he thinks Ned Flanders is a mur-diddly-urderer.
“Elementary School Musical” (Season 22)
Marge surprises middle child Lisa with a trip to performing arts camp, where Bert McKenzie and Jermaine Clement of “Flight of the Conchords” are the counselors and “Glee” stars Lea Michele, Amber Riley and Cory Monteith serenade Lisa with “you’re gonna like arts camp Lisa,” a riff on the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.”
“A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again” (Season 23)
Bart gets his wish of going on a cushy cruise, and the whole family is having a blast, until he realizes it’s all going to end soon. He tricks everyone into thinking they have to stay at sea because of an out-of-control virus, until he’s found out and the Simpsons are kicked off the ship. But the catastrophic cruise is still one Bart will treasure forever.
“Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” (Season 5)
Homer and Bart are paired up with Ned and Rod Flanders on a rafting trip. Thanks to Homer’s bad choices, they end up stranded at sea. While it looks like certain death for the foursome, Homer sniffs out a Krusty Burger located on an unmanned oil rig and saves the day. Things don’t look so good for the other Junior Campers, however, as they hole up at a creepy abandoned summer camp.
“Selma’s Choice’ (Season 4)
In one of the show’s many send-ups of Disneyland, Selma takes Bart and Lisa to Duff Gardens, where Lisa freaks out on the “It’s a Small World”-esque ride after Bart dares her to drink the water. She is later found “swimming naked in the fermentarium,” and proclaiming, “I am the Lizard Queen!”
“Bart on the Road” (Season 7)
Bart makes himself a fake driver’s license at the DMV where Patty and Selma work, so he, Milhouse, Nelson and Martin take a road trip to a world’s fair not realizing their guidebook is woefully out of date. Globe-hopping shenangians ensue as they try to get home.
“Itchy & Scratchy Land” (Season 6)
Leave it to Bart and Homer to tick off theme park employees so much that when the Itchy and Scratchy robots run amok, they’re left behind while everyone else is safely evacuated. It ends with the family vanquishing the killer robots and Marge saying, “This truly was the best vacation ever. Now let us never speak of it again.”
“22 Short Films About Springfield” (Season 7)
This fan favorite episode begins and ends with Bart and Milhouse squirting cars below with condiments and in between, we get such summer antics as Apu closing the Kwik-E-Mart for five minutes to get busy at a pool party, Lisa getting gum stuck in her hair and, of course, Principal Skinner trying to pass off Krusty Burgers as “steamed hams” to Superintendant Chalmers.
“Wild Barts Can’t Be Broken” (Season 10)
After Chief Wiggum sets a curfew for Springfield kids, they sneak out at night to catch horror movie “The Bloodening” at the local drive-in. The “Village of the Damned” parody gives them the perfect way to get back at those annoying adults who want to ruin their fun.
“Maximum Homerdrive” (Season 10)
Homer takes time off work (yet again) to drive a dead trucker’s load across the country. He and Bart find time to catch a show at a local drive-in, fish off a bridge, and enrage all the fellow truckers on the road along the way.
