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The Simpsons season 20

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The Simpsons Season 20
Season 20
No. of episodes21[1]
Release
Original networkFox
Original releaseSeptember 28, 2008 –
May 17, 2009[1]
Season chronology
← Previous
19
Next →
21
List of episodes

The Simpsons' twentieth season aired on Fox from September 28, 2008 to May 17, 2009.[1] It contained nine holdover episodes from the season 19 (KABF) production line.[2] The Simpsons is now tied with Gunsmoke as the longest running American primetime television series (in terms of total seasons).[3]

Production on the season was delayed because of contract negotiations with the six main voice actors.[4] The dispute was resolved, and the actors' salary was raised to $400,000 (US) per episode. The delay in production caused the planned 22 episodes to be shortened to 20.[5] In addition, voice actor Dan Castellaneta was credited as a consulting producer for the first time.[5]

The Simpsons began high-definition production in season 20. The first episode in HD, "Take My Life, Please", aired on February 15, 2009, along with a new opening sequence.

Episodes

# Original title Directed by Written by Original airdate Prod. code
421–1"Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes"Lance KramerKevin CurranSeptember 28, 2008KABF17
Homer is sent to jail after a brawl at the St. Patrick's Day Parade; after getting bailed, he meets Lucky Jim and Wolf the bounty hunter who prompt him to try his own hand at bounty hunting with Ned Flanders. Homer's new attitude gets the best of him, and Flanders is not impressed. Meanwhile, Marge begins working at an erotic bakery.
Guest stars: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Robert Forster and Joe Mantegna.[6]
422–2"Lost Verizon"Raymond S. PersiJohn FrinkOctober 5, 2008KABF15
Bart manages to get Denis Leary's own cell phone and uses it for prank calls while posing as Leary. Marge discovers Bart's tricks and informs Leary of what Bart has been doing. Leary suggests Marge put a GPS in the phone, but Bart discovers it and sends his family on a chase that ends in Machu Picchu.
Guest stars: Denis Leary and Brian Grazer.[7][8]
423–3"Double, Double, Boy in Trouble"Michael PolcinoBill OdenkirkOctober 19, 2008KABF14
Bart meets Simon Woosterfield, his exact look-alike who is a member of the richest family in Springfield. Simon and Bart decide to switch places, though Mr. Burns quickly informs Bart that his new siblings are plotting his death in order to inherit the vast Woosterfield family fortune all for themselves.
Guest star: Joe Montana.[9][10]
424–4"Treehouse of Horror XIX"Bob AndersonMatt WarburtonNovember 2, 2008KABF16

Intro: Homer tries to vote for presidential nominee Barack Obama but the machine is rigged to place votes only for John McCain.

Untitled Robot Parody: In a slight parody of Transformers, Lisa gets a Malibu Stacy car that turns into a robot. Soon enough one group of robots are destroying Springfield as they wage war with another group of robots. [11]
How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising: When Krusty goes to take his face off a day care center wall (due to copyright infringement), Homer accidentally kills the clown, prompting advertising agents to hire Homer to murder famous people so their likenesses can legally be used in ads. [12]
It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse: In a parody of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Milhouse summons the Grand Pumpkin, but it ends up going on a rampage after seeing humans carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.[11]
425–5"Dangerous Curves"Matthew FaughnanBilly Kimball
Ian Maxtone-Graham		November 9, 2008KABF18
The Simpson family visits a cabin in the woods where a series of flashbacks depict Homer and Marge during their dating and early married years.[13] When Homer and Marge realize that one of their most cherished moments was based on a pile of lies, the two attempt to work out their issues.
Guest star: Maurice LaMarche.
426–6"Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words"Nancy KruseTim LongNovember 16, 2008KABF19
Lisa discovers she has a talent for crossword puzzles and enters a tournament. Homer discovers the world of underground betting ring and bets against Lisa in the championship match. When Lisa finds out, Homer tries to regain her love with help from New York Times editor Will Shortz and crossword puzzle inventor Merl Reagle.[14]
Guest stars: Will Shortz, Merl Reagle and Scott Thompson.
427–7"Mypods and Boomsticks"Steven Dean MooreMarc WilmoreNovember 30, 2008KABF20
Bart befriends a Muslim boy named Bashir. Homer, however, suspects his parents are plotting to destroy the Springfield Mall so he tries to warn Springfield of the impending doom. Meanwhile, Lisa gets a "Mypod".[15]
Guest star: Shohreh Aghdashloo.
428–8"The Burns and the Bees"Mark KirklandStephanie GillisDecember 7, 2008KABF21
Mr. Burns wins a basketball team in a poker game. After witnessing the antics of Mark Cuban at a game, Burns attempts similar things to win over Springfield basketball fans. These antics fail, and Burns' plan to build a new sports arena endangers a bee colony under the care of Lisa, who starts a campaign to save the bees. Homer tries to help by mating the bees with "killer" African bees.[16]
Guest stars: Mark Cuban, Jeff Bezos and Marv Albert.
429–9"Lisa the Drama Queen"Matthew NastukBrian KelleyJanuary 25, 2009KABF22
Lisa meets an intelligent girl named Juliet and the two create a fantasy world that takes them away from reality.
Guest stars: Emily Blunt[17][18] and Fall Out Boy.[19]
430–10"Take My Life, Please"Steven Dean MooreDon PayneFebruary 15, 2009LABF01
A man named Vance Connor is inducted into the Springfield Walk of Fame and Homer recounts how he ran against Vance for class president in high school and lost. A cook at Luigi's Restaurant uses his magical tomato sauce to help Homer see what his life would have been like had he won the election.[20]
431–11"How the Test Was Won"Lance KramerMichael PriceMarch 1, 2009LABF02
Bart receives a perfect score on a practice test for the upcoming Vice President's Assessment Test. Because of this, he will not have to take the real exam and will get to attend a special pizza party. Lisa, shocked that Bart did better, is unable to do well on her exam, but Bart realizes that the party is not what it seems. Meanwhile, Homer is late making an insurance payment and must go an afternoon without injuring himself.[21]
432–12"No Loan Again, Naturally"Mark KirklandJeff WestbrookMarch 8, 2009LABF03
Homer and Marge's mortgage rate rises and they are forced to sell their house. Flanders buys the property and becomes their new landlord. Homer accuses him of neglecting their unsafe living conditions and Flanders threatens to throw them out.[22]
Guest star: Maurice LaMarche.
433–13"Gone Maggie Gone"Chris ClementsBilly Kimball
Ian Maxtone-Graham		March 15, 2009LABF04

Homer leaves Maggie on the doorstep of a convent and the nuns take her in. Lisa tries to infiltrate the convent and rescue Maggie and discovers a series of messages that could lead her to a coveted jewel. She gets help from Principal Skinner and Comic Book Guy, but the Freemasons, led by Mr Burns discover her plans and try to get the jewel first.[23]

Guest star: Ed Begley, Jr.
434–14"In the Name of the Grandfather"Ralph SosaMatt MarshallMarch 22, 2009LABF11[26]
Homer neglects Grampa by not joining him in a three-legged race. To make up for it, he agrees to take Grampa to O'Flanagan’s pub in Ireland where Grampa claims he had the best night of his life. They discover that pubs are no longer popular there and end up buying it after a night of drinking.[24]
Guest stars: Colm Meaney, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová.[25]
435–15"Wedding for Disaster"Chuck SheetzJoel H. CohenMarch 29, 2009LABF05
When Homer and Marge's marriage turns out to be invalid, Homer asks Marge to marry him again. But after Homer mysteriously disappears on their wedding day, Bart and Lisa search for clues and believe Sideshow Bob could be the culprit. Meanwhile, Homer is locked in an underground bathroom and forced to lick a lollipop made of hot sauce in order to escape.[27]
Guest star: Kelsey Grammer.
436–16"Eeny Teeny Maya Moe"Nancy KruseJohn FrinkApril 5, 2009LABF06
Moe falls in love with a woman over the Internet. When he meets her in person, she turns out to be three feet tall. He remains in love with her, but worries about what his friends will think. Meanwhile, Homer attempts to spend more time with Maggie.[28]
437–17"The Good, the Sad and the Drugly"Rob OliverMarc WilmoreApril 19, 2009LABF07
Bart falls in love with a charitable girl named Jenny, prompting Bart to behave in order to date her. However, she discovers his true personality, causing him to end up reverting back to his old ways. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes depressed over Springfield's future while doing a school report on what the town will be like in 50 years.
Guest star: Anne Hathaway.[29]
438–18"Father Knows Worst"Matthew NastukRob LaZebnikApril 26, 2009LABF08
Bart and Lisa start struggling in their academic and social lives at school and Homer starts monitoring them and forcing them to do better. Meanwhile, Marge discovers a sauna in the basement.[30]
439–19"Waverly Hills 9-0-2-1-D'oh"Michael PolcinoJ. Stewart BurnsMay 3, 2009LABF10
When Marge learns Springfield Elementary is the worst school in the state, she and Homer rent an apartment in the upscale Waverly Hills school district so Bart and Lisa can attend a better school. Meanwhile, Homer moves into the rented Waverly Hills apartment and gets used to the bachelor lifestyle.
Guest stars: Ellen Page and Maurice LaMarche.[1]
440–20"Four Great Women and a Manicure"Raymond S. PersiValentina L. GarzaMay 10, 2009LABF09[31]
Marge and Lisa visit the nail salon where they engage in a spirited debate as to whether a woman can be smart, powerful and beautiful all at the same time and spin four tales of famous women featuring famous Springfield faces: Selma as Queen Elizabeth I, Lisa as Snow White, Marge as Lady Macbeth and Maggie as the idealistic architect protagonist from Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.
Guest star: Jodie Foster.[1]
441–21"Coming to Homerica"Steven Dean MooreBrendan HayMay 17, 2009LABF12[32]
When Ogdenville’s economy crumbles due to tainted barley discovered in Krusty’s veggie burgers, the unemployed workers of Ogdenville flock to Springfield. After Mayor Quimby closes Springfield’s borders and enlists private citizens to help patrol them, Homer organizes a border patrol group.[1]

20th anniversary

This year, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the premiere of The Simpsons, Fox announced earlier in the year that a year-long celebration of the show titled "Best. 20 Years. Ever." which runs from January 14, 2009 to January 14, 2010. Several contests are being run, including the "Unleash Your Yellow" contest in which entrants must design a poster for the show[33] and "Best. Couch Gag. Ever." where fans create their own live-action couch gag video.[34]

As part of the celebration, the Irish-themed episode "In the Name of the Grandfather" premiered on Sky1 in the United Kingdom and Ireland on March 17, 2009. It was the first ever episode of the show to air in Europe before airing in the United States. The American debut of the episode was on March 22.[35]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "May is Massive on Fox". FoxFlash. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
  2. ^ "Fox Announces Primetime Slate for 2008-2009". FoxFlash. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  3. ^ Bill Keveney (2008-09-28). "'The Simpsons' Hits a Landmark". ABC. Retrieved 2008-10-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Michael Schneider (2008-05-19). "Still no deal for 'Simpsons' cast". Variety. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  5. ^ a b "Simpsons cast sign new pay deal". BBC News. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-09-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Official press release for "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes"". FoxFlash. 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  7. ^ Army Archerd (2007-08-16). "Matt Damon & Bart Simpson!". Variety. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  8. ^ "Official press release for "Lost Verizon"". FoxFlash. 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  9. ^ "Official press release for "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble"". FoxFlash. 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  10. ^ Reg. # PAu002922103 in the U.S. Copyright Records database Retrieved on May 19, 2008
  11. ^ a b Jim Vejvoda (2008-07-26). "SDCC 08: Simpsons Footage Screened". IGN. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  12. ^ April MacIntyre (2008-09-25). "'The Simpsons' Al Jean interview, new season begins September 28". Monsters and Critics. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  13. ^ "Official press release for "Dangerous Curves"". Futon Critic. 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
  14. ^ "Lisa becomes a crossword puzzle phenom on "The Simpsons"". Futon Critic. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  15. ^ "Homer suspects Bart's new friend of orchestrating a terrorist plot on "The Simpsons". Futon Critic. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  16. ^ "Lisa tries to save the endangered Springfield bee population from Mr. Burns and his new sports arena on "The Simpsons". Futon Critic. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  17. ^ "Gallery photos". FoxFlash. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  18. ^ Feinberg, Daniel (2008-11-14). "Al Jean puzzles over 'Simpsons' future". Zap2it. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  19. ^ Newman, Melinda (2009-01-15). "D'oh! Fall Out Boy Records 'Simpsons' Theme". HitFix. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  20. ^ "Primetime Listings (February 8 - February 14)". FoxFlash. 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  21. ^ "Primetime Listings (February 22 - February 28)". FoxFlash. 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  22. ^ "Primetime Listings (March 1 - March 7)". FoxFlash. 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  23. ^ "Primetime Listings (March 8 - March 14)". FoxFlash. 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  24. ^ Pope, Conor (2009-02-23). "Simpsons Irish adventure to be screened on Patrick's Day". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
  25. ^ "Primetime listings (March 15-March 21)". FoxFlash. 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
  26. ^ Reg. # PAu003355663 in the U.S. Copyright Records database Retrieved on September 12, 2008.
  27. ^ "Primetime Listings (March 21 - March 28)". FoxFlash. 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  28. ^ "Primetime Listings (March 29 - April 4)". FoxFlash. 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  29. ^ Dan Snierson (2008-09-03). "Exclusive: Jodie Foster, Anne Hathaway to guest on 'The Simpsons'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
  30. ^ "Primetime Listings (April 19 - April 25)". FoxFlash. 2009-04-04. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  31. ^ Reg. # PAu003354177 in the U.S. Copyright Records database Retrieved on August 31, 2008
  32. ^ Reg. # PAu003355661 in the U.S. Copyright Records database Retrieved on September 12, 2008
  33. ^ Wallace, Lewis (2009-01-13). "Simpsons Poster Contest Will Have Fans Seeing Yellow". Wired. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
  34. ^ "Unleashe more of your yellow with "The Simpsons" video contest". Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  35. ^ Schneider, Michael (2009-03-16). "Ireland, U.K. to air 'The Simpsons'". Variety. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
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