As The Simpsons reaches 25 years since its debut today, it's hard to think of another TV show that is more quoted and more engrained in popular culture.

Everyone has their favourite quote and favourite episode, but in the interest of fairness, we've tried to distil our list to just ten. We're sure we've left out some classics, but we've done our best to cover all our bases.

Some episodes have great lines and great gags, but here we've tried to cover the best overall episodes instead of individual jokes.

Here we go.

 

10. BART SELLS HIS SOUL

There's not many cartoons that could do an episode about selling your soul that takes in religion, Pablo Neruda and Iron Butterfly. That's possibly why The Simpsons was so great - it didn't talk down to the audiences and even if you didn't get certain jokes or references, they became clearer as the years went on.

 

9. MARGE VS. THE MONORAIL 

What's interesting about Marge Vs. The Monorail is that it puts a female character front-and-centre for the majority of the episode. While the whole town is swept away in Lyle Lanley's pitch - also one of the greatest musical numbers on TV - Marge has her doubts, as does Lisa. For a cartoon show to be that progressive shows why The Simpsons is one of TV's greatest achievements. Also, again, the Monorail song.

 

8. HOMER'S PHOBIA

Again demonstrating just how progressive - and funny - they were, The Simpsons tackled homophobia by casting icon John Waters as a gift shop owner. Initially welcomed into the house, it soon becomes clear that Homer has some issues with homosexuality. There's too many quotes from this episode, from the Gay Steel Mill ("Oh, be nice!") to Homer's anger about gay names ("They ruined all our best names, like Bruce and Lance and Julian!")

 

7. BART VS. AUSTRALIA

Taking down an entire country in one episode is pretty difficult. Yet, somehow, The Simpsons did it with complete ease. Again, there's a wealth of great quotes from this episode. Our favourite? It's either gotta be "U-R-Gay" or this.

 

6. MR. PLOW

The range of influences Simspons took from was unprecedented. For example, Mr. Plow's final sequence on top of the mountain was taken from William Friedkin's 1977 thriller Sorcerer, whilst the revamped TV advertisement for Mr. Plow takes aim at the high-art advertising of the 1980s, typified by Ridley Scott's 1984-inspired Apple commercial. Also, keep an eye out for Adam West. Why DOESN'T Batman dance anymore? Chit-chi-chi-chi-cha...

 

5. A STAR IS BURNS

It may have simply been a promotional exercise for The Critic, but Jay Sherman's appearance on The Simpsons was a highlight of the series. As well as cleverly skewering film festivals, it also gave us McBain: Let's Get Silly, one of the best cutaway jokes we've ever seen. Not to mention Steven Spielberg's non-union Mexican counterpart, Senor Spielbergo. AND! Man Getting Hit In The Groin By A Football, played by Hans Moleman and George C. Scott.

 

 

 

4. LEMON OF TROY

Yet again, you've got to marvel at how the writing room of The Simpsons cleverly pulled references and parodies from all sources. In Lemon of Troy, the very title suggests the Homeric epic and it's referenced when Flanders' RV acts as the Trojan Horse. There's a lemon behind that yellow rock!

 

3. YOU ONLY MOVE TWICE

You Only Move Twice gave us one of The Simpsons' most beloved one-episode characters - Hank Scorpio. A billionaire supervillain who also loved his employees, veteran comedic actor Al Brooks gave Scorpio a warmth and character that few other actors could have. We love it for its impressive range of Bond jokes and the fact they cleverly hit upon why everyone hates France.

 

 

 

2. BART OF DARKNESS

As well as featuring one of our favourite Krusty the Klown gags - the 1960s classic Krusty episode featuring AFL-CIO chairman George Meany - Bart of Darkness also has references to great films such as Witness, Rear Window and Carrie. Hey Bart, your epidermis is showing!

 

 

1. ITCHY & SCRATCHY LAND

We can't think of another episode that's quoted more than the Itchy & Scratchy Land episode. Parking your car? Now remember, we're in the Itchy Lot. How many children have been named Bort in honour of this episode? How many things have possi-bly gone wrong? Parodying Michael Crichton's West-World and Disneyland, Itchy & Scratchy Land was - for us - the best episode in the Simpsons canon. When you get to Hell, tell 'em Itchy sent you!