Long-running need to constantly reinvent themselves in order to prevent things from going stale, and The Simpsons has effortlessly done that by drawing inspiration from all corners of life. Whether it’s politics or world events, the animated sitcom is known for infusing plenty of unique details into its storylines.
The hit show has heavily relied on parodies, covering every segment of pop culture, from music videos to video games. However, some of the most memorable episodes make fun of other projects in the TV industry. So far, a couple of them belong to the must-watch category because they were executed brilliantly.
10 Homeland
“Homerland” (Season 25, Episode 1)
Homeland might be one of the shows that got worse after Season 1, but The Simpsons briefly adopted its premise before the Showtime project tumbled. In the same manner that Sgt. Nicholas Brody gets converted into a terrorist, it’s implied that Homer has been radicalized after attending a nuclear power convention in Idaho.
Unlike Brody, Homer gets influenced positively, and through his story, climate change and animal rights get discussed. After meeting ecological activists during the convention, he leans more towards environmental conversation, becomes a vegan, and curbs his alcohol addiction. Additionally, Homer is less malicious than Brody since his goal is to cause the environmentally-damaging Springfield Nuclear Power to shut down by driving away employees using the stench of sour milk.
9 The Real Housewives
“Boy Meets Curl” (Season 21, Episode 12)
Watching TV is one of Maggie’s main hobbies, and in “Boy Meets Curl,” she is seen enjoying an episode of The Real Housewives Of Shelbyville. The fictional series parodies The Real Housewives Of… franchise and comes complete with all the reality TV tropes, including gossiping and physical fights that could have been resolved through simple conversations.
It makes sense for the show to be set in the neighboring city of Shelbyville, since its residents tend to be go-getters with a greater love for pop culture than those of Springfield. It’s also easy to see why Marge would like the show since she is known to be a talkative and carefree person who desires a glamorous lifestyle.
8 Dallas
“Who Shot Mr. Burns?” (Season 6, Episode 25)
In its early years, The Simpsons delivered one of the greatest ever season finales—a Dallas parody. What’s remarkable is that the episode doesn’t extract too many elements from the ‘80s soap opera, only the whodunnit mystery that plays out when the archvillain, J.R. Ewing, gets shot.
“Who Shot Mr. Burns?” drops a major cliffhanger in its dying minutes when an unknown shooter fires at Mr. Burns as he gives a speech. As with the J.R. Ewing incident, viewers are forced to wait until the next season to find out who did it. As expected, Waylon Smith and Homer get singled out as the main suspects, since their disgruntlement was always evident, but the show later throws in a major twist.
7 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
“Helter Shelter” (Season 14, Episode 5)
“Helter Shelter” starts out by parodying reality in general after The Simpsons sign up for The 1895 Challenge, a show that requires families to live in a Victorian-era mansion. Sadly, Homer’s over-the-top mannerisms, which he believes will boost ratings, lead to viewer disinterest, causing the family to get fired.
Back at home, the family watches Law And Order: Elevator Inspectors Unit, revolving around cops failing to catch criminals in elevators. The fictional series parodies one of the longest-running police procedurals, Law & Order: SVU, and is a typical silly episode of The Simpsons since it makes no sense to create a police unit for monitoring elevators. Nonetheless, the slapstick humor that the segment provides is worth it.
6 The Flintstones
"Marge vs. the Monorail" (Season 4, Episode 12)
"Marge vs. the Monorail" brings the Stone Age to the modern world in yet another plot defined by environmental conservation themes. This time, Mr. Burns get fined $3 million for dumping nuclear waste in the river, and Springfield residents decide to use the money to build a monorail.
Since nothing ever goes well in the animated sitcom, the breaks fail, and in his best judgment, Homer decides to use his legs to stop it, just like Freddy Flintstone in The Flinstones. The fun doesn’t stop there as Homer even gives his own rendition of the popular “Meet The Flintstones” theme song.
5 24
“24 Minutes” (Season 18, Episode 24)
The Annie-winning “24 Minutes" is much more engrossing than the show’s other spoofs because it even features a cameo from 24’s protagonist, Jack Bauer. In it, members of Springfield Elementary School’s Counter Truancy Unit (a spin on the Counter Terrorist Unit) are seen at their frantic and investigative best as they attempt to stop a stink bomb in 24 minutes.
Throughout the proceedings, viewers share Principal Skinner’s anxiety and pessimism as the clock ticks and moles pop up to sabotage the mission, as is usually the case in the live-action series. This time, Bart gets to be the star as he not only prank-calls Jack Bauer but also demonstrates his intelligence by making a deal with the principal to help stop the attack if he is pardoned for all his misdemeanors.
4 Tom And Jerry
“The Itchy And Scratchy Show” (Several Episodes)
The Simpsons frequently spoofs Tom and Jerry through “The Itchy and Scratchy Show” segments in Channel 6’s ratings juggernaut Krusty the Clown Show. Like the popular cartoon, the parody involves a mouse punishing a cat by outfoxing it and setting up taps.
However, there is a difference in tone between the two productions. While Tom and Jerry relies on hilarious slapstick violence, “The Itchy and Scratchy Show” is typically gorier. In most cases, the cat ends up dead, unlike Tom, who always survives through scenes that require suspending belief.
3 MacGyver
“Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore” (Season 17, Episode 17)
The mischievous Patty and Selma enjoy finding unexpected ways to have fun, so in “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore,” they kidnap Anderson from his Stargate SG-1 convention and ask him to come up with ways to flee like MacGyver. Well, Anderson doesn’t disappoint. Thanks to his innovativeness and improvisational skills, he does it much to the glee of the two.
In typical series fashion, Anderson becomes thrilled by the experience rather than traumatized. He thus keeps begging Patty and Selman to abduct him so that he can escape again. This results in several hilarious exchanges after the friends get fed up with him and decide to air out their frustrations.
2 The Twilight Zone
"Terror at ​5 1⁄2 Feet." (Season 5, Episode 5)
The Twilight Zone is considered one of the most historically important shows of all time, thanks to its scary, out-of-the-box short tales. The Simpsons specifically spoofs the episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” where a plane passenger notices a creature on the wings.
In “Terror at ​5 1⁄2 Feet," it’s Bart notices a gremlin while riding the school bus. Since no one else can see it, everyone thinks he is insane, so he gets locked up in an asylum. Though the episode isn’t funny, it perfectly analyzes misconceptions and mental health while paying homage to a TV masterpiece.
1 Hill Street Blues
“The Springfield Connection” (Season 6, Episode 23)
Marge has tried her hand at just about anything, and in “The Springfield Connection," the experimental bug bites her again. This time she figures she has what it takes to become a police officer after she successfully chases and captures a criminal on the streets.
From the briefings to the music, the episode makes use of Several elements from the popular ‘80s procedural Hill Street Blues. Besides that, the parody episode brings out Marge’s fierce side; at one point, she even arrests Homer. Her strong moral compass is also highlighted when she decides to quit because fellow officers are too corrupt.