The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular


image_caption = Troy McClure falls asleep while watching the deleted scenes reel
episode_no = 138
prod_code = 3F31
airdate = December 3, 1995
show runner = Bill Oakley
Josh Weinstein
writer = Jon Vitti
director = David Silverman
blackboard = " I will only do this once a year "
couch_gag = Twelve different previously aired couch gags (see "Couch Gag Montage" section).
guest_star = Buzz Aldrin as himself
Glenn Close as Mona Simpson
commentary = Matt Groening
Bill Oakley
Josh Weinstein
Jon Vitti
George Meyer
season = 7"The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" is the tenth episode of "The Simpsons"' seventh season, and is, as the title suggests, the 138th episode (though, in production order, this would be the 155th). The episode aired on December 3, 1995, and is the third clip show episode of "The Simpsons". As with the Halloween specials, the episode is considered non-canon and outside of the show's regular continuity.

Plot

Troy McClure hosts this episode, which looks back at the show and also offers never-before-seen outtakes. The episode opens with a look at the creators Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon. Groening is portrayed as a Southern patriot who wields a gun, is bald, and has an eye patch, Brooks is seen as Rich Uncle Pennybags from Monopoly, and Simon's appearance resembles Howard Hughes. After that, Troy McClure shows clips from "The Tracey Ullman Show". Some of the clips are only partial, but the first short "Good Night" is shown entirely.

McClure then goes on to answer fan mail by showing clips that answer the questions. The mails include the questions "I think Homer gets stupider every year", "How does Matt Groening find time to write and draw an entire Simpsons episode every week", and "What is the real deal with Mr. Burns' assistant, Smithers. You know what I'm talking about" The episode shows deleted scenes from "Burns' Heir", "Mother Simpson" , "Homer and Apu", "Treehouse of Horror IV", and "Krusty Gets Kancelled". The episode also offers alternate endings to part two of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", most of which consisted of random characters shooting Mr. Burns, followed by a more elaborate ending where Smithers is revealed to be the assailant. The alternate endings were created to prevent any staff, be it writers, editors, hangers on or even overseas animators, on the Simpsons from spoiling the mystery.

At the end of the episode, Troy McClure end the show by showing a montage of scenes of only bare butts on The Simpsons playing over the end credits.

Production

*In the first "Simpsons Trivia" blurb, the announcer says the cash register says "NRA4EVR". When paused, the cash register says $847.63 (which was the monthly cost of raising a baby in 1989).

*In the second "Simpsons Trivia" blurb, it states that Dr. Marvin Monroe died in the past year, but he later appeared in the episode "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" claiming that he had been "very sick" (though, the episode never states Monroe is dead, just the ultimate joke that Monroe and Bleeding Gums Murphy were never popular characters. However, this is questioned because people were sad about Murphy's death. Also, it is unclear who the popular characters who died were).

* The Simmons robot outtake was cut because the writers didn't think it was funny, nor did it do well with a test audience. However, it always gets laughs when shown at college screenings and animation conventions [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burns%27_Heir#Robotic_Richard_Simmons] . Because Richard Simmons isn't widely known outside the United States, the Latin American translation changes the name of Simmons to Lorenzo Lamas, son of Fernando Lamas and star of the TV Show "Renegade", and the Italian translation changes it into "Mr. Ginnasta Robotico" (Mr. Robotic Gymnast).

Cultural references

* Concerning the false endings of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", Troy McClure comments that if Waylon Smithers had been the gunman, "then we would have to ignore all of the Simpson DNA evidence, and that would be downright nutty!" This is a sly reference to the O.J. Simpson Trial in which many people claim DNA evidence was ignored, leading to a false acquittal.

Notes

References

*cite book | last =Martyn | first =Warren | coauthors =Adrian Wood | title =I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide | publisher =Virgin Books | date =2000 | pages =Section: "138th Episode Spectacular | url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page10.shtml| id = ISBN 0-753-50495-2
*cite book| last = Turner| first = Chris| title =| id = ISBN 0-679-31318-4

External links

* [http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0710.htm "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"] at The Simpsons.com
*snpp capsule|3F31
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701261/ "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"] at the Internet Movie Database
* [http://www.tv.com/the-simpsons/the-simpsons-138th-episode-spectacular/episode/1423/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;9 "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"] at TV.com