Saturdays of Thunder: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Simpsons episode |
{{Infobox Simpsons episode |
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| caption = |
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| image = [[Image:Simpsons 8F07.png|200px]] |
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| season = 3 |
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| image_caption = [[Martin Prince|Martin]] presents his Honor Roller at a preliminary Soap Box Derby race |
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| episode = 9 |
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| director = [[Jim Reardon]] |
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| airdate = [[November 14]], [[1991]] |
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| production = 8F07 |
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| show runner = [[Al Jean]] & [[Mike Reiss]] |
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| airdate = {{Start date|1991|11|14}} |
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| guests = * [[Phil Hartman]] as [[Troy McClure]] |
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* Larry McKay as Football's Greatest Injuries Narrator |
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| blackboard |
| blackboard = "[[Marge Gets a Job#Censorship|I will not fake rabies]]" |
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| couch_gag = The couch cushions are missing, and the family fall through into the couch. |
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| couch_gag = The family falls through the couch due to the cushions being missing. |
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| commentary |
| commentary = [[Matt Groening]]<br/>[[Al Jean]]<br/>[[Mike Reiss]]<br/>Ken Levine<br/>Jim Reardon<br/>[[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] |
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| prev = [[Lisa's Pony]] |
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| next = [[Flaming Moe's]] |
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"'''Saturdays of Thunder'''" is the ninth episode of the [[The Simpsons season 3|third season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It originally aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in the United States on November 14, 1991. In the episode, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] realizes he knows little about [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and strives to be a better father. When he learns Bart is competing in a [[Soap Box Derby]], Homer helps him make a [[Gravity racer|racer]]. Bart drives [[Martin Prince|Martin]]'s far superior racer instead, hurting Homer's feelings. Homer eventually realizes he must be a good father by supporting Bart. |
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"'''Saturdays of Thunder'''" is the ninth episode of the ''[[The Simpsons]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki> [[List of The Simpsons episodes#Season 3 (1991-1992)|third season]]. The episode aired on [[November 14]], [[1991]]. |
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The episode was written by [[Ken Levine (TV personality)|Ken Levine]] and [[David Isaacs (writer)|David Isaacs]], and directed by [[Jim Reardon]]. American actors Larry McKay and [[Phil Hartman]] voiced guest appearances as a television announcer and [[Troy McClure]] respectively. "Saturdays of Thunder" features cultural references to films such as ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]'', ''[[Lethal Weapon]]'', and ''[[Days of Thunder]]''. |
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==Synopsis== |
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{{spoiler}} |
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"Saturdays of Thunder" is the first episode to feature the full [[Alf Clausen]] arrangement of the show's [[The Simpsons opening sequence|theme song]], which is still in use to this day, though it was slightly revamped beginning with "[['Round Springfield]]". |
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When the local [[Soap Box Derby]] is held in Springfield, [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] has his heart set on first prize. But the catch is that he must build his own Soap Box Racer. In the meantime, after taking a fatherhood quiz, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] discovers he knows next to nothing about his son. He offers to help his son by building him one as a surprise. Unfortunately, Homer's less than adept building skills brings Bart a very shoddy, rickety piece of junk for a racer (named ''Li'l Lightnin'''). This is especially so in comparison to [[Martin Prince]]'s personally designed and built [[space shuttle]]-like racer, ''Honor Roller''. Unable to gather the courage to tell his father that his racer is terrible, Bart initially attempts to use it in the preliminary match...where he and Martin form an alliance vowing that either must somehow beat bully [[Nelson Muntz]] and his very intimidating racer, the ''Roadkill 2000'', armed with every dirty trick in the book. |
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Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics, who praised its sports theme. It acquired a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 14.9, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired. |
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When the race is underway, Bart can barely reach any kind of noticeable speed with Homer's racer, which eventually falls apart. Meanwhile, Martin has difficulty controlling his racer, as it is moving too fast, which eventually causes him to crash. After being injured, Martin finds that he can no longer race and opts for Bart and himself to combine forces by having Bart race Martin's racer over the racer he and Homer built. Bart seeing no other way to win agrees, which breaks Homer's heart. When Bart later apologizes and desires Homer's best wishes, Homer selfishly denounces both Bart and Martin telling Bart to do whatever he wants. Dejected, Bart gets ready to race in the final match with Martin's newly tuned racer. As he does this, Homer thinks to himself about how selfish he's been, realizing he has learnt a lot about his son, and that Bart needs his support regardless of whose racer he's using and he rushes off to the race. At the starting line, Homer wishes Bart luck and tells him that no matter how the race ends he'll still be proud of him. The race is tough as Nelson pulls every dirty trick in his arsenal, but eventually through his skill Bart comes out on top and the "team" enjoy their victory. |
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==Plot== |
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[[Marge Simpson|Marge]] makes Homer take a fatherhood quiz and discovers he knows next to nothing about his son. After a [[pep talk]] at the National Fatherhood Institute, Homer offers to help Bart build his own Soap Box Derby racer. At the qualifying race, Bart and [[Martin Prince]] form an alliance vowing to beat bully [[Nelson Muntz|Nelson]] and his intimidating racer, the ''Roadkill 2000''. |
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The racer that Bart and Homer build is so poorly made that it fails to accelerate and breaks down before reaching the finish line. Martin wins the race, but his aerodynamically designed vehicle veers out of control and crashes into a wall at high speed, leaving him with a broken arm. He allows Bart to take his place as driver. Feeling betrayed, Homer rejects Bart's attempt to apologize for switching vehicles, denounces both boys, and angrily tells Bart to do whatever he wants. |
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Marge reminds Homer that she has defended him in the past, but his recent actions prove he is a bad father. As Bart prepares for the finals with Martin's newly tuned racer, Homer takes the fatherhood quiz again and finds that he can now answer all the questions due to having spent so much time with Bart. Homer hurries to the race and wishes Bart luck, telling Bart he will be proud of him regardless of who wins. Nelson repeatedly tries to cheat and force Bart to crash, but Bart wins the race and the championship. He and Homer savor their victory, though Martin tries to take all the credit as he actually built the winning racer. Homer and Bart ignore his remark as they lovingly embrace. |
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==Production== |
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[[File:Sam Simon.jpg|thumb|Executive producer [[Sam Simon]] found a real fatherhood test that served as the inspiration for the episode's subplot.]] |
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The episode was written by [[Ken Levine (screenwriter)|Ken Levine]] and [[David Isaacs (writer)|David Isaacs]], and directed by [[Jim Reardon]]. The inspiration originated from a line in "[[Itchy & Scratchy & Marge]]", in which Marge bans Bart and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] from watching their favorite cartoon, ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Show]]'', and Bart tells Lisa "Let's go finish our soap box racers."<ref name="Jean"/> [[Phil Hartman]] made his fourth guest appearance on ''The Simpsons'' in this episode as [[Troy McClure]]. He appears at the beginning of the episode in ''I Can't Believe They Invented It!'', a television show that Homer watches. Larry McKay guest starred as the television announcer at the Soap Box Derby.<ref name="Jean"/> |
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The idea for the subplot of Homer's parenting originated from a real fatherhood test executive producer [[Sam Simon]] found and brought to the ''Simpsons'' studio.<ref name="Jean"/> Levine later commented on writing the episode, "At the time David and I were writing this, my son, Matt, was about Bart's age. [...] So for me there was a certain amount of guilt associated, like 'Do I know my son's hobby? Do I know my son's best friend?' etc."<ref name="Levine"/> The scene in which Bart [[Welding|welds]] on his racer resulted in an argument between the staff and Fox's censors, who were concerned that children would imitate Bart and misuse welding tools. The staff was able to convince them that very few children can even access welding tools.<ref name="Jean">{{cite video |people=Jean, Al |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> |
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==Cultural references== |
==Cultural references== |
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"Saturdays of Thunder" features a number of references to pop culture. The title is itself a play on the film ''[[Days of Thunder]]'' starring [[Tom Cruise]].<ref name="Reardon"/> The song used at the end of the episode is "[[Wind Beneath My Wings]]" by [[Bette Midler]]. While Homer is watching television at the beginning of the episode, Marge and her sisters, [[Patty and Selma]], go through a catalog of different hairstyles; Patty tells her sisters that she wants [[Mary Tyler Moore]]'s hairstyle.<ref name="Levine"/> When Marge and her sisters head to the beauty parlor, Homer promises Marge he will take Lisa to the video store. When they arrive at the store, Homer watches a clip from the latest ''McBain'' film that sees McBain's partner being brutally shot in the chest, a reference to a similar scene in the film ''[[Lethal Weapon]]''. McBain's partner is black, a reference to the fact that [[Dirty Harry (character)|Dirty Harry]]'s partner is black in ''[[Sudden Impact]]''.<ref name="Jean"/> |
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*The title is a spoof of the film ''[[Days of Thunder]]''. |
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*Homer reads and quotes ''[[Fatherhood (book)|Fatherhood]]'' by Bill Cosby. |
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When Homer calls the National Fatherhood Institute, he is put on hold and [[Harry Chapin]]'s song "[[Cat's in the Cradle]]" plays while he waits.<ref name="Levine"/> Cast member [[Harry Shearer]] based the voice of Dave, the director of the Fatherhood Institute, on actor [[Mason Adams]].<ref name="Jean"/> At the institute, Dave gives Homer a copy of the book ''[[Fatherhood (book)|Fatherhood]]'' by [[Bill Cosby]]. In a subsequent episode, "[[Dog of Death]]", Homer throws the book into the fireplace as replacement for wood.<ref name="Jean"/> When Homer and Bart build the soapbox racer, [[Mac Davis]]'s song "[[Watching Scotty Grow]]", sung by [[Bobby Goldsboro]], plays on the soundtrack.<ref name="Reardon">{{cite video |people=Reardon, Jim |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The whipping and spikes coming out of Nelson's racer are a reference to the [[chariot]] race in ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]''.<ref name="Jean"/><ref name="BBC"/> The idea of Nelson's racer being "armed with every dirty trick in the book" was based on the [[Soap Box Derby#Cheating scandal|1973 Soap Box Derby World Championship scandal]], when a 14-year-old boy was stripped of his title two days after winning the national race for cheating.<ref name="Reiss">{{cite video |people=Reiss, Mike |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> During the final race, Homer stands up in the crowd to cheer on Bart and his body is silhouetted against the sun, a reference to a scene in [[The Natural (film)|''The Natural'']];<ref name="Jean"/> the theme from ''The Natural'' plays in the scene.<ref name="book">{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=[[The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family]] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/71 71] |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} }}.</ref> |
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*While on hold, the song being played is "[[Cat's in the Cradle]]" by [[Harry Chapin]]. |
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==Reception== |
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"Saturdays of Thunder" originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 14, 1991. It received high ratings due to the fact that it was immediately followed by the premiere of the music video for [[Michael Jackson]]'s song "[[Black or White]]".<ref name="Levine">{{cite video |people=Levine, Ken |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> In its original American broadcast, the episode finished 26th in the ratings for the week of November 11–17, 1991, with a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 14.9, equivalent to approximately 13.7 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nielsen Ratings /Nov. 11-17 |last=Associated Press |author-link=Associated Press |date=November 20, 1991 |work=[[Press-Telegram (Long Beach)|Press-Telegram]] |page=C5}}</ref> |
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[[File:Soapbox racers.jpg|thumb|280px|This image depicts a race similar to the ones featured in the episode, which was praised for its sports theme. Some critics, however, thought the [[Soap Box Derby]] plotline had limited modern day appeal because few practice the sport any more.<ref name="DVDVerdict"/>]] |
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Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Niel Harvey of ''[[The Roanoke Times]]'' called it a "classic bit of Simpsonia,"<ref>{{cite news |title='The Simpsons' Is A Consistent Slam Dunk |last=Harvey |first=Niel |date=2003-09-04 |work=[[The Roanoke Times]] |page=8}}</ref> and the ''[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]]'' said it is "definitely one not to miss".<ref>{{cite news |title=Movie Choice |date=March 9, 2001 |work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]]}}</ref> The ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]''{{'}}s Gregory Hardy named it the sixth best episode of the show with a sports theme.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hitting 300 - For Sporting Comedy, 'The Simpsons' Always Score |last=Hardy |first=Gregory |date=February 16, 2003 |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |page=C17}}</ref> Michael Coulter of ''[[The Age]]'' commented that "Saturdays of Thunder" is "one of the many excellent" ''The Simpsons'' episodes to feature a sporting theme. He went on to say: "A 'classic' ''Simpsons'', insofar as it boasts a plot, rather than a sequence of surreal pop-culture parodies".<ref>{{cite news |title=Sport - Friday |last=Coulter |first=Michael |date=November 10, 2005 |work=[[The Age]] |page=18}}</ref> |
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The episode's parody of ''Ben-Hur'' was named the eighth greatest film reference in the history of the show by ''[[Total Film]]''{{'}}s Nathan Ditum.<ref name="totalfilm">{{cite news |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-50-greatest-simpsons-movie-references/ |title=The 50 Greatest Simpsons Movie References |last=Ditum |first=Nathan |date=2009-06-06 |work=[[Total Film]] |publisher=GamesRadar |access-date=2022-01-15 |archive-date=June 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622154132/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the-50-greatest-simpsons-movie-references/page%3A18 |url-status=live }}</ref> Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict looked unfavorably on the episode, writing that it "has a premise—Bart builds a soapbox racer—that frankly has very limited modern day appeal. We can't really get into the whole Martin/Nelson/Bart race dynamic and today, soapbox derby has been technologized all out of proportion to the point where very few, if any, practice it. With such a narrow target, many of the jokes just don't work." Gibron preferred the subplot of Homer's attempts to become a better father.<ref name="DVDVerdict">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason3.php |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season |last=Gibron |first=Bill |date=December 15, 2003 |publisher=DVD Verdict |access-date=2009-06-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629194944/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason3.php |archive-date=June 29, 2009 }}</ref> |
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==Alternate versions== |
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The first Fox broadcast of this episode was cut and compressed to accommodate the world premiere of [[Michael Jackson]]'s new video, [[Black or White]]. However, [[Global Television Network|CanWest Global System]] stations showed a full version with Bart writing "Hamsters cannot fly" on the blackboard. Fox broadcast the full version for the first time on [[April 2]], [[1992]], but their version has Bart writing "I will not fake rabies" on the blackboard. (This is the version that's on the Season 3 [[The Simpsons DVD boxsets|DVD boxset]].) |
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Nate Meyers of Digitally Obsessed was more positive about the episode, commenting that the emphasis is on Homer's parenting, like many other season three episodes, and "contrary to popular opinion, Homer is actually a good father who tries to do good by his children." He thought the racing sequences featured "good animation and direction", but considered the highlight to be the clip from the film ''McBain'' that Homer watches in the video store. Meyers rated the episode a{{nbsp}}4 (of 5).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?ID=6129 |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season |last=Meyers |first=Nate |date=June 23, 2004 |publisher=Digitally Obsessed |access-date=2009-06-06 |archive-date=2016-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313103432/http://digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?id=6129 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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The version for [[broadcast syndication|syndication]] is similar to the first Fox broadcast, except it wasn't compressed and the opening sequence was taken from Season 5's [[Rosebud (The Simpsons episode)|Rosebud]]. Unlike most syndication edits, however, this one actually includes a few scenes that aren't in the "full" version. |
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DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson, who listed the episode as one of his favorites from season three, said that "on the surface, 'Saturdays of Thunder' essentially just rehashes" the theme of the previous episode, "[[Lisa's Pony]]", in which Homer tries to be a better father for Lisa. Jacobson commented that "Saturdays of Thunder", however, "simply seems funnier than 'Lisa's Pony'. The soapbox derby elements provide lots of great gags. [It] offers a great episode."<ref name="DMG">{{cite web |url=http://dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonthree.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991) |publisher=DVD Movie Guide |first=Colin |last=Jacobson |date=August 21, 2003 |access-date=2009-08-05 |archive-date=June 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629194253/http://dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonthree.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Like Meyers, the authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'' thought the highlight of the episode was the ''McBain'' clip.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season3/page9.shtml |title=Saturdays of Thunder |access-date=2009-06-07 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=BBC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312120737/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season3/page9.shtml |archive-date=March 12, 2005 }}</ref> Nathan Rabin writes: "If 'Saturdays of Thunder' is formulaic that’s probably because at this point the show was operating at such a high level that it didn’t need a constant influx of new ideas to remain vital... It was so good that the writers and producers could get a little cocky and formulaic. They could get away with the climactic big hug undercut by the closing sneer because at that point the show didn’t need to be blindingly original to be something close to perfect." He adds: "I love the resigned, reflective way Bart says, “Maybe it’s for the best” when informed that they’re finally hauling his father away, as if he'd been secretly anticipating that moment for years."<ref>{{cite news| last=Rabin| first=Rabin| title=The Simpsons (Classic): "Saturdays of Thunder"| work=The A.V. Club| url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-saturdays-of-thunder-1798168180| access-date=January 13, 2024| archive-date=January 13, 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113013808/https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-saturdays-of-thunder-1798168180| url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In the "full" version, the scene at VHS Village (formerly Beta Barn) is faded in from the Simpsons' driveway. However, the edit cuts this fade-in and swaps the VHS Village scene with the beauty parlour scene, which originally came after VHS Village. |
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==References== |
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In the edited version, the dialogue of the "Football's Greatest Injuries" tape that Homer watches is changed. Originally a story about how "a big [[cat]] named Wayne Scheshevski" grabbed the "Galloping [[Gazelle]]"'s face mask and snapped his neck, you hear, "The compound fracture, truly one of football's greatest injuries." |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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In the "full" version, when Marge asks Homer what his son's hobbies are, Homer tells Marge that Bart's "always chewing on that phone cord", then Marge tells Homer he hasn't done that since he was 2, so Homer responds, "Then he has no hobby." The edited version cuts the phone cord lines and changes Homer's response to, "Kids don't have hobbies." |
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*{{snpp capsule|8F07}} |
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*{{IMDb episode |id=0768558}} |
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*[http://www.snpp.com/episodes/8F07.html Episode Capsule on "Simpsons Archive"] |
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[[Category:The Simpsons season 3 episodes]] |
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[[Category:1991 American television episodes]] |
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[[Category:Television episodes directed by Jim Reardon]] |
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Latest revision as of 13:11, 19 December 2024
| "Saturdays of Thunder" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 9 |
| Directed by | Jim Reardon |
| Written by | Ken Levine David Isaacs |
| Production code | 8F07 |
| Original air date | November 14, 1991 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I will not fake rabies" |
| Couch gag | The family falls through the couch due to the cushions being missing. |
| Commentary | Matt Groening Al Jean Mike Reiss Ken Levine Jim Reardon David Silverman |
"Saturdays of Thunder" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 14, 1991. In the episode, Homer realizes he knows little about Bart and strives to be a better father. When he learns Bart is competing in a Soap Box Derby, Homer helps him make a racer. Bart drives Martin's far superior racer instead, hurting Homer's feelings. Homer eventually realizes he must be a good father by supporting Bart.
The episode was written by Ken Levine and David Isaacs, and directed by Jim Reardon. American actors Larry McKay and Phil Hartman voiced guest appearances as a television announcer and Troy McClure respectively. "Saturdays of Thunder" features cultural references to films such as Ben-Hur, Lethal Weapon, and Days of Thunder.
"Saturdays of Thunder" is the first episode to feature the full Alf Clausen arrangement of the show's theme song, which is still in use to this day, though it was slightly revamped beginning with "'Round Springfield".
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics, who praised its sports theme. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 14.9, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.
Plot
[edit]Marge makes Homer take a fatherhood quiz and discovers he knows next to nothing about his son. After a pep talk at the National Fatherhood Institute, Homer offers to help Bart build his own Soap Box Derby racer. At the qualifying race, Bart and Martin Prince form an alliance vowing to beat bully Nelson and his intimidating racer, the Roadkill 2000.
The racer that Bart and Homer build is so poorly made that it fails to accelerate and breaks down before reaching the finish line. Martin wins the race, but his aerodynamically designed vehicle veers out of control and crashes into a wall at high speed, leaving him with a broken arm. He allows Bart to take his place as driver. Feeling betrayed, Homer rejects Bart's attempt to apologize for switching vehicles, denounces both boys, and angrily tells Bart to do whatever he wants.
Marge reminds Homer that she has defended him in the past, but his recent actions prove he is a bad father. As Bart prepares for the finals with Martin's newly tuned racer, Homer takes the fatherhood quiz again and finds that he can now answer all the questions due to having spent so much time with Bart. Homer hurries to the race and wishes Bart luck, telling Bart he will be proud of him regardless of who wins. Nelson repeatedly tries to cheat and force Bart to crash, but Bart wins the race and the championship. He and Homer savor their victory, though Martin tries to take all the credit as he actually built the winning racer. Homer and Bart ignore his remark as they lovingly embrace.
Production
[edit]
The episode was written by Ken Levine and David Isaacs, and directed by Jim Reardon. The inspiration originated from a line in "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge", in which Marge bans Bart and Lisa from watching their favorite cartoon, The Itchy & Scratchy Show, and Bart tells Lisa "Let's go finish our soap box racers."[1] Phil Hartman made his fourth guest appearance on The Simpsons in this episode as Troy McClure. He appears at the beginning of the episode in I Can't Believe They Invented It!, a television show that Homer watches. Larry McKay guest starred as the television announcer at the Soap Box Derby.[1]
The idea for the subplot of Homer's parenting originated from a real fatherhood test executive producer Sam Simon found and brought to the Simpsons studio.[1] Levine later commented on writing the episode, "At the time David and I were writing this, my son, Matt, was about Bart's age. [...] So for me there was a certain amount of guilt associated, like 'Do I know my son's hobby? Do I know my son's best friend?' etc."[2] The scene in which Bart welds on his racer resulted in an argument between the staff and Fox's censors, who were concerned that children would imitate Bart and misuse welding tools. The staff was able to convince them that very few children can even access welding tools.[1]
Cultural references
[edit]"Saturdays of Thunder" features a number of references to pop culture. The title is itself a play on the film Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise.[3] The song used at the end of the episode is "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler. While Homer is watching television at the beginning of the episode, Marge and her sisters, Patty and Selma, go through a catalog of different hairstyles; Patty tells her sisters that she wants Mary Tyler Moore's hairstyle.[2] When Marge and her sisters head to the beauty parlor, Homer promises Marge he will take Lisa to the video store. When they arrive at the store, Homer watches a clip from the latest McBain film that sees McBain's partner being brutally shot in the chest, a reference to a similar scene in the film Lethal Weapon. McBain's partner is black, a reference to the fact that Dirty Harry's partner is black in Sudden Impact.[1]
When Homer calls the National Fatherhood Institute, he is put on hold and Harry Chapin's song "Cat's in the Cradle" plays while he waits.[2] Cast member Harry Shearer based the voice of Dave, the director of the Fatherhood Institute, on actor Mason Adams.[1] At the institute, Dave gives Homer a copy of the book Fatherhood by Bill Cosby. In a subsequent episode, "Dog of Death", Homer throws the book into the fireplace as replacement for wood.[1] When Homer and Bart build the soapbox racer, Mac Davis's song "Watching Scotty Grow", sung by Bobby Goldsboro, plays on the soundtrack.[3] The whipping and spikes coming out of Nelson's racer are a reference to the chariot race in Ben-Hur.[1][4] The idea of Nelson's racer being "armed with every dirty trick in the book" was based on the 1973 Soap Box Derby World Championship scandal, when a 14-year-old boy was stripped of his title two days after winning the national race for cheating.[5] During the final race, Homer stands up in the crowd to cheer on Bart and his body is silhouetted against the sun, a reference to a scene in The Natural;[1] the theme from The Natural plays in the scene.[6]
Reception
[edit]"Saturdays of Thunder" originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 14, 1991. It received high ratings due to the fact that it was immediately followed by the premiere of the music video for Michael Jackson's song "Black or White".[2] In its original American broadcast, the episode finished 26th in the ratings for the week of November 11–17, 1991, with a Nielsen rating of 14.9, equivalent to approximately 13.7 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.[7]
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Niel Harvey of The Roanoke Times called it a "classic bit of Simpsonia,"[9] and the Daily Record said it is "definitely one not to miss".[10] The Orlando Sentinel's Gregory Hardy named it the sixth best episode of the show with a sports theme.[11] Michael Coulter of The Age commented that "Saturdays of Thunder" is "one of the many excellent" The Simpsons episodes to feature a sporting theme. He went on to say: "A 'classic' Simpsons, insofar as it boasts a plot, rather than a sequence of surreal pop-culture parodies".[12]
The episode's parody of Ben-Hur was named the eighth greatest film reference in the history of the show by Total Film's Nathan Ditum.[13] Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict looked unfavorably on the episode, writing that it "has a premise—Bart builds a soapbox racer—that frankly has very limited modern day appeal. We can't really get into the whole Martin/Nelson/Bart race dynamic and today, soapbox derby has been technologized all out of proportion to the point where very few, if any, practice it. With such a narrow target, many of the jokes just don't work." Gibron preferred the subplot of Homer's attempts to become a better father.[8]
Nate Meyers of Digitally Obsessed was more positive about the episode, commenting that the emphasis is on Homer's parenting, like many other season three episodes, and "contrary to popular opinion, Homer is actually a good father who tries to do good by his children." He thought the racing sequences featured "good animation and direction", but considered the highlight to be the clip from the film McBain that Homer watches in the video store. Meyers rated the episode a 4 (of 5).[14]
DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson, who listed the episode as one of his favorites from season three, said that "on the surface, 'Saturdays of Thunder' essentially just rehashes" the theme of the previous episode, "Lisa's Pony", in which Homer tries to be a better father for Lisa. Jacobson commented that "Saturdays of Thunder", however, "simply seems funnier than 'Lisa's Pony'. The soapbox derby elements provide lots of great gags. [It] offers a great episode."[15] Like Meyers, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide thought the highlight of the episode was the McBain clip.[4] Nathan Rabin writes: "If 'Saturdays of Thunder' is formulaic that’s probably because at this point the show was operating at such a high level that it didn’t need a constant influx of new ideas to remain vital... It was so good that the writers and producers could get a little cocky and formulaic. They could get away with the climactic big hug undercut by the closing sneer because at that point the show didn’t need to be blindingly original to be something close to perfect." He adds: "I love the resigned, reflective way Bart says, “Maybe it’s for the best” when informed that they’re finally hauling his father away, as if he'd been secretly anticipating that moment for years."[16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jean, Al (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c d Levine, Ken (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Reardon, Jim (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Saturdays of Thunder". BBC. Archived from the original on March 12, 2005. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
- ^ Reiss, Mike (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..
- ^ Associated Press (November 20, 1991). "Nielsen Ratings /Nov. 11-17". Press-Telegram. p. C5.
- ^ a b Gibron, Bill (December 15, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
- ^ Harvey, Niel (September 4, 2003). "'The Simpsons' Is A Consistent Slam Dunk". The Roanoke Times. p. 8.
- ^ "Movie Choice". Daily Record. March 9, 2001.
- ^ Hardy, Gregory (February 16, 2003). "Hitting 300 - For Sporting Comedy, 'The Simpsons' Always Score". Orlando Sentinel. p. C17.
- ^ Coulter, Michael (November 10, 2005). "Sport - Friday". The Age. p. 18.
- ^ Ditum, Nathan (June 6, 2009). "The 50 Greatest Simpsons Movie References". Total Film. GamesRadar. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ Meyers, Nate (June 23, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". Digitally Obsessed. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
- ^ Jacobson, Colin (August 21, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
- ^ Rabin, Rabin. "The Simpsons (Classic): "Saturdays of Thunder"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
External links
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