All 8 Itchy and Scratchy 'The Simpsons' Episodes, Ranked

The Simpsons is one of the greatest animated sitcoms of all time. It has so many different and hilarious repeating bits that there's bound to be something for any potential viewer to cherish. For many, one of them is an ultra-violent cartoon called The Itchy and Scratchy Show. Itchy is a psychopathic mouse who uses various methods of killing the cat, Scratchy, making for entertainment that kids in Springfield (including Bart and Lisa) regularly tune into. Krusty routinely plays the cartoon for the kids during his show, but this animated slash-fest also tends to air independently. Owned by Roger Meyers Jr., the franchise is often referred to as a parody of the classic cartoon Tom & Jerry, but it's also related to Tom and Jerry's less famous contemporaries, like Herman and Catnip.

Itchy and Scratchy pops up quite often in The Simpsons' earlier days, usually in brief but no-less enjoyable moments that poke fun at how ridiculously violent those children's cartoons from the 40s and 50s could be. It's so prominent in the show's history that they even put them in The Simpsons Movie. Every now and again, there has been a Simpsons episode in which the cat-and-mouse duo are fundamental to the plot. These eight installments below seem to be the only ones that revolve around the cartoon. Instead of ranking them based on the featured Itchy and Scratchy segments shown within the narrative, this list ranks them by how well they integrate the bloody cat and mouse into the storyline and how consistently funny each episode is as a whole.

8 "Bart vs. Itchy and Scratchy"

Season 30, Episode 18 (2019)

Even though "Bart vs. Itchy and Scratchy" doesn't actually feature all that much of the violent cartoon, Itchy and Scratchy does create the inciting incident that informs both the episode's plot and themes. Upon learning that there's going to be an all-female reboot of Itchy and Scratchy, Bart (Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (Yeardley Smith) amusingly exclaim "Oh my god" at the same time in completely different tones of voice. Bart is mortified and Lisa is thrilled, launching an episode that digs into how much backlash movies and shows get when they reboot something with a female-led cast.

Bart subsequently hosts a hate not-watch party, only to wind up giving into temptation and watching some of the new Itchy and Scratchy in Lisa's room. Having taped Bart's hypocrisy, she releases the footage to the world. Her older brother then joins a few feminist rebels at school. It's a very solid entry for such a late season, boasting details ranging from an unaffordable fire exit to one of the most unexpected (yet welcome) homages to Saving Private Ryan ever made.

7 "The Day the Violence Died"

Season 7, Episode 18 (1996)

It takes a while for viewers to meet the creator of "Itchy and Scratchy," but it finally happens in Season 7's "The Day the Violence Died." It's the origin story we didn't know we wanted, as the history of the iconic cartoon is thoroughly delved into. It turns out that Roger Meyers Sr. stole the idea from Chester J. Lampwick (played by the legendary Kirk Douglas) and passed it off as his own. Now Mr. Lampwick is homeless and forgotten, at least until Bart and Lisa get involved.

One of the best Simpsons predictions episodes, "The Day the Violence Died" has the oldest iteration of the cat-and-mouse duo. It's also one of those times when the plan works too well, as the kids' favorite franchise goes bankrupt after Lampwick's lawsuit succeeds. Bart and Lisa try to come up with a way to get their beloved show back on the air, which leads to a surprising finish.

6 "The Terror of Tiny Toon" from "Treehouse of Horror IX"

Season 10, Episode 4, Segment 2 (1998)

When Marge (Julie Kavner) takes the television remote batteries away, Bart replaces them with a glowing rod of plutonium. Lisa warns that it's unstable, but that obviously isn't going to stop her older brother from cramming it into the controller. Soon the kids wind up in an Itchy and Scratchy episode where the cat and mouse duo suddenly team up to attack them. The injuries they incur in the television world appear to be all too real, so they're pretty frightened.

This may not be one of the best Treehouse of Horror segments, but it's still above average. Featuring a cameo from the short-lived character Poochie, as well as an out-of-the-blue cameo from Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee Gifford, "The Terror of Tiny Toon" also gets points for creativity. Bart using cartoon logic to escape a police car is one of many zany details in what feels like an extended Itchy and Scratchy short. Landing on its feet, this segment brings both the laughs and the gore.

5 "Itchy and Scratchy Land"

Season 6, Episode 4 (1994)

Ah, yes. Itchy and Scratchy Land, "the amusement park of the future where nothing can possib-lie go wrong." This flub from a helicopter pilot is a hilarious sign of horrors to come. When the Simpson family goes to this amusement park, they find that it's not all it's cracked up to be. Bart can't find a personalized plate with his name on it, despite finding others that are very close. Much worse, however, is when the automated robots around the park go haywire.

Remember Disgruntled Goat? How about Ku Klux Clam? They apparently used to be friends of Itchy and Scratchy, but they didn't do well enough with the audience to last very long. One of The Simpsons' scariest episodes outside the Treehouse of Horror anthology, "Itchy and Scratchy Land" has enough of the cat-and-mouse shorts to satisfy any hardcore fan's desire for cartoon violence. It also has lots of laughs along the way.

4 "The Front"

Season 4, Episode 19 (1993)

Bart and Lisa want to write for Itchy and Scratchy, so they send a script to the folks in charge with the hopes that it will be turned into a featured short. Unfortunately, it gets rejected because they're too young to be taken seriously. The solution is to find someone older whom they can pretend to be, someone oblivious enough that they won't notice their name is being used. Look no further than Grampa.

This is one of Abraham Simpson's funniest episodes. The old-timer can pull his underwear off without removing his pants (don't ask him how), and that's where he keeps his name when he forgets. He's the perfect candidate for their plan, and it turns out the kids have great ideas. Showing that you don't necessarily need to be a certain age to be a great writer, the story gives us a highly amusing glimpse inside the animation industry. This is a strong episode from one of The Simpsons' best seasons, and surely a must for Itchy and Scratchy fans.

3 "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie"

Season 4, Episode 6 (1992)

"Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie" shows Bart at his most irresponsible. Homer, too, for that matter; he should be punishing the boy, but he lets the kid get off easy every time he misbehaves. Letting Maggie drive crosses a line, though, and Homer (Dan Castellaneta) prohibits Bart from watching the new Itchy and Scratchy movie. This isn't just Bart's favorite cartoon duo; it's also a cultural phenomenon, not unlike how Star Wars took the world by storm. Bart feels like an outcast learning that his friends have seen the movie numerous times when the best he can manage is reading the inferior novel.

In a way, this episode represents the pinnacle of Itchy and Scratchy—as they have never figured so prominently in Springfield's cultural zeitgeist. That bloody billboard in the middle of the street is both distracting and disgusting, yet not even the newlyweds who get soaked by it seem to mind. Due to its heartwarming final scene, this also qualifies as one of the best Simpsons episodes set in the future.

2 "The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show"

Season 8, Episode 14 (1997)

Scratchy bungie jumping into a volcano against his will, Marge freaking Bart out by telling him that she hugs him when he's asleep, and Sideshow Mel trying to solicit donations for a Rock and Roll museum are just three hilarious parts of a season 8 gem that goes more meta than usual. Thanks to Lisa's insight during a focus group, Roger Meyers Jr. decides to add a new character to the show: Poochie. Ironically, Lisa aptly claims that a new character is often just a desperate attempt to boost low ratings. She's not wrong.

More shots are fired at entertainment executives, like when a writer claims that "proactive" and "paradigm" are just buzzwords that dumb people use to sound smarter. Poochie proves to be a disaster, as the episode uses him (and Roy) to show the desperation of trying to appeal to the youth. Hardcore fans don't escape this satire either, as the episode takes aim at nearly everyone involved in media culture. Along with Poochie getting killed off in hilarious fashion, a sneezing mirror, and Krusty's sworn affidavit, this is one of the strongest Itchy and Scratchy-focused episodes.

1 "Itchy and Scratchy and Marge"

Season 2, Episode 22 (1991)

"Itchy and Scratchy and Marge" is one of Marge's best episodes in the entire show. After Maggie bangs her father over the head with a hammer, Marge discovers that her baby was influenced by the violence she's witnessed on The Itchy and Scratchy Show. In light of this, she becomes a social activist who rallies a massive protest of the program. Marge's success leads to the cat-and-mouse duo having to do a full one-eighty and spend the entirety of each episode being nice to each other. It may be a positive message for children, but it's no good for business.

The degree to which us viewers are responsible for the material we watch, the extent to which television programs are responsible for what they air, and the limits of free speech in artistic mediums in general are debated in an episode that humorously explores the implications of a society that largely embraces cartoon violence. Put another way, if the cat-and-mouse parody (or any other violent show) were ever put on trial, this would be the Simpsons episode to use in its defense. As such, this is the best Itchy and Scratchy-centered entry the show has to offer (so far).

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