Disney/FOX "The Simpsons" fourth season featured the now-classic episode "Kamp Krusty."
Stream The Simpsons Season 4 Now
Matt Groening’s The Simpsons (now in its 31st season) is set in the fictional town of Springfield and follows the titular family of dad Homer, a safety inspector at a local power plant, mom Marge, a homemaker, and their three children: troublemaker Bart who’s always getting into it at school, Lisa, a precocious activist, and baby Maggie who rarely talks. The family parodies American society and pop culture with their increasing levels of ridiculousness and huge cast of townie characters that add to the sheer stupidity and genius of the show.
For its fourth season, Al Jean and Mike Reiss remained on board as showrunners, producing a total of 22 episodes, including two episodes that were held over from Season 3. By the end of the season, Jean, Reiss, and most of the original writing staff left the show, but not before collecting a couple Emmy nominations on the way out. Dan Castellaneta went on to win one for his performance as Homer in the now-classic episode “Mr. Plow.”
What started as just a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show grew into what would soon become one of the longest-running primetime cartoon shows (and a global behemoth) that still seems virtually neverending. With 663 episodes and counting, The Simpsons outlasted Gunsmoke as the longest-running American scripted primetime TV show in terms of seasons and episodes. A full-length feature film was released in 2007 (entitled The Simpsons Movie), in addition to comic books, video games, and even a Universal Studios ride. The family even has its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Now with Disney+, you can now stream The Simpsons Season 4 online.
How to Stream ‘The Simpsons’ Season 4 – Exclusively on Disney+
The Simpsons is one of the fan-favorite Disney original movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream The Simpsons and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “The Simpsons Season 4”
- 5. Tap on The Simpsons Season 4
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘The Simpsons’ Season 4: Overview
Release Date: September 24, 1992 – May 13, 1993
Creators: Creator and producer Matt Groening, Showrunners Al Jean and Mike Reiss
Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer, and Hank Azaria
Rating: The series is mostly rated TV-PG, though some episodes are slapped with a TV-14 rating.
Synopsis: The Simpsons is a satirical depiction of working-class life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, all of whom live in the fictional town of Springfield. It parodies American culture and society, television, and the human condition.
How Long Is ‘The Simpsons’ Season 4?
The Simpsons Season 4 consists of 22 episodes including two that were originally intended for Season 3. Episodes range from 22-24 minutes without commercials.
‘The Simpsons’ Season 4 Plot
In The Simpsons Season 4, Bart and Lisa attend Kamp Krusty, but when Krusty fails to show and the kids are treated poorly Bart leads the campers into a rebellion and they take over the camp. Itchy and Scratchy release a movie but Homer forbids Bart to see it. When their house starts sinking into the ground, Marge gets a job at the power plant only to have Mr. Burns attempt to seduce her. Homer buys a snowplow and starts a business plowing driveways. Springfield plans to install a Monorail system, but Marge worries after seeing what the Monorail did to a neighboring town. Ralph Wiggum falls in love with Lisa on Valentine’s Day, but after he pursues her a little too much, she accidentally ends up hurting him. When Krusty’s show gets canceled, Bart and Lisa help him stage the ultimate comeback.
In the third “Treehouse of Horror” episode, the Simpson family holds a Halloween party and several family members tell scary stories. In “Clown Without Pity,” Lisa tells a story about Homer buying Bart a Krusty doll which turns out to be evil and tries to kill everyone. In Grandpa’s story called “King Homer,” Mr. Burns decides to hire Marge Bouvier to trap an ape who looks like Homer. (Yes, it’s a King Kong Parody.) Bart wraps the episode up with “Dial ‘Z’ for Zombie.” In the story, Bart discovers an occult book and tries to use one of the spells to bring back the family cat, but instead, he accidentally summons a horde of zombies.
‘The Simpsons’ Season 4 Cast
Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, and Barney Gumble
Castellaneta voices the lovable imbecile and patriarch of the family, Homer. His other credits include voice spots on The Batman, Hey Arnold and Futurama, though Castellaneta also acts on screen as well in shows and movies like Super 8, Parks and Recreation, Castle, and Greek.
Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, and other children
Cartwright voices the mischievous Bart Simpson. When she’s not working on The Simpsons, she can be found (and heard) on shows like Animaniacs, Kim Possible and Rugrats.
Harry Shearer as Ned Flangers, Principal Skinner, Larry, Mr. Burns, Mr. Smithers, Principal Skinner, Reverend Lovejoy, and Dr. Hibbert.
Shearer voices a number of characters that also include Mr. Burns and Waylon Smithers. When he’s not voice acting, he’s spinning comedy gold in films like A Mighty Wind and This Is Spinal Tap.
Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson, and Patty and Selma Bouvier
Before she got into voice acting, Kavner played Brenda Morgenstern on the series Rhoda. Kavner has also starred in films like Hannah and Her Sisters and Click.
Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson
Aside from voice acting, Smith made guest appearances on Dharma & Greg, Murphy Brown, Empty Nest, and Mama’s Family and had a regular role for three seasons as Louise on Herman’s Head.
Hank Azaria as Moe Syzlak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, and Professor Frink
When Azaria isn’t lending his voice, he can be seen in fare like Ray Donovan and Brockmire. He was also in films like Birdcage and Mystery Men.
Stream The Simpsons Season 4 Now
‘The Simpsons’ Season 4 Songs and Soundtrack
The Simpsons Season 4 featured many songs from popular artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alice Cooper. In the season finale, Bette Midler joins Krusty the Klown for a rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
Further down the road, The Simpsons released a number of various studio albums and soundtracks such as Songs in the Key of Springfield and The Yellow Album.
‘The Simpsons’ Season 4 Ratings
The Simpsons Season 4 averaged 22.4 million viewers every week, remaining in its Thursday at 8 p.m. timeslot. The highest viewed episode was “Lisa’s First Word” which was watched by 28.6 million viewers.
‘The Simpsons’ Season 4 Reviews – What the Critics Said
The Simpsons‘ impact on the American sitcom and TV at large remains in stone. The show not only paved the way for every primetime cartoon series that followed, but it did so with critical acclaim and tremendous ratings, shaping ’90s pop culture as we knew it. Thirty-one Emmys, 30 Annie Awards, and a Peabody Award only help prove the show’s legacy and staying power after all these years.
The fourth season, like the three before it, aired to rave reviews from critics nationwide. CinemaBlend wrote, “The Simpsons, like A Mighty Wind, or The Office, realizes and perfectly exploits the fact that the line between comedy and tragedy is so thin.”
When ranking the seasons, Uproxx’s Josh Kurp called Season 4 the number one best season. “Every episode from Season 4 is perfect,” wrote Kurp. He also called the season “TV at its best.”
The rave reviews for Season 4 are never-ending. “I can’t choose between these two collections of the two best [fourth and fifth] seasons in Simpsons history, so I’m not going to,” wrote Jen Chaney for the Washington Post.
Entertainment Weekly‘s Ken Tucker gave Season 4 a positive review (as he did for the show’s previous seasons). “People have been investing strong emotions in cartoon characters at least as far back as Mickey Mouse; the sustained cleverness and, yes, humanity of The Simpsons proves that our devotion is not misplaced,” he wrote.
Critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked The Simpsons as the greatest American TV series of all time in their 2016 book TV (The Book). Time magazine once called The Simpsons the century’s best television series, including Bart in their list of the century’s 100 most influential people. He was the only fictional character included.
‘The Simpsons’ Season 4 Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
1. Late Night Host Conan O’Brien Was A Writer for ‘The Simpsons’ Season 4
O’Brien was a writer and Supervising Producer on The Simpsons Season 4. In a speech he gave at Harvard in 2000, he credited The Simpsons with “saving” him from a career slump he was experiencing. O’Brien is credited with writing Season 4’s “Marge vs. the Monorail” and “New Kid on the Block.” He ended up leaving the series once he got the gig to replace David Letterman on Late Night. He was a part of 54 total episodes of The Simpsons.
Late Night with Conan O’Brien ran on NBC between 1993 and 2009 and produced 2,725 episodes over the course of 16 seasons. From June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, O’Brien briefly hosted NBC’s The Tonight Show before leaving the network for his new home of TBS.
2. Season 4 Marks the First Time Producers Tried to Make A ‘Simpsons’ Movie
Season 4 marked the first attempt of a Simpsons feature-length film. Producer James L. Brooks suggested the script for “Kamp Krusty” as a possible movie idea. However, due to problems with making the story long enough for an 80-minute film, the idea was dropped. As Jean told Brooks in the commentary track for the episode, “First of all, if we make it into the movie then we don’t have a premiere, and second, if we can’t make 18 minutes out of this episode how are we supposed to make 80?”
It would not be until over 14 years later that a Simpsons film would finally be made in a form of The Simpsons Movie, which was released on July 27, 2007 worldwide.
3. Jean and Reiss Left the Show to Produce Their Own Animated Series
Both showrunners left The Simpsons to produce their own animated series, The Critic, taking many of The Simpsons‘ staffers with them. The Critic ran for three seasons and 33 episodes between January of 1994 and September 2001. It aired on Fox, ABC, and later, Shockwave.com. The show revolved around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon Lovitz.
4. Season 4 if the First Season to Feature God as a Character
God makes his debut as a Simpsons character in the episode “Homer the Heretic.” In the episode, Homer discovers the joy of staying home and having the house all to himself while Marge and the kids experience a long-winded sermon from Reverend Lovejoy.
God and Jesus are the only two characters on the show to have a full set of five fingers and five toes. Everyone else in the Simpsons world has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, and four toes on each foot.
5. Homer Was Originally Going To Be Revealed as Krusty the Clown
Homer was originally intended to be revealed as Krusty the Clown, hence their similar appearance. According to the Telegraph, the show was going to play with the idea that Bart doesn’t respect his dad but worships someone who looks just like him. The series was supposed to leave the story open so that Bart would realize that Homer was his idol all along. The idea was abandoned after it was deemed too complex for the show’s early years.