"Kid friendly" is a relative term when it comes to The Simpsons. Among its other accomplishments, it demonstrated that animation could be an adult medium to an audience that still thought of it as strictly for young children. With an active anti-authoritarian streak and its sights set on the picture-perfect sitcom families of the 1980s, catering to the young was assuredly not on The Simpsons' agenda.

Despite the show's target audience, The Simpsons still has its share of family-friendly episodes where the characters reveal their vulnerabilities and the message becomes more heartfelt. This is especially true during The Simpsons' early seasons when it was still establishing itself, and needed to adhere more closely to expectations at the time. As of 2023, only three Simpsons episodes have been rated TV-g. Yet, its most kid-friendly episode is the TV-pg-rated "Lisa's Substitute" from Season 2. Despite carrying its share of grown-up gags, it remains a...