Brother from Another Series
Encyclopedia
"Brother from Another Series" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons
' eighth season
and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob
is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart
does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is up to. It was the first episode directed by Pete Michels
and was written by Ken Keeler
. Guest starring Kelsey Grammer
in his sixth appearance as Sideshow Bob and David Hyde Pierce
as Cecil. The title is not only a pun on the movie The Brother from Another Planet
(used for a previous episode
as well), but also a reference to the fact that guest stars Kelsey Grammer (Frasier Crane
) and David Hyde Pierce (Niles Crane
) also played bickering brothers on the sitcom Frasier
.
is declared a changed man by Reverend Lovejoy and released from prison on a work program, despite the protests of Bart
. Bob is surprised to be taken into the care of his brother Cecil as the two had previously not spoken for ten years. A flashback reveals the cause of this rift: Cecil had auditioned to become the new sidekick for Krusty the Clown, a job he had long desired, but Bob was chosen instead. Cecil, who is Springfield
's chief hydrological and hydrodynamical engineer, employs Bob to supervise the construction of a hydroelectric dam in a river near Springfield, while Bart, believing that Bob is still evil, continuously follows him around. Bob begins to become intensely annoyed by Bart's intrusions into his personal life and the dam's incompetent laborers (Cletus
and his family), and he expresses a desire to see the dam burst and obliterate Springfield.
Meanwhile, Bart enlists Lisa
to help find out what Sideshow Bob is up to, but only end up being discovered rummaging in his trash and angrily escorted home by him. They finally decide to search in Bob's trailer at the dam construction site, and discover a briefcase full of cash. On being interrupted by Bob, the children run and hide inside the dam's turbine room, but are cornered. When confronted with the money, Bob denies knowing anything about it. Cecil shows up and reveals that he is the one who embezzled the money by cutting back on construction materials; now he plans on framing
Bob and using him as a scapegoat
when the poorly-constructed dam collapses. He locks Bob, Bart and Lisa in the dam and prepares to blow it up, taking the money with him.
Deciding to work together, Bart, Lisa, and Bob escape and try to save the dam. While Lisa and Bob set about defusing Cecil's dynamite, Bart jumps at Cecil before he can press the plunger. Cecil attempts to swat him off with the briefcase of money, but the case bursts open and the money is lost. Cecil manages to throw Bart off the cliff, declaring he will kill Bart as Bob never could; whereupon Bob grabs the cord of the dynamite and dives down in an effort to save him. As the two dangle down the side of the dam, Bob decides to cut the cord on the dynamite in an act of self-sacrifice to prevent Cecil from destroying the town, but his and Bart's perilous fall is broken by a conveniently-placed pipe.
The police arrive and Cecil is immediately arrested. Bob gloats over his victory, but Chief Wiggum suddenly arrives and arrests Bob, believing him to be involved in the plot as well, despite Lisa's protests. As they are taken away, Cecil tricks Bob into swearing revenge and incriminating himself. Just after the brothers are taken away, the dam crumbles and releases a torrent of water on Springfield, only to do apparently minimal damage. Wiggum muses on the evil the brothers could concoct while locked up together; in reality, the brothers merely continue to bicker childishly.
The episode was written by Ken Keeler
, who had been watching a lot of Frasier
at the time and had been assigned to write a Sideshow Bob episode and he thought it would be a good idea to mix the two. Pierce was cast as Sideshow Bob's brother, causing Pierce to joke, "Normally, I would not do something like this. But how often do you get a chance to work with an actor like Kelsey Grammer and, more importantly, play his brother?" While Sideshow Bob is addressing the crowd, a man near the back raises his hand and says "probably"; he is also voiced by David Hyde Pierce, who had wanted to be a man in a crowd.
An early draft of the episode originally featured an Opera house
explosion, which was changed because the writers felt using a dam would be more exciting. An early rule of Sideshow Bob episodes was to recap what had gone on in previous Bob episodes, in case the viewer had forgotten who he was. The original script was run by the Frasier producers to make sure they were okay with it, and they only had one problem. There was a very brief scene in which Cecil talks to a visible character and refers to her as "Maris", who in Frasier is an unseen character
, and the producers of Frasier said the scene should go. The writers spent a long time trying to figure out a civilization that considered chief hydrological engineer a true calling and chose the Cappadocia
ns, who were famous for underground cities although not specifically dams.
Cecil was drawn to resemble David Hyde Pierce
, but still look similar to Bob. According to director Pete Michels
, it was difficult to draw Bob and Cecil standing together because their feet are both so big. There was a scene featuring Hans Moleman
and his house, which was cut, but his house can still briefly be seen in the scene where Cecil throws Bart off a cliff. The sequence was cut in order to make room for the explanation of why Bob was sent back to prison. Ken Keeler has said that it is his favorite deleted scene.
's 1968 appearance at Folsom Prison
. Krusty's song is a parody of "Folsom Prison Blues
". The mention of Arthur Fiedler
's wake is an apparent reference and parody of Frasier Crane's
upper class Boston
life. The episode contains several references to Frasier
, with the intention of making it obvious that The Simpsons was parodying the series. These include a title card just before the start of the second act which says "Frasier is a hit show on the NBC Television Network" in the same font and style as Frasiers intertitles, and when Bart jumps on Cecil and says "guess who," Cecil replies with "Maris?" Cecil's inability to see Bart also refers to the fact that Maris, Niles' wife in Frasier, is never actually seen.
of 9.1, equivalent to approximately 8.8 million viewing households. It was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-files
, King of the Hill
, and Melrose Place.
Beforehand, the media said the episode "looks promising," and afterwards journalist Ben Rayner called it one of director Peter Michels' "classics." This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award
for Sound Mixing For a Comedy Series or a Special. In a 2008 article, Entertainment Weekly
named Pierce's role as Cecil as one of the sixteen best guest appearances on The Simpsons. Grammer and Pierce ranked second on AOL
's list of their favorite 25 Simpsons guest stars.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 8)
The Simpsons eighth season originally aired between October 27, 1996 and May 18, 1997, beginning with "Treehouse of Horror VII". The show runners for the eighth production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season...
and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is up to. It was the first episode directed by Pete Michels
Pete Michels
Pete Michels is an animation director on Family Guy. He has also been the supervising director on Family Guy as well as on the short-lived TV show, Kid Notorious. He started working on The Simpsons in 1990 as a background layout artist. He worked his way up to character layout artist, timer,...
and was written by Ken Keeler
Ken Keeler
Kenneth "Ken" Keeler is an American television producer and writer. He has written for numerous television series, most notably The Simpsons and Futurama. According to an interview with David X. Cohen, he proved a theorem which appears in the Futurama episode "The Prisoner of Benda".-Career:After...
. Guest starring Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
in his sixth appearance as Sideshow Bob and David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
as Cecil. The title is not only a pun on the movie The Brother from Another Planet
The Brother from Another Planet
The Brother from Another Planet is a science fiction film written, directed and edited by John Sayles. It stars Joe Morton as an extraterrestrial who has escaped to Earth and who hides in New York City.-Plot:...
(used for a previous episode
Brother from the Same Planet
"Brother from the Same Planet" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season. After Homer is late to pick up Bart from soccer practice, Bart turns to the program The Bigger Brothers, and is assigned a man named Tom. Homer gets himself a little brother named Pepe. Homer and Tom fight, and...
as well), but also a reference to the fact that guest stars Kelsey Grammer (Frasier Crane
Frasier Crane
Frasier W. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal...
) and David Hyde Pierce (Niles Crane
Niles Crane
Niles Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American sitcom Frasier, a spin-off of the popular show Cheers. He was portrayed by David Hyde Pierce. Niles is the younger brother of Dr. Frasier Crane, the son of Det. Martin Crane and Dr. Hester Crane, husband of Daphne Moon,...
) also played bickering brothers on the sitcom Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
.
Plot
Former criminal Sideshow BobSideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
is declared a changed man by Reverend Lovejoy and released from prison on a work program, despite the protests of Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
. Bob is surprised to be taken into the care of his brother Cecil as the two had previously not spoken for ten years. A flashback reveals the cause of this rift: Cecil had auditioned to become the new sidekick for Krusty the Clown, a job he had long desired, but Bob was chosen instead. Cecil, who is Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
's chief hydrological and hydrodynamical engineer, employs Bob to supervise the construction of a hydroelectric dam in a river near Springfield, while Bart, believing that Bob is still evil, continuously follows him around. Bob begins to become intensely annoyed by Bart's intrusions into his personal life and the dam's incompetent laborers (Cletus
Cletus Spuckler
Cletus Delroy Spuckler is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Hank Azaria. Cletus is Springfield's resident hillbilly stereotype. He is very messy and is usually portrayed wearing a white sleeveless shirt and pair of blue jeans.- Biography :Cletus was...
and his family), and he expresses a desire to see the dam burst and obliterate Springfield.
Meanwhile, Bart enlists Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
to help find out what Sideshow Bob is up to, but only end up being discovered rummaging in his trash and angrily escorted home by him. They finally decide to search in Bob's trailer at the dam construction site, and discover a briefcase full of cash. On being interrupted by Bob, the children run and hide inside the dam's turbine room, but are cornered. When confronted with the money, Bob denies knowing anything about it. Cecil shows up and reveals that he is the one who embezzled the money by cutting back on construction materials; now he plans on framing
Frameup
A frame-up or setup is an American term referring to the act of framing someone, that is, providing false evidence or false testimony in order to falsely prove someone guilty of a crime....
Bob and using him as a scapegoat
Scapegoat
Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
when the poorly-constructed dam collapses. He locks Bob, Bart and Lisa in the dam and prepares to blow it up, taking the money with him.
Deciding to work together, Bart, Lisa, and Bob escape and try to save the dam. While Lisa and Bob set about defusing Cecil's dynamite, Bart jumps at Cecil before he can press the plunger. Cecil attempts to swat him off with the briefcase of money, but the case bursts open and the money is lost. Cecil manages to throw Bart off the cliff, declaring he will kill Bart as Bob never could; whereupon Bob grabs the cord of the dynamite and dives down in an effort to save him. As the two dangle down the side of the dam, Bob decides to cut the cord on the dynamite in an act of self-sacrifice to prevent Cecil from destroying the town, but his and Bart's perilous fall is broken by a conveniently-placed pipe.
The police arrive and Cecil is immediately arrested. Bob gloats over his victory, but Chief Wiggum suddenly arrives and arrests Bob, believing him to be involved in the plot as well, despite Lisa's protests. As they are taken away, Cecil tricks Bob into swearing revenge and incriminating himself. Just after the brothers are taken away, the dam crumbles and releases a torrent of water on Springfield, only to do apparently minimal damage. Wiggum muses on the evil the brothers could concoct while locked up together; in reality, the brothers merely continue to bicker childishly.
Production
Ken Keeler
Kenneth "Ken" Keeler is an American television producer and writer. He has written for numerous television series, most notably The Simpsons and Futurama. According to an interview with David X. Cohen, he proved a theorem which appears in the Futurama episode "The Prisoner of Benda".-Career:After...
, who had been watching a lot of Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
at the time and had been assigned to write a Sideshow Bob episode and he thought it would be a good idea to mix the two. Pierce was cast as Sideshow Bob's brother, causing Pierce to joke, "Normally, I would not do something like this. But how often do you get a chance to work with an actor like Kelsey Grammer and, more importantly, play his brother?" While Sideshow Bob is addressing the crowd, a man near the back raises his hand and says "probably"; he is also voiced by David Hyde Pierce, who had wanted to be a man in a crowd.
An early draft of the episode originally featured an Opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
explosion, which was changed because the writers felt using a dam would be more exciting. An early rule of Sideshow Bob episodes was to recap what had gone on in previous Bob episodes, in case the viewer had forgotten who he was. The original script was run by the Frasier producers to make sure they were okay with it, and they only had one problem. There was a very brief scene in which Cecil talks to a visible character and refers to her as "Maris", who in Frasier is an unseen character
Unseen character
In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
, and the producers of Frasier said the scene should go. The writers spent a long time trying to figure out a civilization that considered chief hydrological engineer a true calling and chose the Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
ns, who were famous for underground cities although not specifically dams.
Cecil was drawn to resemble David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
, but still look similar to Bob. According to director Pete Michels
Pete Michels
Pete Michels is an animation director on Family Guy. He has also been the supervising director on Family Guy as well as on the short-lived TV show, Kid Notorious. He started working on The Simpsons in 1990 as a background layout artist. He worked his way up to character layout artist, timer,...
, it was difficult to draw Bob and Cecil standing together because their feet are both so big. There was a scene featuring Hans Moleman
Hans Moleman
Hans Moleman is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Principal Charming". He normally appears in a running gag, where he usually suffers unfortunate, nearly fatal, events...
and his house, which was cut, but his house can still briefly be seen in the scene where Cecil throws Bart off a cliff. The sequence was cut in order to make room for the explanation of why Bob was sent back to prison. Ken Keeler has said that it is his favorite deleted scene.
Cultural references
The "Krusty the Clown Prison Special" is based on Johnny CashJohnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
's 1968 appearance at Folsom Prison
Folsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison is a California State Prison located in the city of Folsom, California, northeast from the state capital of Sacramento. Opened in 1880, Folsom is the second-oldest prison in the state of California after San Quentin and was the first in the country to have electricity...
. Krusty's song is a parody of "Folsom Prison Blues
Folsom Prison Blues
"Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career...
". The mention of Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler was a long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specializes in popular and light classical music. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one of the best-known orchestras in the country...
's wake is an apparent reference and parody of Frasier Crane's
Frasier Crane
Frasier W. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal...
upper class Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
life. The episode contains several references to Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, with the intention of making it obvious that The Simpsons was parodying the series. These include a title card just before the start of the second act which says "Frasier is a hit show on the NBC Television Network" in the same font and style as Frasiers intertitles, and when Bart jumps on Cecil and says "guess who," Cecil replies with "Maris?" Cecil's inability to see Bart also refers to the fact that Maris, Niles' wife in Frasier, is never actually seen.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Brother from Another Series" finished 39th in ratings for the week of February 17-23, 1997, with a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 9.1, equivalent to approximately 8.8 million viewing households. It was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
, and Melrose Place.
Beforehand, the media said the episode "looks promising," and afterwards journalist Ben Rayner called it one of director Peter Michels' "classics." This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Sound Mixing For a Comedy Series or a Special. In a 2008 article, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
named Pierce's role as Cecil as one of the sixteen best guest appearances on The Simpsons. Grammer and Pierce ranked second on AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's list of their favorite 25 Simpsons guest stars.
External links
- "Brother From Another Series" episode page at The Simpsons.com