Fear of Flying (The Simpsons)

Last updated

"Fear of Flying"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 11
Directed by Mark Kirkland [1]
Written by David Sacks [1]
Production code2F08
Original air dateDecember 18, 1994 (1994-12-18) [2]
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "Ralph won't "morph" if you squeeze him hard enough" [1]
Couch gag The Simpsons join a kickline as the living room turns into a circus extravaganza.
Commentary Matt Groening
David Mirkin
Mark Kirkland
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy"		Next →
"Homer the Great"
The Simpsons season 6
List of episodes

"Fear of Flying" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 18, 1994. In the episode, the Simpson family prepares to go on a vacation by plane, but the circumstances force Marge to confess her lifelong fear of flying, due to unresolved issues with her father having been a airplane steward.

Contents

The episode was written by David Sacks and directed by Mark Kirkland. It features Anne Bancroft as Dr. Zweig. Additionally, Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, and George Wendt appear as their characters from Cheers .

"Fear of Flying" was well received by television critics, and acquired a Nielsen rating of 9.6. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide commented positively on the episode, as did reviews from DVD Verdict and DVD Movie Guide.

Plot

The patrons Moe's Tavern pull a series of dangerous pranks on Moe. Homer joins in with a harmless prank, which enrages everyone else in the bar. Moe bans Homer from ever patronizing the bar again. Homer patronizes several other bars, but none of them are suitable. Only airline pilots are allowed to patronize the last bar of Homer's search, so Homer pretends to be a pilot in order to drink there, but his deception leads him to be put in charge of a flight to Chicago and he promptly wrecks the plane. In exchange for Homer's silence about the incident, the airline gives the Simpson family free tickets for a flight to any of the lower forty-eight states.

While Homer, Bart, and Lisa are excited to travel, Marge makes several failed attempts to avoid the trip. As their plane is about to take off, she reveals to Homer she has a fear of flying. She proceeds to have a panic attack and demands to be let off the plane. Marge, Homer, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie exit the plane, but Grampa is left behind. Marge insists she is mentally healthy, but her suppression of her fear causes her behavior to become increasingly erratic and she shows signs of lingering flight-related trauma. Lisa convinces Marge to undergo psychotherapy.

Homer vehemently opposes Lisa's idea; he worries that any therapist Marge sees will identify him as a problem and convince Marge to leave him. Marge's therapist, Dr. Zweig, uncovers a key memory in Marge's life: the moment she discovered her father was a flight attendant, even though he had told her he was a pilot. Marge's shame is eased when Zweig assures her that male flight attendants are now very common, and that her father could be considered a pioneer. Marge also recalls that she was injured as a baby when her grandmother fed her while saying "Here comes the airplane", a toy plane she played with as a child once spontaneously burst into flames, and she and her mother were almost bombarded with gunfire by a biplane in a cornfield. Marge realizes all of these incidents led her to avoid planes, and she stops going to therapy, despite Dr. Zweig's insistence that Marge continue therapy to work out her trauma regarding her marriage to Homer.

Feeling she has finally conquered her fear, Marge decides to travel on a plane, and Homer joins her. As the plane leaves the runway, Homer offers Marge reassurance that everything that is happening is normal; however, the plane's engines fail and it skids off the runway and into a body of water.

Production

Anne Bancroft guest starred as Zweig. Anne Bancroft.jpg
Anne Bancroft guest starred as Zweig.

"Fear of Flying" was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by David Sacks. [3] The story came about when Sacks came into the writers' room with an idea for an episode where Marge goes to a therapist "for one reason or another". Sacks and the other writers then structured the rest of the plot around that. [3] Anne Bancroft was called in to voice Zweig. Before Bancroft recorded her part, the animators based Zweig's design on a temp track from cast member Tress MacNeille as the therapist. [4] After Bancroft had recorded her part, Zweig was redesigned to fit with Bancroft's voice. [4] They added split glasses and a streak of silver in her hair to give her a more mature look. [4] Bancroft's husband Mel Brooks followed her to the studio, with Bancroft telling show runner David Mirkin "I can't get rid of him." [5] Brooks, who also sat next to Mirkin when Bancroft played her role and also sought to advise Mirkin, [5] would go on to guest star the same season in "Homer vs. Patty and Selma".

The staff were able to get the central cast of the American sitcom Cheers , with the exception of Kelsey Grammer and Kirstie Alley, to reunite and guest star in the episode. [3] The staff could not arrange the script to allow time in the episode for Grammer, who already had a recurring role on The Simpsons as Sideshow Bob, to voice Frasier Crane (although Crane does have a non speaking cameo in the episode). [3] Ted Danson guest starred as Sam, Woody Harrelson as Woody, Rhea Perlman as Carla, John Ratzenberger as Cliff, and George Wendt as Norm. [1] [6]

Due to the episode running short in length, it features the long title sequence that ends with various characters performing a dance routine for the couch gag. [3]

Cultural references

Homer enters the Cheers bar in a scene which is a parody of a typical episode of Cheers . [7] All of the speaking characters are voiced by the actors who played them on Cheers. Ironically, Frasier Crane remains silent despite being played by The Simpsons veteran Kelsey Grammer, the voice of Sideshow Bob. [1] Marge's dream sees her in the role of Maureen Robinson from Lost in Space , while Homer plays Dr. Zachary Smith and Lisa plays the Robot. [7] The scene where Marge and Jacqueline Bouvier run away when a biplane shoots at them in a cornfield is a parody of Alfred Hitchcock's film North by Northwest (1959). [3]

Homer's Mount Lushmore caricature resembles Eustace Tilley, the mascot of The New Yorker . [1] Homer's line about getting out of Springfield is lifted from It's a Wonderful Life , while Homer's all-time favorite song is revealed to be "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls. [7] Marge referring to Dr. Zweig as "Lowenstein" is a reference to ThePrinceofTides (1991).

Reception

Ratings

In its original broadcast, "Fear of Flying" finished 48th (tied with Dateline NBC ) in the ratings for the week of December 12 to December 18, 1994, with a Nielsen rating of 9.6. [8] The episode was the third highest rated show on the Fox network that week, beaten only by Beverly Hills, 90210 , and Married... with Children . [8]

Critical reception

Since airing, the episode has received many positive reviews from fans and television critics.

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, said it was "a good Marge-centric episode with plenty of clever set pieces – the tributes to Cheers and Lost in Space are fantastic", and noted that "Marge's father looks suspiciously like Moe". [7]

Ryan Keefer at DVD Verdict said that "with the cast of Cheers appearing (except for Grammer, ironically) and a funny spoof of North by Northwest, the episode is much better than you would expect", and gave it a B+. [9] Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said in a review of the sixth season DVD that it was "another show I didn't recall fondly but that works exceedingly well. I hadn't realized how many quotes I've stolen from this one: the name 'Guy Incognito', the dog with the puffy tail, 'a burden coupled with a hassle'. The show makes little sense in regard to continuity since Marge has flown during prior shows, but it's consistently very funny and entertaining." [10]

In July 2007, Simon Crerar of The Times listed the Cheers cast's performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show. [11] The Phoenix named Anne Bancroft one of the twenty best guest stars to appear on the show. [12]

Merchandise

The episode was selected for release in a 1999 video collection of selected episodes titled: The Simpsons Go To Hollywood. [13] Other episodes included in the collection set were "Flaming Moe's", "Krusty Gets Kancelled", and "Homer to the Max". [13] "Fear of Flying" was again included in the 2003 DVD release of the same set. [14] It was included in The Simpsons season 6 DVD set, which was released on August 16, 2005, as The Simpsons – The Complete Sixth Season. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grampa Simpson</span> Recurring character in The Simpsons

Abraham Jebediah "Abe" Simpson II, better known as Grampa Simpson, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled "Grandpa and the Kids", a one-minute Simpsons short on The Tracey Ullman Show, before the debut of the television show in 1989.

"Lisa's Rival" is the second episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 11, 1994. Winona Ryder guest stars as Allison Taylor, a new student at Springfield Elementary School. Lisa Simpson begins to feel threatened by Allison because she is smarter, younger, and a better saxophone player. The episode's subplot sees Homer steal a large pile of sugar from a crashed truck and sell it door-to-door. This episode was originally going to air as part of Season 5 but aired as a season six episode due to 1994 Northridge earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trilogy of Error</span> 18th episode of the 12th season of The Simpsons

"Trilogy of Error" is the eighteenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 266th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 29, 2001. In the episode, Homer's rush to the hospital to re-attach his severed thumb, Lisa's rush to school to win the science fair, and Bart's run-in with an illegal fireworks scheme are interconnected as each act tells the events of the same day, but from a different point of view.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror IV</span> 5th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer Simpson", "Terror at 5+1⁄2 Feet", and "Bart Simpson's Dracula".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror V</span> 6th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the fifth entry in the Treehouse of Horror series. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories: "The Shinning", "Time and Punishment", and "Nightmare Cafeteria".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa on Ice</span> 8th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa on Ice" is the eighth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was the first broadcast on Fox in the United States on November 13, 1994. In the episode, Lisa discovers that she possesses a skill for ice hockey. A rivalry between her and Bart ensues.

"The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1995. As the title suggests, it is the 138th episode and the third clip show episode of The Simpsons, after "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" and "Another Simpsons Clip Show".

"Lady Bouvier's Lover" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 1994. In the episode, Abe Simpson falls in love with Marge's mother, Jacqueline Bouvier, and they start dating. However, on a night out in town, she is charmed by Mr. Burns. Abe is brokenhearted when he learns that Jacqueline is going to marry Mr. Burns.

"$pringfield ", simply known as "$pringfield", is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 91st episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 16, 1993. In the episode, Springfield legalizes gambling to revitalize its economy. Mr. Burns opens a casino where Homer is hired as a blackjack dealer. Marge develops a gambling addiction, Bart opens a casino in his tree house, and Burns' appearance and mental state deteriorate à la Howard Hughes.

"And Maggie Makes Three" is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 22, 1995. In the episode, Homer recounts the story of Maggie's birth when Bart and Lisa ask why there are no photos of her in the family album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart's Girlfriend</span> 7th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Bart's Girlfriend" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 6, 1994. The plot of the episode follows the secret romance of Bart and Reverend Lovejoy's daughter Jessica, who makes her debut in this episode. Bart tries to end the romance when he discovers that, behind her innocent façade as a preacher's kid, she is an even bigger troublemaker than he is. Jessica steals the money from the church collection plate, leaving Bart to take the blame until Lisa exposes the truth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer vs. Patty and Selma</span> 17th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Homer vs. Patty and Selma" is the seventeenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 26, 1995. In the episode, Homer loses all his money in pumpkin futures and must turn to Patty and Selma for a loan. Meanwhile, Bart takes up ballet lessons, with an instructor voiced by actress Susan Sarandon.

"Two Dozen and One Greyhounds" is the twentieth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 9, 1995. The episode was written by Mike Scully and directed by Bob Anderson. Frank Welker guest stars as Santa's Little Helper and various other dogs. In the episode, Santa's Little Helper has puppies with a dog that he met at the greyhound racetrack.

"Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer starts a bowling team with Moe, Apu, and Otto. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining, but the team fears he will cost them the league championship. In the subplot, Bart's "Down with homework" T-shirt incites a school riot, so Principal Skinner implements a uniform dress code.

"Duffless" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 18, 1993. Homer gets arrested for drunk driving, and Marge asks him to stop drinking beer for a month. Meanwhile, after Bart ruins Lisa's science fair project, she attempts to get revenge by proving that he is dumber than a hamster.

"The Last Temptation of Homer" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 1993. In the episode, an attractive female employee named Mindy is hired at the nuclear power plant. Homer and Mindy find themselves attracted to each other after bonding over their shared interests of beer, donuts and television. Although Homer is tempted to sleep with Mindy, he remains faithful to his wife Marge. Meanwhile, Bart becomes an outcast after medical treatments make him look like a nerd.

"Secrets of a Successful Marriage" is the twenty-second and final episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 19, 1994. In the episode, Homer fears he may be a little slow, so he goes to the adult education center. While there, he decides to teach a class of his own on the secrets of a successful marriage, since that is the only class he is qualified to teach. However, to keep his students interested, he is forced to tell personal secrets about his wife Marge, which she dislikes, leading up to Homer getting kicked out of the house.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 7 Season of television series

The seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between September 17, 1995, and May 19, 1996. The show runners for the seventh production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein who would executive produce 21 episodes this season. David Mirkin executive produced the remaining four, including two hold overs that were produced for the previous season. The season was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program and won an Annie Award for Best Animated Television Program. The DVD box set was released in Region 1 on December 13, 2005, Region 2 on January 30, 2006, and Region 4 on March 22, 2006. The set was released in two different forms: a Marge-shaped box and also a standard rectangular-shaped box in which the theme is a movie premiere.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between September 4, 1994, and May 21, 1995, and consists of 25 episodes. The Simpsons is an animated series about a working class family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional city of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society, television and many aspects of the human condition.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between September 30, 1993, and May 19, 1994. The showrunner for the fifth production season was David Mirkin who executive produced 20 episodes. Al Jean and Mike Reiss executive produced the remaining two, which were both hold overs that were produced for the previous season. The season contains some of the series' most acclaimed and popular episodes, including "Cape Feare", "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy", "Homer Goes to College", "Deep Space Homer", and "Rosebud". It also includes the 100th episode, "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song". The season was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and won an Annie Award for Best Animated Television Program as well as an Environmental Media Award and a Genesis Award. The DVD box set was released in Region 1 on December 21, 2004, Region 2 on March 21, 2005, and Region 4 on March 23, 2005.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p.  161. ISBN   978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN   98141857. OCLC   37796735. OL   433519M..
  2. ↑ "Fear of Flying". The Simpsons.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mirkin, David (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Fear of Flying" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. 1 2 3 Kirkland, Mark (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Fear of Flying" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. 1 2 Shelley, Peter (October 19, 2017). Anne Bancroft: The Life and Work. ISBN   9781476662428.
  6. ↑ Groening, Matt (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Fear of Flying" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Fear of Flying". BBC. Archived from the original on December 23, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
  8. 1 2 Elbert, Lynn (December 23, 1994). "Nielsen Ratings". Rocky Mountain News . p. 40D. Retrieved on October 29, 2008.
  9. ↑ Keefer, Ryan (August 29, 2005). "DVD Verdict Review – The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
  10. ↑ Jacobson, Colin (2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season (1994)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  11. ↑ Crerar, Simon (July 5, 2007). "The 33 funniest Simpsons cameos ever". The Times . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  12. ↑ "The Simpsons 20 best guest voices of all time". The Phoenix.com. March 29, 2006. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
  13. 1 2 "The Simpsons Go To Hollywood (VHS)". Amazon UK. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  14. ↑ "The Simpsons Go To Hollywood (DVD)". Amazon UK. September 8, 2003. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  15. ↑ "The Simpsons – The Complete Sixth Season". The Simpsons . 20th Century Fox. August 16, 2005.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.