The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular
Encyclopedia
"The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons
' seventh season
. It originally aired on Fox
on December 3, 1995. As the title suggests, it is the 138th episode and the third clip show
episode of The Simpsons after "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
" and "Another Simpsons Clip Show
". While the "138th Episode Spectacular" compiles sequences from episodes throughout the entire Simpsons series like the previous two, it also shows clips from the original Simpsons shorts from The Tracey Ullman Show
and other previously unaired material. Like the Halloween specials, the episode is considered non-canon
and falls outside of the show's regular continuity.
The "138th Episode Spectacular" was written by Jon Vitti
and directed by David Silverman
, and is a parody of the common practice among live-action series to produce clip shows. It has received positive reviews, and was one of the most watched episodes of the season with a Nielsen rating
of 9.5.
hosts this episode, which highlights individual scenes and sequences from throughout the show and offers never-before-seen outtakes. McClure starts the episode by showing a brief presentation of how The Simpsons series was conceived by Matt Groening
, James L. Brooks
, and Sam Simon
. He goes on to present some clips of the original shorts that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show
, including the first one, "Good Night
", in its entirety. Next, a presumed commercial break is introduced with a trivia question about the message that appears when Maggie Simpson
is scanned by the cash register during the show's opening sequence
; the answer is revealed (falsely
) to be "NRA
4EVER." The show then returns to McClure, who responds to questions from fan mail by showing clips that contain the answers. The letters include questions on Homer's growing stupidity, how the cast and crew can create an episode per week, and hints of Waylon Smithers
' homosexuality
.
Another commercial break is then introduced with a trivia question, this time concerning which two popular characters have died within the past year; the answer is revealed to be Bleeding Gums Murphy and Dr. Marvin Monroe, although neither of them were ever popular (and the latter wasn't actually dead, as revleaed in Diatribe of a Mad Housewife
). McClure then presents deleted scenes from Simpsons episodes, "Krusty Gets Kancelled
", "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)
", "Mother Simpson
", "Treehouse of Horror IV
", "Homer and Apu
", and "Burns' Heir
".
McClure also reveals that alternate endings to part two of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" were created to prevent the staff on The Simpsons from spoiling the mystery that "all of America was trying to solve [...] this past summer". These alternate endings, most of which consist of random characters shooting Mr. Burns, conclude with a more elaborate ending in which Smithers is revealed to be the assailant. Troy McClure ends the episode by showing a montage of "hardcore nudity" (scenes of The Simpsons characters naked), set to the KC and the Sunshine Band
song "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty
".
As the title suggests, "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" is the 138th episode of The Simpsons, although it is the 155th episode when placed in production order. It is the third Simpsons clip show, after "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
" and "Another Simpsons Clip Show
". It was written by Jon Vitti
, who used the pseudonym
"Penny Wise" in the closing credits
because he did not want to be credited for writing a clip show. The episode was directed by David Silverman
, who also did not want to be credited, and used the pseudonym "Pound Foolish" in the closing credits.
During the early years of the show, Fox network officials forced the Simpsons staff to produce clip shows in order to save money. Originally, the producers were ordered to produce one clip show per season in order to meet episode limits imposed by the network. Fox network officials reasoned that clip shows could be produced at half the cost of a normal episode, but syndication rights could be sold at full price. The staff, however, felt such a large number of clip shows would alienate fans of the series.
Former show runner
Bill Oakley
thought the episode was one of the better clip shows of The Simpsons, because it had more original and interesting material than the others. Oakley enjoyed showing deleted scenes from previous episodes and the Simpsons shorts, and particularly enjoyed the montage of couch gags at the beginning of the episode. The staff tried to entertain themselves while producing the clip show, and Oakley said by having the only actor be Phil Hartman
as Troy McClure, it was "guaranteed to be fun".
One of the clips shown in the episode comes from the season four
episode "Marge Gets a Job
", in which Smithers has a dream that he is sleeping and Mr. Burns flies through a window into his room. The sequence shows Burns flying towards a happy-looking Smithers. The original clip went on for a few seconds longer, but had to be trimmed down in order to remove portions that showed "Mr. Burns land[ing] in a particular position on Smithers anatomy". There were also issues with "the lump in his bed", which the animators said had drawn as his knee, but the censors had mistakenly believed was an erection
.
A deleted scene from the season five
episode "Burns' Heir
" is also shown, in which a robotic Richard Simmons
dances outside Burns's mansion to the 1976 song "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty
". It was cut from "Burns' Heir" because the writers did not think it was funny, nor did it do well with a test audience, although Oakley thought the animation was terrific. To the production staff's surprise, the scene would make the audience "erupt with laughter" when screened at animation conventions and college presentations, so they decided to insert it in this episode.
Due to the amount of interest in the ending of the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" episode, David Mirkin
wrote several "terrible endings" and recorded several alternate endings with Harry Shearer
serving as the only voice actor. Mirkin's original intention was to fool the production staff and also leak the endings to various media outlets; much to his surprise, Mirkin failed to successfully fool the staff. Several endings were animated that showed various characters, such as Barney
, Moe
, and Apu
, shooting Mr. Burns, and were presented as part of this episode.
", "Marge vs. the Monorail
", "Deep Space Homer
", and "Treehouse of Horror V
"), or those suggesting Smithers' homosexuality ("Rosebud
", "Dog of Death
", "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
", and "Marge Gets a Job
").
presenting the episode is a parody of the practice by live-action series to produce clip shows in general, by celebrating a completely random milestone and by making exaggerated use of the conventions of traditional highlights shows, such as a grand introduction and relentlessly showbizzy host.
The episode makes references to several films and television shows. The Tracey Ullman Show is referred to as "the nation's showcase for psychiatrist jokes and musical comedy numbers", while the outtakes right before the commercial breaks parodies television series such as Roseanne
and Home Improvement (which regularly aired similar outtakes). The deleted scene from "$pringfield" in which Homer plays blackjack with James Bond parodies the 1967 film Casino Royale
. The episode satirizes the Fox network in particular, as the two specials mentioned in the beginning, Alien Nose Job and Five Fabulous Weeks Of 'The Chevy Chase Show, are references to two actual programs that have aired on the network: The Chevy Chase Show
(1993) and Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction (1995). Several famous musical themes are used or parodied in the clips, such as when Homer sings the theme song from The Flintstones
, and Johann Strauss II
's Blue Danube
is heard in the background of one scene. The show's producers are depicted as animated characters in the introduction: Groening is a bald Southern patriot who wields a gun wearing an eye patch, a reference to the promotional poster of the 1970 film Patton
, and his own comic strip Life in Hell
; Brooks is seen as Rich Uncle Pennybags
, the tycoon from Monopoly
; and Simon's appearance resembles Howard Hughes
. One of Smithers' fantasies is a parody of Marilyn Monroe
's famous happy birthday song to President John F. Kennedy
, while another one is an allusion to Peter Pan
flying through the window. The book that Krusty tries to sell is a reference to Madonna
's book entitled Sex
. "NRA4EVER," the message that appears on a cash register during the opening sequence reference in a trivia question, is a reference to the National Rifle Association
.
of 9.5, and a Nielsen rank of 48. The episode has become study material for sociology courses at University of California, Berkeley
, where it is used to "examine issues of the production and reception of cultural objects, in this case, a satirical cartoon show", and to figure out what it is "trying to tell audiences about aspects primarily of American society, and, to a lesser extent, about other societies." Some questions asked in the courses include: "What aspects of American society are being addressed in the episode? What aspects of them are used to make the points? How is the satire conveyed: through language? Drawing? Music? Is the behavior of each character consistent with his/her character as developed over the years? Can we identify elements of the historical/political context that the writers are satirizing? What is the difference between satire and parody?" Considered a spoof of television clip shows, the episode is seen drawing attention to prevailing televisual conventions and reminds viewers that The Simpsons itself participates actively in that same cultural legacy.
In general, the critical view on the episode is positive. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, thought "the out-takes are up to standard" and contains "a number of great self-referential moments". Simone Knox praised its visual style in her article Reading the Ungraspable Double-Codedness of "The Simpsons". The episode itself has been described by some critics as a kind of self-imposed benchmark of the show itself, with writer Bill Keveney commenting, "the show picks its own benchmarks, as it did in 1995". Knox referred to it as not simply a clip show, "but a ‘clip show’ that looks at the series with a sense of hyper-self-consciousness about its own textuality." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said even though the episode is a clip show, it "gussies up the concept with some interesting elements, and keeps repetitive material to a minimum. Instead, it offers lots of then-unseen footage as well as old snippets from The Tracey Ullman Show. It still feels like a cheap way to crank out a new episode, but it’s one of the better clip shows you’ll see." Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict gave the episode a B+ grade and commented, "apart from the creative material, what really makes this [episode] shine is the hilarious hosting by Troy McClure." Dave Foster of DVD Times criticized the episode: "Despite some interesting concepts such as a bored Troy McClure presenting to much amusement and the presence of deleted scenes and Tracey Ullman shorts amongst the clips, this is an episode that tries hard to find a hook but never quite manages, assuring it'll never make it into regular rotation on this viewer's watch."
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 Fox
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...
on December 3, 1995. As the title suggests, it is the 138th episode and the third clip show
Clip show
A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...
episode of The Simpsons after "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
"So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April Fools' Day, 1993. In the episode, Homer plays a series of practical jokes on Bart, and to get even, Bart shakes up a can of...
" and "Another Simpsons Clip Show
Another Simpsons Clip Show
"Another Simpsons Clip Show" is the third episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 25, 1994...
". While the "138th Episode Spectacular" compiles sequences from episodes throughout the entire Simpsons series like the previous two, it also shows clips from the original Simpsons shorts from The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
and other previously unaired material. Like the Halloween specials, the episode is considered non-canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
and falls outside of the show's regular continuity.
The "138th Episode Spectacular" was written by Jon Vitti
Jon Vitti
Jon Vitti is an American writer best known for his work on the television series The Simpsons. He has also written for the King of the Hill and The Critic series, and has served as a consultant for several animated movies, including Ice Age and Robots...
and directed by David Silverman
David Silverman
David Silverman is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, as well as The Simpsons Movie...
, and is a parody of the common practice among live-action series to produce clip shows. It has received positive reviews, and was one of the most watched episodes of the season 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 9.5.
Plot
Troy McClureTroy McClure
Troy McClure is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He was voiced by Phil Hartman and first appears in the second season episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". McClure is a washed-up actor, usually shown doing low-level work, such as hosting infomercials...
hosts this episode, which highlights individual scenes and sequences from throughout the show and offers never-before-seen outtakes. McClure starts the episode by showing a brief presentation of how The Simpsons series was conceived by 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....
, James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...
, and Sam Simon
Sam Simon
Samuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...
. He goes on to present some clips of the original shorts that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
, including the first one, "Good Night
Good Night (The Simpsons short)
"Good Night" is the first Simpsons short that appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show. It originally aired April 19, 1987, during the third episode of The Tracey Ullman Show and was the first appearance of the Simpson family on television. After three seasons on Tracey Ullman, the shorts would be...
", in its entirety. Next, a presumed commercial break is introduced with a trivia question about the message that appears when Maggie Simpson
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
is scanned by the cash register during the show's opening sequence
The Simpsons opening sequence
The Simpsons opening sequence is an element that begins almost every episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Starting with the season 20 episode "Take My Life, Please", the opening sequence was redone to go with the high-definition format of the show, and replaced the...
; the answer is revealed (falsely
The Simpsons opening sequence
The Simpsons opening sequence is an element that begins almost every episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Starting with the season 20 episode "Take My Life, Please", the opening sequence was redone to go with the high-definition format of the show, and replaced the...
) to be "NRA
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
4EVER." The show then returns to McClure, who responds to questions from fan mail by showing clips that contain the answers. The letters include questions on Homer's growing stupidity, how the cast and crew can create an episode per week, and hints of Waylon Smithers
Waylon Smithers
Waylon Smithers, Jr., usually referred to as Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the animated series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer. Smithers first appeared in the episode "Homer's Odyssey", although he could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open...
' homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
Another commercial break is then introduced with a trivia question, this time concerning which two popular characters have died within the past year; the answer is revealed to be Bleeding Gums Murphy and Dr. Marvin Monroe, although neither of them were ever popular (and the latter wasn't actually dead, as revleaed in Diatribe of a Mad Housewife
Diatribe of a Mad Housewife
"Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season, which originally aired January 25, 2004. Marge is inspired to write a romance novel, though after Homer hears rumors that Marge is secretly in love with Ned Flanders due to the storyline of the novel, he grows...
). McClure then presents deleted scenes from Simpsons episodes, "Krusty Gets Kancelled
Krusty Gets Kancelled
"Krusty Gets Kancelled" is the twenty-second and final episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 1993. In the episode, a new show featuring a puppet named Gabbo premieres in Springfield and competes with Krusty the Clown's show...
", "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)
$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)
"$pringfield ", also known as "$pringfield", is the tenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 16, 1993. In the episode, Springfield decides to legalize gambling to revitalize its economy. A casino owned by Mr...
", "Mother Simpson
Mother Simpson
"Mother Simpson" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons seventh season and first aired on November 19, 1995. After faking his own death to get a day off of work, Homer reunites with his mother Mona, who he thought had died 27 years ago. It was directed by David Silverman and was the first episode to...
", "Treehouse of Horror IV
Treehouse of Horror IV
"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons fifth season and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer...
", "Homer and Apu
Homer and Apu
"Homer and Apu" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 10, 1994. In the episode, Homer participates in a hidden camera investigation of the expired meat selling at the Kwik-E-Mart. Apu is immediately fired and...
", and "Burns' Heir
Burns' Heir
"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience which prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies...
".
McClure also reveals that alternate endings to part two of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" were created to prevent the staff on The Simpsons from spoiling the mystery that "all of America was trying to solve [...] this past summer". These alternate endings, most of which consist of random characters shooting Mr. Burns, conclude with a more elaborate ending in which Smithers is revealed to be the assailant. Troy McClure ends the episode by showing a montage of "hardcore nudity" (scenes of The Simpsons characters naked), set to the KC and the Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give...
song "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty
(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty
" Shake Your Booty" is a song recorded and released in 1976 by KC and the Sunshine Band for the album Part 3. The song became their third number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as their third number-one on the soul singles chart. The song was met with a degree of controversy, since the...
".
Production
So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
"So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April Fools' Day, 1993. In the episode, Homer plays a series of practical jokes on Bart, and to get even, Bart shakes up a can of...
" and "Another Simpsons Clip Show
Another Simpsons Clip Show
"Another Simpsons Clip Show" is the third episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 25, 1994...
". It was written by Jon Vitti
Jon Vitti
Jon Vitti is an American writer best known for his work on the television series The Simpsons. He has also written for the King of the Hill and The Critic series, and has served as a consultant for several animated movies, including Ice Age and Robots...
, who used the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Penny Wise" in the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
because he did not want to be credited for writing a clip show. The episode was directed by David Silverman
David Silverman
David Silverman is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, as well as The Simpsons Movie...
, who also did not want to be credited, and used the pseudonym "Pound Foolish" in the closing credits.
During the early years of the show, Fox network officials forced the Simpsons staff to produce clip shows in order to save money. Originally, the producers were ordered to produce one clip show per season in order to meet episode limits imposed by the network. Fox network officials reasoned that clip shows could be produced at half the cost of a normal episode, but syndication rights could be sold at full price. The staff, however, felt such a large number of clip shows would alienate fans of the series.
Former show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
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...
thought the episode was one of the better clip shows of The Simpsons, because it had more original and interesting material than the others. Oakley enjoyed showing deleted scenes from previous episodes and the Simpsons shorts, and particularly enjoyed the montage of couch gags at the beginning of the episode. The staff tried to entertain themselves while producing the clip show, and Oakley said by having the only actor be Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
as Troy McClure, it was "guaranteed to be fun".
The Simpsons (season 4)
The Simpsons fourth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 24, 1992 and May 13, 1993, beginning with "Kamp Krusty." The show runners for the fourth production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season...
episode "Marge Gets a Job
Marge Gets a Job
"Marge Gets a Job" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It was first broadcast on November 5, 1992 on Fox. In this episode, Marge gets a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to pay for foundation repair at the Simpson house. Mr. Burns develops a crush on Marge after seeing...
", in which Smithers has a dream that he is sleeping and Mr. Burns flies through a window into his room. The sequence shows Burns flying towards a happy-looking Smithers. The original clip went on for a few seconds longer, but had to be trimmed down in order to remove portions that showed "Mr. Burns land[ing] in a particular position on Smithers anatomy". There were also issues with "the lump in his bed", which the animators said had drawn as his knee, but the censors had mistakenly believed was an erection
Erection
Penile erection is a physiological phenomenon where the penis becomes enlarged and firm. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular and endocrine factors, and is usually, though not exclusively, associated with sexual arousal...
.
A deleted scene from the season five
The Simpsons (season 5)
The Simpsons fifth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 30, 1993 and May 19, 1994. The show runner for the fifth production season was David Mirkin who executive produced 20 episodes. Al Jean and Mike Reiss executive produced the remaining two, which were both hold overs...
episode "Burns' Heir
Burns' Heir
"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience which prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies...
" is also shown, in which a robotic Richard Simmons
Richard Simmons
Milton Teagle Simmons , known professionally as Richard Simmons, is an American fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos and DVDs and is known for his eccentric, outgoing and frequently flamboyant personality...
dances outside Burns's mansion to the 1976 song "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty
(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty
" Shake Your Booty" is a song recorded and released in 1976 by KC and the Sunshine Band for the album Part 3. The song became their third number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as their third number-one on the soul singles chart. The song was met with a degree of controversy, since the...
". It was cut from "Burns' Heir" because the writers did not think it was funny, nor did it do well with a test audience, although Oakley thought the animation was terrific. To the production staff's surprise, the scene would make the audience "erupt with laughter" when screened at animation conventions and college presentations, so they decided to insert it in this episode.
Due to the amount of interest in the ending of the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" episode, David Mirkin
David Mirkin
David Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he became a stand-up...
wrote several "terrible endings" and recorded several alternate endings with Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
serving as the only voice actor. Mirkin's original intention was to fool the production staff and also leak the endings to various media outlets; much to his surprise, Mirkin failed to successfully fool the staff. Several endings were animated that showed various characters, such as Barney
Barney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
, Moe
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"...
, and Apu
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
, shooting Mr. Burns, and were presented as part of this episode.
Referenced clips
The episode contains presumably only 23% new footage, while the rest are clips taken from previous episodes. The five shorts used in this episode are "Good Night", which was featured in its entirety, and portions of "The Perfect Crime", "Space Patrol", "World War III", and "Bathtime". Some parts of the episode contain montages of only a few seconds-long clips, such as those referring to Homer's increased stupidity ("Blood Feud", "Flaming Moe'sFlaming Moe's
"Flaming Moe's" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 21, 1991. In the episode, Homer tells Moe Szyslak of a secret alcoholic cocktail that includes cough medicine and fire that he calls "Flaming Homer"...
", "Marge vs. the Monorail
Marge vs. the Monorail
"Marge vs. the Monorail" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsonss fourth season and originally aired on January 14, 1993. The plot focuses around Springfield's purchase of a monorail from a conman, and Marge's dislike of the purchase. It was written by Conan O'Brien and directed by Rich Moore...
", "Deep Space Homer
Deep Space Homer
"Deep Space Homer" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season and first aired on February 24, 1994. The episode was directed by Carlos Baeza and was the only episode of The Simpsons written by David Mirkin, who was also the executive producer at the time...
", and "Treehouse of Horror V
Treehouse of Horror V
"Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons sixth season and the fifth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series. It premiered on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories called The Shinning, Time and Punishment, and Nightmare Cafeteria...
"), or those suggesting Smithers' homosexuality ("Rosebud
Rosebud (The Simpsons)
"Rosebud" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 21, 1993. The episode begins by showing how on the eve of his birthday, Mr. Burns starts to miss his childhood teddy bear Bobo...
", "Dog of Death
Dog of Death
"Dog of Death" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 12, 1992. In the episode, Santa's Little Helper falls ill and the Simpson family must make budget cuts in order to pay for his operation...
", "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
"Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 1994. In the episode, Lisa challenges the makers of the Malibu Stacy doll to create a less dull doll...
", and "Marge Gets a Job
Marge Gets a Job
"Marge Gets a Job" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It was first broadcast on November 5, 1992 on Fox. In this episode, Marge gets a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to pay for foundation repair at the Simpson house. Mr. Burns develops a crush on Marge after seeing...
").
| Episode name (in order of appearance) | Season | Clip description |
|---|---|---|
| "Good Night Good Night (The Simpsons short) "Good Night" is the first Simpsons short that appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show. It originally aired April 19, 1987, during the third episode of The Tracey Ullman Show and was the first appearance of the Simpson family on television. After three seasons on Tracey Ullman, the shorts would be... " |
shorts | Homer and Marge tuck the kids into bed. |
| "The Perfect Crime" | shorts | Maggie reveals the thief of Marge's cookies, Bart. |
| "Space Patrol" | shorts | Bart, Lisa, and Maggie play Space Patrol and get into a fight. |
| "World War III" | shorts | Saying that it is World War III, Homer tests how long it takes his family to get into the bomb shelter. |
| "Bathtime" | shorts | Homer tries to force Bart to take a bath but Bart pranks Homer instead. |
| Montage sequence | 2–6 | Homer gets more and more stupid each season. |
| Montage sequence | 3–5 | Waylon Smithers Waylon Smithers Waylon Smithers, Jr., usually referred to as Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the animated series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer. Smithers first appeared in the episode "Homer's Odyssey", although he could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open... fantasizes about Mr. Burns Montgomery Burns Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer... . |
| Montage sequence | 4, 5 & 7 | Various deleted scenes from previous episodes. |
| “Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part II)" | 7 | (unaired) Alternative ending in which Waylon Smithers is revealed to have shot Mr. Burns. |
| Montage sequence | 1–6 | "Hardcore nudity" in The Simpsons. |
Cultural references
The entire setup of Troy McClureTroy McClure
Troy McClure is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He was voiced by Phil Hartman and first appears in the second season episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". McClure is a washed-up actor, usually shown doing low-level work, such as hosting infomercials...
presenting the episode is a parody of the practice by live-action series to produce clip shows in general, by celebrating a completely random milestone and by making exaggerated use of the conventions of traditional highlights shows, such as a grand introduction and relentlessly showbizzy host.
The episode makes references to several films and television shows. The Tracey Ullman Show is referred to as "the nation's showcase for psychiatrist jokes and musical comedy numbers", while the outtakes right before the commercial breaks parodies television series such as Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
and Home Improvement (which regularly aired similar outtakes). The deleted scene from "$pringfield" in which Homer plays blackjack with James Bond parodies the 1967 film Casino Royale
Casino Royale (1967 film)
Casino Royale is a 1967 comedy spy film originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is set as a satire of the James Bond film series and the spy genre, and is loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.The film stars David Niven as the...
. The episode satirizes the Fox network in particular, as the two specials mentioned in the beginning, Alien Nose Job and Five Fabulous Weeks Of 'The Chevy Chase Show, are references to two actual programs that have aired on the network: The Chevy Chase Show
The Chevy Chase Show
The Chevy Chase Show was an American late night talk show hosted by actor, comedian and Saturday Night Live alumnus Chevy Chase that aired in 1993 on Fox...
(1993) and Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction (1995). Several famous musical themes are used or parodied in the clips, such as when Homer sings the theme song from The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
, and Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
's Blue Danube
The Blue Danube
The Blue Danube is the common English title of An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 , a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866...
is heard in the background of one scene. The show's producers are depicted as animated characters in the introduction: Groening is a bald Southern patriot who wields a gun wearing an eye patch, a reference to the promotional poster of the 1970 film Patton
Patton (film)
Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
, and his own comic strip Life in Hell
Life in Hell
Life in Hell is a weekly comic strip by Matt Groening. The strip features anthropomorphic rabbits and a pair of gay lovers. Groening uses these characters to explore a wide range of topics about love, sex, work, and death...
; Brooks is seen as Rich Uncle Pennybags
Rich Uncle Pennybags
Rich "Uncle" Pennybags aka Frank Moneybags, is the round old man in a top hat who serves as the mascot of the game Monopoly. Rich "Uncle" Pennybags was rechristened Mr. Monopoly in a Hasbro marketing effort in 1999. He also is known as Whiff from all the casino slot machines...
, the tycoon from Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
; and Simon's appearance resembles Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
. One of Smithers' fantasies is a parody of Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
's famous happy birthday song to President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, while another one is an allusion to Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
flying through the window. The book that Krusty tries to sell is a reference to Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's book entitled Sex
Sex (book)
Sex is a coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames taken from film shot by Fabien Baron. The book was edited by Glenn O'Brien. Sex was released on October 21, 1992 by Warner Books...
. "NRA4EVER," the message that appears on a cash register during the opening sequence reference in a trivia question, is a reference to the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
.
Reception
The episode ranked among the ten most heavily viewed episodes of the seventh season. After its initial American airing, the episode received a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 9.5, and a Nielsen rank of 48. The episode has become study material for sociology courses at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where it is used to "examine issues of the production and reception of cultural objects, in this case, a satirical cartoon show", and to figure out what it is "trying to tell audiences about aspects primarily of American society, and, to a lesser extent, about other societies." Some questions asked in the courses include: "What aspects of American society are being addressed in the episode? What aspects of them are used to make the points? How is the satire conveyed: through language? Drawing? Music? Is the behavior of each character consistent with his/her character as developed over the years? Can we identify elements of the historical/political context that the writers are satirizing? What is the difference between satire and parody?" Considered a spoof of television clip shows, the episode is seen drawing attention to prevailing televisual conventions and reminds viewers that The Simpsons itself participates actively in that same cultural legacy.
In general, the critical view on the episode is positive. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, thought "the out-takes are up to standard" and contains "a number of great self-referential moments". Simone Knox praised its visual style in her article Reading the Ungraspable Double-Codedness of "The Simpsons". The episode itself has been described by some critics as a kind of self-imposed benchmark of the show itself, with writer Bill Keveney commenting, "the show picks its own benchmarks, as it did in 1995". Knox referred to it as not simply a clip show, "but a ‘clip show’ that looks at the series with a sense of hyper-self-consciousness about its own textuality." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said even though the episode is a clip show, it "gussies up the concept with some interesting elements, and keeps repetitive material to a minimum. Instead, it offers lots of then-unseen footage as well as old snippets from The Tracey Ullman Show. It still feels like a cheap way to crank out a new episode, but it’s one of the better clip shows you’ll see." Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict gave the episode a B+ grade and commented, "apart from the creative material, what really makes this [episode] shine is the hilarious hosting by Troy McClure." Dave Foster of DVD Times criticized the episode: "Despite some interesting concepts such as a bored Troy McClure presenting to much amusement and the presence of deleted scenes and Tracey Ullman shorts amongst the clips, this is an episode that tries hard to find a hook but never quite manages, assuring it'll never make it into regular rotation on this viewer's watch."
External links
- "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" at The Simpsons.com