Simpsons Bible Stories
Encyclopedia
"Simpsons Bible Stories" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons
' tenth season
. It first aired on the Fox network
in the United States
on Easter
, 1999. It is the first of The Simpsons now annual trilogy episodes, and consists of four self-contained segments. In the episode the Simpsons all fall asleep during a boring sermon in church. Marge
dreams that she and Homer
are Adam and Eve
in the Garden of Eden
. Lisa dreams that she and her fellow Springfield Elementary School students are Hebrew slaves in Ancient Egypt
and guides Moses
to lead them to freedom. Homer dreams that he is King Solomon called to resolve a dispute between Lenny and Carl over the ownership of a pie, and Bart
dreams he is King David, who has to fight Goliath's son, Goliath II.
"Simpsons Bible Stories" was written by Matt Selman
, Larry Doyle and Tim Long
, and was the first episode Nancy Kruse
directed for The Simpsons. While executive producer and former showrunner Mike Scully
stated that the idea for the episode came after Fox requested an Easter-themed episode, co-writer Selman argued that it was conceived by former staff writers Dan Greaney
and Donick Cary
while they were pitching ideas for the tenth season. Because the episode mostly takes place outside Springfield, the animators had to design completely new sets. While the episode mostly features references to Christianity, it also parodies children's television programs, American politicians and action films by Jerry Bruckheimer
.
In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 12.2 million viewers, a significant drop from the previous episode which garnered 15.5 million viewers. Following its broadcast, the episode received mixed reviews from critics and won an Annie award
in the category of Best Animated Television Production. In 2007, the episode was released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD
box set, and a promotional poster for the episode was included in an exhibition in Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. The episode's ending scene is one of series creator Matt Groening
's favorite moments on The Simpsons.
at church, and no one is interested in Reverend Lovejoy
's sermons. When the collection plate is passed round, Homer puts in a chocolate Easter bunny that he found in the dumpster, enraging Reverend Lovejoy, calling it a wicked idol
, and provoking him to read the Bible
from the beginning. The Simpsons all fall asleep.
dreams that she and Homer
are Adam and Eve
. They peacefully live in the Garden of Eden
until a snake
(Snake Jailbird) tempts Adam into eating dozens of apples from the forbidden tree. He persuades Eve to try one when God
(Ned Flanders
) witnesses his sin. Even though Homer ate the most, God only caught Eve eating the apples, and she is therefore banished from the Garden of Eden. Adam is unwilling to come clean, but misses Eve and thinks of a way of getting her back in by digging a tunnel with the help of some of the animals. God's unicorn
, named Gary, becomes exhausted from the digging and dies just before God catches Adam trying to smuggle Eve back into the Garden. The death of the unicorn enrages him further, and he expels them both from the Garden of Eden.
imagines she and all the other Springfield Elementary students are Hebrews
in ancient Egypt
, with the Pharaoh
(Principal Skinner) making them build a pyramid
. Only Moses
(Milhouse
) can liberate the Hebrews. When Bart defaces the Pharaoh's sarcophagus
, supposedly incited by the burning bush
, he gets the other students punished. Lisa helps Milhouse produce plagues
to scare the Pharaoh into freeing the Israelites; they fail. This in turn gets Lisa and Milhouse thrown in a Pyramid prison. When they escape, Milhouse gathers all the students and they attempt to leave. When they reach the sea
, Lisa has an idea to get across: They simultaneously flush all the Egyptians' toilets to drain the sea. As they cross, the Pharaoh and his guards follow, but the water fills the sea back up and swallows them. They enjoy splashing each other, and then return to the shore. Pleased that they have escaped, Milhouse asks Lisa what the future holds for the Israelites, but Lisa disappoints Milhouse when she says that they have to wander the desert for forty years. Milhouse then asks if it is going to be smooth sailing for the Jews after that. Rather than disappoint Milhouse again with news of the ongoing anti-Semitism that will plague the Jews for many years, she distracts the crowd by sending them to search for manna.
sees himself as King David, who kills Goliath, but has not won the war yet: Nelson
is Goliath II, Goliath's son. Goliath II has killed Methuselah
(Grampa), David's oldest friend. In retaliation, David challenges Goliath II, but having no stones to sling at him, David loses and is catapulted from the city. David then meets Ralph
, a shepherd, who claims he can kill Goliath II. Ralph dies, which enrages David even more. He then trains to try and slay Goliath. Having to climb up the enormous Tower of Babel
beforehand, David manages to kill Goliath by throwing a lit lantern down his throat. Goliath is surprisingly still alive, but is quickly killed by Ralph's gravestone, hurled by Ralph himself, who also had not died. Much to his shock, David is sent to jail
as the townspeople claim that Goliath was the best King
they ever had, building roads, libraries and hospitals. The dream ends with a title card that reads "A Bart Simpson Dream".
has come; fire rains from a red sky, and the Four Horsemen
ride past. The Flanders ascend into Heaven, but The Simpsons do not; Lisa begins to ascend, but Homer grabs her ankle and pulls her back down. Instead, the Simpsons descend via a staircase into Hell, where Homer follows the delicious scent of barbecue. The episode ends with Homer screaming in agony (because there are no hot dogs, there is pineapple in the coleslaw
, and German potato salad
) as Highway To Hell
by AC/DC
plays over the credits.
, Larry Doyle and Tim Long
, and was the first episode Nancy Kruse
directed for The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on April 4, 1999, the day Easter
took place that year. According to executive producer and former showrunner Mike Scully
, the idea for the episode was conceived when Fox requested an Easter-themed Simpsons episode that would air on the holiday. Normally, Fox would not broadcast any new Simpsons episodes on Easter, as it is considered a "low-ratings night," but "Simpsons Bible Stories" was an exception. However, according to co-writer Selman, the idea for the episode came about when he and former staff writer Dan Greaney
were pitching episode ideas for the tenth season with former staff writer Donick Cary
. Cary and Greaney suggested a "bible-trilogy" story, which then became "Simpsons Bible Stories". "Simpsons Bible Stories" is the first of the trilogy episodes which, since the season 12
episode "Simpsons Tall Tales
", The Simpsons produces once every season.
The first segment was written by Long. According to former staff writer Tom Martin
, Long wanted the pig in the garden of Eden to have a "Tony British" accent. The pig was voiced by regular cast member Hank Azaria
, who portrays Moe Szyslak
among other characters in the series. The unicorn that digs a hole from the garden of Eden was portrayed by Tress MacNeille
. The second segment was written by Doyle. The episode's third segment was written by Selman. When writing segments for trilogy episodes, the writing staff usually follow the stories they are based on, while putting The Simpsons characters in the original characters' place. With "Simpsons Bible Stories"' third segment, Selman stated that he wanted to go a "fresh new way" by instead writing a sequel to the story of David and Goliath. According to Scully, Selman had a very clear vision of how he wanted the segment to be, and Selman said that he wanted to make a "dog's breakfast" of movie clichés at the time.
The song that plays during Bart's training montage is "Winner Takes It All" by American rock singer Sammy Hagar
. Selman decided to include the song after hearing it in the 1987 action drama film Over the Top. According to Doyle, the scene was originally much longer, almost seven minutes in length. The song that plays during the episode's end credits is "Highway to Hell
" by Australian hard rock band AC/DC
. According to Scully, the staff could not use the song on The Simpsons at first, since AC/DC's record company refused to sell it. However, when Scully called the band's manager directly, it turned out he had not been told about the request. Scully said that when they asked if they could use "Highway to Hell", the band's manager "signed on right away" and gave the Simpsons staff a "huge discount."
Because most of the episode takes place in ancient history, the animators had to create completely new sets and designs for the episode. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Kruse stated that she and staff animator Alex Ruiz had to re-draw a majority of the episode, as the faulty scenes were drawn by six trainees. In order to receive an animator credit on The Simpsons, an animator has to draw ten scenes in an episode. Because the trainees did not draw ten scenes each, none of them were credited for their work on the episode. All the trainees were later hired to The Simpsons animation staff. Kruse stated that, while animating the episode, she was worried that the animation would be offended by the episode's content, as many of the crew members were "very religious." However, as animation ensued, she found that most of the animators were not uncomfortable with the episode, as it mostly parodies the Old Testament. The only complaint she received was from an animator who refused to animate Jesus in the court room scene in Homer's dream.
In the DVD commentary for the episode, Scully stated that he regretted not submitting "Simpsons Bible Stories" for the Primetime Emmy Award
in the category of animated programming less than one hour
in 1999. At the time, Scully reasoned that, because the original stories were not conceived by the writing staff, the episode would not hold up. However, he noted that the episode's animation was "outstanding," and that he later found out that the Emmy awards "put a lot of importance on" the animation in submitted episodes. Instead of submitting "Simpsons Bible Stories" for the Emmy awards in 1999, Scully submitted "Viva Ned Flanders
", which ultimately lost to the King of the Hill
episode "And They Call It Bobby Love."
, who, according to the Book of Genesis were the first man and woman
created by YHWH, the God
of the Hebrew Bible
. Ned Flanders has the role of God, while the serpent that lures Marge into eating an apple from the forbidden tree resembles Snake Jailbird. The Garden of Eden was the place where Adam and Eve lived after they were created by God, according to the Book of Genesis.
The second segment parodies Moses who, according to the Book of Exodus, freed the Israelites from the Egyptian Pharaoh. Milhouse has the role of Moses while Skinner has the role of the Pharaoh. When the Pharaoh asked who vandalized his sarcophagus, the burning bush
tells him that Bart did it. When Bart is seized by the Pharaoh's guards, he exclaims "No, the bush set me up!" Bart's line refers to the 1990 arrest of Marion Barry
who, while being arrested by the FBI for smoking crack cocaine
, exclaimed "No, the bitch set me up!" In a scene in the segment, Milhouse and Lisa can be seen pouring frogs into Skinner's tent. The scene refers to the second of ten Biblical plagues that were imposed on Egypt by Yahweh, in chapters 7-12 of the Book of Exodus. While they are inside the torture chamber, Milhouse and Lisa walk past an orb. The orb is called "Orb of Isis" and played a big part in the season 9
episode "Lost Our Lisa
". In another scene, Milhouse parts the Red Sea so that his fellow slaves can escape. The execution of the scene is based on the one seen in the 1956 American epic film The Ten Commandments
, in which Moses parts the Red Sea. The shot in which Pharaoh and his guards are drowning is also taken from the movie.
In Homer's dream, Homer has the role of King Solomon who, according to the Books of Kings
and Book of Chronicles was a King of Israel, as well as one of the 48 prophets according to the Talmud
. Bart's dream shows Bart as King David and, rather than telling the story of David and Goliath, Bart's dream is a "sequel" to the story. The segment is inspired by and contains references to several films by Jerry Bruckheimer
, including Die Hard
and Lethal Weapon
, and borrows elements from other action films. At one point in the segment, Bart's dog Santa's Little Helper starts talking to him. The dog's voice is similar to that of Goliath in the Christian stop-motion animated television series Davey and Goliath
. Inside the whale skeleton in the episode, Bart finds the remains of Jonah
. Jonah was a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel, according to the Hebrew Bible. Nelson lives in the Tower of Babel
which, according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower that the humans built in order to reach heaven. After being defeated by Bart, Nelson reappears while a variation of Modest Mussorgsky
's composition St. John's Night on the Bare Mountain plays in the background. At the end of the segment, Bart is arrested and Chief Wiggum says "Where's your messiah now?" Wiggum's line was also taken from The Ten Commandments.
estimated that 12.2 million viewers watched the episode, a considerable drop from the previous episode
, which was seen by an estimated 15.5 million viewers. David Bianculli of New York Daily News
attributed the loss in viewership to the fact that the episode aired on a religious holiday. Nevertheless, it was the week's second most watched program on the network. Later that year, the episode received an Annie award
in the category of Best Animated Television Production
, the second year in a row that The Simpsons won the award. On August 7, 2007, "Simpsons Bible Stories" was released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD
box set. Matt Groening, Mike Scully, George Meyer, Tom Martin, Larry Doyle, Matt Selman and Nancy Kruse participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.
Following its broadcast, "Simpsons Bible Stories" received mixed reviews from critics. Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide wrote that the episode is "A fantastic twist of the Treehouse of Horror style of storytelling," and added that each segment is a "classic on its own." They wrote that Wiggum telling Moses and Lisa to give his regards to the British Museum as he seals them inside a tomb and Marge asking Bart if he is wearing clean underwear as they face the apocalypse were some of the episode's "best moments," and concluded by writing that the episode is "The Simpsons at its very best: inventive, irreverent and very, very funny." While DVD Town's James Plath wrote that the episode's premise was "risky," he still enjoyed the episode. Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz of The Star-Ledger
described the episode as "hilarious," however they noted that the episode's "suggestion that Moses parted the Red Sea by having all the Israelites flush their toilets at once" could result in a backlash from the "religious right."
On the other hand, giving the episode a negative review, DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson wrote that "Simpsons Bible Stories" "proves less successful [than most Treehouse of Horror episodes]." He added that he "just think the brevity required by the inclusion of three separate tales better suits the world of horror spoofs than it does these Bible pieces," as they "try to pack an awful lot into very little time." He concluded by writing that, while the episode has "some good moments," he did not find a lot of entertainment in it. Jake MacNeill of Digital Entertainment News was also critical, and wrote that the episode "fails to be funny" because it "strays too far from the source material." He added "have you read the bible? That stuff’s funny enough in and of itself." Aaron Roxby of Collider described "Simpsons Bible Stories" as his least-favourite trilogy episode, and wrote "Considering that, in earlier seasons, the show had some of the most thoughtfully edgy religious humor on television, this one feels surprisingly toothless." However, he gave praise to the talking pig in the Garden of Eden.
At the end of the episode, the Simpsons walk out of the church and notice that the Apocalypse has begun. While the other family members are left on earth, Lisa at first starts ascending into Heaven, but Homer stops her by grabbing her leg and says "Where do you think you're going, missy?" The gag was written by staff writer George Meyer
, and is series creator Matt Groening
's favorite joke of the series. While the episode's ending is one of Groening's favourites, fans were uneasy with it. Selman stated that the ending "drives them [the fans] crazy," since they do not know whether or not the episode is canonical. In 2007, Homer's line "Oh, I smell barbeque!" was included in Bobby Bryant of The States list "20 Essential Things I've Learned From Homer Simpson". The same year, the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, unveiled a new exhibit which galleried Biblical images in art and pop culture, including a promotional poster for "Simpsons Bible Stories."
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 10)
The tenth season of the animated television series The Simpsons was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States between August 23, 1998 and May 16, 1999. It contains twenty-three episodes, starting with "Lard of the Dance". The Simpsons revolves around a working class family that...
. It first aired on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, 1999. It is the first of The Simpsons now annual trilogy episodes, and consists of four self-contained segments. In the episode the Simpsons all fall asleep during a boring sermon in church. Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
dreams that she and Homer
Homer 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...
are Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
in the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
. Lisa dreams that she and her fellow Springfield Elementary School students are Hebrew slaves in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
and guides Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
to lead them to freedom. Homer dreams that he is King Solomon called to resolve a dispute between Lenny and Carl over the ownership of a pie, and 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...
dreams he is King David, who has to fight Goliath's son, Goliath II.
"Simpsons Bible Stories" was written by Matt Selman
Matt Selman
Matthew "Matt" Selman is an American writer and producer. Selman grew up in Massachusetts, attended the University of Pennsylvania and was editor-in-chief of student magazine 34th Street Magazine. After considering a career in journalism, he decided to try and became a television writer...
, Larry Doyle and Tim Long
Tim Long
Tim Long is a comedy writer born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Tim calls Exeter, Ontario, Canada his home town and has written for The Simpsons, Politically Incorrect, Spy Magazine and The Late Show with David Letterman. Currently credited as a consulting producer on The Simpsons, Long was - until...
, and was the first episode Nancy Kruse
Nancy Kruse
Nancy Kruse is a former animation director on The Simpsons. She started working on the show during the first season as a background clean-up artist. After that she did background layout and character layout for several years on the show before becoming an assistant director...
directed for The Simpsons. While executive producer and former showrunner Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
stated that the idea for the episode came after Fox requested an Easter-themed episode, co-writer Selman argued that it was conceived by former staff writers Dan Greaney
Dan Greaney
Daniel "Dan" Greaney is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons. He was hired during the show's seventh season after writing the first draft of the episode "King-Size Homer", but left after season eleven...
and Donick Cary
Donick Cary
Donick Cary is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons, Just Shoot Me!, Complete Savages, Late Night with David Letterman and served as head writer on The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show....
while they were pitching ideas for the tenth season. Because the episode mostly takes place outside Springfield, the animators had to design completely new sets. While the episode mostly features references to Christianity, it also parodies children's television programs, American politicians and action films by Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
.
In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 12.2 million viewers, a significant drop from the previous episode which garnered 15.5 million viewers. Following its broadcast, the episode received mixed reviews from critics and won an Annie award
Annie Award
The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
in the category of Best Animated Television Production. In 2007, the episode was released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
box set, and a promotional poster for the episode was included in an exhibition in Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. The episode's ending scene is one of series creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
's favorite moments on The Simpsons.
Plot
It is a scorching hot EasterEaster
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
at church, and no one is interested in Reverend Lovejoy
Reverend Timothy Lovejoy
Reverend Timothy "Tim" Lovejoy is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Lovejoy is the minister at The First Church of Springfield—the Protestant church in Springfield which most of...
's sermons. When the collection plate is passed round, Homer puts in a chocolate Easter bunny that he found in the dumpster, enraging Reverend Lovejoy, calling it a wicked idol
Cult image
In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents...
, and provoking him to read the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
from the beginning. The Simpsons all fall asleep.
Marge's Dream
MargeMarge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
dreams that she and Homer
Homer 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...
are Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
. They peacefully live in the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
until a snake
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
(Snake Jailbird) tempts Adam into eating dozens of apples from the forbidden tree. He persuades Eve to try one when God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
(Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
) witnesses his sin. Even though Homer ate the most, God only caught Eve eating the apples, and she is therefore banished from the Garden of Eden. Adam is unwilling to come clean, but misses Eve and thinks of a way of getting her back in by digging a tunnel with the help of some of the animals. God's unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
, named Gary, becomes exhausted from the digging and dies just before God catches Adam trying to smuggle Eve back into the Garden. The death of the unicorn enrages him further, and he expels them both from the Garden of Eden.
Lisa's Dream
LisaLisa 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...
imagines she and all the other Springfield Elementary students are Hebrews
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
in ancient Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, with the Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
(Principal Skinner) making them build a pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
. Only Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
(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....
) can liberate the Hebrews. When Bart defaces the Pharaoh's sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
, supposedly incited by the burning bush
Burning bush
The burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus as being located on Mount Sinai; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name...
, he gets the other students punished. Lisa helps Milhouse produce plagues
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
to scare the Pharaoh into freeing the Israelites; they fail. This in turn gets Lisa and Milhouse thrown in a Pyramid prison. When they escape, Milhouse gathers all the students and they attempt to leave. When they reach the sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, Lisa has an idea to get across: They simultaneously flush all the Egyptians' toilets to drain the sea. As they cross, the Pharaoh and his guards follow, but the water fills the sea back up and swallows them. They enjoy splashing each other, and then return to the shore. Pleased that they have escaped, Milhouse asks Lisa what the future holds for the Israelites, but Lisa disappoints Milhouse when she says that they have to wander the desert for forty years. Milhouse then asks if it is going to be smooth sailing for the Jews after that. Rather than disappoint Milhouse again with news of the ongoing anti-Semitism that will plague the Jews for many years, she distracts the crowd by sending them to search for manna.
Homer's Dream
Homer pictures himself as King Solomon. Lenny and Carl fight over ownership of a pie. King Solomon cuts it in half, sentences Lenny and Carl to death, and then eats the pie. King Solomon then presides over a civil case between Jesus Christ and Checker Chariot.Bart's Dream
BartBart 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...
sees himself as King David, who kills Goliath, but has not won the war yet: Nelson
Nelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
is Goliath II, Goliath's son. Goliath II has killed Methuselah
Methuselah
Methuselah is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the 11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 , at the age of 969, seven days before the beginning of the Great Flood...
(Grampa), David's oldest friend. In retaliation, David challenges Goliath II, but having no stones to sling at him, David loses and is catapulted from the city. David then meets Ralph
Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum is a recurring fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. The son of Police Chief Wiggum and a classmate of Lisa Simpson, Ralph is best known as the show's resident oddball, and is noted for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior...
, a shepherd, who claims he can kill Goliath II. Ralph dies, which enrages David even more. He then trains to try and slay Goliath. Having to climb up the enormous Tower of Babel
Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel , according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar .According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where...
beforehand, David manages to kill Goliath by throwing a lit lantern down his throat. Goliath is surprisingly still alive, but is quickly killed by Ralph's gravestone, hurled by Ralph himself, who also had not died. Much to his shock, David is sent to jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
as the townspeople claim that Goliath was the best King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
they ever had, building roads, libraries and hospitals. The dream ends with a title card that reads "A Bart Simpson Dream".
Ending sequence
As the family wakes up, they find themselves alone in the church. Upon exiting they realize that the ApocalypseApocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
has come; fire rains from a red sky, and the Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
ride past. The Flanders ascend into Heaven, but The Simpsons do not; Lisa begins to ascend, but Homer grabs her ankle and pulls her back down. Instead, the Simpsons descend via a staircase into Hell, where Homer follows the delicious scent of barbecue. The episode ends with Homer screaming in agony (because there are no hot dogs, there is pineapple in the coleslaw
Coleslaw
Coleslaw, sometimes simply called slaw in some American dialects, is a salad consisting primarily of shredded raw cabbage. It may also include shredded carrots and other ingredients such as fruits and vegetables, apples, onions, green onions, peppers and various spices.-History:The term "coleslaw"...
, and German potato salad
Potato salad
Potato salad is a dish made from boiled potatoes, the versions of which vary throughout different regions and countries of the world. Although called a salad, it is generally considered a side dish, as it generally accompanies the main course....
) as Highway To Hell
Highway to Hell (song)
"Highway to Hell" is the opening track of AC/DC's 1979 album Highway to Hell and the twelfth track on AC/DC Live. It was initially released as a single in 1979....
by AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
plays over the credits.
Production
"Simpsons Bible Stories" was co-written by Matt SelmanMatt Selman
Matthew "Matt" Selman is an American writer and producer. Selman grew up in Massachusetts, attended the University of Pennsylvania and was editor-in-chief of student magazine 34th Street Magazine. After considering a career in journalism, he decided to try and became a television writer...
, Larry Doyle and Tim Long
Tim Long
Tim Long is a comedy writer born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Tim calls Exeter, Ontario, Canada his home town and has written for The Simpsons, Politically Incorrect, Spy Magazine and The Late Show with David Letterman. Currently credited as a consulting producer on The Simpsons, Long was - until...
, and was the first episode Nancy Kruse
Nancy Kruse
Nancy Kruse is a former animation director on The Simpsons. She started working on the show during the first season as a background clean-up artist. After that she did background layout and character layout for several years on the show before becoming an assistant director...
directed for The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on April 4, 1999, the day Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
took place that year. According to executive producer and former showrunner Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
, the idea for the episode was conceived when Fox requested an Easter-themed Simpsons episode that would air on the holiday. Normally, Fox would not broadcast any new Simpsons episodes on Easter, as it is considered a "low-ratings night," but "Simpsons Bible Stories" was an exception. However, according to co-writer Selman, the idea for the episode came about when he and former staff writer Dan Greaney
Dan Greaney
Daniel "Dan" Greaney is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons. He was hired during the show's seventh season after writing the first draft of the episode "King-Size Homer", but left after season eleven...
were pitching episode ideas for the tenth season with former staff writer Donick Cary
Donick Cary
Donick Cary is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons, Just Shoot Me!, Complete Savages, Late Night with David Letterman and served as head writer on The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show....
. Cary and Greaney suggested a "bible-trilogy" story, which then became "Simpsons Bible Stories". "Simpsons Bible Stories" is the first of the trilogy episodes which, since the season 12
The Simpsons (season 12)
The Simpsons 12th season began on Wednesday, November 1, 2000 with "Treehouse of Horror XI".The season contains four hold over episodes from the season 11 production line. The show runner for the twelfth production was Mike Scully. The season features three episodes that were produced for the...
episode "Simpsons Tall Tales
Simpsons Tall Tales
"Simpsons Tall Tales" is the twenty-first episode and season finale of The Simpsons twelfth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 20, 2001. In the episode, Homer refuses to pay a five dollar airport tax to fly to Delaware, which forces the family to ride in a...
", The Simpsons produces once every season.
The first segment was written by Long. According to former staff writer Tom Martin
Tom Martin (writer)
Tom Martin is an American television writer. He grew up in Southern California and attended Rolling Hills High School and Indio High School. He graduated from University of California, Irvine in 1987 with degrees in Economics and Political Science. While at UC Irvine he ran on the Track and Cross...
, Long wanted the pig in the garden of Eden to have a "Tony British" accent. The pig was voiced by regular cast member Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
, who portrays Moe Szyslak
Moe Szyslak
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
among other characters in the series. The unicorn that digs a hole from the garden of Eden was portrayed by Tress MacNeille
Tress MacNeille
Tress MacNeille is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Disney's House of Mouse, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Rugrats, All Grown Up!, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Dave the...
. The second segment was written by Doyle. The episode's third segment was written by Selman. When writing segments for trilogy episodes, the writing staff usually follow the stories they are based on, while putting The Simpsons characters in the original characters' place. With "Simpsons Bible Stories"' third segment, Selman stated that he wanted to go a "fresh new way" by instead writing a sequel to the story of David and Goliath. According to Scully, Selman had a very clear vision of how he wanted the segment to be, and Selman said that he wanted to make a "dog's breakfast" of movie clichés at the time.
The song that plays during Bart's training montage is "Winner Takes It All" by American rock singer Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
. Selman decided to include the song after hearing it in the 1987 action drama film Over the Top. According to Doyle, the scene was originally much longer, almost seven minutes in length. The song that plays during the episode's end credits is "Highway to Hell
Highway to Hell
Highway to Hell can refer to:*Highway to Hell , 1979 album by AC/DC**"Highway to Hell" , the title track from the album*Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell*Highway to Hell , a 1992 film starring Chad Lowe and Kristy Swanson...
" by Australian hard rock band AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
. According to Scully, the staff could not use the song on The Simpsons at first, since AC/DC's record company refused to sell it. However, when Scully called the band's manager directly, it turned out he had not been told about the request. Scully said that when they asked if they could use "Highway to Hell", the band's manager "signed on right away" and gave the Simpsons staff a "huge discount."
Because most of the episode takes place in ancient history, the animators had to create completely new sets and designs for the episode. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Kruse stated that she and staff animator Alex Ruiz had to re-draw a majority of the episode, as the faulty scenes were drawn by six trainees. In order to receive an animator credit on The Simpsons, an animator has to draw ten scenes in an episode. Because the trainees did not draw ten scenes each, none of them were credited for their work on the episode. All the trainees were later hired to The Simpsons animation staff. Kruse stated that, while animating the episode, she was worried that the animation would be offended by the episode's content, as many of the crew members were "very religious." However, as animation ensued, she found that most of the animators were not uncomfortable with the episode, as it mostly parodies the Old Testament. The only complaint she received was from an animator who refused to animate Jesus in the court room scene in Homer's dream.
In the DVD commentary for the episode, Scully stated that he regretted not submitting "Simpsons Bible Stories" for the Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
in the category of animated programming less than one hour
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series which is judged to have been the best...
in 1999. At the time, Scully reasoned that, because the original stories were not conceived by the writing staff, the episode would not hold up. However, he noted that the episode's animation was "outstanding," and that he later found out that the Emmy awards "put a lot of importance on" the animation in submitted episodes. Instead of submitting "Simpsons Bible Stories" for the Emmy awards in 1999, Scully submitted "Viva Ned Flanders
Viva Ned Flanders
"Viva Ned Flanders" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 1999. In the episode, Ned Flanders, who is revealed to be 60 years old, feels that he has not lived his life to the fullest...
", which ultimately lost to the 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...
episode "And They Call It Bobby Love."
Cultural references
"Simpsons Bible Stories" contains several references to the Christian prophets, holy book and the religion as a whole, as well as films based on the Bible. Each segment is based on a biblical story, mostly from the Old Testament. The first segment is based on the story of Adam and EveAdam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
, who, according to the Book of Genesis were the first man and woman
First man or woman
First man or woman may refer to:* The spouse of an elected head of state, see First Lady, First Gentleman.* First Man, the biography of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon....
created by YHWH, the God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
of the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
. Ned Flanders has the role of God, while the serpent that lures Marge into eating an apple from the forbidden tree resembles Snake Jailbird. The Garden of Eden was the place where Adam and Eve lived after they were created by God, according to the Book of Genesis.
Burning bush
The burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus as being located on Mount Sinai; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name...
tells him that Bart did it. When Bart is seized by the Pharaoh's guards, he exclaims "No, the bush set me up!" Bart's line refers to the 1990 arrest of Marion Barry
Marion Barry
Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, representing DC's Ward 8. Barry served as the second elected mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991, and again as the fourth mayor from 1995...
who, while being arrested by the FBI for smoking crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
, exclaimed "No, the bitch set me up!" In a scene in the segment, Milhouse and Lisa can be seen pouring frogs into Skinner's tent. The scene refers to the second of ten Biblical plagues that were imposed on Egypt by Yahweh, in chapters 7-12 of the Book of Exodus. While they are inside the torture chamber, Milhouse and Lisa walk past an orb. The orb is called "Orb of Isis" and played a big part in the season 9
The Simpsons (season 9)
The Simpsons ninth season originally aired between September 1997 and May 1998, beginning on Sunday, September 21, 1997 with "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson". The show runner for the ninth production season was Mike Scully...
episode "Lost Our Lisa
Lost Our Lisa
"Lost Our Lisa" is the twenty-fourth episode of the ninth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired May 10, 1998 on Fox. The episode contains the last appearance of character Lionel Hutz. When Lisa learns that Marge cannot give her a ride to the museum and forbids her to take the bus, she tricks...
". In another scene, Milhouse parts the Red Sea so that his fellow slaves can escape. The execution of the scene is based on the one seen in the 1956 American epic film The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1956 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...
, in which Moses parts the Red Sea. The shot in which Pharaoh and his guards are drowning is also taken from the movie.
In Homer's dream, Homer has the role of King Solomon who, according to the Books of Kings
Books of Kings
The Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
and Book of Chronicles was a King of Israel, as well as one of the 48 prophets according to the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
. Bart's dream shows Bart as King David and, rather than telling the story of David and Goliath, Bart's dream is a "sequel" to the story. The segment is inspired by and contains references to several films by Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
, including Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
and Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action film and the first in a series of films, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives, and Gary Busey as their primary adversary...
, and borrows elements from other action films. At one point in the segment, Bart's dog Santa's Little Helper starts talking to him. The dog's voice is similar to that of Goliath in the Christian stop-motion animated television series Davey and Goliath
Davey and Goliath
Davey and Goliath is a 1960s stop-motion animated children's Christian television series. The programs, produced by the Lutheran Church in America , were produced by Art Clokey after the success of his Gumby series.Each 15-minute episode features the adventures of Davey Hansen and his "talking"...
. Inside the whale skeleton in the episode, Bart finds the remains of Jonah
Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
. Jonah was a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel, according to the Hebrew Bible. Nelson lives in the Tower of Babel
Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel , according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar .According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where...
which, according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower that the humans built in order to reach heaven. After being defeated by Bart, Nelson reappears while a variation of Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
's composition St. John's Night on the Bare Mountain plays in the background. At the end of the segment, Bart is arrested and Chief Wiggum says "Where's your messiah now?" Wiggum's line was also taken from The Ten Commandments.
Release and reception
In its original American broadcast on April 4, 1999, "Simpsons Bible Stories" received a 7.4 Nielsen rating, translating to approximately 7.4 million viewers. The rating is based on the number of household televisions that were tuned into the show, but Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
estimated that 12.2 million viewers watched the episode, a considerable drop from the previous episode
Maximum Homerdrive
"Maximum Homerdrive" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 28, 1999. In the episode, Homer challenges trucker Red Barclay to a meat eating contest, which Barclay is the long-standing champion of. Barclay wins, but...
, which was seen by an estimated 15.5 million viewers. David Bianculli of New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
attributed the loss in viewership to the fact that the episode aired on a religious holiday. Nevertheless, it was the week's second most watched program on the network. Later that year, the episode received an Annie award
Annie Award
The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
in the category of Best Animated Television Production
Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production
The Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production is an Annie Award, awarded annually to the best animated television show. In 1998 the award was split into two categories, Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Daytime Television Program and Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Primetime...
, the second year in a row that The Simpsons won the award. On August 7, 2007, "Simpsons Bible Stories" was released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
box set. Matt Groening, Mike Scully, George Meyer, Tom Martin, Larry Doyle, Matt Selman and Nancy Kruse participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.
Following its broadcast, "Simpsons Bible Stories" received mixed reviews from critics. Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide wrote that the episode is "A fantastic twist of the Treehouse of Horror style of storytelling," and added that each segment is a "classic on its own." They wrote that Wiggum telling Moses and Lisa to give his regards to the British Museum as he seals them inside a tomb and Marge asking Bart if he is wearing clean underwear as they face the apocalypse were some of the episode's "best moments," and concluded by writing that the episode is "The Simpsons at its very best: inventive, irreverent and very, very funny." While DVD Town's James Plath wrote that the episode's premise was "risky," he still enjoyed the episode. Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
described the episode as "hilarious," however they noted that the episode's "suggestion that Moses parted the Red Sea by having all the Israelites flush their toilets at once" could result in a backlash from the "religious right."
On the other hand, giving the episode a negative review, DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson wrote that "Simpsons Bible Stories" "proves less successful [than most Treehouse of Horror episodes]." He added that he "just think the brevity required by the inclusion of three separate tales better suits the world of horror spoofs than it does these Bible pieces," as they "try to pack an awful lot into very little time." He concluded by writing that, while the episode has "some good moments," he did not find a lot of entertainment in it. Jake MacNeill of Digital Entertainment News was also critical, and wrote that the episode "fails to be funny" because it "strays too far from the source material." He added "have you read the bible? That stuff’s funny enough in and of itself." Aaron Roxby of Collider described "Simpsons Bible Stories" as his least-favourite trilogy episode, and wrote "Considering that, in earlier seasons, the show had some of the most thoughtfully edgy religious humor on television, this one feels surprisingly toothless." However, he gave praise to the talking pig in the Garden of Eden.
At the end of the episode, the Simpsons walk out of the church and notice that the Apocalypse has begun. While the other family members are left on earth, Lisa at first starts ascending into Heaven, but Homer stops her by grabbing her leg and says "Where do you think you're going, missy?" The gag was written by staff writer George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
, and is series creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
's favorite joke of the series. While the episode's ending is one of Groening's favourites, fans were uneasy with it. Selman stated that the ending "drives them [the fans] crazy," since they do not know whether or not the episode is canonical. In 2007, Homer's line "Oh, I smell barbeque!" was included in Bobby Bryant of The States list "20 Essential Things I've Learned From Homer Simpson". The same year, the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, unveiled a new exhibit which galleried Biblical images in art and pop culture, including a promotional poster for "Simpsons Bible Stories."
External links
- "Simpsons Bible Stories" The Simpsons.com