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The Simpsons season 18

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The Simpsons
Season 18
DVD cover featuring Fat Tony
ShowrunnerAl Jean
No. of episodes22
Release
Original networkFox
Original releaseSeptember 10, 2006 (2006-09-10) –
May 20, 2007 (2007-05-20)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 17
Next →
Season 19
List of episodes

The eighteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons aired from September 10, 2006[1] to May 20, 2007. The season contained seven hold-over episodes from season 17’s HABF production line. Al Jean served as the showrunner, a position he has held since the thirteenth season, while the season was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television.

The season finale, "You Kent Always Say What You Want", was the series' 400th episode. Additionally, the Simpsons franchise celebrated its 20th anniversary, as it has been on the air since April 1987, beginning with shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.

Season 18 included guest appearances by Metallica, Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, Michael Chabon, Ludacris, Jonathan Franzen, Fran Drescher, The White Stripes, Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Richard Lewis, Dr. Phil, Elvis Stojko, Natalie Portman, Jon Lovitz, Betty White, Eric Idle, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Stephen Sondheim, Ronaldo, Meg Ryan, Andy Dick, Peter Bogdanovich, James Patterson and others.[2]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Robert Canning of IGN gave the season a 6.6 saying it was "Passable" and that "Now in its eighteenth season (go ahead, say that out loud: 'eighteen seasons'), The Simpsons continues to supply America with a decent half-hour of comedy every Sunday night. However, most long-time fans of the show agree that the last several years have seen the program in constant decline. Looking back at this particular season, there's little evidence to prove them wrong. Though we were treated with at least a few hilarious gems this year, the mediocre (to the downright terrible) heavily outweighed the great."[3]

Awards

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At the 35th Annie Awards, Alf Clausen and Michael Price won the award for "Best Music in an Animated Television Production" for "Yokel Chords" while Ian Maxtone-Graham and Billy Kimball won "Best Writing in an Animated Television Production" for "24 Minutes"[4] Jeff Westbrook won a WGA Award for "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II"[5] while Matt Selman was nominated for "The Haw-Hawed Couple" and John Frink received a nomination for "Stop, or My Dog Will Shoot!".[6]

The series also received a British Comedy Award nomination for "Best International Comedy"[7] a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program for "The Haw-Hawed Couple"[8] and an Environmental Media Award nomination for "Best Television Episodic Comedy" for "The Wife Aquatic".[9]

Nielsen ratings

[edit]

The show ranked 60th in the seasonal ratings with an average of 8.6 million watching it and a Nielsen rating of 4.1/10.[10][11]

Episodes

[edit]
See also: List of The Simpsons episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
3791"The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer"Michael MarcantelBill OdenkirkSeptember 10, 2006 (2006-09-10)HABF1511.63[12]

Lisa becomes friends with Fat Tony's son Michael, who would rather cook than run a crime ring, but when the Simpsons are invited over for dinner and Fat Tony is shot, Homer ends up being the town's newest kingpin.

Guest Stars: Joe Mantegna, Joe Pantoliano, Michael Imperioli, and Metallica.
3802"Jazzy and the Pussycats"Steven Dean MooreDaniel ChunSeptember 17, 2006 (2006-09-17)HABF189.01[13]

Bart gets a drum kit to work out his aggression after being a nuisance at the funeral of Homer's Vegas wife and becomes top pick for a local jazz band -- a position that the saxophone-playing Lisa has been going after for years. Meanwhile, Lisa begins adopting abandoned animals.

Guest Stars: The White Stripes.
3813"Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em"Mike B. Anderson
Ralph Sosa (co-director)		Matt WarburtonSeptember 24, 2006 (2006-09-24)HABF209.72[14]
Marge takes an interest in carpentry after reading some books on the subject meant for Homer, but when everyone in town declines Marge's services (because they believe that women cannot be carpenters), Marge uses Homer as a front. Meanwhile, Bart discovers that Principal Skinner is allergic to peanuts and uses his allergy as leverage to make Skinner do his bidding.
3824"Treehouse of Horror XVII"David Silverman & Matthew FaughnanPeter GaffneyNovember 5, 2006 (2006-11-05)HABF1710.46[15]

Season 18's annual trio of Halloween stories.
"Married to the Blob" - Homer eats a mysterious green substance from a meteorite landing that turns him into a giant blob with an insatiable, cannibalistic appetite.
"You Gotta Know When to Golem" - Bart discovers a golem backstage at Krusty's show and uses it to do his bidding.
"The Day the Earth Looked Stupid" - After being fooled by H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, the citizens of Springfield in 1938 ignore a real alien invasion set up by Kang and Kodos.

Guest Stars: Dr. Phil, Richard Lewis, Fran Drescher, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Marcia Wallace and Maurice LaMarche.
3835"G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)"Nancy KruseDaniel ChunNovember 12, 2006 (2006-11-12)HABF2111.43[16]

Homer finds himself in an army training camp after trying to get his children out of an agreement to join by age 18.

Guest Star: Kiefer Sutherland.
3846"Moe'N'a Lisa"Mark KirklandMatt WarburtonNovember 19, 2006 (2006-11-19)HABF199.27[17]

Lisa discovers that Moe's written rantings are perfect fodder for poetry, but when Moe is invited to a writer's convention, he takes credit for her work.

Guest Stars: Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, Michael Chabon, Jonathan Franzen and J.K. Simmons.
3857"Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)"Matthew NastukCarolyn OmineNovember 26, 2006 (2006-11-26)HABF2210.93[18]
Homer gets fired once again from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, and he takes over Springfield's ice cream truck business after his favorite driver dies. Meanwhile, Marge, depressed over seeing women more successful than her and looking for a way to be remembered, creates sculptures from the discarded Popsicle sticks in Homer's ice cream truck.
3868"The Haw-Hawed Couple"Chris ClementsMatt SelmanDecember 10, 2006 (2006-12-10)JABF028.31[19]
Bart becomes Nelson's best friend, and discovers how possessive Nelson can be. Meanwhile, Homer gets hooked on Lisa's Angelica Button fantasy novels, but worries when he finds out that the book he is reading has a sad ending and tries to hide it from Lisa.
3879"Kill Gil, Volumes I & II"Bob AndersonJeff WestbrookDecember 17, 2006 (2006-12-17)JABF018.88[20]

After Gil Gunderson gives Lisa a Malibu Stacy doll reserved for Mr. Costington's daughter, he gets fired as a mall Santa and moves in with the Simpsons. Meanwhile, Homer picks a fight with Ice Capades character The Grumple.

Guest Star: Elvis Stojko.
38810"The Wife Aquatic"Lance KramerKevin CurranJanuary 7, 2007 (2007-01-07)JABF0311.62[21]

When Patty and Selma save "Outdoor Movie Night" from going bust by playing an old home movie of their time at Barnacle Bay, Homer decides to surprise Marge by taking her and the kids there -- only to find her childhood vacation spot an abandoned wreck.

Guest Stars: Maurice LaMarche and Sab Shimono.
38911"Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Three Times"Mike Frank PolcinoJoel H. CohenJanuary 28, 2007 (2007-01-28)JABF058.04[23]
Homer's misguided revenge on the Rich Texan combined with an untimely car breakdown leaves Marge, Lisa, and Bart to tell three tales about revenge gone wrong.
"The Count of Monte Fatso": In 19th century France, Moe (Fernand) breaks up the marriage of Homer (Edmond Dantés) and Marge (Mercedes); for this, Homer swears revenge, now in a French prison.[22]
"Revenge of the Geeks": Milhouse uses The Getbackinator, an ultra technologic weapon made by Martin, for fight back against the school bullies and the consequences when he goes too far.[22]
"Bartman Begins": After Homer (Thomas) and Marge (Martha Wayne) are killed by Snake Jailbird (Joe Chill) in a dark alley, Bart (Bruce Wayne) swears revenge with a superhero alter ego, Bartman.
39012"Little Big Girl"Raymond S. PersiDon PayneFebruary 11, 2007 (2007-02-11)JABF048.18[24]

When Cletus ineptly tosses his pipe, Springfield is in danger when the town is about to be hit by a ferocious fire. Bart unwittingly saves the day and is rewarded with a driver's license. However, when he drives to North Haverbrook, he is then engaged with a girl named Darcy who ropes Bart into marriage after declaring that she is pregnant. Meanwhile, Lisa lies about her family heritage in an essay and gets chosen to give a keynote speech at a convention.

Guest star: Natalie Portman.
39113"Springfield Up"Chuck SheetzMatt WarburtonFebruary 18, 2007 (2007-02-18)JABF078.74[25]

Declan Desmond returns as he shows a documentary about Springfield's current adult population as children, discussing their future aspirations and meeting up with Homer to see if he followed his dreams.

Guest star: Eric Idle.
39214"Yokel Chords"Susie DietterMichael PriceMarch 4, 2007 (2007-03-04)JABF099.04[26]

Lisa becomes a tutor for Cletus Spuckler's children after Principal Skinner bars them from enrolling in Springfield Elementary. Meanwhile, Bart ends up in therapy after scaring his peers with stories of a school chef notorious for cooking children.

Guest stars: Peter Bogdanovich, Andy Dick, James Patterson, Meg Ryan, and Stephen Sondheim.
39315"Rome-Old and Juli-Eh"Nancy KruseDaniel ChunMarch 11, 2007 (2007-03-11)JABF088.79[27]

When Grampa gets kicked out of the retirement castle thanks to Homer declaring bankruptcy (and discovering that bankruptcy laws have changed), Grampa falls in love with Marge's sister Selma, prompting sworn enemies Homer and Patty to team up to break them up. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa con a delivery man into giving them cardboard boxes for a fort, but the delivery men fight back.

Guest star: Jane Kaczmarek.
39416"Homerazzi"Matthew NastukJ. Stewart BurnsMarch 25, 2007 (2007-03-25)JABF066.97[28]

After the family photo album is destroyed in a fire involving a Krusty doll and a bottle of cologne, Marge restages all of the family's photographs, and when a celebrity dating scandal is captured in the background of one of their photos, the Simpsons strike tabloid gold. Tasting success and seeing money to be made, Homer takes to the streets as one of the paparazzi, capturing Springfield's celebrities at their worst.

Guest stars: J.K. Simmons, Betty White and Jon Lovitz.
39517"Marge Gamer"Bob AndersonJ. Stewart BurnsApril 22, 2007 (2007-04-22)JABF106.46[29]

Marge discovers the wonders of the Internet and becomes hooked on an online roleplaying game, where Bart is the game master. Meanwhile, Lisa resorts to cheating to score points with Homer (who is now a referee) during soccer matches.

Guest star: Ronaldo
39618"The Boys of Bummer"Rob OliverMichael PriceApril 29, 2007 (2007-04-29)JABF117.57[30]
Bart becomes a town pariah after losing the championship for Springfield's Little League team, and is driven insane to the point of suicide from constant harassment. Meanwhile, Homer gets a job at Costington's Department store as a mattress tester, and finds a mattress that he wants to keep for himself after it reignites his stagnant love life with Marge.
39719"Crook and Ladder"Lance KramerBill OdenkirkMay 6, 2007 (2007-05-06)JABF137.77[31]
When reading a parenting magazine, Marge follows the advice too literally and throws away Maggie's pacifier. However, when the pacifier is thrown in the trash, Maggie goes on a path of destruction in the Simpsons' home. Meanwhile, Homer, Moe, Apu, and Principal Skinner become volunteer firefighters and begin stealing items from the homes whose fires they extinguish.
39820"Stop, or My Dog Will Shoot!"Matthew FaughnanJohn FrinkMay 13, 2007 (2007-05-13)JABF126.54[32]

When Homer gets lost in a cornfield maze, Santa's Little Helper rescues him and becomes a local hero, which prompts the Simpson family to enroll him in Police Dog Academy, where he dons a new and more stern personality. However, he becomes jaded when he catches Snake Jailbird, who is released on a technicality, and bites Bart, causing the family to give him away. Meanwhile, Bart, missing Santa's Little Helper, gets a strangling snake as a new pet.

Guest stars: Stephen Hawking, Maurice LaMarche, and Rudolph Giuliani (in a deleted scene that would later be reinstated in syndicated airings).
39921"24 Minutes"Raymond S. PersiBilly Kimball & Ian Maxtone-GrahamMay 20, 2007 (2007-05-20)JABF149.94[33]

When finding out Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney plan on sabotaging Springfield Elementary School's annual bake sale by releasing the "ultimate stink bomb" (a rotten yogurt cup from Springfield's Nuclear Power Plant), Bart and Lisa enlist the help of Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian. Meanwhile, Marge attempts to make the perfect cake for the school bake sale.

Guest stars: Kiefer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub.
40022"You Kent Always Say What You Want"Matthew NastukTim LongMay 20, 2007 (2007-05-20)JABF159.94[33]

Due to Ned Flanders' meddling, Kent Brockman gets in trouble for blurting a horrible curse word during a soft-news interview about Homer winning Phineas Q. Butterfat's 1,000,000th ice cream cone, and gets fired for allegedly being a cocaine addict. While living with the Simpsons, Brockman teams up with Lisa to create a YouTube video revealing why a politically conservative media empire like Fox would create raunchy television shows.

Guest stars: Ludacris and Maurice LaMarche.

  • This is the show's 400th episode.

DVD release

[edit]

Series showrunner Al Jean reported in April 2015 that The Simpsons would no longer see home media releases after the seventeenth season, claiming an inability for DVD sales to keep up with the rise in streaming and downloads, as well as a boom in FXX reruns, and Fox's on-demand video service, FXNOW. Jean reassured that bonus features commonly featured on the DVDs, such as commentaries for each episode, would still be available, now packaged with the digital format.[34][35][36]

In 2016, audio commentary for the 18th season was made available exclusively through FXNOW.

On Saturday, July 22, 2017, it was announced during the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con panel that, due to fan demand, the eighteenth season DVD would be released after all on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, in the United States and Canada by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, ten years after it had completed broadcast on television.[37]

The Complete Eighteenth Season
Set Details Special Features
  • 22 episodes
  • 4-disc set (DVD)
  • 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
Release Dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
Tuesday, December 5, 2017 Monday, December 11, 2017 Wednesday, December 13, 2017

References

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  1. ^ Fox Broadcasting Company (June 21, 2006). "FOX Announces Fall Premiere Dates For the 2006-2007 Season". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  2. ^ Fox Broadcasting Company (July 24, 2006). "Guest Voices Next Season on 'The Simpsons'". The Futon Critic. Retrieved December 17, 2006.
  3. ^ "The Simpsons: Season 18 Review - IGN". Tv.ign.com. June 14, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "Legacy: 35th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2008)". Annie Awards. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  5. ^ "Awards Winners". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on April 12, 2006. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  6. ^ "2008 Writers Guild Awards Television & Radio Nominees Announced". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  7. ^ "British Comedy Awards nominations". Guardian Unlimited. London. November 7, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  8. ^ Variety staff (July 18, 2007). "Emmy nominations list — part I". Variety. Archived from the original on April 3, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  9. ^ "17th Annual Environmental Media Awards". Environmental Media Awards. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
  10. ^ unknown (May 25, 2006). "2006-07 primetime wrap". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 2, 2012.
  11. ^ Fitzgerald, Toni (September 24, 2007). "Star power: Fox's 'Family Guy' roars in. Hour-long 'Star Wars' spoof pulls a 5.5 in 18-49s". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved July 28, 2013. Fox's premiere of The Simpsons fell 13 percent from last year's premiere, from a 5.3 to a 4.7, but it was up nicely from the show's 4.1 average last year.
  12. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings Report (Sept. 4-10)". ABC Medianet. September 12, 2006. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  13. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Sept. 11-17)". ABC Medianet. September 19, 2006. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  14. ^ unknown (September 26, 2006). "Ratings: Please Homer Don't Hammer Em". Posted by Adam. Simpsons Channel. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  15. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Oct. 30-Nov. 5)". ABC Medianet. November 7, 2006. Archived from the original on July 19, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  16. ^ unknown (November 14, 2006). "Ratings: G.I.D'oh!". Posted by Adam. Simpsons Channel. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  17. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings Report (Nov. 13-19)". ABC Medianet. November 21, 2006. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  18. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Nov. 20-26)". ABC Medianet. November 28, 2006. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  19. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Dec. 4-10)". ABC Medianet. December 12, 2006. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  20. ^ "Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending December 17, 2006". Ratings Ryan. August 13, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  21. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Jan. 1-7)". ABC Medianet. January 9, 2007. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Jim Vejvoda (July 26, 2008). "SDCC 08: Simpsons Footage Screened". IGN. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  23. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Jan. 22-28)". ABC Medianet. January 30, 2007. Archived from the original on December 21, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  24. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Feb. 5-11)". ABC Medianet. February 13, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  25. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Feb. 12-18)". ABC Medianet. February 21, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  26. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Feb. 26-Mar. 4)". ABC Medianet. March 6, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  27. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 5-11)". ABC Medianet. March 13, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  28. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Mar. 19-25)". ABC Medianet. March 27, 2007. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  29. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 16-22)". ABC Medianet. April 24, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  30. ^ unknown (April 30, 2007). "Ratings: The Boys Of Bummer". Posted by Adam. Simpsons Channel. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  31. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Apr. 30-May 6)". ABC Medianet. May 8, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  32. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (May 7–13)". ABC Medianet. May 15, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Weekly Program Rankings (May 14–20)". ABC Medianet. May 30, 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  34. ^ "Fox to End 'The Simpsons' Seasonal DVD Production". The Hollywood Reporter. April 9, 2015.
  35. ^ "The Simpsons to no longer see Blu-ray, DVD releases". SlashGear.com. April 12, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  36. ^ "The death knell for optical media: There will be no more Simpsons DVDs | News". Geek.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  37. ^ Animation on FOX (July 23, 2017). "THE SIMPSONS Panel At Comic-Con 2017 - Season 28 - THE SIMPSONS". Archived from the original on December 22, 2021 – via YouTube.
Bibliography
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