History CouchGag / TheSimpsons

** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ecYoSvGO60 Mathlete's Feat]]," an IntercontinuityCrossover with ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' that, staff-wise, was written by ''Rick and Morty'' head honchos Justin Roiland and Creator/DanHarmon. ("No more guest animators, man!")

** The Simpsons' wall-mounted HDTV falls off the wall in some episodes, and does not in others.

** The ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "The Simpsons Guy" is the only ''Family Guy'' episode to feature the Gracie Films logo in its closing credits due to being a ''Simpsons'' crossover. Peter Griffin uses this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing along with the jingle: "And now the show is over now."

** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIZ_gDOrzGk My Fare Lady]]," by Paul Robertson, sprite artist for the ''VideoGame/ScottPilgrim'' video game, ''VideoGame/{{Wizorb}}'', ''VideoGame/MercenaryKings'', and the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' one-off characters [=Rumble McSkirmish=] ("[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E10FightFighters Fight Fighters]]") and Giffany ("[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E5SoosAndTheRealGirl Soos and the Real Girl]]"), and [[http://pug-of-war.tumblr.com/ Ivan Dixon]]

* Probably the most infamous of the couch gags was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX1iplQQJTo the one]] for "[=MoneyBART=]", storyboarded by subversive and [[TheFaceless reclusive]] street artist Creator/{{Banksy}}. It started with the typical intro (with 'Banksy' written over several billboards and walls, and Bart writing "I must not write on the walls", all over the room) ending with all the Simpsons on the couch. [[CrossesTheLineTwice It then panned out to a stereotypical Korean sweatshop animating the show, with small barefoot children washing the cells in biohazardous material, kittens being ground up to stuff Bart Simpson plushies which are then carted off by a starving panda and packed in boxes sealed with the tongue of a dolphin head, and a person making Simpson DVDs by smashing out the center holes on the horn of a dying unicorn chained to a wall. Then the camera pans out to reveal]] [[BitingTheHandHumor the sweatshop being inside the 20th Century Fox logo, which has a decrepit, prison-esque look, finally panning out to the Simpsons' TV.]] Needless to say, the actual South Korean animators, despite having to actually animate the sequence themselves [[http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2027768,00.html were not amused]].
* A ''Simpsons''-specific StationIdent for Creator/{{Channel 4}} produced for the channel's broadcast of the show from 2007 to 2014, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWLoYnpjcKw in which]] Homer repeatedly shocks himself trying to retrieve a six-pack of Duff, was later used in the show itself as the couch gag for "Specs and the City," updated with UsefulNotes/SuperBowl references and ClumsyCopyrightCensorship to make Channel 4's logo less obvious (it's still visible if you have a keen eye). (On that note, Channel 4 produced a new ''Simpsons''-specific ident when they rebranded to their not-showing-the-channel's-logo-on-telly era in 2015, but given [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_1hOoCagjg the ident's sheer abstraction]], it's practically unlikely to be used as a couch gag.)

* "Dad Behavior" has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h365_F5BzDg a title sequence]] that is either [[BlackComedy morbidly hilarious]] or [[NightmareFuel downright horrifying]]. It starts off with Barney breaking Bart's skateboard after being tired of Bart constantly hitting him with it in the newer opening sequence. This is unexpected and quite funny, especially when the music stops to emphasise this, [[MoodWhiplash but then in the next scene]], Homer ends up choking on the radioactive material he's handling until he collapses. After that, during the school band scene, RealityEnsues as Lisa's dancing out of the room whilst playing the sax leads to her banging her head against the wall and possibly even breaking her neck. But the worst part is when Marge falls asleep in the car and wakes up to find Maggie driving it, and her attempts to take back the wheel results in the car falling into a river, and a few seconds of silence before Marge's lifeless body floats up to the surface. And to top it all off, Bart arrives at home to find no one else there, is worried at first, [[CrossesTheLineTwice but then realises this means he gets the TV all to himself]].

* In "Four Regrettings and a Funeral", as [[InMemoriam a tribute]] to the late Marcia Wallace (the actress who provided Mrs. Krabappel's voice), Bart writes "We'll really miss you, Mrs. K." exactly one time with a sad look on his face. [[TearJerker Grab the hankies.]]

** "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX1iplQQJTo MoneyBART]]," by {{Creator/Banksy}}

** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNdNLNFZBmk The Fabulous Faker Boy]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXzLju-4Su8 The Cad and the Hat]]," by the ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' staff (The former being ''The Simpsons'' [[InTheStyleOf in the style of]] ''Robot Chicken'', whereas the latter has Homer [[IntercontinuityCrossover invading]] ''Robot Chicken'' by means of MediumBlending)
** While not ''produced'' by a guest animator per se, the premise of the couch gag for "Dangers on a Train" was the winning entry by Cheryl Brown of [[OfficialFanSubmittedContent a contest where fans would submit short text pitches for a couch gag]].
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtgYY7dhTyE Treehouse of Horror XXIV]]," by Creator/GuillermoDelToro

** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ecYoSvGO60 Mathlete's Feat]]," an IntercontinuityCrossover with ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' that, staff-wise, was produced by ''Rick and Morty'' head honchos Justin Roiland and Creator/DanHarmon. ("No more guest animators, man!")

** "Diggs," by Sylvain Chomet, director of the animated films ''WesternAnimation/TheTripletsOfBelleville'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheIllusionist''

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' crossover episode "Simpsorama" replaces the title sequence (save the gathering-on-the-couch gag, wherein the couch has been replaced by Hedonismbot) with ''Futurama''[='=]s own couch gag, a usually irrelevant tagline underneath the show's name. In this episode's case, it's relevant and [[SelfDeprecation self-deprecating]] for both shows: "A show [[SeasonalRot out of ideas]] teams up with a show [[ScrewedByTheNetwork out of episodes]]." The episode's closing credits open with a SpecialEditionTitle of ''Futurama''[='=]s opening sequence featuring Homer singing over the theme song, ''Simpsons'' cameos and [[spoiler:a headless Scruffy cleaning up New New York after the Bart mutants' rampage]] in place of the Planet Express ship crashing into a TV screen.

** "[=MoneyBART=]," by {{Creator/Banksy}}
** "Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts," by Creator/JohnKricfalusi
** "Beware My Cheating Bart," "Black-Eyed, Please," "Married to the Blob," "Lisa the Veterinarian," and "22 for 30," by Creator/BillPlympton
** "The Fabulous Faker Boy" and "The Cad and the Hat," by the ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' staff (The former being ''The Simpsons'' [[InTheStyleOf in the style of]] ''Robot Chicken'', whereas the latter has Homer invading ''Robot Chicken'' by means of MediumBlending)
** "Treehouse of Horror XXIV," by Creator/GuillermoDelToro

** "What to Expect When Bart Is Expecting" and "Orange Is the New Yellow," by [[http://michalsocha.com/ Michal Socha]]
** "Clown in the Dumps," by Creator/DonHertzfeldt
** "My Fare Lady," by Paul Robertson, sprite artist for the ''VideoGame/ScottPilgrim'' video game, ''VideoGame/{{Wizorb}}'', ''VideoGame/MercenaryKings'', and the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' one-off characters [=Rumble McSkirmish=] ("[[Recap/GravityFallsS1E10FightFighters Fight Fighters]]") and Giffany ("[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E5SoosAndTheRealGirl Soos and the Real Girl]]"), and [[http://pug-of-war.tumblr.com/ Ivan Dixon]]
** "Mathlete's Feat," an IntercontinuityCrossover with ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' that, staff-wise, was written by ''Rick and Morty'' head honchos Justin Roiland and Creator/DanHarmon. ("No more guest animators, man!")
** "Fland Canyon," by Creator/EricGoldberg

* The Couch Gag for "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" celebrated [[MilestoneCelebration the 30th anniversary]] of the Simpsons' first appearance on ''Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow'' with a clip from that first segment, followed by a spoof of the ''[[Series/TheBigBangTheory Big Bang Theory]]'' theme song.

** Throughout the credits of "Bart Star," Homer, drunk with power from [[TyrantTakesTheHelm being made Head Coach]] of the pee-wee football team, 'cuts' several people when their names appear,[[note]]This is to say, everyone listed in the end credits except guest star Joe Namath.[[/note]] and when the woman does her shush he said "You're cut too, Shushy!"

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' crossover episode "Simpsorama" replaces the title sequence (save the gathering-on-the-couch gag, wherein the couch has been replaced by Hedonismbot) with ''Futurama''[='=]s own couch gag, a usually irrelevant tagline underneath the show's name. In this episode's case, it's relevant and [[SelfDeprecation self-deprecating]] for both shows: "A show [[SeasonalRot out of ideas]] teams up with a show [[ScrewedByTheNetwork out of episodes]]." A SpecialEditionTitle of ''Futurama''[='=]s opening sequence with Home singing over the theme song, ''Simpsons'' cameos and [[spoiler:a headless Scruffy cleaning up New New York after the Bart mutants' rampage]] in place of the Planet Express ship crashing into a TV screen opens the episode's closing credits.

* In "The Kids Are All Fight", featured Lisa writing on the blackboard, "I will not pay my sister to do my punishment" while Bart watches.

** "The Fabulous Faker Boy" and "The Cad and the Hat," by the ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' staff

** "Mathlete's Feat," an IntercontinuityCrossover with ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' that, staff-wise, was produced on the ''Rick and Morty'' side. ("No more guest animators, man!")

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IXTbPChutA The Couch Gag]] for "Barthood" is done by {{rotoscoping}}, done in the style of [[http://www.flatblackfilms.com/Flat_Black_Films/Rotoshop.html Rotoshop]] (the software used for ''Film/WakingLife'' and ''Film/AScannerDarkly'', two films directed by Creator/RichardLinklater, director of ''Film/{{Boyhood}}'' which "Barthood" is a parody of). Homer fears that they'd be "Roto-Rootered" for the entire episode, and Bart complains about feeling sick from it, leading Lisa to write the gag off as "a noble experiment that failed".

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' crossover episode "Simpsorama" opens with ''Futurama''[='=]s own couch gag, a usually irrelevant tagline underneath the show's name. In this episode's case, it's relevant and [[SelfDeprecation self-deprecating]] for both shows: "A show [[SeasonalRot out of ideas]] teams up with a show [[ScrewedByTheNetwork out of episodes]]."

* "Clown in the Dumps" parodies the show's LongRunner status by depicting the show still on the air thousands of years in the future. In the 106th century, the Simpsons have degenerated into "The Sampsans", a group of crudely-drawn mutants (animated by Creator/DonHertzfeldt) who mainly communicate by endlessly spouting their {{Catch Phrase}}s.

* "Dad Behavior" has a title sequence that is either [[BlackComedy morbidly hilarious]] or [[NightmareFuel downright horrifying]]. It starts off with Barney breaking Bart's skateboard after being tired of Bart constantly hitting him with it in the newer opening sequence. This is unexpected and quite funny, especially when the music stops to emphasise this, [[MoodWhiplash but then in the next scene]], Homer ends up choking on the radioactive material he's handling until he collapses. After that, during the school band scene, RealityEnsues as Lisa's dancing out of the room whilst playing the sax leads to her banging her head against the wall and possibly even breaking her neck. But the worst part is when Marge falls asleep in the car and wakes up to find Maggie driving it, and her attempts to take back the wheel results in the car falling into a river, and a few seconds of silence before Marge's lifeless body floats up to the surface. And to top it all off, Bart arrives at home to find no one else there, is worried at first, [[CrossesTheLineTwice but then realises this means he gets the TV all to himself]].

** "The Fabulous Faker Boy," by the ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' staff

* "Dad Behavior" has a title sequence that is either [[BlackComedy morbidly hilarious]] or [[NightmareFuel downright horrifying]]. It starts off with Barney breaking Bart's skateboard after being tired of Bart constantly hitting him with it in the newer opening sequence. This is unexpected and quite funny, especially when the music stops to emphasise this, [[MoodWhiplash but then in the next scene]], Homer ends up choking on the radioactive material he's handling until he collapses. After that, during the school band scene, RealityEnsues as Lisa's dancing out of the room whilst playing the sax leads to her banging her head against the wall and possibly even breaking her neck. But the worst part is when Marge falls asleep in the car and wakes up to find Maggie driving it, and her attempts to take back the wheel results in the car falling into a river, and a few seconds of silence before Marge's body floats up to the top. And to top it all off, Bart arrives at home to find no one else there, is worried at first, [[CrossesTheLineTwice but then realises this means he gets the TV to himself]].

** "500 Keys": "It's Kristen Schaal, not Kristen Schall."[[note]]A reference to a spelling mistake in the credits in "Homer Scissorhands."[[/note]]

** "Fatzcarraldo": "If we're so good at predicting, how come my dad bet on Atlanta?"[[note]]This aired the weekend after UsefulNotes/SuperBowl LI, where the Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots.[[/note]]

* The Couch Gag for "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" celebrated [[MilestoneCelebration the 30th anniversary]] of the Simpsons' first appearance on ''Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow'' with a spoof of the ''[[Series/TheBigBangTheory Big Bang Theory]]'' theme song.

* "Havana Wild Weekend", the first episode to air after UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's 2016 election victory, had Bart write [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E17BartToTheFuture "Being Right Sucks."]]

* The Couch Gag for "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" celebrated [[MilestoneCelebration the 30th anniversary]] of the Simpsons' first appearance on ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' with a spoof of the ''[[Series/TheBigBangTheory Big Bang Theory]]'' theme song.

** "Beware My Cheating Bart," "Black-Eyed, Please," "Married to the Blob" and "22 for 30," by Creator/BillPlympton

** "Beware My Cheating Bart," "Black-Eyed, Please" and "Married to the Blob," by Creator/BillPlympton

** "Mathlete's Feat", an IntercontinuityCrossover with ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' that, staff-wise, was produced on the ''Rick and Morty'' side. ("No more guest animators, man!")

** "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday": "I will not do the Dirty Bird."[[note]]The Dirty Bird was a victory dance done by the UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}} Falcons during UsefulNotes/SuperBowl XXXIII.[[/note]]

** "Havana Wild Weekend": "Being right sucks."[[note]]This was the first episode to air after UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump was elected president, which the show eerily predicted 16 years earlier in "Bart to the Future". With the left-wing of country in mourning due to his perceived inflammatory and dangerous rhetoric, and the Simpsons' staff being mostly liberal, it captured the feeling perfectly.[[/note]]

* The Couch Gag for "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Simpsons' first appearance on ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' with a spoof of the ''[[Series/TheBigBangTheory Big Bang Theory]]'' theme song.

* ''Some Enchanted Evening'' is the only episode[[spoiler:to not have a couch gag at all; it's the first episode in production order (production delays forced it to be aired as the season finale instead).]]

* Probably the most infamous of the couch gags was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX1iplQQJTo the one]] for "[=MoneyBART=]", storyboarded by subversive and [[TheFaceless reclusive]] street artist Creator/{{Banksy}}. It started with the typical intro (with 'Banksy' written over several billboards and walls, and Bart writing "I must not write on the walls", all over the room) ending with all the Simpsons on the couch. [[CrossesTheLineTwice It then panned out to a stereotypical Korean sweatshop animating the show, with small barefoot children washing the cells in biohazardous material, kittens being ground up to stuff Bart Simpson plushies which are then carted off by a starving panda and packed in boxes sealed with the tongue of a dolphin head, and a person making Simpson DVDs by smashing out the center holes on the horn of a dying unicorn chained to a wall. Then the camera pans out to reveal]] [[BitingTheHandHumor the sweatshop being inside the 20th Century Fox logo, which has a decrepit, prison-esque look, finally panning out to the Simpsons' TV.]]

** "Havana Wild Weekend": "Being right sucks."[[note]]This was the first episode to air after UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump was elected president, which the show eerily predicted 16 years earlier in "Bart to the Future". With the left-wing of country in mourning due to his perceived inflammatory and dangeroud rhetoric, and the Simpsons' staff being mostly liberal, it captured the feeling perfectly.[[/note]]

* "Havana Wild Weekend", the first episode to air after DonaldTrump's 2016 election victory, had Bart write [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E17BartToTheFuture "Being Right Sucks."]]

** "Havana Wild Weekend": "Being right sucks."[[note]]This was the first episode to air after UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump was elected president, which the show eerily predicted 16 years earlier in "Bart to the Future".[[/note]]

* "Havana Wild Weekend", the first episode to win after DonaldTrump's 2016 election victory, had Bart write [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS11E17BartToTheFuture "Being Right Sucks"]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IXTbPChutA "Barthood"'s Couch Gag]] is done by {{rotoscoping}}, done in the style of [[http://www.flatblackfilms.com/Flat_Black_Films/Rotoshop.html Rotoshop]] (the software used for ''Film/WakingLife'' and ''Film/AScannerDarkly'', two films directed by Creator/RichardLinklater). Homer fears that they'd be "Roto-Rootered" for the entire episode, and Bart complains about feeling sick from it, leading Lisa to write the gag off as "a noble experiment that failed".

** "Homer Goes to Prep School": "I will obey [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar®]] campaign rules from now on."[[note]]The ''Simpsons'' theatrical short ''The Longest Daycare'' had been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Short Film; it lost to ''WesternAnimation/{{Paperman}}''.[[/note]]

** In "The Mansion Family", Homer crying about the people in the credits being rich (except for one name, for which Homer momentarily stops crying to comment, "Oh, he's poor"). At the Gracie Films logo, Homer angrily exclaims, "Don't shush me, you rich bastard!"

** "How Lisa Got Her Marge Back" has Principal Skinner writing "Never lose a bet to Bart Simpson" on the chalkboard while Bart watches.
* The Couch Gag for "A Test Before Trying" was [[RealTrailerFakeMovie done in the style of a movie trailer]], depicting [[MundaneMadeAwesome the family running to sit on the couch against all odds]].
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IXTbPChutA "Barthood"'s Couch Gag]] is done by {{rotoscoping}}, done in the style of [[http://www.flatblackfilms.com/Flat_Black_Films/Rotoshop.html Rotoshop]] (the software used for ''Film/WakingLife'' and ''Film/AScannerDarkly'', two films directed by Creator/RichardLinklater). Homer fears that they'd be "Roto-Rootered" for the entire episode, and Bart complains about feeling sick from it, leading Lisa to write the gag off as "a noble experiment that failed".