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  1. Add a new Selected episode to the next available subpage.
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Selected episodes list

 

Selected episode 1

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/1

Executive Producer, David Mirkin
" The Joy of Sect" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. It originally aired on the FOX network in the United States on February 8, 1998. In the episode, a cult called the " Movementarians" takes over Springfield, and Homer and the rest of the Simpson family become members. Homer and Bart are initially introduced to a pair of young Movementarian recruiters in an airport. Homer becomes brainwashed, and moves his family into the cult compound. David Mirkin had the initial idea for the episode, Steve O'Donnell was the lead writer, and Steven Dean Moore directed. The writers drew on many groups to develop the Movementarians, but were principally influenced by Scientology, Heaven's Gate, the Unification Church and Peoples Temple. The episode was later analyzed from religious, philosophical and psychological perspectives, and books compared the Movementarians to many of the same groups that the writers had drawn influences from. The show contains many references to popular culture, including the title reference to The Joy of Sex and a gag involving Rover from the television program The Prisoner.
 

Selected episode 2

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/2 " A Streetcar Named Marge" is the second episode of The Simpsons' fourth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 1, 1992. In the episode, Marge wins the role of Blanche DuBois in a musical version of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. Homer is apathetic to his wife's acting pursuits, and Marge begins to see parallels between him and Stanley Kowalski, the play's boorish lead male character. The episode contains a subplot in which Maggie Simpson attempts to retrieve her pacifier from a strict daycare attendant. Jeff Martin wrote the episode, and Rich Moore served as director. Jon Lovitz made his fourth guest appearance on The Simpsons, this time as musical director Llewellyn Sinclair, as well as Llewellyn's sister, who runs the daycare. The episode generated controversy for its original song about New Orleans, which contains several unflattering lyrics about the city. One New Orleans newspaper published the lyrics before the episode aired, prompting numerous complaints to the local Fox affiliate. In response, the president of Fox Broadcasting issued an apology to anyone who was offended. Despite the controversial song, the episode was well-received by many fans, and show creator Matt Groening has named it one of his favorite episodes.

 

Selected episode 3

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/3

Hank Azaria voiced Frank Grimes in the episode.
" Homer's Enemy" is the twenty-third episode of The Simpsons’ eighth season, first broadcast by Fox on May 4, 1997. It was directed by Jim Reardon and written by John Swartzwelder, although the idea for the episode came from Bill Oakley. The plot of the episode centers on the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's hire of a new character named Frank Grimes. Homer attempts to befriend Grimes; however, Grimes ends up hating Homer and declares himself Homer's enemy. Meanwhile, Bart buys a run-down factory for a dollar. "Homer's Enemy" is one of the darkest and most famous episodes of The Simpsons, and is a favorite of several members of the production staff, including Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, Matt Groening, as well as The Office creator Ricky Gervais. Although Grimes makes his only appearance in this episode, he was later named one of the "Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral characters" by IGN.
 

Selected episode 4

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/4

John Waters
" Homer's Phobia" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' eighth season, which originally aired on the Fox Network on February 16, 1997. It was the first episode written by Ron Hauge and was directed by Mike B. Anderson. John Waters guest-starred, providing the voice of the new character, John. In the episode, Homer dissociates himself from new family friend John after discovering that John is gay. Homer fears that John will have a negative influence on his son, Bart. "Homer's Phobia" was the first episode to revolve entirely around homosexual themes, with the title being a pun on the word homophobia. Originally, due to the controversial subject, the Fox censors found the episode unsuitable for broadcast, but this decision was reversed after a turnover in the Fox staff. It won four awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) and a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding TV - Individual Episode".
 

Selected episode 5

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/5 " Cape Feare" is the second episode of The Simpsons' fifth season, which premiered on the Fox network on October 7, 1993 after being held over from season four. The episode features Sideshow Bob trying to kill Bart Simpson after getting out of jail. It is a spoof of the 1962 film Cape Fear as well as its 1991 remake, but alludes to other horror films. The production crew found it difficult to stretch "Cape Feare" in order to fulfil the standard length of a half-hour episode, leading to the padding of several scenes for which some became memorable. "Cape Feare" was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Rich Moore and was the last episode that the original writing staff helped produce. Kelsey Grammer guest stars as Sideshow Bob. The episode is generally rated as one of the best of the entire series and the score received an Emmy Award nomination.

 

Selected episode 6

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/6 " Mr. Plow" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons' fourth season, which originally aired on November 19, 1992. In the episode, Homer buys a snow plow and starts a business plowing driveways. It is a huge success, and inspired by Homer's success, Barney Gumble starts a rival company and quickly puts Homer out of business. The episode was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Jim Reardon. In 1993, Dan Castellaneta won an Emmy Award for " Outstanding Voice-Over Performance" for this episode. The episode was also submitted in the " Outstanding Comedy Series" category although ultimately it wasn't nominated.

 

Selected episode 7

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/7 " Treehouse of Horror VII" is the first episode of The Simpsons' eighth season and originally aired October 27, 1996. In the seventh annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Bart discovers his long-lost twin, Lisa grows a colony of small beings and Kang & Kodos take over the bodies of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in order to win the 1996 Presidential election. It was written by Ken Keeler, Dan Greaney & David S. Cohen and directed by Mike B. Anderson. Phil Hartman provided the voice of Clinton.

 

Selected episode 8

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/8 " Bart of Darkness" is the first episode of The Simpsons' sixth season, which originally aired September 4, 1994. It was written by Dan McGrath, and directed by Jim Reardon. In the episode, Bart breaks his leg; his resultant isolation causes him to believe that Ned Flanders has committed murder. The episode was produced during the 1994 Northridge earthquake which held up production by a month, and is largely a parody of the film Rear Window.

 

Selected episode 9

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/9

" Homer at the Bat" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons' third season, which originally aired February 20, 1992. The episode follows the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, led by Homer, having a winning season and making the championship game. Mr. Burns makes a large bet that the team will win and brings in nine ringers from the " big leagues" to ensure his success. It was written by John Swartzwelder, who is a big baseball fan, and directed by Jim Reardon. Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey, Jr., Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, José Canseco, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry and Mike Scioscia all guest starred as themselves, playing the ringers hired by Mr. Burns. Terry Cashman also sang a song over the end credits. The guest stars were recorded over several months, with differing degrees of cooperation. The episode is often named among the show's best, and was the first to beat The Cosby Show in the ratings on its original airing. Jon Lovitz also guest voices.
 

Selected episode 10

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/10

" Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons' second season and first aired on December 20, 1990. In the episode, which is a satire of censorship issues, Maggie attacks Homer with a mallet and Marge blames The Itchy & Scratchy Show for Maggie's actions. It was written by John Swartzwelder and was the first episode to be directed by Jim Reardon. Alex Rocco makes his first of three guest appearances as Roger Meyers, Jr.
 

Selected episode 11

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/11

David Silverman directed the episode
" Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", also known as "The Simpsons Christmas Special", is the first full-length episode of The Simpsons to air despite originally being the eighth episode produced for season one. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 17, 1989. In the episode, Homer discovers that he will not be getting a Christmas bonus and thus the family has no money to buy Christmas presents. He decides to keep their financial troubles a secret and gets a job as a department store Santa, but later discovers that the job does not pay enough. Desperate for a miracle, Homer and Bart go to the dog racing track on Christmas Eve in hopes of earning some money. The episode was written by Mimi Pond and directed by David Silverman. (pictured in 2007) The title alludes to " The Christmas Song", also known as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire". "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 1990, and has received positive reviews from television critics. It was viewed by approximately 13.4 million viewers in its original airing.
 

Selected episode 12

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/12

" Homerpalooza" is the twenty-fourth episode of The Simpsons' seventh season and originally aired on May 19, 1996 as part of the season finale. The plot focuses around Homer's depression about aging and no longer being cool, and his quest to become cool again by joining the "Hullabalooza" music festival as a carnival freak. The episode title is a play on the Lollapalooza music festival. It would prove to be the last Simpsons episode written by Brent Forrester and the last episode directed by Wes Archer. Peter Frampton and musical groups The Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill and Sonic Youth guest star as themselves.
 

Selected episode 13

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/13 " Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons' sixth season, which originally aired October 30, 1994. It was written by Greg Daniels, Dan McGrath, David Cohen and Bob Kushell, and directed by Jim Reardon. James Earl Jones guest stars as the alternate universe Maggie Simpson.

 

Selected episode 14

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/14 " Kamp Krusty" is the first episode of The Simpsons' fourth season, which originally aired on September 24, 1992. During the Summer holidays, the children of Springfield attend Kamp Krusty, a summer camp run by Krusty the Clown. The camp turns out to be a hellhole, leading to the campers rebelling against the camp director. The episode was written by David M. Stern and directed by Mark Kirkland.

 

Selected episode 15

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/15

" Marge vs. the Monorail" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons' fourth season and originally aired on January 14, 1993. The plot focuses around the town of Springfield buying a monorail from a conman and Marge's dislike of the purchase. It was written by Conan O'Brien and directed by Rich Moore. Leonard Nimoy guest stars as himself and Phil Hartman guest stars as Lyle Lanley.
 

Selected episode 16

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/16

" You Only Move Twice" is the second episode of The Simpsons' eighth season, which originally aired November 3, 1996. It was directed by Mike B. Anderson and written by John Swartzwelder. The episode title is a reference to the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, and many elements of the episode parody the Bond films. The episode, based on a story idea by Greg Daniels, has three major concepts: the family moves to a new town; Homer gets a new modern boss; and that boss, unbeknownst to Homer, is an evil genius. Bart, Lisa, and Marge each have individual secondary storylines. Setting the second and third acts in a new town, Cypress Creek, required the animators to create entirely new layouts and background designs. Albert Brooks, in his fourth Simpsons appearance, guest stars as the voice of Hank Scorpio, who is one of the most popular one-time characters on The Simpsons. IGN named "You Only Move Twice" the best episode of the eighth season.
 

Selected episode 17

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/17

" Trash of the Titans" is the 22nd episode of The Simpsons' ninth season and the 200th overall. It originally aired on the Fox network on April 26, 1998. It was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham, and directed by Jim Reardon. It saw Steve Martin guest star as Ray Patterson, and U2 as themselves, although Larry Mullen doesn't say a word in the episode. The band's head of Principal Management Paul McGuinness and Susie Smith, an employee of Principal Management also make brief appearances in the episode. It won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less). This episode is dedicated to the memory of Linda McCartney. She appeared alongside her husband Paul in the episode " Lisa the Vegetarian".
 

Selected episode 18

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/18

" 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. The episode follows Homer becoming an astronaut, and the ensuing chaos when the navigation system on his Space Shuttle is destroyed. Buzz Aldrin and James Taylor both guest starred as themselves. The critically acclaimed episode became the source of the Overlord meme, and features numerous film parodies, mostly referencing The Right Stuff and 2001: A Space Odyssey. A copy of the episode is available for astronauts to watch at the International Space Station.
 

Selected episode 19

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/19 " 22 Short Films About Springfield" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons' seventh season, which originally aired on April 14, 1996. It was written by Richard Appel, David S. Cohen, Jonathan Collier, Jennifer Crittenden, Greg Daniels, Brent Forrester, Rachel Pulido, Steve Tompkins, Josh Weinstein, Bill Oakley and Matt Groening, with the writing being supervised by Greg Daniels. The episode was directed by Jim Reardon. Phil Hartman guest starred as Lionel Hutz and the hospital board chairman. The episode looks into the lives of other Springfield residents in a series of linked stories and originated from the end segment of the earlier episode " The Front". The episode is a loose parody of Pulp Fiction, and gave the staff the idea of a possible spin-off from The Simpsons.

 

Selected episode 20

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/20

" Brother from Another Series" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons' eighth season and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is up to. It was the first episode directed by Pete Michels and was written by Ken Keeler. Guest starring Kelsey Grammer in his sixth appearance as Sideshow Bob and David Hyde Pierce as Cecil. The title is not only a pun on the movie The Brother from Another Planet, but also a reference to the fact that guest stars Kelsey Grammer ( Frasier Crane) and David Hyde Pierce ( Niles Crane) also play bickering brothers on the sitcom Frasier.
 

Selected episode 21

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/21

Willem Dafoe guested as the school's Commandant.
" The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" is the season final of The Simpsons' eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on May 18, 1997 as the season finale. Bart gets sent to a military academy as punishment for bad behavior. While visiting the academy, Lisa sees that the students are academically challenged and she decides that she wants to attend as well. It was directed by Mike B. Anderson, written by Richard Appel and featured Willem Dafoe in a guest spot as the school's Commandant. The episode was mistakenly anticipated as being about Lisa launching "a legal battle" to enroll at the military school.
 

Selected episode 22

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/22

Episode writer, David S. Cohen
" Lisa the Skeptic" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season, first aired on November 23, 1997. On an archaeological dig with her class, Lisa discovers a skeleton that resembles an angel. All of the townspeople believe that the skeleton actually came from an angel, but skeptical Lisa attempts to persuade them that there must be a rational scientific explanation. The skeleton is later revealed to be a publicity stunt for a new mall going up in Springfield, and the townspeople forget their concerns about the skeleton to go shopping. Writer David S. Cohen (pictured) had the inspiration for the episode after visiting the American Museum of Natural History, and decided to loosely parallel themes from the Scopes Monkey Trial. The episode has been discussed in the context of concepts involving virtual reality, ontology, existentialism, and skepticism. The episode received mixed reviews, but has since been used in Christian religious education classes to form a discussion around angels, skepticism, and the balance between science and faith.
 

Selected episode 23

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/23

Rod Steiger voiced Captain Tenille
" Simpson Tide" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season and originally aired on the Fox network on March 29, 1998. After being fired from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Homer decides to join the United States Navy Reserve. The episode was the second and last to be written by Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia and was also the final episode directed by Milton Gray. It guest starred Rod Steiger as Captain Tenille and Bob Denver as himself, with one-time Simpsons writer Michael Carrington making an appearance as the Drill Sargeant. This was the last episode Al Jean and Mike Reiss executive produced together, although both would return in season 13 with Jean as show runner and Reiss as a producer.
 

Selected episode 24

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/24

Stephen Colbert based his performance on Tony Robbins.
" He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs", also known as "He Loves to Fly", is the season premiere of The Simpsons’ nineteenth season and first aired on September 23, 2007. Homer gets to fly in Mr. Burns's private jet and likes it so much that he decides never to fly commercial again. He tries to find a job that involves flying in a corporate jet, and hires a life coach named Colby Kraus to assist him with his goal. It was written by Joel H. Cohen, directed by Mark Kirkland and guest stars Lionel Richie as himself and Stephen Colbert as Colby Kraus. The episode averaged 9.7 million viewers and a 4.7 overnight Nielsen rating and a 12 percent audience share, making the highest rated episode of The Simpsons since " The Wife Aquatic", which aired January 7, 2007. The episode's title is a reference to the former Delta Air Lines slogan, "We love to fly and it shows."
 

Selected episode 25

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/25

New York City
" The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" is the first episode of The Simpsons' ninth season, and premiered on September 21, 1997 on Fox. The episode sees the Simpson family traveling to Manhattan to recover the family car, which was taken by Barney and abandoned outside the World Trade Center complex with numerous parking tickets. Upon arrival, the family tour the city, while Homer attempts to find his car. He discovers it outside the World Trade Center, where a parking officer later arrives to remove the clamp, but leaves as Homer is urinating inside one of the towers. In frustration, Homer decides to drive the car with the clamp attached. He successfully removes it later and races to Central Park to find his family and leave the city. Writer Ian Maxtone-Graham was interested in making an episode where the Simpson family travels to New York to retrieve their lost car. Executive producers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein suggested that the car be found in the World Trade Center plaza, as they wanted a location that would be widely known. Great lengths were taken to make a detailed replica of the city of Manhattan. The episode received generally positive reviews, and has since been on accolade lists of Simpsons episodes. The "You're Checkin' In" musical sequence won two awards. Because of the World Trade Center's central role, the episode was initially taken off syndication in many areas following the September 11, 2001 attacks, but has come back into syndication in recent years.
 

Selected episode 26

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/26

Seth Rogen, who both co-wrote and guest starred in the episode.
" Homer the Whopper" is the season premiere of The Simpsons' twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 27, 2009. In the episode, Comic Book Guy creates a new superhero called Everyman who takes powers from other superheroes and Homer is cast as the lead in the film adaptation. It was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who are "obsessed" fans of the show, and directed by Lance Kramer. Rogen and Goldberg were invited to The Simpsons writers room, where they pitched several episode ideas. One was accepted, and they wrote an outline with the help of some feedback from the regular writers. "Homer the Whopper" was intended to be a commentary on how Hollywood treats superhero films. It received a Nielsen rating of 4.3 in its original broadcast.
 

Selected episode 27

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/27

" Lisa the Vegetarian" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons' seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 15, 1995. In the episode, Lisa decides to stop eating meat after bonding with a lamb at a petting zoo. Her schoolmates and family members ridicule her for her beliefs, but with the help of Apu, Paul McCartney, and Linda McCartney, she commits to vegetarianism.

Directed by Mark Kirkland, "Lisa the Vegetarian" is the first full-length episode David S. Cohen wrote for The Simpsons. David Mirkin, the show runner at the time, supported the episode in part because he had just become a vegetarian himself. Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his then wife Linda McCartney guest star in the episode. Paul McCartney's condition for appearing was that Lisa would remain a vegetarian for the rest of the series. The episode makes several references to his musical career, and his song " Maybe I'm Amazed" plays during the closing credits. "Lisa the Vegetarian" finished 47th in the ratings for the week of October 9–15, 1995, with a 9.0 Nielsen rating. It was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week. The episode received generally positive reviews from television critics. It has won two awards, an Environmental Media Award and a Genesis Award, for highlighting environmental and animal issues.

 

Selected episode 28

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/28

" Stark Raving Dad" is the season premiere of the third season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 19, 1991. In the episode, Homer is forced to wear a pink shirt to work one day as a result of a laundry accident and is mistaken for a " free thinking anarchist". He is sent to a mental institution, where he shares a room with a large white man named Leon Kompowsky who pretends to be Michael Jackson.

Al Jean and Mike Reiss wrote the episode while Rich Moore served as director. Jackson guest starred in the episode as the speaking voice of Leon Kompowsky. Jackson was a fan of the show and called creator Matt Groening one night offering to do a guest spot. Jackson pitched several story ideas for the episode and wrote the song "Happy Birthday Lisa" that is featured in the plot. He also stipulated that he would provide Kompowsky's speaking voice, but his singing voice would be performed by a sound-alike ( Kipp Lennon) because he wanted to play a joke on his brothers. A sequel to the episode was later written, in which Kompowsky was being voiced by Prince rather than Jackson, but it was never produced. During the January 30, 1992, rerun of the episode, a short alternate opening aired before the credits, produced in response to a speech made by the President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, three days earlier in which he said Americans needed to be "a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons".

 

Selected episode 29

Portal:The Simpsons/Selected episode/29 " Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" is the second episode of The Simpsons' third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 26, 1991. In the episode, Lisa enters in an essay contest to write an essay about America's greatness. When she successfully wins it, she and the family travel to Washington, D.C. where the finals are to be held. Lisa is dismayed after witnessing a bribery scandal in the Senate. In her final essay, she disdains and condemns the government system, which leads to the arrest of the corrupt congressman who accepted the bribe. While Lisa fails to win the contest, her faith in government is restored.

The episode was written by George Meyer and directed by Wes Archer, and it was the first episode for which Al Jean and Mike Reiss served as show runners. It features multiple references to the 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, including the scene in which Lisa appeals to Lincoln's statue at the Lincoln Memorial for advice. Other Washington landmarks referenced in the episode include the Jefferson Memorial, the Watergate Hotel, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the White House, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Washington Monument. The episode acquired a Nielsen rating of 12.9, and was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired. It received mostly positive reviews from television critics, who praised the episode for its satire on American politics. However, the timber industry criticized the scene in which Lisa witnesses a timber industry lobbyist offering a bribe to the congressman in order to demolish the Springfield Forest.


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