Treehouse of Horror VIII
Encyclopedia
"Treehouse of Horror VIII" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons
' ninth season
and first aired on the Fox
network on October 26, 1997. In the eighth annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Homer Simpson
is the last man left alive when a neutron bomb
destroys Springfield
until a gang of mutant
s come after him, Homer buys a transporter that Bart
uses to switch bodies with a housefly, and Marge
is accused of witchcraft
in a Puritan
rendition of Springfield in 1649. It was written by Mike Scully
, David S. Cohen
and Ned Goldreyer
, and was directed by Mark Kirkland
.
censor, deleting things from the episode's script, announces that thanks to his editing tonight's Simpsons episode is rated TV-G, stating that the episode will not have "raunchy NBC
-style sex" or "CBS
-style violence." As he says this, a hand with a sword appears out of the on-screen rating icon and stabs him in the back repeatedly, raising the rating with every stab. He collapses dead onto the desk, leaving a final rating of "TV-666
". Three self-contained segments then follow.
generates controversy after making an offensive joke about France. After refusing to apologize, the French president launches a neutron bomb
directly into Springfield. Homer
had been inspecting a bomb shelter he was considering buying from Herman's military surplus store. After the blast Homer emerges from the shelter and seems to be the only person in town to have survived. As the last man alive in Springfield, he decides to do as he pleases. Homer is soon confronted by a band of Springfield citizens who have become mutant
s. They claim they want to create a perfect world in which the mistakes of the past will be eliminated. This involves murdering Homer. Homer flees and arrives at his home where he finds that his family survived the blast because their house was protected by its layers of lead paint
. Seeing Homer reunited with his family, the mutants see the error of their ways. They hope they can build a Utopian society
with the Simpsons, but Marge
and the children kill them with shotguns that they were hiding behind their backs.
from Professor Frink
's yard sale. Bart asks if he can use it, but Homer refuses. That night, Bart tries to sneak Snowball II
into the teleporter and at the same time, Santa's Little Helper
jumps in. As the pets come out, Santa's Little Helper and Snowball II have been merged into a two-headed creature. A fly lands on Bart's arm and thinking that he will become a superhero, Bart grabs the fly and steps into the teleporter. He comes out his normal head, but with the body of the fly and meanwhile the fly has his body. The rest of the family wakes up and sees Bart's body with a fly's head and decide that it must still be Bart and accept him as family. Bart the fly talks to Lisa and tells her what happened. The fly-boy eats Bart but Lisa knocks him into the teleporter. Bart and the fly appear in the living room as normal. An enraged Homer grabs an axe and starts chasing Bart around for using the teleporter.
In 1649, the town is witness to many witch burnings
. In the church, the townspeople try to figure out whom to condemn next. People start accusing others and soon they erupt into chaos, until Marge
intervenes. She tries to talk sense into the townspeople, but Moe
accuses her of being a witch. Quimby assures her that she is entitled to due process which means she will be thrown off a cliff
with a broomstick; if she is a witch she will be able to fly to safety, in which case the authorities expect her to report back for punishment. If she is not a witch, then she will fall to an honorable Christian death. Lisa
tries to speak on her mother's behalf, but to no avail and Marge gets shoved off the cliff. They look and see that a green-skinned Marge is flying on the broomstick and really is a witch. She returns to her elder sisters Patty and Selma in their mountain
lair. The sisters watch Ned
and Maude Flanders talking about how the witches may eat their children, and decide to do just that. They knock on the Flanders' door and demand the kids. Before they leave, Maude offers the witches gingerbread men instead. The witches like these better than the kids and let Rodd and Todd go. They go to each house, getting goodies in exchange for not eating the kids. As they fly off, the Sea Captain says that is how the tradition of Halloween
and trick-or-treating
started. The scene then jumps to years later in the same village where everyone is dressed in costumes.
"The HΩmega Man" was written by Mike Scully
, "Fly Vs. Fly" was written by David S. Cohen
and "Easy-Bake Coven" was written by Ned Goldreyer. Large portions of the "Fly vs. Fly" segment were cut, including the original ending where the fly also emerges from the teleporter, but is considerably larger and the Simpson family ride it to the mall.
The producers had trouble with the censors over several segments in this episode. The opening segment of the episode, which features Fox Censor the censor being stabbed to death and was pitched by David Mirkin
, had a difficult time getting through the real life censors. They had issues with the size of the knife and the sound effects used. Originally, the TV-rating was supposed to stab Mr. Censor with a dagger, but FOX Network objected because it was too gruesome and was changed to a curved sword. The censors also objected to an unaired scene where Homer does his naked church dance on an altar. The scene was reanimated so that Homer was dancing naked in the front row.
This episode was the only Treehouse of Horror
episode that was directed by Mark Kirkland
. It was also the last episode Brad Bird
worked on; he left the show to direct The Iron Giant
. "Easy-Bake Coven" was storyboarded by Kirkland and the backgrounds were designed by Lance Wilder
. Although Kang and Kodos make brief appearances in every Treehouse of Horror episode, their brief appearance in this one was nearly cut. David X. Cohen managed to persuade the producers to leave the scene in.
, which was one of Mike Scully's favorite movies as a child. In the same segment, Homer runs over Johnny
and Edgar Winter
while fleeing the mutants pursuing him, crying: "Die, you chalk-faced goons!"; the Winter brothers are both albino. Also in this segment, Homer notices a Gary Larson
calendar of his landmark strip The Far Side
in a bomb shelter he is touring just before the bomb hits Springfield.
The title "Fly vs. Fly" is a reference to the Mad magazine
comic strip "Spy vs. Spy
", while the segment itself is based on the film The Fly
. In "Easy-Bake Coven", the animators referenced the film The Crucible for many of their designs, and Edna Krabappel
is wearing a Scarlet A, which is a reference to the novel The Scarlet Letter
. The plot of the segment is loosely based on the Salem witch trials
, while the title is a reference to the children's toy Easy-Bake Oven
. The story also contains a brief reference to the Looney Tunes
/Chuck Jones
character Witch Hazel
when Marge, Patty and Selma click their heels before flying away on their brooms.
of 11.2, equivalent to approximately 10.9 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, beating King of the Hill
.
"Treehouse of Horror VIII" won a Golden Reel Award
in 1998 for "Best Sound Editing - Television Animated Specials" for Robert Mackston, Travis Powers
, Norm MacLeod and Terry Greene. Alf Clausen
received an Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)" for this episode, which he ultimately lost. The A.V. Club
named Comic Book Guy
's line "Oh, I've wasted my life" as one of the quotes from The Simpsons that can be used in everyday situations.
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 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...
and first aired on the 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...
network on October 26, 1997. In the eighth annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Homer Simpson
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...
is the last man left alive when a neutron bomb
Neutron bomb
A neutron bomb or enhanced radiation weapon or weapon of reinforced radiation is a type of thermonuclear weapon designed specifically to release a large portion of its energy as energetic neutron radiation rather than explosive energy...
destroys Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
until a gang of mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
s come after him, Homer buys a transporter that 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...
uses to switch bodies with a housefly, and 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...
is accused of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
in a Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
rendition of Springfield in 1649. It was written by 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...
, David S. Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
and Ned Goldreyer
Ned Goldreyer
Ned Goldreyer is a television writer, television producer and comedian who currently lives in Los Angeles.-Career:He began his career as a freelance writer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher and went on to join the staffs of Late Night with Conan O' Brien, The Simpsons, Dilbert, Grounded for...
, and was directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
.
Opening
A FoxFox 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...
censor, deleting things from the episode's script, announces that thanks to his editing tonight's Simpsons episode is rated TV-G, stating that the episode will not have "raunchy NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
-style sex" or "CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
-style violence." As he says this, a hand with a sword appears out of the on-screen rating icon and stabs him in the back repeatedly, raising the rating with every stab. He collapses dead onto the desk, leaving a final rating of "TV-666
Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast is a term in the Book of Revelation, of the New Testament, that is associated with the first Beast of Revelation chapter 13, the Beast of the sea. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of the Bible, the number of the Beast is...
". Three self-contained segments then follow.
The HΩmega Man
Mayor QuimbyJoe Quimby
Mayor Joseph "Joe" Quimby, nicknamed "Diamond Joe," is a recurring character from the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Bart Gets an F". A member of the Democratic Party, Quimby is the mayor of Springfield, and is a...
generates controversy after making an offensive joke about France. After refusing to apologize, the French president launches a neutron bomb
Neutron bomb
A neutron bomb or enhanced radiation weapon or weapon of reinforced radiation is a type of thermonuclear weapon designed specifically to release a large portion of its energy as energetic neutron radiation rather than explosive energy...
directly into Springfield. 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...
had been inspecting a bomb shelter he was considering buying from Herman's military surplus store. After the blast Homer emerges from the shelter and seems to be the only person in town to have survived. As the last man alive in Springfield, he decides to do as he pleases. Homer is soon confronted by a band of Springfield citizens who have become mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
s. They claim they want to create a perfect world in which the mistakes of the past will be eliminated. This involves murdering Homer. Homer flees and arrives at his home where he finds that his family survived the blast because their house was protected by its layers of lead paint
Lead paint
Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead, a heavy metal, that is used as pigment, with lead chromate and lead carbonate being the most common. Lead is also added to paint to speed drying, increase durability, retain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture that causes corrosion...
. Seeing Homer reunited with his family, the mutants see the error of their ways. They hope they can build a Utopian society
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
with the Simpsons, but 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...
and the children kill them with shotguns that they were hiding behind their backs.
Fly vs. Fly
Homer buys a matter teleporterTeleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
from Professor Frink
Professor Frink
Professor John Nerdelbaum Frink, Jr., or simply Professor Frink, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely...
's yard sale. Bart asks if he can use it, but Homer refuses. That night, Bart tries to sneak Snowball II
Snowball (The Simpsons)
The name Snowball refers to five fictional cats that have been owned by the Simpson family in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The differences between them are:...
into the teleporter and at the same time, Santa's Little Helper
Santa's Little Helper
Santa's Little Helper is a recurring character in the American animated television series The Simpsons. He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. The dog was introduced in the first episode of the show, the 1989 Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", in which his owner abandons...
jumps in. As the pets come out, Santa's Little Helper and Snowball II have been merged into a two-headed creature. A fly lands on Bart's arm and thinking that he will become a superhero, Bart grabs the fly and steps into the teleporter. He comes out his normal head, but with the body of the fly and meanwhile the fly has his body. The rest of the family wakes up and sees Bart's body with a fly's head and decide that it must still be Bart and accept him as family. Bart the fly talks to Lisa and tells her what happened. The fly-boy eats Bart but Lisa knocks him into the teleporter. Bart and the fly appear in the living room as normal. An enraged Homer grabs an axe and starts chasing Bart around for using the teleporter.
Easy-Bake Coven
Witch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
. In the church, the townspeople try to figure out whom to condemn next. People start accusing others and soon they erupt into chaos, until 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...
intervenes. She tries to talk sense into the townspeople, but 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"...
accuses her of being a witch. Quimby assures her that she is entitled to due process which means she will be thrown off a cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
with a broomstick; if she is a witch she will be able to fly to safety, in which case the authorities expect her to report back for punishment. If she is not a witch, then she will fall to an honorable Christian death. Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
tries to speak on her mother's behalf, but to no avail and Marge gets shoved off the cliff. They look and see that a green-skinned Marge is flying on the broomstick and really is a witch. She returns to her elder sisters Patty and Selma in their mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
lair. The sisters watch Ned
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...
and Maude Flanders talking about how the witches may eat their children, and decide to do just that. They knock on the Flanders' door and demand the kids. Before they leave, Maude offers the witches gingerbread men instead. The witches like these better than the kids and let Rodd and Todd go. They go to each house, getting goodies in exchange for not eating the kids. As they fly off, the Sea Captain says that is how the tradition of Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
and trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating or "Guising", is a customary practice for children on Halloween in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house in order to ask for treats such as candy with the question "Trick or treat?"...
started. The scene then jumps to years later in the same village where everyone is dressed in costumes.
Production
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...
, "Fly Vs. Fly" was written by David S. Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
and "Easy-Bake Coven" was written by Ned Goldreyer. Large portions of the "Fly vs. Fly" segment were cut, including the original ending where the fly also emerges from the teleporter, but is considerably larger and the Simpson family ride it to the mall.
The producers had trouble with the censors over several segments in this episode. The opening segment of the episode, which features Fox Censor the censor being stabbed to death and was pitched by 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...
, had a difficult time getting through the real life censors. They had issues with the size of the knife and the sound effects used. Originally, the TV-rating was supposed to stab Mr. Censor with a dagger, but FOX Network objected because it was too gruesome and was changed to a curved sword. The censors also objected to an unaired scene where Homer does his naked church dance on an altar. The scene was reanimated so that Homer was dancing naked in the front row.
This episode was the only Treehouse of Horror
Treehouse of Horror
"Treehouse of Horror" is the third episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1990. The episode was inspired by 1950s horror comics, and begins with a disclaimer that it may be too scary for children. It is the first of a...
episode that was directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
. It was also the last episode Brad Bird
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
worked on; he left the show to direct The Iron Giant
The Iron Giant
The Iron Giant is a 1999 animated film produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the 1968 novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. Brad Bird directed the film, which stars a voice cast of Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick, Jr., Vin Diesel, Eli Marienthal, Christopher McDonald and John Mahoney...
. "Easy-Bake Coven" was storyboarded by Kirkland and the backgrounds were designed by Lance Wilder
Lance Wilder
Lance Wilder is a background design supervisor best known for his work on The Simpsons and The Critic.- Biography :...
. Although Kang and Kodos make brief appearances in every Treehouse of Horror episode, their brief appearance in this one was nearly cut. David X. Cohen managed to persuade the producers to leave the scene in.
Cultural references
As with the majority of the Treehouse of Horror episodes, numerous cultural references are made throughout the episode. "The HΩmega Man" is an extended homage to film The Omega ManThe Omega Man
The Omega Man is a 1971 American science fiction film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Charlton Heston. It is based on the novel I Am Legend by American writer Richard Matheson...
, which was one of Mike Scully's favorite movies as a child. In the same segment, Homer runs over Johnny
Johnny Winter
John Dawson "Johnny" Winter III is an American blues guitarist, singer, and producer. Best known for his late 1960s and 1970s high-energy blues-rock albums and live performances, Winter also produced three Grammy Award-winning albums for blues legend Muddy Waters...
and Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
while fleeing the mutants pursuing him, crying: "Die, you chalk-faced goons!"; the Winter brothers are both albino. Also in this segment, Homer notices a Gary Larson
Gary Larson
Gary Larson is the creator of The Far Side, a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to newspapers for 15 years. The series ended with Larson's retirement on January 1, 1995. His 23 books of collected cartoons have combined sales of more than 45 million...
calendar of his landmark strip The Far Side
The Far Side
The Far Side is a popular single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 1995. Its surrealistic humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an anthropomorphic view of the world,...
in a bomb shelter he is touring just before the bomb hits Springfield.
The title "Fly vs. Fly" is a reference to the Mad magazine
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
comic strip "Spy vs. Spy
Spy vs. Spy
Spy vs. Spy is a black and white comic strip that debuted in Mad magazine #60, dated January 1961, and was originally published by EC Comics. The strip was created by Antonio Prohías.The Spy vs...
", while the segment itself is based on the film The Fly
The Fly (1958 film)
The Fly is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film, directed by Kurt Neumann. The screenplay was written by James Clavell , from the short story "The Fly" by George Langelaan...
. In "Easy-Bake Coven", the animators referenced the film The Crucible for many of their designs, and Edna Krabappel
Edna Krabappel
Edna Krabappel is a fictional character from the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Marcia Wallace. She is a 4th grade teacher at Springfield Elementary School. Krabappel is the only character Wallace voices on a regular basis.- Profile :...
is wearing a Scarlet A, which is a reference to the novel The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an...
. The plot of the segment is loosely based on the Salem witch trials
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
, while the title is a reference to the children's toy Easy-Bake Oven
Easy-Bake Oven
The Easy-Bake Oven is a working toy oven introduced by Kenner in 1963, and currently manufactured by Hasbro. The original toy used an ordinary incandescent light bulb as a heat source; current versions use a true heating element. By 1997, more than 16 million Easy-Bake Ovens had been sold.The...
. The story also contains a brief reference to the Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
/Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
character Witch Hazel
Witch Hazel (Looney Tunes)
Witch Hazel is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. Disney, MGM, Famous Studios, and the Little Lulu comic book also had characters named Witch Hazel, and Rembrandt Films had one named Hazel Witch. This article is chiefly concerned...
when Marge, Patty and Selma click their heels before flying away on their brooms.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Treehouse of Horror VIII" finished 18th in ratings for the week of October 20-26, 1997, with a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 11.2, equivalent to approximately 10.9 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, beating 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...
.
"Treehouse of Horror VIII" won a Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award
Golden Reel Award may refer to:* Golden Reel Award , presented by the Genie Awards to high-grossing Canadian films...
in 1998 for "Best Sound Editing - Television Animated Specials" for Robert Mackston, Travis Powers
Travis Powers
Travis Powers is a sound effects editor who has worked on several animated television series, including The Simpsons, Futurama, Dilbert, The PJs, The Critic, The Tracey Ullman Show, Mission Hill and King of the Hill. In 1998, he won a Golden Reel Award for "Best Sound Editing" for the episode...
, Norm MacLeod and Terry Greene. Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen is an American film and television composer. He is best known for his work scoring many episodes of The Simpsons, of which he has been the sole composer since 1990...
received an Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)" for this episode, which he ultimately lost. The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
named Comic Book Guy
Comic Book Guy
Comic Book Guy is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the second-season episode "Three Men and a Comic Book", which originally aired on May 9, 1991. He is the proprietor of a comic book store, The...
's line "Oh, I've wasted my life" as one of the quotes from The Simpsons that can be used in everyday situations.
External links
- "Treehouse of Horror VIII" at The Simpsons.com