Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming
Encyclopedia
"Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons
' seventh season
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 26, 1995. In the episode, Sideshow Bob
becomes disturbed when he hears the other inmates laughing at the inane antics of Krusty the Clown's television show and decides to rid the world of television. He escapes while on work duty at a local Air Force Base, which is being cleaned for an annual air show. He steals a 10-megaton nuclear weapon
and threatens to detonate it unless Springfield gives in to his demand to shut down all television broadcasts.
The episode, the fifth of the series to feature Sideshow Bob
, was written by freelance writer Spike Feresten
. Although he received credit for the episode, the writing staff completely rewrote the episode and very little of Feresten's original script was left in the finished version. It was the first episode of The Simpsons to be directed by Dominic Polcino
, who described it as being very difficult to direct. R. Lee Ermey
, known for his role in Full Metal Jacket
, guest stars as Col. Leslie "Hap" Hapablap while Kelsey Grammer
reprises his role as Sideshow Bob.
The episode is a parody of "'60s era nuclear war movies" and contains several references to Cold War films including Twilight's Last Gleaming, Dr. Strangelove and Fail-Safe
. In its original broadcast, the episode finished 49th in ratings for the week of November 20–26, 1995, with a Nielsen rating
of 8.7 and a 13% share of the audience.
asks what happened to Sideshow Bob
, Krusty's former sidekick. Bart
and Lisa
remind their father of Bob's attempts to frame Krusty
, kill Selma
, rig an election
and kill Bart
. Meanwhile, at Springwood Minimum Security Prison, Sideshow Bob
is disturbed when he hears the other inmates laughing at the inane antics of Krusty's television show. He believes that television is a fountain of "mindless drivel" and wants to rid the world of it. Bob hatches a plan and escapes while on work duty at a local Air Force Base, which is being cleaned for an annual air show. He impersonates Air Force colonel Leslie "Hap" Hapablap in order to gain access to a restricted area of the hangar, where he finds a 10-megaton nuclear weapon
.
The air show begins, with the Simpson family in attendance, but the signal on the big screen is interrupted by Bob. Bob announces that life would be better without television and so he threatens to detonate the nuclear bomb unless Springfield gives in to his demand to shut down all television broadcasts. Upon hearing the announcement, everyone flees the airfield in panic except for Bart and Lisa, who get separated from their parents during the crowd's mad rush to evacuate. National Guardsmen frantically search the base for Sideshow Bob to no avail. All out of options, Mayor Quimby decides to give in to Bob's ultimatum — despite Krusty the Clown's objections. In accordance with Bob's demands, television transmitters are destroyed and studios hastily plan farewell programs. Bob, who was televising his demands from a stolen Duff
Blimp, celebrates the success of his plan.
Krusty, refusing to submit to Bob's demands, takes refuge in a civil defense
shed in the desert. He uses the emergency broadcast system to transmit a heavily improvised show. Bob finds out about this and becomes outraged. Bart and Lisa find their way into the cockpit of the Duff Blimp, where Bob, having lost his patience, tries to detonate the bomb. However, the bomb turns out to be a dud
and does not blow up. The police eventually find Bob, thanks to Lisa, who uses the controls inside the blimp to print a message on its electronic ticker outside. When Chief Wiggum tries to arrest Bob, Bob deflates the blimp and kidnaps Bart. Bob steals the original Wright Brothers aircraft
, which had been an exhibit
at the air show
. He then reveals to Bart that he plans to crash the plane into the civil defense shed where Krusty is hiding. However, the plane ends up merely bouncing harmlessly off the shack. The authorities quickly arrest Bob and take him into custody, as Bart is reunited with his family.
Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" was the fifth episode of The Simpsons to feature Sideshow Bob after "Krusty Gets Busted
", "Black Widower
", "Cape Feare
" and "Sideshow Bob Roberts
". Executive producers Bill Oakley
and Josh Weinstein
believed that every season of the show should contain an episode featuring Bob. However, Bob had already been in four episodes and the writers were having a difficult time coming up with new ways to include him. The first draft of the episode was written by Spike Feresten
, a freelance writer who later became known for his work on Seinfeld
. Although he received credit for the episode, the writing staff completely rewrote the episode and very little of Feresten's original script was left in the episode. Oakley describes the episode as "one of the most arduous rewrites in the history of the show" because much of the dialogue had to be re-written.
"Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" was the first episode of The Simpsons directed by Dominic Polcino
. Polcino had worked as an assistant director on the show and had left the show but was offered a chance to be a director. He describes the episode as a "tough one to start with," especially the scenes with the Wright Flyer
. An early version of the script featured a longer scene at the air show that featured Hans Moleman
flying an early flying machine. The scene where Milhouse
is in a jet pretending to fire missiles at his parents because he's upset with them, would later inspire the episode "A Milhouse Divided
". In that episode, Milhouse's parents become divorced.
A character modelled after Fox Network owner Rupert Murdoch
briefly appears in a scene set in jail. The censors said that Murdoch could not be shown but Rupert Murdoch himself gave his permission for his caricature to be used. R. Lee Ermey
, known for his role in Full Metal Jacket
, guest stars as Col. Leslie "Hap" Hapablap. The role was specifically written for him and much of his dialogue was difficult to write. The line "What's your major malfunction?" is based on dialogue from Full Metal Jacket.
The episode is a parody of "'60s era nuclear war movies" and contains several references to Cold War films. There were also several references to Dr. Strangelove: the underground compound resembles the War Room from the film; Professor Frink was redesigned to parody the title character; The tune that Sideshow Bob whistles while preparing the bomb is "We'll Meet Again
," as sung by Vera Lynn
at the end of the film; and Krusty's acting whilst he defends television is based on George C. Scott
's performance as General Buck Turgidson.
Another parodied film is the 1964 thriller Fail-Safe
by Sidney Lumet
: At the beginning of the third act of the episode, we see scenes of everyday life across Springfield, and one by one, with a "zooming" sound effect, they all freeze-frame in anticipation of the (supposedly) imminent nuclear blast
; such was the ending of Fail-Safe. One of the scenes before the supposed nuclear blast shows Maggie picking flowers in a field, with the camera zooming into her eye, and then the minuscule blast occurs. This is a parody of the infamous and controversial Daisy ad used by Lyndon B. Johnson
in the 1964 United States presidential election.
of 8.7 and a 13% share of the audience. It was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week behind The X-Files
, Beverly Hills, 90210
and Melrose Place.
The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote, "Probably the least satisfying of Sideshow Bob's gleamings - but there's enough slapstick and satire to keep things ticking along nicely." Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star
listed "Brother From Another Series," amongst other Sideshow Bob episodes, as one of the best episodes of The Simpsons, writing "forget Frasier, these are Kelsey Grammer's best roles." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson wrote that "Though it doesn’t compete with the best Bob shows, it has more than a few nice moments." He added that he enjoyed R. Lee Ermey's guest appearance as well as the jokes about the Fox network. Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be when Milhouse was playing in the fighter jet at the air show. The website concluded its review by giving the episode a grade of B−.
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 7)
The Simpsons seventh season originally aired on the Fox network between September 17, 1995 and May 19, 1996. The show runners for the seventh production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein who would executive produce 21 episodes this season. David Mirkin executive produced the remaining...
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 26, 1995. In the episode, 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...
becomes disturbed when he hears the other inmates laughing at the inane antics of Krusty the Clown's television show and decides to rid the world of television. He escapes while on work duty at a local Air Force Base, which is being cleaned for an annual air show. He steals a 10-megaton nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
and threatens to detonate it unless Springfield gives in to his demand to shut down all television broadcasts.
The episode, the fifth of the series to feature 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...
, was written by freelance writer Spike Feresten
Spike Feresten
Spike Feresten is an American television writer, screenwriter and television personality.-Origins and early career:Feresten was born September 3, 1964 in Fall River and raised in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, where he attended public schools. Feresten then attended Berklee College of Music in...
. Although he received credit for the episode, the writing staff completely rewrote the episode and very little of Feresten's original script was left in the finished version. It was the first episode of The Simpsons to be directed by Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino is an animation director who has worked on The Simpsons, Mission Hill, King of the Hill, and Family Guy. Dominic worked on the first season of Family Guy, then left to direct for King of the Hill and then returned to Family Guy...
, who described it as being very difficult to direct. R. Lee Ermey
R. Lee Ermey
Ronald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
, known for his role in Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
, guest stars as Col. Leslie "Hap" Hapablap while 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...
reprises his role as Sideshow Bob.
The episode is a parody of "'60s era nuclear war movies" and contains several references to Cold War films including Twilight's Last Gleaming, Dr. Strangelove and Fail-Safe
Fail-Safe (1964 film)
Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It tells the story of a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis...
. In its original broadcast, the episode finished 49th in ratings for the week of November 20–26, 1995, with a Nielsen rating
Nielsen 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 8.7 and a 13% share of the audience.
Plot
While watching The Krusty the Clown Show, HomerHomer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
asks what happened to 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...
, Krusty's former sidekick. 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...
and 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...
remind their father of Bob's attempts to frame Krusty
Krusty Gets Busted
"Krusty Gets Busted" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired on April 29, 1990. The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Brad Bird. In the episode, Krusty the Clown, a famous TV comedian, is convicted of the armed robbery of the...
, kill Selma
Black Widower
"Black Widower" is the 21st episode of The Simpsons third season, originally airing on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 1992. It was written by Jon Vitti, directed by David Silverman, and saw Kelsey Grammer guest star as Sideshow Bob for the second time. In the episode, Sideshow...
, rig an election
Sideshow Bob Roberts
"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons sixth season, and it originally aired on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer returns as villain Sideshow Bob, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud. The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh...
and kill Bart
Cape Feare
"Cape Feare" is the second episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 1993, and has since been featured on DVD and VHS releases...
. Meanwhile, at Springwood Minimum Security Prison, 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 disturbed when he hears the other inmates laughing at the inane antics of Krusty's television show. He believes that television is a fountain of "mindless drivel" and wants to rid the world of it. Bob hatches a plan and escapes while on work duty at a local Air Force Base, which is being cleaned for an annual air show. He impersonates Air Force colonel Leslie "Hap" Hapablap in order to gain access to a restricted area of the hangar, where he finds a 10-megaton nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
.
The air show begins, with the Simpson family in attendance, but the signal on the big screen is interrupted by Bob. Bob announces that life would be better without television and so he threatens to detonate the nuclear bomb unless Springfield gives in to his demand to shut down all television broadcasts. Upon hearing the announcement, everyone flees the airfield in panic except for Bart and Lisa, who get separated from their parents during the crowd's mad rush to evacuate. National Guardsmen frantically search the base for Sideshow Bob to no avail. All out of options, Mayor Quimby decides to give in to Bob's ultimatum — despite Krusty the Clown's objections. In accordance with Bob's demands, television transmitters are destroyed and studios hastily plan farewell programs. Bob, who was televising his demands from a stolen Duff
Duff Beer
Daleside is an independent brewery founded in 1988 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.-Products:Daleside produce a wide range of beers, including Morocco Ale, a traditional spiced beer based on an Elizabethan recipe; Old Legover, a low abv Old Ale ; Monkey Wrench, a stronger Old Ale; Ripon...
Blimp, celebrates the success of his plan.
Krusty, refusing to submit to Bob's demands, takes refuge in a civil defense
Civil defense
Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
shed in the desert. He uses the emergency broadcast system to transmit a heavily improvised show. Bob finds out about this and becomes outraged. Bart and Lisa find their way into the cockpit of the Duff Blimp, where Bob, having lost his patience, tries to detonate the bomb. However, the bomb turns out to be a dud
Dud
A dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate, respectively, on time or on command.Duds are still dangerous and have to be deactivated and disposed of carefully. Poorly designed devices A dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate,...
and does not blow up. The police eventually find Bob, thanks to Lisa, who uses the controls inside the blimp to print a message on its electronic ticker outside. When Chief Wiggum tries to arrest Bob, Bob deflates the blimp and kidnaps Bart. Bob steals the original Wright Brothers aircraft
Wright Flyer
The Wright Flyer was the first powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it four times on December 17, 1903 near the Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.The U.S...
, which had been an exhibit
Exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within museums, galleries and exhibition halls, and World's Fairs...
at the air show
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
. He then reveals to Bart that he plans to crash the plane into the civil defense shed where Krusty is hiding. However, the plane ends up merely bouncing harmlessly off the shack. The authorities quickly arrest Bob and take him into custody, as Bart is reunited with his family.
Production
Krusty Gets Busted
"Krusty Gets Busted" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired on April 29, 1990. The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Brad Bird. In the episode, Krusty the Clown, a famous TV comedian, is convicted of the armed robbery of the...
", "Black Widower
Black Widower
"Black Widower" is the 21st episode of The Simpsons third season, originally airing on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 1992. It was written by Jon Vitti, directed by David Silverman, and saw Kelsey Grammer guest star as Sideshow Bob for the second time. In the episode, Sideshow...
", "Cape Feare
Cape Feare
"Cape Feare" is the second episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 1993, and has since been featured on DVD and VHS releases...
" and "Sideshow Bob Roberts
Sideshow Bob Roberts
"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons sixth season, and it originally aired on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer returns as villain Sideshow Bob, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud. The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh...
". Executive producers Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at high school; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon...
and Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans High School; Weinstein then attended Stanford University and was editor-in-chief of the...
believed that every season of the show should contain an episode featuring Bob. However, Bob had already been in four episodes and the writers were having a difficult time coming up with new ways to include him. The first draft of the episode was written by Spike Feresten
Spike Feresten
Spike Feresten is an American television writer, screenwriter and television personality.-Origins and early career:Feresten was born September 3, 1964 in Fall River and raised in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, where he attended public schools. Feresten then attended Berklee College of Music in...
, a freelance writer who later became known for his work on Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. Although he received credit for the episode, the writing staff completely rewrote the episode and very little of Feresten's original script was left in the episode. Oakley describes the episode as "one of the most arduous rewrites in the history of the show" because much of the dialogue had to be re-written.
"Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" was the first episode of The Simpsons directed by Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino
Dominic Polcino is an animation director who has worked on The Simpsons, Mission Hill, King of the Hill, and Family Guy. Dominic worked on the first season of Family Guy, then left to direct for King of the Hill and then returned to Family Guy...
. Polcino had worked as an assistant director on the show and had left the show but was offered a chance to be a director. He describes the episode as a "tough one to start with," especially the scenes with the Wright Flyer
Wright Flyer
The Wright Flyer was the first powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it four times on December 17, 1903 near the Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.The U.S...
. An early version of the script featured a longer scene at the air show that featured 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...
flying an early flying machine. The scene where Milhouse
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
is in a jet pretending to fire missiles at his parents because he's upset with them, would later inspire the episode "A Milhouse Divided
A Milhouse Divided
"A Milhouse Divided" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on December 1, 1996. Milhouse's parents Kirk and Luann get a divorce, causing Homer to examine his own marriage...
". In that episode, Milhouse's parents become divorced.
A character modelled after Fox Network owner Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
briefly appears in a scene set in jail. The censors said that Murdoch could not be shown but Rupert Murdoch himself gave his permission for his caricature to be used. R. Lee Ermey
R. Lee Ermey
Ronald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
, known for his role in Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
, guest stars as Col. Leslie "Hap" Hapablap. The role was specifically written for him and much of his dialogue was difficult to write. The line "What's your major malfunction?" is based on dialogue from Full Metal Jacket.
Cultural references
We'll Meet Again (song)
"We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song made famous by British singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles ....
," as sung by Vera Lynn
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE is an English singer-songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during World War II. During the war she toured Egypt, India and Burma, giving outdoor concerts for the troops...
at the end of the film; and Krusty's acting whilst he defends television is based on George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
's performance as General Buck Turgidson.
Another parodied film is the 1964 thriller Fail-Safe
Fail-Safe (1964 film)
Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It tells the story of a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis...
by Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet was an American director, producer and screenwriter with over 50 films to his credit. He was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director for 12 Angry Men , Dog Day Afternoon , Network and The Verdict...
: At the beginning of the third act of the episode, we see scenes of everyday life across Springfield, and one by one, with a "zooming" sound effect, they all freeze-frame in anticipation of the (supposedly) imminent nuclear blast
Nuclear explosion
A nuclear explosion occurs as a result of the rapid release of energy from an intentionally high-speed nuclear reaction. The driving reaction may be nuclear fission, nuclear fusion or a multistage cascading combination of the two, though to date all fusion based weapons have used a fission device...
; such was the ending of Fail-Safe. One of the scenes before the supposed nuclear blast shows Maggie picking flowers in a field, with the camera zooming into her eye, and then the minuscule blast occurs. This is a parody of the infamous and controversial Daisy ad used by Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
in the 1964 United States presidential election.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" finished 49th in ratings for the week of November 20–26, 1995, 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 8.7 and a 13% share of the audience. It was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week behind 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...
, Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
and Melrose Place.
The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote, "Probably the least satisfying of Sideshow Bob's gleamings - but there's enough slapstick and satire to keep things ticking along nicely." Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
listed "Brother From Another Series," amongst other Sideshow Bob episodes, as one of the best episodes of The Simpsons, writing "forget Frasier, these are Kelsey Grammer's best roles." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson wrote that "Though it doesn’t compete with the best Bob shows, it has more than a few nice moments." He added that he enjoyed R. Lee Ermey's guest appearance as well as the jokes about the Fox network. Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be when Milhouse was playing in the fighter jet at the air show. The website concluded its review by giving the episode a grade of B−.
External links
- "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" at The Simpsons.com