I am – Hercules!!

Though “The Simpsons” is currently in what I regard as its eighth substandard season in a row, I still revere this series as one of the four finest sitcoms ever produced, alongside “Cheers,” “Fawlty Towers” and “The Larry Sanders Show.”

In my view, “The Simpsons” didn’t start to go off the tracks at all until the start of season 10.

Season seven is a treasure trove of comedy genius: Milhouse is cast as Fallout Boy, Ned adopts Bart and Lisa as foster children, Bart sells his soul for five dollars, newly minted vegetarian Lisa is enraged by a propaganda film from The Meat Council, Homer decides to gain 61 pounds so he can claim his obesity as a disability, Homer discovers his fugitive mother is still alive, Sideshow Bob escapes prison and demands an end to all television, Bart gets banned from a store for stealing, Monty Burns replaces Otto on a winning bowling team, Bart menaces new neighbor George H.W. Bush, Marge’s new outfit lands her an invitation to a country club, Krusty’s tax problems force him to fake his own death, Lisa learns disturbing facts about Springfield’s founder, Burns fires Smithers, Bart befriends the true creator of Itchy and Scratchy, actor Troy McClure dates Selma, Bart rents a car and drives to Knoxville with Milhouse and Nelson, a greedy Burns hires someone to kill fellow former vet Abe Simpson, Apu must pass a citizenship test to avoid deportation, Homer meets Cypress Hill and the Smashing Pumpkins and becomes a rock-tour novelty act, and Lisa hides her dorky nature from her new beach-vacation friends.

The first episode resolves the “Who Shot Mr. Burns” cliffhanger from season six. The season also includes “22 Short Films About Springfield” and the 3D “Little Girl Lost” parody in “Treehouse of Horror VI.”

Extras include commentaries on every episode, loads of deleted scenes, dubbing in four extra languages (German, Japanese, Italian and Portuguese) on one episode.

At the moment, it's only $32.48, which means it's actually cheaper than seasons two through five.

As the illustrations above suggest, you get your choice of two covers: The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season (Conventional Edition) and The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season (Marge-Head Edition). Choose wisely.

The other big deal streeting this week is Gilmore Girls: The Complete Fifth Season. We’re currently in the show’s sixth season, so I trust an elaborate recap isn’t necessary. It starts right after Luke and Lorelai snog for the first time, and right after Rory loses her virginity to married ex-boyfriend Dean. It ends with Rory quitting Yale following a bad performance review and moving in with her grandparents - and with Lorelai proposing to Luke. In between, Emily & Richard reconcile, Lane falls for Zack, Rory falls for Logan, Lorelai has a (temporary) falling-out with Luke, and there’s a Tarantino-themed party to attend.

And if I'm not mistaken? This may be the first "Gilmore" set that actually includes a commentary track from creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, who is every bit as funny as her characters. It's on the episode in which Rory jumps from a great height.

One of the best seasons of one of the best things ever to emanate from a cathode-ray tube. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, it makes me do a combined laughy-cry thing.

TV on DVD Calendar

Last Week
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Vol. 4

Batman: The Animated Series Vol. 4

Combat: The Complete Series
Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox
Everybody Loves Raymond 5.x
Footballers' Wives 2.x
Full House 2.x
Garfield Vol. 5
Gargoyles 2.x Vol. 1
Green Acres 3.x
He-Man & She-Ra Christmas Special
Jackass Vol. 1

Jackass: The Box Set
Kenny Vs. Spenny 1.x

Land of the Lost: The Complete Series
Law & Order 4.x
MacGyver 3.x
The Magnificent Seven 1.x
M*A*S*H 9.x
Murder She Wrote 2.x
Newlyweds Nick & Jessica: The Final Season
Pet Alien: The Lighter Side of Doom
Postcards From Buster: Buster's Buddies
Power Rangers SPD Vol. 4
Power Rangers SPD Vol. 5
The Proud Family Movie
Raven's House Party

The Rockford Files 1.x
Rock Star: INXS

Roseanne 2.x
Saved by the Bell: New Class 6.x / 7.x
Spin & Marty

Star Wars: Clone Wars Vol. 2

Superman: The Animated Series Vol. 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3.x Vol. 1
Thundercats 1.x Vol. 2
Tom Green: Inside and Outside

24 4.x

The West Wing 5.x

December 13
The Dukes of Hazzard 5.x
Family Bonds 1.x
Farscape 3.x Vol. 1
Gilmore Girls 5.x
Miami Vice 2.x
Rambo Vol. 5
Rambo Vol. 6
Reba 2.x
The Simpsons 7.x
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3.x Vol. 1

Tour of Duty: The Complete Series

December 20

The Amazing Race 7.x

Battlestar Galactica 2.1-2.10

ER 4.x
Party of Five 2.x

December 26

Firefly: The Motion Picture

SeaQuest 1.x

The Shield 4.x
Tracey Takes On 1.x

December 27
America's Funniest Home Videos: Kids & Animals
Criss Angel: Mindfreak
Nowhere Man: The Complete Series
Sunday Morning Shootout: Best of 1.x

The Twilight Zone 5.x

January 3

Alien Nation: The Complete Series
All in the Family 5.x
1st & Ten 1.x
1st & Ten 2.x
Gunsmoke 50th Anniversary Gift-Set
Have Gun Will Travel 3.x
Hunter 3.x
Merv Griffin Show: 40 Most Interesting People
Silk Stalkings 4.x

January 10
Andromeda 5.x Vol. 3
Black Books 1.x
Boy Meets World 4.x

The Flash: The Complete Series
Hee Haw Vol.5
Men Behaving Badly 3.x
Men Behaving Badly 4.x
Nighty Night 1.x
Red Dwarf 7.x
Rising Damp 1.x
Strong Medicine 1.x
Urban Gothic 1.x
Viva La Bam 4.x/5.x
Wild Kingdom: African Wild 2
Wild Kingdom: Hunters of the Sky

January 17
The Adventures of Superman 2.x
Doogie Howser, MD 3.x
Fraggle Rock Vol. 5
Good Morning World: The Complete Series
Lois & Clark 2.x

The Mary Tyler Moore Show 3.x
Old Grey Whistle Test Vol. 2
Titus 3.x

January 24
'Allo 'Allo 4.x
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book One, Vol. 1
Codename: Icarus
Dallas 4.x
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Missing 2.x

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Alec Baldwin
Saturday Night Live: The Best of David Spade
The Time Tunnel: Vol. 1
The Tomorrow Show: Punk & New Wave
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: The Cat's Home

January 31
All American Girl: The Complete Series
Archie Bunker's Place 1.x
The A-Team 3.x
Benny Hill: Set 4
Dark Shadows Vol. 22
Diff'rent Strokes 2.x
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates 3.x

Hill Street Blues 1.x
Inked: Best of 1.x
Knight Rider 3.x
Magnum PI 3.x
MI-5 Vol. 3
The Pink Panther: Classic Cartoon Collection
Rat Patrol 1.x

Sex and the City: Breakups <--- NEW!!
Sex and the City: Lust <--- NEW!!
Sex and the City: Mr. Big <--- NEW!!
Sex and the City: Romance <--- NEW!!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 20
Two's Comany 4.x
The X-Files 1.x ($37.48 Slimcase Edition)
The X-Files 2.x ($37.48 Slimcase Edition)
The X-Files 3.x ($37.48 Slimcase Edition)

February 7
The Batman 1.x
Blue Collar TV 1.x Vol. 2
The Electric Company: Best Of
Emergency 2.x
Grounded For Life 1.x

Growing Pains 1.x
Inspector Alleyn Mysteries Set 2
The Lost World Vol. 1
The Lost World, Vol. 2 Follow aicn