The Simpsons season 1: Difference between revisions
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|ShortSummary=Principal Skinner finally becomes fed up with Bart's pranks and proposes that Bart be sent to France as part of the [[student exchange program]]. The family agrees and Bart is sent to the "beautiful" Château Maison, which is actually a dilapidated farmhouse on a neglected vineyard. Bart is treated like a slave by two unscrupulous winemakers, César and Ugolin, who eventually feed him wine tainted with antifreeze. Meanwhile, an [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|Albanian]] boy named Adil starts to live with the Simpsons |
|ShortSummary=Principal Skinner finally becomes fed up with Bart's pranks and proposes that Bart be sent to France as part of the [[student exchange program]]. The family agrees and Bart is sent to the "beautiful" Château Maison, which is actually a dilapidated farmhouse on a neglected vineyard. Bart is treated like a slave by two unscrupulous winemakers, César and Ugolin, who eventually feed him wine tainted with antifreeze. Meanwhile, an [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|Albanian]] boy named Adil starts to live with the Simpsons. Unbeknownst to Homer, he is a spy sent by his country to obtain nuclear blueprints. Back in France, Bart learns French and reports the winemakers' crimes to the authorities.{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997 |p=27}} |
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'''Note''': First episode to feature [[Agnes Skinner]]. |
'''Note''': First episode to feature [[Agnes Skinner]]. |
Revision as of 09:10, 30 August 2022
The Simpsons | |
---|---|
Season 1 | |
![]() DVD cover featuring the Simpsons family sitting on their couch watching television inside a TV | |
No. of episodes | 13 |
Release | |
Original network | Fox |
Original release | December 17, 1989 May 13, 1990 | –
Season chronology | |
The first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between December 17, 1989, and May 13, 1990, beginning with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." The executive producers for the first production season were Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon.[1]
The series was originally set to debut in autumn 1989 with the episode "Some Enchanted Evening", (which was meant to introduce the main characters),[2] but during the first screening of the episode, the producers discovered that the animation was so poor that 70% of the episode needed to be redone.[3]
The producers considered aborting the series if the next episode turned out as bad, but it suffered from only easily fixable problems. The producers convinced Fox to move the debut to December 17, and aired "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" as the first episode of the series.[2] The first season won one Emmy Award, and received four additional nominations.[4] The DVD boxset was released on September 25, 2001, in Region 1 and September 24, 2001, in both Region 2 and Region 4.
With a total of 13 episodes, this is the shortest season of the show to date.
Voice cast & characters
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Penny_Marshall_1976.jpg/200px-Penny_Marshall_1976.jpg)
Main cast
- Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Barney Gumble, additional voices
- Grampa Simpson in 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire', 'Bart the General' & 'The Telltale Head'
- Krusty The Clown in 'The Telltale Head' & 'Krusty Gets Busted'
- Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson, additional voices
- Patty and Selma in 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire', 'Life on the Fast Lane'
- Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Lewis, additional voices
- Nelson Muntz in 'Bart The General'
- Ralph Wiggum in 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire'
- Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson, additional voices
- Harry Shearer as additional voices
- Waylon Smithers in 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire', 'Homer's Odyssey', 'There's No Disgrace Like Home', 'The Telltale Head' & 'Homer's Night Out'
- Principal Skinner in 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire', 'Bart the Genius', 'The Telltale Head' & 'The Crepes of Wrath'
- Reverend Lovejoy in 'The Telltale Head', 'Homer's Night Out', 'Krusty Gets Busted"'
- Mr. Burns in 'There's No Disgrace Like Home' & 'Homer's Night Out'
- Mr. Burns was voiced by Christopher Collins in all other appearances ('Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire', 'Homer's Odyssey' & 'The Telltale Head')
- Lenny Leonard in 'Life on the Fast Lane', 'Homer's Night Out' and 'The Crepes of Wrath'.
- Ned Flanders in 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire' & The Call of the Simpsons',
- Kent Brockman in 'Krusty Gets Busted'
Recurring
- Hank Azaria as Chief Wiggum, Moe Szyslak, Carl Carlson, and Apu
- Pamela Hayden as Milhouse Van Houten
- Tress MacNeille as Jimbo Jones and Agnes Skinner
- Russi Taylor as Martin Prince and Sherri and Terri
- Marcia Wallace as Edna Krabappel
- Jo Ann Harris as background characters
- Maggie Roswell as Helen Lovejoy and Princess Kashmir
- Sam McMurray as Worker Drone
- Christopher Collins as Mr. Burns (episodes 1, 4 and 8), Moe Szyslak (episode 13) and TV host
- Albert Brooks as Cowboy Bob and Jacques
- Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob
Guest stars
- Ron Taylor as Bleeding Gums Murphy
("Moaning Lisa") - Susan Blu as Howie and Boy #2
("Moaning Lisa") - Miriam Flynn as Miss Barr ("Moaning Lisa")
- Christian Coffinet as Gendarme Officer
("The Crepes of Wrath") - Penny Marshall as Ms. Botz
("Some Enchanted Evening") - June Foray as a receptionist
("Some Enchanted Evening") - Paul Willson as a florist
("Some Enchanted Evening")
Characters
Main
- Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta)
- Appears in all episodes
- Marge Simpson (Julie Kavner)
- Appears in all episodes
- Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright)
- Appears in all episodes
- Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith)
- Appears in all episodes
Recurring
- Barney Gumble (Dan Castellaneta)
- Appears in all episodes
- Moe Szyslak (Hank Azaria)
- Lewis (Nancy Cartwright, Jo Ann Harris)
Reception
Ratings
The Simpsons first season was Fox network's first TV series to rank among a season's top 30 highest-rated shows.[5] It won an Emmy and received four additional nominations. Although television shows are limited to one episode per category, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" was considered a separate special and nominated alongside fellow episode "Life on the Fast Lane" for Outstanding Animated Program; "Life on the Fast Lane" won. "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" was also nominated for "Outstanding Editing in a Miniseries or Special", while "The Call of the Simpsons" was nominated for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special". The main theme song, composed by Danny Elfman, was nominated for "Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music".[4]
Critical and public response
The first season of The Simpsons received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 100% approval rating based on 18 critical reviews with an average rating of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "The Simpsons' first season proves a quickly addictive introduction to America's animated first family with a run of entertaining episodes that set the stage for a groundbreaking series."[6] On Metacritic, a site which uses a weighted mean score, the season scored a 79/100 from six critics, translating to "generally favorable reviews". However, the show was controversial from its beginning. The rebellious lead character at the time, Bart, frequently received no punishment for his misbehavior, which led some parents to characterize him as a poor role model for children.[7][8] Several US public schools even banned The Simpsons merchandise and t-shirts, such as one featuring Bart and the caption "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')".[9] Despite the ban, The Simpsons merchandise sold well and generated US$2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales.[9]
At the 6th annual Television Critics Association Awards, the first season of the show won 'Outstanding Achievement in Comedy', beating the likes of "Designing Women," "Murphy Brown," "Newhart," and "The Wonder Years." Additionally, it was nominated for 'Program of the Year' but lost to "Twin Peaks."
Episodes
No. overall | No. in season | Titel | Directed by | Written by | Storyboard by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" | David Silverman | Mimi Pond | Rich Moore | December 17, 1989 | 7G08 | 26.7[10] |
2 | 2 | "Bart the Genius" | David Silverman | Jon Vitti | David Silverman | January 14, 1990 | 7G02 | 24.5[10] |
3 | 3 | "Homer's Odyssey" | Wes Archer | Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky | Wes Archer | January 21, 1990 | 7G03 | 27.5[11] |
4 | 4 | "There's No Disgrace Like Home" | Gregg Vanzo & Kent Butterworth | Al Jean & Mike Reiss | Mike Kazaleh & Gregg Vanzo | January 28, 1990 | 7G04 | 20.2[12] |
5 | 5 | "Bart the General" | David Silverman | John Swartzwelder | Barry Caldwell & David Silverman | February 4, 1990 | 7G05 | 27.1[13] |
6 | 6 | "Moaning Lisa" | Wes Archer | Al Jean & Mike Reiss | Wes Archer, Steven Dean Moore & Michael J. O'Connor | February 11, 1990 | 7G06 | 27.4[14] |
7 | 7 | "The Call of the Simpsons" | Wes Archer | John Swartzwelder | Steven Dean Moore | February 18, 1990 | 7G09 | 27.6[15] |
8 | 8 | "The Telltale Head" | Rich Moore | Al Jean, Mike Reiss, Sam Simon & Matt Groening | Barry Caldwell, Steven Dean Moore & Rich Moore | February 25, 1990 | 7G07 | 28[16] |
9 | 9 | "Life on the Fast Lane" | David Silverman | John Swartzwelder | Steven Dean Moore & David Silverman | March 18, 1990 | 7G11 | 33.5[17] |
10 | 10 | "Homer's Night Out" | Rich Moore | Jon Vitti | Bob Arkwright, Timothy Burgard, Rich Moore & Steven Dean Moore | March 25, 1990 | 7G10 | 30.3[18] |
11 | 11 | "The Crepes of Wrath" | Wes Archer & Milton Gray | George Meyer, Sam Simon, John Swartzwelder & Jon Vitti | Jeffrey Lynch & Steven Dean Moore | April 15, 1990 | 7G13 | 31.2[19] |
12 | 12 | "Krusty Gets Busted" | Brad Bird | Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky | Brad Bird, Ralph Eggleston, Jeffrey Lynch & Steven Dean Moore | April 29, 1990 | 7G12 | 30.4[20] |
13 | 13 | "Some Enchanted Evening" | David Silverman & Kent Butterworth | Matt Groening & Sam Simon | David Silverman, Kent Butterworth & Steven Dean Moore | May 13, 1990 | 7G01 | 27.1[21] |
Home media
The DVD boxset for season one was released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in the United States and Canada on September 25, 2001, eleven years after it had completed broadcast on television.[22] As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted scenes, animatics, and commentaries for every episode. The commentaries were recorded in late 2000.[23] When the first season DVD was released in 2001, it quickly became the best-selling television DVD in history. It was later overtaken by the 2004 release of Chappelle's Show Season 1.[24] As of October 19, 2004, the DVD boxset sold 1.9 million units.[24]
The Complete First Season | |||
Set Details[22][25][26] | Special Features[22][25][26] | ||
|
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Release Dates | |||
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |
September 25, 2001 | September 24, 2001 | September 24, 2001 |
See also
References
- ^ Richmond & Coffman 1997, pp. 16–17.
- ^ a b Groening, Matt (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Silverman, David (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Emmy Awards official site Archived February 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine "The Simpsons" "1989–1990" emmys.org. Retrieved on July 3, 2007
- ^ "TV Ratings: 1989–1990". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved 2006-07-03.
- ^ "The Simpsons". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ Turner 2004, p. 131.
- ^ Rosenbaum, Martin (2007-06-29). "Is The Simpsons still subversive?". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ a b Griffiths, Nick (2000-04-15). "America's First Family". The Times Magazine. pp. 25, 27–28.
- ^ a b Henry, Matthew (April 2007). "Don't Ask me, I'm Just a Girl: Feminism, Female Identity, and The Simpsons". The Journal of Popular Culture. 40 (2): 272–303. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00379.x.
- ^ "NIELSENS; A 'Grand' entrance for NBC". USA Today. January 24, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ "NIELSENS; AMA gets the popular votes". USA Today. January 31, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ "NIELSENS; 'Amen,' wedded to ratings win". USA Today. February 7, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ "NIELSENS; 'Faith' abides for No.1 NBC". USA Today. February 14, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ "NIELSENS; 'Home Videos' a hit for ABC". USA Today. February 21, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ "NIELSENS; 'Videos' is a repeat winner". USA Today. February 28, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ "NIELSENS; 'Simpsons' soar for No.4 Fox". USA Today. March 21, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ "NIELSENS; Fox builds Sunday strength". USA Today. March 28, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ unknown (April 27, 1990). "The Ratings. TV chart for week of April 9—15, 1990". Entertainment Weekly. TV ARTICLE. Published in issue #11 Apr 27, 1990.
In millions of viewers ... The Simpsons Fox, 31.2
- ^ unknown (May 11, 1990). "The Ratings". Entertainment Weekly. TV ARTICLE. Published in issue #13 May 11, 1990.
In millions of viewers ... The Simpsons Fox, 30.4
- ^ "NIELSENS; Sunday night sinks NBC". USA Today. May 16, 1990. p. 03.D.
- ^ a b c "Simpsons, The — The Complete 1st Season". TV Shows on DVD.com. Archived from the original on 2007-03-03. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ The Simpsons Archive: Matt Groening Interview (October 2000)
- ^ a b Lambert, David (September 19, 2004). "Chapelle's Show—S1 DVD Passes The Simpsons As #1 All-Time TV-DVD; Celebrates by Announcing Season 2!". TVshowsonDVD.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2006. Retrieved July 3, 2006.
- ^ a b c "The Simpsons Season 1 DVD". The Simpsons Shop. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ a b c "The Simpsons Make Their DVD Debut In Fox Home Entertainment's Worldwide Release Of The Simpsons Season One Collector's Edition DVD Box Set". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. July 11, 2001. Archived from the original on August 3, 2001. Retrieved June 5, 2019 – via Yahoo.com.
- Bibliography
- Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M.
- Ortved, John (2009). The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. Greystone Books. ISBN 978-1-55365-503-9.
- Scott, A.O. (2001-11-04). "Homer's Odyssey". The New York Times Magazine. pp. 42–47. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
- Turner, Chris (2004). Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation. Foreword by Douglas Coupland. (1st ed.). Toronto: Random House Canada. ISBN 978-0-679-31318-2. OCLC 55682258.
External links
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