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The Simpsons will always be my favorite show. I grew up on them and as I got older, found out they're even better when I got older. And with that marathon starting Friday, I can't wait to rewatch Bart set camping traps around the house for Homer, Skinner to lie about steamed hams, and the burlesque house song.

However, even I had my limits with the newer episodes and sometime after the 22nd season, stopped watching. But, despite being frontloaded with bad and mediocre episodes, there were still some classics worth watching. So while enjoying the essentials like Marge vs the Monorail and You Only Move Twice, keep your DVR open for these gems.

Springfield Up (Season 18, airs at 1 PM on Friday August 29th)

If you're a fan of the series, this episode is a must. It brings back Declan Desmond, a character who previously made a documentary about current Springfield Elementary students in season 14's "Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky." While that episode is worth watching overall for his hilarious footage of students (especially Milhouse), it soon turns into a boring Lisa episode. I know, she's had some good episodes, but hers are usually more mediocre than the others.

Anyways, this episode has him return to with footage from Springfield's current adults. Featuring some hilarious pasts on Disco Stu and the crazy cat lady, this one is a really entertaining episode throughout.

24 Minutes (Season 18 airs at 5 PM on Friday, August 29th)

A 24 parody that feels like it could have come straight out of Community, 24 Minutes does a great job mimicking the style of 24 while having a Simpsons style plot. Focusing on Bart infiltrating the bullies to sabotage their prank on the school bake sale, this one offers a great balance of various Simpsons characters. 

You Kent Say That On Television (Season 18 airs at 5:30 PM on Friday, August 29th)

Don't take three season 18 episodes as mistaken for the whole season being good. It's not. Rather, it has three fantastic episodes. This one has Homer accidentally get Kent Brockman fired for making him swear (featuring a hilarious line from Flanders when he sees it), which makes him stay with the family for a while. When he starts reporting the truth free from executive meddling, however, he gets a hefty sum to get him back. A great spoof of why news sucks nowadays, featuring a bit with Ludacris playing "Ludacrest" at the dentist (yes, it is as incredible as it sounds).

Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind (Season 19, airs at 12 AM on Saturday, August 30th)

This one plays out as Homer recollecting what happened last night after ordering a drink at Moe's guaranteed to make you forget the past 24 hours. As he pieces things together, he soon fears that he might have done something horrible. Not the funniest episode, but a very, very entertaining and well told one.

How the Test Was Won (Season 20, airs at 11 AM on Saturday, August 30th)

A satire on how poorly standardized tests are at schools, the school does nothing other than prepare children to be good test takers while Skinner is tricked into removing Bart, Ralph, and the bullies off campus so their scores won't lower the school's. Meanwhile, Homer forgets to pay for insurance and panicks in some hilarious ways. Also has a montage of him getting hurt, which is worth watching for.

Gone Maggie Gone (Season 20, airs at 12 PM on Saturday, August 30th)

Gone Maggie Gone is kind of a spoof on National Treasure with a clever twist to make each commercial break start right after a brain teaser to make you think over. It's a fun idea that offers plenty of laughs as Lisa has to recover Maggie from a church after Homer loses her, then finds out the US Presidents were involved with a conspiracy. It sounds like a mess, but it's great.

The Bob Next Door (Season 21, airs at 3 AM on Sunday, August 30th)

DVR is a wonderful thing. Instead of missing this episode while you sleep, you can record it. A Sideshow Bob episode which spoofs the movie Face/Off and proves to be just as clever, funny, and creative as when Bob married Selma or ran for mayor. This whole list is only episodes which are as good as the first ten seasons of the show, but this one in particular is one of their best ones ever.