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{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Short description|Season of television series}}
{{Short description|Season of television series}}
{{Infobox television season
{{Infobox television season
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The ninth season is considered by some fans and critics to be the end of the Golden Age of ''The Simpsons''. Alasdair Wilkins of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' said: "From here on out, we're in The Simpsons' decline phase, though there's plenty of room to disagree just how stark the drop-off actually was."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-the-city-of-new-york-vs-homer-1798184136#_ga=2.53405994.32840529.1510709883-764445098.1505502889|title= The Simpsons (Classic): "The City Of New York Vs. Homer Simpson"|author=Alasdair Wilkins|website= [[The A.V. Club]]|date= 21 June 2015}}</ref> On Rotten Tomatoes, the ninth season of ''The Simpsons'' has a 67% approval rating based on 6 critical reviews.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_simpsons/s09 | title=The Simpsons | website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] }}</ref>
The ninth season is considered by some fans and critics to be the end of the Golden Age of ''The Simpsons''. Alasdair Wilkins of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' said: "From here on out, we're in The Simpsons' decline phase, though there's plenty of room to disagree just how stark the drop-off actually was."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-the-city-of-new-york-vs-homer-1798184136#_ga=2.53405994.32840529.1510709883-764445098.1505502889|title= The Simpsons (Classic): "The City Of New York Vs. Homer Simpson"|author=Alasdair Wilkins|website= [[The A.V. Club]]|date= 21 June 2015}}</ref> On Rotten Tomatoes, the ninth season of ''The Simpsons'' has a 67% approval rating based on 6 critical reviews.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_simpsons/s09 | title=The Simpsons | website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] }}</ref>


The second episode of the ninth season, "[[The Principal and the Pauper]]" is often regarded as one of the most controversial episodes of the entire series. Many fans and critics reacted negatively to the revelation that [[Principal Skinner]], a recurring character since the [[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire|first episode ]] who had undergone much [[Characterization|character development]], was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by series creator [[Matt Groening]], and by Skinner's voice actor [[Harry Shearer]]. In his 2004 book ''[[Planet Simpson]]'', Chris Turner describes the episode as the "broadcast that marked [the] abrupt plunge" from ''The Simpsons''<nowiki>'</nowiki> "Golden Age", which he says began in the middle of the show's [[The Simpsons (season 3)|third season]]. He calls the episode "[one of] the weakest episodes in ''Simpsons'' history", and adds, "A blatant, continuity-scrambling plot twist of this sort might've been forgivable if the result had been as funny or sharply satirical as the classics of the Golden Age, but alas it's emphatically not." Turner notes that the episode "still sports a couple of virtuoso gags", but says that such moments are limited.{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=41-42}}
The second episode of the ninth season, "[[The Principal and the Pauper]]" is often regarded as one of the most controversial episodes of the entire series. Many fans and critics reacted negatively to the revelation that [[Principal Skinner]], a recurring character since the [[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire|first episode]] who had undergone much [[Characterization|character development]], was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by series creator [[Matt Groening]], and by Skinner's voice actor [[Harry Shearer]]. In his 2004 book ''[[Planet Simpson]]'', Chris Turner describes the episode as the "broadcast that marked [the] abrupt plunge" from ''The Simpsons''<nowiki>'</nowiki> "Golden Age", which he says began in the middle of the show's [[The Simpsons (season 3)|third season]]. He calls the episode "[one of] the weakest episodes in ''Simpsons'' history", and adds, "A blatant, continuity-scrambling plot twist of this sort might've been forgivable if the result had been as funny or sharply satirical as the classics of the Golden Age, but alas it's emphatically not." Turner notes that the episode "still sports a couple of virtuoso gags", but says that such moments are limited.{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=41-42}}


In July 2007, in an article in ''[[The Guardian]]'', Ian Jones argues that the "show became stupid" in 1997, pointing to the episode as the bellwether. "Come again? A major character in a long-running series gets unmasked as a fraud? It was cheap, idle storytelling", he remarks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rise and fall of a comic genius |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jul/12/features.features11 |work=[[The Guardian]] |author=Jones, Ian |date=July 12, 2007}} Retrieved on August 17, 2008.</ref> In a February 2006 article in ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', [[Alan Sepinwall]] and Matt Zoller Seitz cite the episode when asserting that the quality of ''The Simpsons'' "gets much spottier" in season nine.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |author2=Matt Zoller Seitz |title=Eight is enough |work=[[The Star-Ledger]] |page=31 |date=February 14, 2006}}</ref> Alan Sepinwall observes in another ''Star-Ledger'' article, "[The episode] was so implausible that even the characters were disavowing it by the end of the episode."<ref>{{cite news |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |title=Mmmm ... 300 episodes; Homer's odyssey continues as 'The Simpsons', America's favorite animated family, reaches a comic milestone |work=The Star-Ledger |page=1 |date=February 16, 2003}}</ref> [[Jon Hein]], who coined the term "[[jumping the shark]]" to refer to negative changes in television series, writes in ''Jump the Shark: TV Edition'', "We finally spotted a fin at the start of the ninth season when Principal Skinner's true identity was revealed as Armin Tamzarian."<ref>{{cite book |title=Jump the Shark: TV Edition |last=Hein |first=Jon |year=2003 |publisher=Plume |isbn=0-452-28410-4 |page=88}}</ref> James Greene of ''[[Nerve.com]]'' put the episode fifth on his list "Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark", calling it a "nonsensical meta-comedy" and arguing that it "seemed to betray the reality of the show itself".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/2010/05/07/ten-times-the-simpsons-jumped-the-shark |title=Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark |author=James Greene Jr. |date=May 6, 2010 |access-date=September 13, 2022 |publisher=Nerve.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016201354/http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/2010/05/07/ten-times-the-simpsons-jumped-the-shark |archive-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref> On the 25th anniversary of the episode airing, ''Fatherly'' looked back negatively at the episode, described the plot twist as the moment the show stopped being perfect, saying: "It wasn't funny, it was just mean, and the ending of the episode inadvertently made you complicit in its viciousness. Ultimately, the citizens of Springfield decide to force things back to normal by tying the real Skinner to a departing train and legally declaring that Tamzarian's theft of an entire life is fine. And, well, yeah we as the viewers wanted things to go back to normal once the episode was over, but…this was just heartless."<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.fatherly.com/entertainment/the-simpsons-first-bad-episode-principal-and-the-pauper|title= 25 Years Ago, The Simpsons Dropped Its Most Controversial Episode|date= September 29, 2022|access-date= September 29, 2022}}</ref>
In July 2007, in an article in ''[[The Guardian]]'', Ian Jones argues that the "show became stupid" in 1997, pointing to the episode as the bellwether. "Come again? A major character in a long-running series gets unmasked as a fraud? It was cheap, idle storytelling", he remarks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rise and fall of a comic genius |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jul/12/features.features11 |work=[[The Guardian]] |author=Jones, Ian |date=July 12, 2007}} Retrieved on August 17, 2008.</ref> In a February 2006 article in ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', [[Alan Sepinwall]] and Matt Zoller Seitz cite the episode when asserting that the quality of ''The Simpsons'' "gets much spottier" in season nine.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |author2=Matt Zoller Seitz |title=Eight is enough |work=[[The Star-Ledger]] |page=31 |date=February 14, 2006}}</ref> Alan Sepinwall observes in another ''Star-Ledger'' article, "[The episode] was so implausible that even the characters were disavowing it by the end of the episode."<ref>{{cite news |last=Sepinwall |first=Alan |title=Mmmm ... 300 episodes; Homer's odyssey continues as 'The Simpsons', America's favorite animated family, reaches a comic milestone |work=The Star-Ledger |page=1 |date=February 16, 2003}}</ref> [[Jon Hein]], who coined the term "[[jumping the shark]]" to refer to negative changes in television series, writes in ''Jump the Shark: TV Edition'', "We finally spotted a fin at the start of the ninth season when Principal Skinner's true identity was revealed as Armin Tamzarian."<ref>{{cite book |title=Jump the Shark: TV Edition |last=Hein |first=Jon |year=2003 |publisher=Plume |isbn=0-452-28410-4 |page=88}}</ref> James Greene of ''[[Nerve.com]]'' put the episode fifth on his list "Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark", calling it a "nonsensical meta-comedy" and arguing that it "seemed to betray the reality of the show itself".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/2010/05/07/ten-times-the-simpsons-jumped-the-shark |title=Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark |author=James Greene Jr. |date=May 6, 2010 |access-date=September 13, 2022 |publisher=Nerve.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016201354/http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/2010/05/07/ten-times-the-simpsons-jumped-the-shark |archive-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref> On the 25th anniversary of the episode airing, ''Fatherly'' looked back negatively at the episode, described the plot twist as the moment the show stopped being perfect, saying: "It wasn't funny, it was just mean, and the ending of the episode inadvertently made you complicit in its viciousness. Ultimately, the citizens of Springfield decide to force things back to normal by tying the real Skinner to a departing train and legally declaring that Tamzarian's theft of an entire life is fine. And, well, yeah we as the viewers wanted things to go back to normal once the episode was over, but…this was just heartless."<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.fatherly.com/entertainment/the-simpsons-first-bad-episode-principal-and-the-pauper|title= 25 Years Ago, The Simpsons Dropped Its Most Controversial Episode|date= September 29, 2022|access-date= September 29, 2022}}</ref>
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|ProdCode=4F24
|ProdCode=4F24
|ShortSummary=Soon after being unable to solve a brain-teaser that several others at school were able to solve, and forgetting some of her day to day tasks, Lisa learns from [[Grampa Simpson|Grampa]] that the [[Simpson family|Simpsons]] have a long history of losing their intelligence in late childhood. Lisa soon realizes that she cannot escape genetics, and accepts that she will soon be very unintelligent. After realizing the importance of sharing what you can with the world while you still have the chance, she lies her way onto a news broadcast to deliver a message on treasuring your brain. Homer sees this and, upon learning what Abe told her, attempts to disprove the theory of the "Simpson gene" by gathering every Simpson in the area together to showcase their merits. It is quickly apparent that Homer did not research this project much, as many of his guests prove to be simpletons, deadbeats, and stooges. Lisa's salvation only comes when she begins to meet the Simpson women, including a doctor who then informs Lisa that the defective "Simpson gene" is located only on the Y-chromosome. Re-validated, Lisa celebrates that she is once again herself, an event aptly crowned when she finally manages to solve the brain-teaser that so plagued her.<ref name="lds">Gimple, p. 32</ref> Meanwhile, Apu finds out that Jasper has locked himself inside a freezer at the Kwik-E-Mart and decides to turn it into a freak house.
|ShortSummary=Soon after being unable to solve a brain-teaser that several others at school were able to solve, and forgetting some of her day to day tasks, Lisa learns from [[Grampa Simpson|Grampa]] that the [[Simpson family|Simpsons]] have a long history of losing their intelligence in late childhood. Lisa soon realizes that she cannot escape genetics, and accepts that she will soon be very unintelligent. After realizing the importance of sharing what you can with the world while you still have the chance, she lies her way onto a news broadcast to deliver a message on treasuring your brain. Homer sees this and, upon learning what Abe told her, attempts to disprove the theory of the "Simpson gene" by gathering every Simpson in the area together to showcase their merits. It is quickly apparent that Homer did not research this project much, as many of his guests prove to be simpletons, deadbeats, and stooges. Lisa's salvation only comes when she begins to meet the Simpson women, including a doctor who then informs Lisa that the defective "Simpson gene" is located only on the Y-chromosome. Re-validated, Lisa celebrates that she is once again herself, an event aptly crowned when she finally manages to solve the brain-teaser that so plagued her.<ref name="lds">Gimple, p. 32</ref> Meanwhile, Apu finds out that Jasper has locked himself inside a freezer at the Kwik-E-Mart and decides to turn it into a freak house.
|NoViewersOnMainList=y|Viewers=17.79<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41373578/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (March 2-8)|date=March 11, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|NoViewersOnMainList=y|Viewers=17.79<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41373578/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (March 2–8)|date=March 11, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|LineColor=7a335d
|LineColor=7a335d
}}
}}
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|ProdCode=5F13
|ProdCode=5F13
|ShortSummary=When Marge realizes that [[Ralph Wiggum]] has no friends, she volunteers Bart to be his friend. Initially unwilling, Bart discovers that Ralph's father, [[Chief Wiggum]], owns a key that opens every lock in Springfield. The two go out at night and open many places to have fun, but soon encounter bullies Nelson, [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Dolph Starbeam|Dolph]], [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Jimbo Jones|Jimbo]], and [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Kearney Zzyzwicz|Kearney]]. The four pressure Bart and Ralph to sneak into an abandoned prison, but Bart decides not to when he sees that Ralph is scared. The key is thrown over into the prison by the trouble-makers, causing Bart and Ralph to go retrieve it. While in the prison, the two find an old [[electric chair]], which they turn on to see if it still works, and later go home. The next day, [[Mayor Quimby]] announces the prison is reopened, and decides to demonstrate what criminals could face by sitting in the, unknown to the police and the mayor, active chair. Bart rushes to Ralph for help to tell the mayor that the chair is active, leading Lisa to fire a small rocket with a note attached to the prison. The rocket misses and crashes into the power plant. Mr. Burns responds and, upon realizing the prison has been using free electricity, turns off the power, saving the mayor.<ref>Gimple, p. 33</ref>
|ShortSummary=When Marge realizes that [[Ralph Wiggum]] has no friends, she volunteers Bart to be his friend. Initially unwilling, Bart discovers that Ralph's father, [[Chief Wiggum]], owns a key that opens every lock in Springfield. The two go out at night and open many places to have fun, but soon encounter bullies Nelson, [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Dolph Starbeam|Dolph]], [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Jimbo Jones|Jimbo]], and [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Kearney Zzyzwicz|Kearney]]. The four pressure Bart and Ralph to sneak into an abandoned prison, but Bart decides not to when he sees that Ralph is scared. The key is thrown over into the prison by the trouble-makers, causing Bart and Ralph to go retrieve it. While in the prison, the two find an old [[electric chair]], which they turn on to see if it still works, and later go home. The next day, [[Mayor Quimby]] announces the prison is reopened, and decides to demonstrate what criminals could face by sitting in the, unknown to the police and the mayor, active chair. Bart rushes to Ralph for help to tell the mayor that the chair is active, leading Lisa to fire a small rocket with a note attached to the prison. The rocket misses and crashes into the power plant. Mr. Burns responds and, upon realizing the prison has been using free electricity, turns off the power, saving the mayor.<ref>Gimple, p. 33</ref>
|NoViewersOnMainList=y|Viewers=14.96<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41370417/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (March 16-22)|date=March 25, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|NoViewersOnMainList=y|Viewers=14.96<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41370417/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (March 16–22)|date=March 25, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|LineColor=7a335d
|LineColor=7a335d
}}
}}
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|ProdCode=5F15
|ProdCode=5F15
|ShortSummary=Lisa becomes a [[News presenter|news anchor]] of a children's news segment on the "Krusty the Clown Show" when the channel discovers that it requires some educational programming. Meanwhile, Bart destroys [[Groundskeeper Willie]]'s shack after he takes away Bart's skateboard. Later, Marge makes Lisa allow Bart to be the sports anchor, but after the channel sees Bart's success, they promote him to co-anchor. To prove to Lisa that he is a good anchor, Bart starts to produce "Bart's People", which are [[human interest story|human interest stories]], a news segment that becomes extremely popular. Resentful of his success, Lisa sends Bart a fake letter. In it, she pretends to be an [[Immigration|immigrant]] who lost his home. Seeing an opportunity, Bart rushes to the [[landfill]] to do a live "Bart's People", only to discover that the immigrant was actually Groundskeeper Willie, who goes after Bart. Seeing what she did, Lisa rushes to save Bart, and is able to persuade Willie to let Bart go, using the emotion striking techniques Bart used in his segments.<ref>Gimple, p. 37</ref>
|ShortSummary=Lisa becomes a [[News presenter|news anchor]] of a children's news segment on the "Krusty the Clown Show" when the channel discovers that it requires some educational programming. Meanwhile, Bart destroys [[Groundskeeper Willie]]'s shack after he takes away Bart's skateboard. Later, Marge makes Lisa allow Bart to be the sports anchor, but after the channel sees Bart's success, they promote him to co-anchor. To prove to Lisa that he is a good anchor, Bart starts to produce "Bart's People", which are [[human interest story|human interest stories]], a news segment that becomes extremely popular. Resentful of his success, Lisa sends Bart a fake letter. In it, she pretends to be an [[Immigration|immigrant]] who lost his home. Seeing an opportunity, Bart rushes to the [[landfill]] to do a live "Bart's People", only to discover that the immigrant was actually Groundskeeper Willie, who goes after Bart. Seeing what she did, Lisa rushes to save Bart, and is able to persuade Willie to let Bart go, using the emotion striking techniques Bart used in his segments.<ref>Gimple, p. 37</ref>
|NoViewersOnMainList=y|Viewers=13.46<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41300708/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (April 13-19)|date=April 22, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|NoViewersOnMainList=y|Viewers=13.46<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41300708/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (April 13–19)|date=April 22, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|LineColor=7a335d
|LineColor=7a335d
}}
}}
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|ProdCode=5F17
|ProdCode=5F17
|ShortSummary=When Bart comes home with some novelty items [[Cyanoacrylate|superglue]]d to his face, Marge takes him to the emergency room, spoiling Lisa's chance to go the Springfield Museum to catch the last day of the Isis Exhibit. Marge forbids Lisa to take public transportation to the museum by herself, but Lisa is able to manipulate her father for his permission to take the bus. However, Lisa takes the wrong bus and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile, Homer realizes that he should not have given Lisa permission to take the bus by herself. He rushes to the museum to find her, but she has managed to get downtown after much travel. Near the museum, Homer decides to use a [[cherry picker]] to locate Lisa, but the cherry picker loses control and falls into the pier, and floats off to a [[drawbridge]]. Lisa sees this, and quickly tells the bridge operator to lower the bridge, which catches Homer by his head to save him. The exhibit is closed, but Homer promises to break into the museum at night with Lisa, where the two discover one of the exhibits' objects is a [[Music box|musical box]].<ref>Gimple, p. 41</ref>
|ShortSummary=When Bart comes home with some novelty items [[Cyanoacrylate|superglue]]d to his face, Marge takes him to the emergency room, spoiling Lisa's chance to go the Springfield Museum to catch the last day of the Isis Exhibit. Marge forbids Lisa to take public transportation to the museum by herself, but Lisa is able to manipulate her father for his permission to take the bus. However, Lisa takes the wrong bus and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile, Homer realizes that he should not have given Lisa permission to take the bus by herself. He rushes to the museum to find her, but she has managed to get downtown after much travel. Near the museum, Homer decides to use a [[cherry picker]] to locate Lisa, but the cherry picker loses control and falls into the pier, and floats off to a [[drawbridge]]. Lisa sees this, and quickly tells the bridge operator to lower the bridge, which catches Homer by his head to save him. The exhibit is closed, but Homer promises to break into the museum at night with Lisa, where the two discover one of the exhibits' objects is a [[Music box|musical box]].<ref>Gimple, p. 41</ref>
|NoViewersOnMainList=y|Viewers=12.86<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41304257/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (May 4-10)|date=May 13, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|NoViewersOnMainList=y|Viewers=12.86<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41304257/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (May 4–10)|date=May 13, 1998|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>
|LineColor=7a335d
|LineColor=7a335d
}}
}}

Revision as of 05:51, 16 September 2023

The Simpsons
Season 9
DVD cover featuring The Simpson family attending a showing of the 200th episode.
No. of episodes25
Release
Original networkFox
Original releaseSeptember 21, 1997 (1997-09-21) –
May 17, 1998 (1998-05-17)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 8
Next →
Season 10
List of episodes

The ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between September 1997 and May 1998, beginning on Sunday, September 21, 1997, with "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson". With Mike Scully as showrunner for the ninth production season,[1] the aired season contained three episodes which were hold-over episodes from season eight, which Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein ran, while the season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. It also contained two episodes which were run by David Mirkin, and another two hold-over episodes which were run by Al Jean and Mike Reiss.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Season nine won three Emmy Awards: "Trash of the Titans" for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) in 1998,[9] Hank Azaria won "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance" for the voice of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon,[10] and Alf Clausen and Ken Keeler won the "Outstanding Music and Lyrics" award.[11] Clausen was also nominated for "Outstanding Music Direction" and "Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)" for "Treehouse of Horror VIII".[9] Season nine was also nominated for a "Best Network Television Series" award by the Saturn Awards and "Best Sound Editing" for a Golden Reel Award.[11]

The Simpsons 9th Season DVD was released on December 19, 2006, in Region 1, January 29, 2007, in Region 2 and March 21, 2007, in Region 4. The DVD was released in two different forms: a Lisa-shaped head, to match the Maggie, Homer and Marge shaped heads from the three previous DVD sets, and also a standard rectangular shaped box. Like the previous DVD sets, both versions are available for sale separately.

Voice cast & characters

Main article: List of The Simpsons characters
Martin Sheen guest-starred as the real Seymour Skinner in the infamous episode "The Principal and the Pauper"
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek made a guest appearance as himself in the Christmas episode "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace"
James Earl Jones narrated the episode "Das Bus"

This is the last season to feature the character Lionel Hutz, voiced by Phil Hartman. Following Hartman's death on May 28, 1998, Hutz was retired along with Hartman's other recurring character Troy McClure; his final speaking role as Hutz was five months earlier, in the episode "Realty Bites", and has since occasionally appeared as a background character.

Main cast

Recurring

Guest stars

Main article: List of The Simpsons guest stars (seasons 1–20)

Reception

The ninth season is considered by some fans and critics to be the end of the Golden Age of The Simpsons. Alasdair Wilkins of The A.V. Club said: "From here on out, we're in The Simpsons' decline phase, though there's plenty of room to disagree just how stark the drop-off actually was."[12] On Rotten Tomatoes, the ninth season of The Simpsons has a 67% approval rating based on 6 critical reviews.[13]

The second episode of the ninth season, "The Principal and the Pauper" is often regarded as one of the most controversial episodes of the entire series. Many fans and critics reacted negatively to the revelation that Principal Skinner, a recurring character since the first episode who had undergone much character development, was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by series creator Matt Groening, and by Skinner's voice actor Harry Shearer. In his 2004 book Planet Simpson, Chris Turner describes the episode as the "broadcast that marked [the] abrupt plunge" from The Simpsons' "Golden Age", which he says began in the middle of the show's third season. He calls the episode "[one of] the weakest episodes in Simpsons history", and adds, "A blatant, continuity-scrambling plot twist of this sort might've been forgivable if the result had been as funny or sharply satirical as the classics of the Golden Age, but alas it's emphatically not." Turner notes that the episode "still sports a couple of virtuoso gags", but says that such moments are limited.[14]

In July 2007, in an article in The Guardian, Ian Jones argues that the "show became stupid" in 1997, pointing to the episode as the bellwether. "Come again? A major character in a long-running series gets unmasked as a fraud? It was cheap, idle storytelling", he remarks.[15] In a February 2006 article in The Star-Ledger, Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz cite the episode when asserting that the quality of The Simpsons "gets much spottier" in season nine.[16] Alan Sepinwall observes in another Star-Ledger article, "[The episode] was so implausible that even the characters were disavowing it by the end of the episode."[17] Jon Hein, who coined the term "jumping the shark" to refer to negative changes in television series, writes in Jump the Shark: TV Edition, "We finally spotted a fin at the start of the ninth season when Principal Skinner's true identity was revealed as Armin Tamzarian."[18] James Greene of Nerve.com put the episode fifth on his list "Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark", calling it a "nonsensical meta-comedy" and arguing that it "seemed to betray the reality of the show itself".[19] On the 25th anniversary of the episode airing, Fatherly looked back negatively at the episode, described the plot twist as the moment the show stopped being perfect, saying: "It wasn't funny, it was just mean, and the ending of the episode inadvertently made you complicit in its viciousness. Ultimately, the citizens of Springfield decide to force things back to normal by tying the real Skinner to a departing train and legally declaring that Tamzarian's theft of an entire life is fine. And, well, yeah we as the viewers wanted things to go back to normal once the episode was over, but…this was just heartless."[20]

Episodes

See also: List of The Simpsons episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1791"The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson"Jim ReardonIan Maxtone-GrahamSeptember 21, 1997 (1997-09-21)4F2217.44[21]
1802"The Principal and the Pauper"Steven Dean MooreKen KeelerSeptember 28, 1997 (1997-09-28)4F2314.86[22]
1813"Lisa's Sax"Dominic PolcinoAl JeanOctober 19, 1997 (1997-10-19)3F26[23] 3G0212.85[24]
1824"Treehouse of Horror VIII"Mark KirklandMike ScullyOctober 26, 1997 (1997-10-26)5F0219.03[25]
David X. Cohen
Ned Goldreyer
1835"The Cartridge Family"Pete MichelsJohn SwartzwelderNovember 2, 1997 (1997-11-02)5F0118.03[26]
1846"Bart Star"Dominic PolcinoDonick CaryNovember 9, 1997 (1997-11-09)5F0317.91[27]
1857"The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons"Steven Dean MooreRichard AppelNovember 16, 1997 (1997-11-16)5F0419.80[28]
1868"Lisa the Skeptic"Neil AffleckDavid X. CohenNovember 23, 1997 (1997-11-23)5F0516.01[29]
1879"Realty Bites"Swinton O. Scott IIIDan GreaneyDecember 7, 1997 (1997-12-07)5F0617.73[30]
18810"Miracle on Evergreen Terrace"Bob AndersonRon HaugeDecember 21, 1997 (1997-12-21)5F0716.17[31]
18911"All Singing, All Dancing"Mark ErvinSteve O'DonnellJanuary 4, 1998 (1998-01-04)5F2415.90[32]
19012"Bart Carny"Mark KirklandJohn SwartzwelderJanuary 11, 1998 (1998-01-11)5F0819.21[33]
19113"The Joy of Sect"Steven Dean MooreSteve O'DonnellFebruary 8, 1998 (1998-02-08)5F2316.20[34]
19214"Das Bus"Pete MichelsDavid X. CohenFebruary 15, 1998 (1998-02-15)5F1115.98[35]
19315"The Last Temptation of Krust"Mike B. AndersonDonick CaryFebruary 22, 1998 (1998-02-22)5F1016.50[36]
19416"Dumbbell Indemnity"Dominic PolcinoRon HaugeMarch 1, 1998 (1998-03-01)5F1217.35[37]
19517"Lisa the Simpson"Susie DietterNed GoldreyerMarch 8, 1998 (1998-03-08)4F2417.79[38]
19618"This Little Wiggy"Neil AffleckDan GreaneyMarch 22, 1998 (1998-03-22)5F1314.96[39]
19719"Simpson Tide"Mike B. AndersonJoshua Sternin & Jennifer VentimiliaMarch 29, 1998 (1998-03-29)3G0414.77[40]
19820"The Trouble with Trillions"Swinton O. Scott IIIIan Maxtone-GrahamApril 5, 1998 (1998-04-05)5F1411.39[41]
19921"Girly Edition"Mark KirklandLarry DoyleApril 19, 1998 (1998-04-19)5F1513.46[42]
20022"Trash of the Titans"Jim ReardonIan Maxtone-GrahamApril 26, 1998 (1998-04-26)5F0917.35[43]
20123"King of the Hill"Steven Dean MooreJohn SwartzwelderMay 3, 1998 (1998-05-03)5F1614.80[44]
20224"Lost Our Lisa"Pete MichelsBrian ScullyMay 10, 1998 (1998-05-10)5F1712.86[45]
20325"Natural Born Kissers"Klay HallMatt SelmanMay 17, 1998 (1998-05-17)5F1814.12[46]

Nielsen ratings

In terms of households, the show ranked just outside the Top 30, coming in at No. 32 with a 9.3 household rating and a 15 percent audience share.[47] However, in terms of total viewers, the show ranked within the Top 20, coming in at No. 18 for the season, (tying with Dateline Tuesday) and being watched by an average of 15.3 million viewers per episode.[48]

DVD release

The Simpsons season 9 DVD digipak, special Lisa head edition

The DVD boxset for season nine was released by 20th Century Fox in the United States and Canada on December 19, 2006, eight years after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted scenes, animatics, and commentaries for every episode. As with the two preceding seasons, the set was released in two different packagings: A "Collector's Edition" plastic packaging molded to look like Lisa's head, and a standard rectangular cardboard box featuring Lisa with a backstage pass to a show at a club.[49] The menus continue the same format from the previous four seasons, and the overall theme is various characters waiting in line at a club.

The Complete Ninth Season
Set Details[50][51] Special Features[50][51]
  • 25 episodes
  • 4-disc set
  • 1.33:1 aspect ratio
  • AUDIO
    • English 5.1 Dolby Digital
    • Spanish 2.0 Dolby Surround
    • French 2.0 Dolby Surround
  • SUBTITLES
    • English SDH
    • Spanish[51]
Release Dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
December 19, 2006 January 29, 2007 March 21, 2007

See also

References

General
  • Gimple, Scott (1999). The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-098763-4.
  • 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.
Specific
  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference first was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ny was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference pauper was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference lds was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference asad was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference jos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference sax was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference st was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b "1997-1998 Emmy Awards". infoplease.com. Retrieved September 25, 2006.
  10. ^ "1997-1998 Emmy Awards". emmy.org. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2006.
  11. ^ a b "Every show, every winner, every nominee". The Envelope. Retrieved September 25, 2006.
  12. ^ Alasdair Wilkins (June 21, 2015). "The Simpsons (Classic): "The City Of New York Vs. Homer Simpson"". The A.V. Club.
  13. ^ "The Simpsons". Rotten Tomatoes.
  14. ^ Turner 2004, pp. 41–42.
  15. ^ Jones, Ian (July 12, 2007). "Rise and fall of a comic genius". The Guardian. Retrieved on August 17, 2008.
  16. ^ Sepinwall, Alan; Matt Zoller Seitz (February 14, 2006). "Eight is enough". The Star-Ledger. p. 31.
  17. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (February 16, 2003). "Mmmm ... 300 episodes; Homer's odyssey continues as 'The Simpsons', America's favorite animated family, reaches a comic milestone". The Star-Ledger. p. 1.
  18. ^ Hein, Jon (2003). Jump the Shark: TV Edition. Plume. p. 88. ISBN 0-452-28410-4.
  19. ^ James Greene Jr. (May 6, 2010). "Ten Times The Simpsons Jumped the Shark". Nerve.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  20. ^ "25 Years Ago, The Simpsons Dropped Its Most Controversial Episode". September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  21. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 15–21)". The Los Angeles Times. September 24, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  22. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 22–28)". The Los Angeles Times. October 1, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  23. ^ "Lisa's Sax" Production Cel (3F26, Season 9)". 20th Century Animation. ACME Archives. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  24. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 13–19)". The Los Angeles Times. October 22, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  25. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 20–26)". The Los Angeles Times. October 29, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  26. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 27–Nov. 2)". The Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  27. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 3-9)". The Los Angeles Times. November 12, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  28. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 10–16)". The Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  29. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 17-23)". The Los Angeles Times. November 26, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  30. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 1-7)". The Los Angeles Times. December 10, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  31. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 15–21)". The Los Angeles Times. December 24, 1997. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  32. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 29-Jan. 4)". The Los Angeles Times. January 9, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  33. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 5–11)". The Los Angeles Times. January 14, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  34. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 2–8)". The Los Angeles Times. February 11, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  35. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 9-15)". The Los Angeles Times. February 19, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  36. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 16-22)". The Los Angeles Times. February 25, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  37. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 23-March 1)". The Los Angeles Times. March 4, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  38. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 2–8)". The Los Angeles Times. March 11, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  39. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 16–22)". The Los Angeles Times. March 25, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  40. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 23–29)". The Los Angeles Times. April 1, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  41. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 30-April 5)". The Los Angeles Times. April 8, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  42. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 13–19)". The Los Angeles Times. April 22, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  43. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 20–26)". The Los Angeles Times. April 29, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  44. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 27-May 3)". The Los Angeles Times. May 6, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  45. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 4–10)". The Los Angeles Times. May 13, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  46. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 11–17)". The Los Angeles Times. May 20, 1998. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  47. ^ "Final Ratings for '97-'98 TV Season". May 25, 1998.
  48. ^ "The Final Countdown". Entertainment Weekly. No. 434. May 29, 1998. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  49. ^ "The Simpsons — The Complete 9th Season (Lisa Head)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2005.
  50. ^ a b Lacey, Gord (October 11, 2005). "Season 9 - List of Extras include Sneak Peak (sic) at the Movie!". TV Shows on DVD.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2005.
  51. ^ a b c "The Simpsons Season 9 DVD". The Simpsons Shop. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2005.
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