Here Are the Top 15 ‘Treehouse of Horror’ Intros of All Time
Halloween is almost upon us, which means that The Simpsons’ beloved annual special “Treehouse of Horror” is only lagging behind the holiday by a couple of days.
Thanks to Fox’s annoying insistence that broadcasting the World Series is more important than airing a Halloween-themed, EC Comics Horror tales-inspired Simpsons episode within a timeframe that makes any amount of sense, “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” will not air until November 3, 2024, meaning that the we won’t get to see which Twitter trend got the satirical, supernatural, alternate reality treatment until all the tricks and treats have concluded and even the most intense Halloween bender has crusted over into a near-fatal hangover.
Thankfully, the most hallowed annual tradition in adult animation has a healthy backlog of 34 (or XXXIV) total “Treehouse of Horror” episodes for the fandom to compare, contrast and complain about how the old episodes were so much better than this new crap.
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Much like the traditional Simpsons intro sequence, the first scene of “Treehouse of Horror” has changed immensely over the 34 iterations and counting. As such, here are the top “Treehouse of Horror” intros throughout the series’ storied history, starting with…
Treehouse of Horror XXI
One of the most topical (for 2010) Treehouse of Horror intros ever, this one keeps us guessing all the way until the title card with homages to other comedies and a rapid-fire foreshadowing of the episode itself.
Treehouse of Horror XVII
There’s just something quaint about the 3D animation sequence and the Tales from the Crypt homage that gives this one the perfect amount of Halloween camp.
Treehouse of Horror XXIV
This over-the-top, maximum production value has a staggering number of references per minute, both to classic-and-current horror films and classic Simpsons episodes.
Treehouse of Horror XIV
The first Treehouse of Horror to acknowledge the irritating scheduling decisions at Fox is a perfect, self-deprecating season’s greetings.
Treehouse of Horror III
The first subversion of the traditional speech shows Homer thumbing his nose at the “religious types” who object to a little macabre humor on broadcast TV. Oooh, fuzzy…
Treehouse of Horror XIII
Having Maude Flanders return as a vengeful ghost in the same season that voice actress Maggie Roswell buried the hatchet with The Simpsons and returned to the series hits harder than a military-grade T-shirt cannon.
Treehouse of Horror II
Though it earns no points for originality, the second-ever Treehouse of Horror episode still captured the concerned nagging of Marge that gave the early entries in the series that special feeling of presentation and authenticity.
Treehouse of Horror IX
This one might be a divisive entry because of its sheer simplicity, but there’s just something likable about remixing the iconic Simpsons intro with the slightest spooky edge.
Treehouse of Horror XVI
Two years after Treehouse of Horror broke the seal on breaking the MLB’s balls, this one went all-in on “the most boring game in the universe” and ended up destroying existence itself in a futile attempt to make the World Series entertaining. Smooth move, Space-lax!
Treehouse of Horror X
Given their status as the mascots of Treehouse of Horror, it was about time that Kang and Kodos got to host the show, and they were one hell of a warm-up act.
Treehouse of Horror XIX
No presidential election will ever have as great an impact on the world of adult animated comedy than the 2008 decision that put Barack Obama in office, and the many election episodes that came out of the many comedy shows had a wide range of enjoyability. Thankfully, mere days before the election, The Simpsons decided that less is more and gave us a tight, punchy and possibly prescient banger.
Treehouse of Horror V
Arguably the best sequel to the original “Marge gives a lecture” intro, this one gave the finger to the pearl-clutchers through a series of sharp left turns that make us wonder what Glenn Ford ever did to Matt Groening.
Treehouse of Horror XII
As the series went on, the Treehouse of Horror intro gradually moved away from the scare elements of the special, choosing meta jokes over classic Halloween spooks. The 2001 entry, on the other hand, was a proper return to frightening form.
Treehouse of Horror I
Marge’s first fourth-wall-breaking introductory speech perfectly put Simpsons fans in the mood to watch the inaugural supernatural anthology episode as she kicked off the annual tradition with hilariously in-character indignation.
Treehouse of Horror VIII
This isn’t just the greatest Treehouse of Horror intro of all time — it’s also the most openly hostile The Simpsons has ever been to their corporate overlords. No other Fox show would ever dare to have a TV-G rating bug brutally murder a network censor — especially not those copycats on the other side of the schedule.