‘The Simpsons’ Couch Gag By ‘Triplets of Belleville’ Director Is C’est Magnifique [Video]

One of the coolest traditions in American television animation is of course the Simpsons "couch gag," whereby Matt Groening's famous family of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie perform some sort of skit before properly settling in to watch the names of their show's creators appear on television. Over the years the gags have developed from something amusing but relatively mundane to hugely ambitious productions that sometimes eclipse the very episodes they're intended to introduce.

Guest directors push the envelope further, with some including filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, street artist Banksy, and legendary animators Bill Plympton and John Kricfalusi, who create what amount to animated cover versions in their own idiosyncratic styles. It's a glorious thing to behold.

This week, The Simpsons adds another auspicious guest director to its list of achievements with this latest couch gag by French animator Sylvain Chomet, the Academy Award-winning director of The Triplets of Belleville.