Retrospecticus

It’s festive fury from a raging Retrospecticus, as we discuss paranoid thriller “Three Men And A Comic Book” and taunt Xenu with the New York Times’ expose on Scientology. Along the way we’ll get disgusted with politics, discuss Flanderization and dump a dead sheep outside the Brit awards. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Things take a turn for the vulgar this week, as we discuss “War of the Simpsons”, an episode written by the non-existent John Schwartzwelder that sees Homer embarrass himself at a party by getting drunk and lecherous, before winding up at a couples retreat where he almost catches a massive catfish. Along the way we… Read More »

We’re looking at easily the best episode of season two, as we tackle Lisa’s Substitute, an episode that sees Dustin Hoffman take on the role of substitute teacher Mr Bergstrom, while Bart runs for class president. For the history, we go over the conflict between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China,… Read More »

The podcast so good, you’ll hang it on your wall… yes! Enter Ringo Starr in “Brush With Greatness”, the Simpsons episode that starts in Mount Splashmore and culminates with Marge Simpsons painting Mr Burns in the nude. For the history bit, we tell the story of the exit (from the USSR) of Georgia, who declared… Read More »

Episode 30 sees us examine Grampa Simpson’s first on-screen romance in “Old Money”, an episode that sees an unjust surplus of Doctor Marvin Monroe, but it does include the debut of one Professor Frink! Tom tells the tale of the Birmingham Six, the six men wrongly imprisoned for the Birmingham pub bombings of 1974 and… Read More »

It’s brotherly love and terrorism this week, as we discuss “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?”, the episode of the Simpsons that sees Homer reunited with his long lost half brother Herb Powell, voiced by Danny DeVito. For the history we talk about the bombings of Paddington and Victoria stations by the Provisional IRA, part of… Read More »

Love and fury are in the air, as we discuss Valentines Day 1991’s “Principal Charming” and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization between tirades about the death of British democracy. Along the way we’ll take in sodium bonding conundrums, local tapas restaurants and how to invent fictional herbicides without arousing suspicions. You can thank us… Read More »

Retrospecticus Mobius loops in on itself as we tackle “Homer vs Lisa and the Eighth Commandment” and the democratic elections in Haiti! We’ll hear all about Haiti’s fascinating history, which is not for the weak of heart, see Columbus being a total bastard as usual, and learn both some commandment facts and a dance that’s… Read More »

Retrospecticus celebrates a quarter century of episodes by taking a trip to the seventies in “The Way We Was” and a trip to Somalia for a return to your regularly-scheduled tale of genocide and corruption. Along the way Garreth will go full Mr Bergstrom and Tom will introduce us to the land of Steve Punt!

It’s a bumper episode of Super Retrospecticus: Turbo Champion Edition, as we tackle Homer’s last day on Earth in “One Fish…” and the release of Street Fighter 2. We’ll teach you all about compound time and tetrodotoxin, stop in with West Brom’s greatest modern forward line, and Tom will sing terrace classics in the opera… Read More »

An action-packed Retrospecticus this time as the Gulf War starts and Bart gets hit by a car, and dies! Along the way there’s a ton of debuts, an Alliss fact, Stormin’ Norman’s great left hook, a cheap plug for Salad and a discussion of phallic imagery in the theatre of war!

Garreth and Tom both struggle with pronunciation as they tackle Beethoven and Michelangelo in “Itchy and Scratchy and Marge” and the Polish government in exile! They’ll also stumble over Russ Meyer, Winged Hussars, more royal epithets and Denis Thatcher! All this, plus Cliff Richard gets a well-deserved slagging off – unmissable!

Episode 21, and this time out we discuss “Homer Falls Down The Gorge”… I mean, “Bart The Daredevil” and Saddam Hussein’s rise to power. We cover around 8,000 years of Iraqi history, from the Sumerians to the build up to the Gulf War. Also featuring: Asterix! “Steel Justice”! Sergeant Slaughter! And a bonus amount of… Read More »

A huge moment in the Retrospecticus timeline as Maggie Maggie Maggie is OUT! OUT! OUT!… And we cover “Bart vs. Thanksgiving”! Featuring loadsa cool Peter Alliss facts, Karl Marx getting mistaken for a Caramac, Marilyn Manson in Milton Keynes and the debunking of a whippy myth. And all the while we ask: where’s Cersei’s elephant?

Be prepared for wrath, feuds, beer and mini golf this week as we tackle Dead Putting Society, a Simpsons episode that sees Homer lose his rag with Flanders and enter into a bet based on the outcome of their sons miniature golf tournament. In the history bit we’re looking at the birth of the World… Read More »

Let Retrospecticus take you out to the baaaaall gaaaame… No, it’s not that one – it’s “Dancin’ Homer”, and the ascendance of Japan’s Emperor Akihito. Along the way we naturally stop in at an MK Dons nil-nil draw and mourn a fallen Sideshow. Plus Godzilla by the bucket load. This one is a real treat… Read More »

Our new episode is packed with fun for every Joe Sixpack and Sally Housecoat! We discuss the Simpsons episode “Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish” and the ascendancy of Mary Robinson, the first woman to become president of Ireland. Along the way we kick the Beautiful South while they’re down… Read More »

It’s a spooktacular episode as we look at ‘Treehouse Of Horror’ and the collapse of the Norwegian Government. But don’t worry, we’ll still have time for digressions such as Brock not being canon, John Schwartzwelder’s ‘The Raven’, the Viking with the least threatening nickname and a horrible feeling of vu deja…

It’s a rather hirsute episode this week as we look at the Simpsons episode Simpson and Delilah, which features Homer acquiring a supply of Dimoxinil, growing a full head of hair and gaining a promotion eighties-style. We talk about his assistant Karl and the Simpsons first gay kiss (sort of). The episode first aired shortly… Read More »