Ever watch a show just because it’s in high-definition and you know it’s going to look super sweet? Gotta admit, I did that last night with “The Simpsons,” which aired in high-definition for the first time.

OK, actually I had seen the movie in HD and thought it looked fantastic. In terms of episodic quality the movie was good, not great, and that’s about what I’m expecting of the TV show these days. It’s one of my favorite shows of all time (I’ll give it the 1 and 1a routine with ‘Cheers’) but I just haven’t kept up over the last five years.

I have to say, though, knowing last night’s airing would be in HD as a mark for the show’s 20th season, I was legitimately excited to check it out, and I thought it was definitely a feast for the eyes.

The episode had its moments, too, including a new intro and a couple of nods to the technology world—Moe’s Tavern put up a sign to show it was “now in high-def” and the Simpsons apparently did some Black Friday shopping for a spiffy new flat-panel TV (albeit with rabbit ears still sitting atop) that Homer apparently installed himself, poorly. There are some great comments already on Homer’s wiring job from the guys at AVS Forum.

You can check out the new intro as well in the YouTube video below (via Engadget HD).

Flipping back and forth between the HD broadcast and the standard-def broadcast a few times solidified the appeal of the high-def, and now has me looking forward to a potential Blu-ray season release. Did you catch the broadcast? Was it a “whoa” or a “d’oh” for you, and does HD breathe new life into any shows you watch that may have been getting a little stale? Let us know in comments below.

Arlen Schweiger - Managing editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen contributes product news items to electronichouse.com along with his role on the print publication. Got a tip? Send it along!