The Simpsons season nine out on DVD in December

The ever-vigilant TVShowsonDVD has announced that the ninth season of The Simpsons will be ready for purchase in digital versatile format on December 19, just in time for any family members who might be reading this to grab the set for me for Christmas. Hell, I haven't even made it all the way through my eighth season set yet and already a new one has been announced -- not that I'm complaining. The ninth season has more than a few great episodes: the family's trip to New York City; Homer buying a handgun to protect his family; a religious debate spurned by the alleged remains of a dead angel; the students of Springfield Elementary stranded on an island a la Lord of the Flies; Homer and his reluctant family joining the Movementarian cult; Bart and Lisa becoming co-anchors on a student news program while Homer purchases and subsequently almost kills a helper monkey; and Homer climbing the dangerous Murderhorn mountain to earn Bart's respect.

Unfortunately, this season also contains what is probably my least favorite episode, "All Singing, All Dancing," a clip episode featuring musical moments from past episodes. My aversion to this episode is alleviated somewhat by knowing that this season also contains Hank Williams, Jr.'s righteous ode to the Canyonero sport utility vehicle:

Can you name the car with four-wheel-drive?
Smells like a steak and seats thirty-five!
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Well, it goes real slow with the hammer down.
It's a country-fried truck endorsed by a clown.
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Twelve yards long and two lanes wide,
sixty-five tons of American pride!
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Top of the line in utility sports!
Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts.
Canyonero! Canyonero!
She blinds everybody with her super-high beam.
She a squirrel-squishin', deer-smackin' drivin' machine!
Canyonero! Canyonero!

Tip o' the hat to SNPP.

NOTE: In an early draft I said this season contained the episode where Apu cheats on his wife. That's actually from a later season. I confused it with the episode where Apu tries to escape an arranged marriage, which is part of season nine.