Some Enchanted Evening (The Simpsons): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Simpsons episode |
{{Infobox Simpsons episode |
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| image = |
| image = The Simpsons 7F03.jpg |
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| caption = [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] giving Botzcowski advice about babysitting her children. |
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| caption = |
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| season = 1 |
| season = 1 |
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| episode = 13 |
| episode = 13 |
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| director = [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] |
| director = [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]]<br/>Kent Butterworth |
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| writer = [[Matt Groening]]<br |
| writer = [[Matt Groening]]<br/>[[Sam Simon]] |
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| production = 7G01 |
| production = 7G01{{Sfn|Groening|2010|p=49}} |
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| airdate = {{Start date|1990| |
| airdate = {{Start date|1990|5|13}} |
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| guests = |
| guests = * [[Penny Marshall]] as Ms. Botz |
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* [[Penny Marshall]] as Ms. Botz |
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* [[Paul Willson]] as a Florist |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| couch_gag = The family comes in and just sits on the couch in a normal manner.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season1/page13.shtml |title=Some Enchanted Evening |access-date=February 12, 2007 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> |
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| couch_gag = The family comes in and just sits on the couch in a normal manner.<ref name="BBC" /> |
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| prev = [[Krusty Gets Busted]] |
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| next = [[Bart Gets an "F"|Bart Gets an 'F{{'-}}]] |
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| next = [[Bart Gets an "F"|Bart Gets an 'F{{'-}}]] |
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"'''Some Enchanted Evening'''" is the thirteenth and final episode of the [[The Simpsons |
"'''Some Enchanted Evening'''" is the thirteenth and final episode of the [[The Simpsons season 1|first season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It was originally broadcast on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in the United States on May 13, 1990.{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997|pp=30-31}} A family drama, it had a very long delayed release. Written by [[Matt Groening]] and [[Sam Simon]] and directed by [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] and Kent Butterworth, "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first episode produced for season one and was intended to air as the series premiere in fall 1989, but aired as the season one finale due to animation problems. The Christmas special "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]" premiered in its place on December 17, 1989. It is the last episode to feature the original opening sequence starting from "[[Bart the Genius]]". In the episode, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] and [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] go on a night out while leaving the children under the care of a diabolical babysitter named Ms. Lucille "Botz" Botzcowski. |
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[[Penny Marshall]] provided the voice of Ms. Botz. The episode features cultural references to such films as ''[[The Night of the Hunter (film)|The Night of the Hunter]]'' and ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' as well as a musical reference to ''[[A Star Is Born (1954 film)|A Star Is Born]]''. |
[[Penny Marshall]] provided the voice of Ms. Botz. The episode features cultural references to such films as ''[[The Night of the Hunter (film)|The Night of the Hunter]]'' and ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' as well as a musical reference to ''[[A Star Is Born (1954 film)|A Star Is Born]]''. |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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[[Marge Simpson|Marge]] is depressed that [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] takes her for granted, and phones [[Dr. Marvin Monroe]]'s call-in therapy radio slot. Listening to the call at work, Homer feels bad when Marge reveals his name on the radio. After work he visits [[Moe's Tavern]], where [[Moe Szyslak|Moe]] advises him to give Marge a rose and a box of chocolates. Marge's mood softens and Homer invites her to go dancing, dine at a fancy restaurant and spend the night at a motel. |
[[Marge Simpson|Marge]] is depressed that [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] takes her for granted, and phones [[Dr. Marvin Monroe]]'s call-in therapy radio slot. Listening to the call at work, Homer feels bad when Marge reveals his name on the radio. After work, he visits [[Moe's Tavern]], where [[Moe Szyslak|Moe]] advises him to give Marge a rose and a box of chocolates. Marge's mood softens and Homer invites her to go dancing, dine at a fancy restaurant, and spend the night at a motel. |
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Marge and Homer hire Ms. Botz through a babysitting service to watch the kids. Botz puts [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]] to bed while [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] watch ''[[The Happy Little Elves]]''. While watching ''America's Most Armed and Dangerous'' on television, Bart and Lisa scream in |
Marge and Homer hire Ms. Botz through a babysitting service to watch the kids. Botz puts [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]] to bed while [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] watch ''[[The Happy Little Elves]]''. While watching ''America's Most Armed and Dangerous'' on television, Bart and Lisa scream in horror when they realize that Botz is a wanted burglar, dubbed the 'Babysitter Bandit'. Realizing her cover is blown, she prevents them from escaping and calling for help. Botz ties up the kids and packs the family's possessions into her suitcases. Maggie wakes up, goes downstairs and finds Bart and Lisa; they try to get her attention, but she focuses on the happy little elves. As the video ends, Maggie attempts to watch it again, and Lisa tells her she can if she unties her and Bart. While Ms. Botz is still cleaning up, she sees that Maggie is out of her crib. Bart lures Ms. Botz into his room, and knocks her out with a baseball bat. |
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Realizing Botz cut the telephone line, the kids go to a local phone booth and call the producers of ''America's Most Armed and Dangerous''. When Marge and Homer are unable to reach Ms. Botz by phone, they return home early to find her bound and gagged. Unaware she is a wanted criminal, Homer and Marge free her and pay her handsomely. She flees just as the kids arrive with the police and news reporters. Homer |
Realizing Botz cut the telephone line, the kids go to a local phone booth and call the producers of ''America's Most Armed and Dangerous''. When Marge and Homer are unable to reach Ms. Botz by phone, they return home early to find her bound and gagged. Unaware she is a wanted criminal, Homer and Marge free her and pay her handsomely. She flees just as the kids arrive with the police and news reporters. Homer, thinking this is one of their naughty tricks, quickly grabs Bart, saying how he and Marge had untied her. However, reporters tell him that Ms. Botz is a wanted criminal. Realizing his blunder, he lies to the media, and thinking all that hard work was for nothing, Homer is embarrassed. When a television newscast identifies him as a 'local boob', Marge assures him he must be doing something right if he raised three children who can [[hogtie]] a stranger, making Homer feel better. |
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==Production== |
==Production== |
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Even though this episode aired as the last episode of the first season, it was the first episode in production and was intended to be the first episode to air from the half-hour show. The series is a spin-off from ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' in which the family already appeared in a series of animated [[The Simpsons shorts|one-minute shorts]]. The characters were already created but had to be further developed in order to carry a half-hour show. The episode was therefore meant as an introduction to the characters.<ref name="Silverman">{{cite video |people=Silverman, David |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> ''The Simpsons'' creator [[Matt Groening]] and writer/producer [[Sam Simon]] (of such television series as ''[[Cheers]]'') wrote the script for the episode. Both Groening and Simon are credited with developing the series along with executive producer [[James L. Brooks]]. The name "Ms. Botz" was based on a real person who had once babysat Groening.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> |
Even though this episode aired as the last episode of the first season, it was the first episode in production and was intended to be the first episode to air from the half-hour show. The series is a spin-off from ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' in which the family already appeared in a series of animated [[The Simpsons shorts|one-minute shorts]]. The characters were already created, but had to be further developed in order to carry a half-hour show. The episode was therefore meant as an introduction to the characters.<ref name="Silverman">{{cite video |people=Silverman, David |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> ''The Simpsons'' creator [[Matt Groening]] and writer/producer [[Sam Simon]] (of such television series as ''[[Cheers]]'') wrote the script for the episode. Both Groening and Simon are credited with developing the series, along with executive producer [[James L. Brooks]]. The name "Ms. Botz" was based on a real person who had once babysat Groening.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> |
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[[File:Jameslbrooks.jpg|thumb|[[James L. Brooks]] strongly criticized the initial version of the episode |
[[File:Jameslbrooks.jpg|thumb|[[James L. Brooks]] strongly criticized the initial version of the episode]] |
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The episode was first directed by Kent Butterworth. [[Klasky |
The episode was first directed by Kent Butterworth. [[Klasky Csupo]], the animation studio that produced the earlier ''Simpsons'' shorts, was in charge of the animation, with one exception. During the years of producing the shorts, everything was created in-house. As a budgetary consideration, production was subcontracted to South Korean animation studio [[AKOM]].<ref name="animation">{{cite news |first=Harvey |last=Deneroff |title=Matt Groening's Baby Turns 10 |publisher=Animation Magazine, Vol. 14, #1 |date=January 2000 |pages=10, 12}}</ref> While character and background layout was done in Los Angeles, [[inbetweening]], coloring and filming is done by the overseas studio.<ref name="animation"/> A debacle erupted when this episode, the first to return from Korea, was screened in front of the production staff at the [[Gracie Films]] bungalow.<ref name="Groening"/> Brooks' initial reaction to the animation was "This is shit."<ref name="Groening"/> Afterward the room almost cleared.<ref name="Groening"/> A heated argument ensued between Brooks and Klasky-Csupo animation studio head [[Gábor Csupó]], who denied there was anything wrong with the animation and suggested that the real problem was the quality of the show's writing.<ref name="brooks">{{cite video |people=Brooks, James L. |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> |
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The producers felt the animation did not exhibit a distinct style envisioned for the show. At the time, there were only a few choices for animation style; usually, animators would follow the styles of [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], [[Warner Bros.]], or [[Hanna-Barbera]]. Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons tended to be set in pliable universes in which the characters and environments seemed to be made of rubber.<ref name="Groening"/> By contrast, the showrunners wanted a realistic environment in which the characters and objects could not do anything that was not possible in the real world, but one example of AKOM's early work was their animation of doors with the rubber effect that they wanted to avoid. Meanwhile, Hanna-Barbera's style relied on exaggerated sound effects, which they did not want to use either.<ref name="Groening"/> |
The producers felt the animation did not exhibit a distinct style envisioned for the show. At the time, there were only a few choices for animation style; usually, animators would follow the styles of [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], [[Warner Bros.]], or [[Hanna-Barbera]]. Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons tended to be set in pliable universes in which the characters and environments seemed to be made of rubber.<ref name="Groening"/> By contrast, the showrunners wanted a realistic environment in which the characters and objects could not do anything that was not possible in the real world, but one example of AKOM's early work was their animation of doors with the rubber effect that they wanted to avoid. Meanwhile, Hanna-Barbera's style relied on exaggerated sound effects, which they did not want to use either.<ref name="Groening"/> |
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The producers considered aborting the series if the next episode, "[[Bart the Genius]]", turned out as this episode, but fortunately it turned out to suffer only a few easily fixed problems.<ref name="brooks"/> |
The producers considered aborting the series if the next episode, "[[Bart the Genius]]", turned out as this episode, but fortunately it turned out to suffer only a few easily fixed problems.<ref name="brooks"/> Afterward, they entreated Fox to postpone the series premiere for several months. The premiere then switched to "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]" which had to be aired in December being a Christmas special.<ref name="jean">{{cite video |people=Jean, Al |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> This ensured more time could be spent fixing the animation problems and rewriting much of this episode. Directorial retakes were handled by [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]], who already had considerable experience directing the shorts.<ref name="Groening"/> Silverman estimates that about 70% of everything had to be redone. Most of these retakes consisted of changing the backgrounds. The result is an episode where the animation is uneven because it shifts between the early animation and the retakes.<ref name="Silverman"/> It is still possible to see the doors slam like they were made of rubber.<ref name="Groening"/> The Fox censors wanted to replace the sentence "the blue thing with the things", which they believed to be too sexual.<ref name="Groening"/> Due to the fledgling position of the Fox network, Brooks had obtained an unusual contractual provision that ensured the network could not interfere with the creative process by providing show notes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=568&IssueNum=32 |title=Harry Shearer |access-date=September 1, 2006 |author=Kuipers, Dean |date=April 15, 2004 |publisher=Los Angeles: City Beat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060717015139/http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=568&IssueNum=32 |archive-date=July 17, 2006}}</ref> so the showrunners simply ignored the censors.<ref name="Groening"/> |
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The episode featured several early character designs; [[Moe Szyslak]] has black hair in this episode, which was later changed to |
The episode featured several early character designs; [[Moe Szyslak]] has black hair in this episode, which was later changed to gray, while [[Barney Gumble]] has yellow hair, which was later changed to brown in order to differentiate the character's hair color from that of his skin.<ref name="Silverman"/> Because of the delayed broadcast, there are also a few continuity errors. [[Santa's Little Helper]], for example, does not appear in this episode, despite being introduced in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".<ref name="Silverman"/> [[Hank Azaria]] was at the time credited as a guest star for portraying Maître d'.<ref>End credits</ref> In this episode, Moe Szyslak was originally voiced by [[Christopher Collins]], but when Hank Azaria came up with his version, they decided to have Hank Azaria replace Christopher Collins as the voice of Moe in all later appearances.<ref name="Silverman"/> Azaria became a regular cast member in the second season. |
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Ms. Botz's pursuit of Bart into the cellar is reminiscent of Robert Mitchum's pursuit of a young boy in the film ''[[The Night of the Hunter (film)|The Night of the Hunter]]''.<ref name="Groening"/> [[Moe's Tavern]] plays "[[The Man That Got Away]]" from the [[1954 in film|1954]] remake of ''[[A Star Is Born (1954 film)|A Star Is Born]]'' directed by [[George Cukor]] and starring [[Judy Garland]] and [[James Mason]].<ref name="BBC"/> Before the episode aired, Ms. Botz |
Ms. Botz's pursuit of Bart into the cellar is reminiscent of Robert Mitchum's pursuit of a young boy in the film ''[[The Night of the Hunter (film)|The Night of the Hunter]]''.<ref name="Groening"/> [[Moe's Tavern]] plays "[[The Man That Got Away]]" from the [[1954 in film|1954]] remake of ''[[A Star Is Born (1954 film)|A Star Is Born]]'' directed by [[George Cukor]] and starring [[Judy Garland]] and [[James Mason]].<ref name="BBC"/> Before the episode aired, Ms. Botz voice-over [[Penny Marshall]] had worked with Brooks on some shows he made in the 1970s.<ref name=brooksmarshall /><ref name=stillbrooksmarshall /> This relationship included her being a regular cast member on ''[[Friends and Lovers (TV series)|Friends and Lovers]]'' and having three guest appearances on ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]''.<ref name=brooksmarshall>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/penny-marshall-appreciation-laverne-shirley-a-league-of-their-own-1203092820/|title = Remembering Penny Marshall, Who Forged Her Own Path and Paved the Way for Others|date = December 18, 2018}}</ref><ref name=stillbrooksmarshall>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/tv/penny-marshall-memorable-tv-roles/|title = Remembering Penny Marshall's Most Memorable TV Roles, from Laverne & Shirley to the Odd Couple}}</ref> |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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[[File: Penny Marshall at the 1988 Emmy Awards.jpg|thumb|Penny Marshall was named one of AOL's 25 favorite guest stars.]] |
[[File: Penny Marshall at the 1988 Emmy Awards.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Penny Marshall was named one of AOL's 25 favorite guest stars.]] |
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In its original broadcast, "Some Enchanted Evening" finished 12th for the week in the [[Nielsen ratings]] with a rating of 15.4, being seen by approximately 14.2 million homes.<ref name=ratings>{{cite news |title=CBS wins the week as networks' ratings hit record low |date=May 16, 1990 |page=L06 |newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]] |author=Richmond, Ray}}</ref> The episode was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.<ref name=ratings/> |
In its original broadcast, "Some Enchanted Evening" finished 12th for the week in the [[Nielsen ratings]] with a rating of 15.4, being seen by approximately 14.2 million homes.<ref name=ratings>{{cite news |title=CBS wins the week as networks' ratings hit record low |date=May 16, 1990 |page=L06 |newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]] |author=Richmond, Ray}}</ref> The episode was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.<ref name=ratings/> |
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Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "It's quite a shock to discover that this confident, fully rounded episode was the first to be made. The perfect template."<ref name=" |
Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "It's quite a shock to discover that this confident, fully rounded episode was the first to be made. The perfect template."<ref name="BBC"/> Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said it was "a reasonably good episode" and added: "Still, it's an awkward piece and not one I enjoyed a great deal. To be sure, 'Evening' was generally entertaining, but it's nothing special."<ref name="dvdmg">{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonone.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete First Season (1990) |access-date=August 29, 2008 |first=Colin |last=Jacobson |publisher=DVD Movie Guide}}</ref> In a DVD review of the first season, David B. Grelck rated the episode a {{frac|1|1|2}} (of 5).<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202012353/http://www.wdbgproductions.com/cinerama/reviews/simpsonsseason1.htm |url=http://www.wdbgproductions.com/cinerama/reviews/simpsonsseason1.htm |title=The Complete First Season |access-date=September 15, 2011 |archive-date=February 2, 2009 |date=September 25, 2001 |author=Grelck, David B. |publisher=WDBGProductions}}</ref> |
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According to Al Jean, viewers thought this episode was the best episode of the first season after the season ended.<ref name="jean" /> However, in 2006, ''[[IGN]]'' named "[[The Crepes of Wrath]]" the best episode of the first season.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/08/the-simpsons-20-seasons-20-episodes |title=The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski |website=[[IGN]] |date=2010 |
According to Al Jean, viewers thought this episode was the best episode of the first season after the season ended.<ref name="jean" /> However, in 2006, ''[[IGN]]'' named "[[The Crepes of Wrath]]" the best episode of the first season.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/08/the-simpsons-20-seasons-20-episodes |title=The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski |website=[[IGN]] |date=January 8, 2010 |access-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302212129/http://tv.ign.com/articles/731/731095p1.html |archive-date=March 2, 2007 }}</ref> [[Penny Marshall]], who played Ms. Botz, ranked on [[AOL]]'s list of their favorite 25 ''Simpsons'' guest stars.<ref>{{cite web |author=Potts, Kimberly |title=Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars |url=http://www.aoltv.com/feature/the-simpsons/guest-stars |access-date=November 24, 2008 |publisher=[[AOL]] }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{refbegin}} |
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* {{cite book|title=[[The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family]]|last=Groening|first=Matt|publisher=[[HarperPerennial]]|year=1997|isbn=978-0-06-095252-5|edition=1st|location=New York|lccn=98141857|oclc=37796735|ol=433519M|ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}|author-link=Matt Groening|editor1-first=Ray|editor1-last=Richmond|editor1-link=Ray Richmond|editor2-first=Antonia|editor2-last=Coffman}} |
* {{cite book|title=[[The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family]]|last=Groening|first=Matt|publisher=[[HarperPerennial]]|year=1997|isbn=978-0-06-095252-5|edition=1st|location=New York|lccn=98141857|oclc=37796735|ol=433519M|ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}|author-link=Matt Groening|editor1-first=Ray|editor1-last=Richmond|editor1-link=Ray Richmond|editor2-first=Antonia|editor2-last=Coffman}} |
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* {{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |title=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |title-link=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |date=2010-10-28 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=9780061711282 |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |edition=1st |editor2-last=Gimple |editor2-first=Scott M. |editor2-link=Scott M. Gimple |editor-last3=McCann |editor-first3=Jessie L. |editor-last4=Seghers |editor-first4=Christine |editor-last5=Bates |editor-first5=James W.}} |
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{{refend}} |
{{refend}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Some Enchanted Evening (the Simpsons).ogg|date= |
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Some Enchanted Evening (the Simpsons).ogg|date=January 23, 2009}} |
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{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_1#Some_Enchanted_Evening|Some Enchanted Evening}} |
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_1#Some_Enchanted_Evening|Some Enchanted Evening}} |
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{{The Simpsons episodes|1}} |
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[[Category:The Simpsons |
[[Category:The Simpsons season 1 episodes]] |
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[[Category:1990 American television episodes]] |
[[Category:1990 American television episodes]] |
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[[Category:Fiction about child care occupations]] |
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[[Category:Television episodes written by Matt Groening]] |
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Latest revision as of 00:55, 9 November 2024
| "Some Enchanted Evening" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
 Marge giving Botzcowski advice about babysitting her children. | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | David Silverman Kent Butterworth |
| Written by | Matt Groening Sam Simon |
| Production code | 7G01[1] |
| Original air date | May 13, 1990 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I will not yell 'Fire' in a crowded classroom."[2] |
| Couch gag | The family comes in and just sits on the couch in a normal manner.[3] |
| Commentary | Matt Groening James L. Brooks Al Jean David Silverman |
"Some Enchanted Evening" is the thirteenth and final episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was originally broadcast on Fox in the United States on May 13, 1990.[2] A family drama, it had a very long delayed release. Written by Matt Groening and Sam Simon and directed by David Silverman and Kent Butterworth, "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first episode produced for season one and was intended to air as the series premiere in fall 1989, but aired as the season one finale due to animation problems. The Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" premiered in its place on December 17, 1989. It is the last episode to feature the original opening sequence starting from "Bart the Genius". In the episode, Homer and Marge go on a night out while leaving the children under the care of a diabolical babysitter named Ms. Lucille "Botz" Botzcowski.
Penny Marshall provided the voice of Ms. Botz. The episode features cultural references to such films as The Night of the Hunter and Psycho as well as a musical reference to A Star Is Born.
Since its initial broadcast, the episode has received mixed reviews. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 15.4 and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
Plot
[edit]Marge is depressed that Homer takes her for granted, and phones Dr. Marvin Monroe's call-in therapy radio slot. Listening to the call at work, Homer feels bad when Marge reveals his name on the radio. After work, he visits Moe's Tavern, where Moe advises him to give Marge a rose and a box of chocolates. Marge's mood softens and Homer invites her to go dancing, dine at a fancy restaurant, and spend the night at a motel.
Marge and Homer hire Ms. Botz through a babysitting service to watch the kids. Botz puts Maggie to bed while Bart and Lisa watch The Happy Little Elves. While watching America's Most Armed and Dangerous on television, Bart and Lisa scream in horror when they realize that Botz is a wanted burglar, dubbed the 'Babysitter Bandit'. Realizing her cover is blown, she prevents them from escaping and calling for help. Botz ties up the kids and packs the family's possessions into her suitcases. Maggie wakes up, goes downstairs and finds Bart and Lisa; they try to get her attention, but she focuses on the happy little elves. As the video ends, Maggie attempts to watch it again, and Lisa tells her she can if she unties her and Bart. While Ms. Botz is still cleaning up, she sees that Maggie is out of her crib. Bart lures Ms. Botz into his room, and knocks her out with a baseball bat.
Realizing Botz cut the telephone line, the kids go to a local phone booth and call the producers of America's Most Armed and Dangerous. When Marge and Homer are unable to reach Ms. Botz by phone, they return home early to find her bound and gagged. Unaware she is a wanted criminal, Homer and Marge free her and pay her handsomely. She flees just as the kids arrive with the police and news reporters. Homer, thinking this is one of their naughty tricks, quickly grabs Bart, saying how he and Marge had untied her. However, reporters tell him that Ms. Botz is a wanted criminal. Realizing his blunder, he lies to the media, and thinking all that hard work was for nothing, Homer is embarrassed. When a television newscast identifies him as a 'local boob', Marge assures him he must be doing something right if he raised three children who can hogtie a stranger, making Homer feel better.
Production
[edit]Even though this episode aired as the last episode of the first season, it was the first episode in production and was intended to be the first episode to air from the half-hour show. The series is a spin-off from The Tracey Ullman Show in which the family already appeared in a series of animated one-minute shorts. The characters were already created, but had to be further developed in order to carry a half-hour show. The episode was therefore meant as an introduction to the characters.[4] The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and writer/producer Sam Simon (of such television series as Cheers) wrote the script for the episode. Both Groening and Simon are credited with developing the series, along with executive producer James L. Brooks. The name "Ms. Botz" was based on a real person who had once babysat Groening.[5]
The episode was first directed by Kent Butterworth. Klasky Csupo, the animation studio that produced the earlier Simpsons shorts, was in charge of the animation, with one exception. During the years of producing the shorts, everything was created in-house. As a budgetary consideration, production was subcontracted to South Korean animation studio AKOM.[6] While character and background layout was done in Los Angeles, inbetweening, coloring and filming is done by the overseas studio.[6] A debacle erupted when this episode, the first to return from Korea, was screened in front of the production staff at the Gracie Films bungalow.[5] Brooks' initial reaction to the animation was "This is shit."[5] Afterward the room almost cleared.[5] A heated argument ensued between Brooks and Klasky-Csupo animation studio head Gábor Csupó, who denied there was anything wrong with the animation and suggested that the real problem was the quality of the show's writing.[7]
The producers felt the animation did not exhibit a distinct style envisioned for the show. At the time, there were only a few choices for animation style; usually, animators would follow the styles of Disney, Warner Bros., or Hanna-Barbera. Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons tended to be set in pliable universes in which the characters and environments seemed to be made of rubber.[5] By contrast, the showrunners wanted a realistic environment in which the characters and objects could not do anything that was not possible in the real world, but one example of AKOM's early work was their animation of doors with the rubber effect that they wanted to avoid. Meanwhile, Hanna-Barbera's style relied on exaggerated sound effects, which they did not want to use either.[5]
The producers considered aborting the series if the next episode, "Bart the Genius", turned out as this episode, but fortunately it turned out to suffer only a few easily fixed problems.[7] Afterward, they entreated Fox to postpone the series premiere for several months. The premiere then switched to "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" which had to be aired in December being a Christmas special.[8] This ensured more time could be spent fixing the animation problems and rewriting much of this episode. Directorial retakes were handled by David Silverman, who already had considerable experience directing the shorts.[5] Silverman estimates that about 70% of everything had to be redone. Most of these retakes consisted of changing the backgrounds. The result is an episode where the animation is uneven because it shifts between the early animation and the retakes.[4] It is still possible to see the doors slam like they were made of rubber.[5] The Fox censors wanted to replace the sentence "the blue thing with the things", which they believed to be too sexual.[5] Due to the fledgling position of the Fox network, Brooks had obtained an unusual contractual provision that ensured the network could not interfere with the creative process by providing show notes,[9] so the showrunners simply ignored the censors.[5]
The episode featured several early character designs; Moe Szyslak has black hair in this episode, which was later changed to gray, while Barney Gumble has yellow hair, which was later changed to brown in order to differentiate the character's hair color from that of his skin.[4] Because of the delayed broadcast, there are also a few continuity errors. Santa's Little Helper, for example, does not appear in this episode, despite being introduced in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".[4] Hank Azaria was at the time credited as a guest star for portraying Maître d'.[10] In this episode, Moe Szyslak was originally voiced by Christopher Collins, but when Hank Azaria came up with his version, they decided to have Hank Azaria replace Christopher Collins as the voice of Moe in all later appearances.[4] Azaria became a regular cast member in the second season.
Ms. Botz's pursuit of Bart into the cellar is reminiscent of Robert Mitchum's pursuit of a young boy in the film The Night of the Hunter.[5] Moe's Tavern plays "The Man That Got Away" from the 1954 remake of A Star Is Born directed by George Cukor and starring Judy Garland and James Mason.[3] Before the episode aired, Ms. Botz voice-over Penny Marshall had worked with Brooks on some shows he made in the 1970s.[11][12] This relationship included her being a regular cast member on Friends and Lovers and having three guest appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.[11][12]
Reception
[edit]
In its original broadcast, "Some Enchanted Evening" finished 12th for the week in the Nielsen ratings with a rating of 15.4, being seen by approximately 14.2 million homes.[13] The episode was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.[13]
Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "It's quite a shock to discover that this confident, fully rounded episode was the first to be made. The perfect template."[3] Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said it was "a reasonably good episode" and added: "Still, it's an awkward piece and not one I enjoyed a great deal. To be sure, 'Evening' was generally entertaining, but it's nothing special."[14] In a DVD review of the first season, David B. Grelck rated the episode a 1+1⁄2 (of 5).[15]
According to Al Jean, viewers thought this episode was the best episode of the first season after the season ended.[8] However, in 2006, IGN named "The Crepes of Wrath" the best episode of the first season.[16] Penny Marshall, who played Ms. Botz, ranked on AOL's list of their favorite 25 Simpsons guest stars.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ Groening 2010, p. 49.
- ^ a b Richmond & Coffman 1997, pp. 30–31.
- ^ a b c Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Some Enchanted Evening". BBC. Retrieved February 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Silverman, David (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Groening, Matt (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Deneroff, Harvey (January 2000). "Matt Groening's Baby Turns 10". Animation Magazine, Vol. 14, #1. pp. 10, 12.
- ^ a b Brooks, James L. (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Jean, Al (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Kuipers, Dean (April 15, 2004). "Harry Shearer". Los Angeles: City Beat. Archived from the original on July 17, 2006. Retrieved September 1, 2006.
- ^ End credits
- ^ a b "Remembering Penny Marshall, Who Forged Her Own Path and Paved the Way for Others". December 18, 2018.
- ^ a b "Remembering Penny Marshall's Most Memorable TV Roles, from Laverne & Shirley to the Odd Couple".
- ^ a b Richmond, Ray (May 16, 1990). "CBS wins the week as networks' ratings hit record low". The Orange County Register. p. L06.
- ^ Jacobson, Colin. "The Simpsons: The Complete First Season (1990)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
- ^ Grelck, David B. (September 25, 2001). "The Complete First Season". WDBGProductions. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
- ^ Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski (January 8, 2010). "The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes". IGN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Potts, Kimberly. "Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars". AOL. Retrieved November 24, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- 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.
- Groening, Matt (October 28, 2010). Richmond, Ray; Gimple, Scott M.; McCann, Jessie L.; Seghers, Christine; Bates, James W. (eds.). Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 (1st ed.). HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061711282.
External links
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| Season 1 | |
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| Themed episodes | |
| See also | |
