Ardent fans of the show will know that a couple of years back the cultishness of Apple fetishists was satirised. In an episode wryly dubbed Mypods and broomsticks, even committed anti-consumerist Lisa falls for the allure of Apple’s music players clean lines and natty design. But in a new instalment, it’s the dizzying array of iPhone apps that are gently put to the sword.

Fair play to the writers on this occasion – it’s a neat sequence, that’s for sure. But given the variable quality and lack of creative inspiration of recent Simpsons episodes, you’ve got to wonder if an automated gag generator really has been shouldering the burden for penning the jokes.

Still it’s far from the best iPhone related funny we’ve come across. That honour goes to Marcus Brigstocke whose current touring show features an elongated rant about iPhone fanboys and their somewhat wearying propensity to go on about how life-changing said device is. As the comedian points out: “To the people who've got iPhones: you just bought one, you didn’t invent it”.