The Simpsons' most heartbreaking moments - on the 25th anniversary of 'Lisa's Substitute'

"If you look closely you can actually pinpoint the exact moment his heart breaks in two"

It's a little strange to think over the profound effect a family of bright yellow cartoon people has had on our lives; and, yet, pretty much everyone's got a moment in which The Simpsons reached out of the television screen and gripped our souls in its four-fingered hand.

A moment which felt like, yes, its sweet simplicity had boiled down just a little chunk of the vast, unfathomable complexity of human existence into consumable form. Which also always happened to be the very same moment in which our eyes would spontaneously wet themselves, as we tried to casually hide the rolling tears from nearby friends or family.

It's the 25th anniversary of just one of those many heartachingly relatable moments - the episode entitled "Lisa's Substitute", in which Lisa experiences an intense crush for her substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom (voiced by Dustin Hoffman); so, instead of crying just once today over The Simpsons, why not weep a whole number of times while remembering the best tear-jerkers from Groening & crew?

'You Are Lisa Simpson' - from Season 2, Episode 19 "Lisa's Substitute"

Ah, yes. Let's revisit that final goodbye between Lisa and Bergstrom, as he climbs aboard a train ready to whisk him away to his next assignment; though not before he leaves behind a note and the parting words, "Whenever you feel that you’re alone and there’s nobody you can rely on, this is all you need to know."

All the note says is, "You are Lisa Simpson." One of the simplest notions ever put forward by the animated series, and yet one of its most beautiful; a reminder that we should treasure what makes us an individual on this planet, what shapes our experiences and our perceptions.

'Do it For Her' - from Season 6, Episode 13 "And Maggie Makes Three"

Though later series may have increasingly swerved towards the ludicrous and surreal; it's fairly safe to say it's moments like this that have made The Simpsons so iconic. Experiences that hit home for so many working families both in America and across the world; where countless dreams have been sacrificed for something proved even more valuable, love.

The episode sees Homer's decision to quit his job and pursue his dream of working in the local bowling alley turn sour when Marge reveals she's pregnant with their third child; forced to return to the job he hates, Homer instead finds a new drive in the birth of Maggie.

Which calls for that final shot; where the sign Mr. Burns tacks up over his desk reading 'Don't Forget: You're Here Forever' is so covered in pictures of Maggie that it now reads, "Do it For Her". One for parents and children everywhere.

"Lisa, It's Your Birthday" from Season 3, Episode 1 "Stark Raving Dad"

Is there a sweeter way to apologise for forgetting your sister's birthday than getting a patient from a mental institution claiming to be Michael Jackson (actually voiced by Michael Jackson) to collaborate with you on a special birthday tune? No, there isn't.

"Homer's Last Night" in Season 2, Episode 11 "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"

The point here isn't the potential tragedy that Homer Simpson might die (obviously he wasn't); but in, again, something quite close to home for so many viewers and fans. The idea of how to deal with death hovering on someone's doorstep, both in terms of personal acceptance and in the effect it has on loved ones.

It's in Marge's sweetly earnest poem; and it's in Homer's farewell to his children, as he reflects both on his memories of them as they are, and what they may become in the future.

"You'll Always Be a Part of Me" from Season 7, Episode 8 "Mother Simpsons"

Seeing Homer once more say goodbye to his mother, who he reunited with after believing she was dead for the past 27 years, was always going to be tough; but there's something about that music which really cranks the tears out. Witness, for this is the power of a good woodwind section.

"Jazzman" from Season 6, Episode 22 "Round Springfield"

The Simpsons got a lot of emotional traction out of granting Lisa a new mentor, a sole voice of inspiration in her crushingly limited surroundings, and then taking that mentor away from her.

But, hey, it worked every time; with her last duet with jazz musician Bleeding Gums Murphy, who had passed away earlier in the episode, still holding out as one of the show's most effective moments.