Helter Shelter (The Simpsons)

Last updated

"Helter Shelter"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 14
Episode 5
Directed by Mark Kirkland
Written byBrian Pollack
Mert Rich
Production codeDABF21
Original air dateDecember 1, 2002 (2002-12-01)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "Milhouse did not test cootie positive"
Couch gag In a parody of the MacIntosh paint program, Kid Pix, a mouse cursor drags Homer from the left side of the couch to the right, changes the wall color from pink to green, and replaces Marge's boat painting with the Mona Lisa.
Commentary Al Jean
Dan Greaney
Carolyn Omine
Kevin Curran
Mark Kirkland
David Silverman
J. Stewart Burns
Allen Glazier
Steven Dean Moore
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Large Marge"		Next →
"The Great Louse Detective"
The Simpsons season 14
List of episodes

"Helter Shelter" is the fifth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 1, 2002. In the episode, the Simpson family has to find temporary residence while their house is fumigated for termites. When they run out of options, they decide to become contestants on a reality show where families live in the manner that people did in 1895. The family is initially miserable, but slowly adapt to their new life, which causes the show to lose ratings. The producers decide to try to boost viewers by dumping the house in a river and forcing the family to survive in the wilderness. However, the Simpsons find a bunch of rejects from other reality shows and they attack the producers.

Contents

Plot

After Homer is hit by a falling girder at work and suffers a mild head injury, Mr. Burns gives him luxury skybox tickets to a hockey game in order to keep him from suing the power plant. Homer, Marge and Bart ignore the game in favor of enjoying the amenities, while Lisa leaves the box in order to watch the game from rink-side. One of the players gives her his stick in gratitude for her useful advice, and Homer mounts it on the wall above her bed that night. In so doing, though, he releases a swarm of termites that cause severe damage to the house overnight. The Simpsons are forced to move out for six months so the house can be fumigated.

Finding themselves without any suitable lodgings, they learn from Barney and Carl about The 1895 Challenge, a reality show in which a family must inhabit a Victorian era house and adopt a lifestyle consistent with the title year. Homer is reluctant at first, but takes the family to audition for the show. The producers select the Simpsons after watching Homer's overreactions to trivial things. The family has trouble adjusting to the drastic changes in daily life at first, leading to high ratings among viewers who enjoy watching their misery. However, Homer soon rallies their spirits and their attitudes improve as they begin to adapt to 1895 life. When the ratings begin to fall as a result, the producers introduce Squiggy from Laverne & Shirley into the show, even allowing him to use a Taser as a means of disrupting the peaceful situation. After this ploy fails to boost the ratings, the producers secretly airlift the house off its foundations and drop it in a river while the Simpsons are sleeping.

The crew films the house's plunge over a waterfall and its collapse after running aground. Squiggy is killed in the crash, but the Simpsons emerge unhurt from the wreckage and must forage for food and shelter in the wilderness, since the crew refuses to give them lunch. They soon encounter a group of savage-looking people who turn out to be a tribe of contestants from another reality show, left to fend for themselves after they lost their final challenge. They team up with the Simpsons to overpower the crew and return to civilization. With the family back in their newly fumigated house, Homer decides he will only watch scripted television shows, but can find nothing good to watch. He eventually falls victim to Bart's pranks with the garden hose outside, to the enjoyment of Marge and Lisa.

Production

Boxer Larry Holmes, seen here in 1979, guest starred in the episode as himself. Larry Holmes awarded the Jaycees.jpg
Boxer Larry Holmes, seen here in 1979, guest starred in the episode as himself.

"Helter Shelter" was written by Brian Pollack and Mert Rich and directed by Mark Kirkland as part of the fourteenth season of The Simpsons (2002–03). [1] Actor David Lander, who portrayed Squiggy in Laverne & Shirley , guest starred in the episode as that character, while boxer Larry Holmes appeared as himself. [2] This is the final aired episode of The Simpsons to be animated using the traditional ink-and-paint technique. Since the following episode, "The Great Louse Detective", The Simpsons has been animated with digital ink and paint. [3] Digital animation had previously been used by the show on season 7's "Radioactive Man" and season 12's "Tennis the Menace", primarily to test the technique. [3]

Whilst the family look for places to stay. Lisa informs them they could stay at a youth hostel. Bart then responds: “I do not want another lecture from a German backpacker about how we don't appreciate the National Park System!." In "The Heartbroke Kid", the family actually convert 742 Evergreen Terrace into an youth hostel in order to pay for Bart's weight loss camp bills.

Cultural references

The TV show that the Simpson family goes on is a parody of a PBS TV show called The 1900 House . The show had a family live in a Victorian house, and live as if it were the year 1900. The scene in which the Simpsons wait outside their house waiting for time to "fly by" is a parody of the opening sequence of King of the Hill . The poison bottle has a face of James Coburn on it.

This is the third time Bill Cosby has been parodied on The Simpsons. There is an extra gag in that the Cosby family are losing ratings on their reality show, so the producers decide on the Simpsons; in the early years, The Cosby Show was a ratings rival with The Simpsons. [4] "Squiggy" being sent to boost The 1895 Challenge ratings is another reference to The Cosby Show, who sent "Smitty" (Adam Sandler) to the Cosby's house. [5] Following Cosby's initial conviction of multiple sexual assault cases in 2018, the scene which parodies Cosby in the auditions for The 1895 Challenge has been cut out of television airings of this episode.

The episode title is a reference to The Beatles song "Helter Skelter".

Bart laments having access only to Mutt and Jeff comic books and is quoted as saying, "This has been the worst week of my life. I miss my toys and my video games. Mutt and Jeff comics are NOT funny! They're gay, I get it!". [6] Although everything in the Victorian House is supposed to be from 1895 and before, Mutt and Jeff was not created until 1907.

Exterminators "A Bug's Death" is a parody (namely their logo) of the 1998 Disney/Pixar film A Bug's Life .

Release

The episode originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 1, 2002. [1] It was viewed in approximately 8.75 million households that night. With a Nielsen rating of 8.2, the episode finished 22nd in the ratings for the week of November 25 – December 1, 2002. It was the highest-rated broadcast on Fox that week, beating shows such as Boston Public , King of the Hill, 24 , and Malcolm in the Middle . [7] On December 6, 2011, "Helter Shelter" was released on Blu-ray and DVD as part of the box set The Simpsons – The Complete Fourteenth Season. [8] Staff members Al Jean, Dan Greaney, Carolyn Omine, Kevin Curran, Mark Kirkland, David Silverman, J. Stewart Burns, Allen Glazier, and Steven Dean Moore participated in the DVD audio commentary for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included in the box set. [9]

Since airing, "Helter Shelter" has received generally negative reviews from critics. DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented that the story of the episode is "not a terrible idea for an episode, but it's not a particularly exciting one, either. The show plods through its scenario without much life, mostly because parodies of reality TV just aren't very interesting; the programs they mock are already so absurd that there's not much room for satire." [9] Ryan Keefer of DVD Talk wrote that the episode is "a prime example of [the show's writers] trying to do something funny and falling flat." [10]

Related Research Articles

"New Kids on the Blecch" is the fourteenth episode of the twelfth season of the American television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on February 25, 2001. In the episode, a music producer selects Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph to be members of the next hit boy band, who record songs containing subliminal messages about joining the Navy.

"Blame It on Lisa" is the fifteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dad Who Knew Too Little</span> 8th episode of the 14th season of The Simpsons

"The Dad Who Knew Too Little" is the eighth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 12, 2003. In the episode, Homer disappoints Lisa on her birthday when he gives her a thoughtless present. He realizes that he knows little about her and decides to hire private detective Dexter Colt to spy on her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart Gets an "F"</span> 1st episode of the 2nd season of The Simpsons

"Bart Gets an 'F'" is the first episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It aired originally on Fox in the United States on October 11, 1990. In this episode, Bart Simpson fails four consecutive history exams, and the district psychiatrist recommends he repeat the fourth grade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XII</span> 1st episode of the 13th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XII" is the first episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Because of Fox's contract with Major League Baseball's World Series, the episode first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 2001, nearly one week after Halloween. It is the twelfth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of three self-contained segments. In the first segment, a gypsy puts a curse on Homer, which puts everybody he cares about in danger. In the second segment, which is a parody on both 2001: A Space Odyssey and Demon Seed, the Simpson family buys a new house, who falls in love with Marge and attempts to kill Homer. In the third and final segment, which lampoons the Harry Potter franchise, Lord Montymort attempts to capture Lisa, a skilled magician, in order to drain her magic powers.

"Children of a Lesser Clod" is the twentieth and penultimate episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 2001. In the episode, after spraining his knee during a basketball game, Homer begins taking care of the neighborhood kids to cure his boredom, prompting jealousy from Bart and Lisa, who feel that Homer is giving the kids the attention they never had.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tales from the Public Domain</span> 14th episode of the 13th season of The Simpsons

"Tales from the Public Domain" is the fourteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 2002. It is the third trilogy episode of the series, which had become annual since the twelfth season's "Simpsons Tall Tales", consisting of three self-contained segments that are based on historical stories. The first segment puts Homer Simpson in the role of Odysseus in the ancient Greek epic poem the Odyssey. The second segment tells the story of Joan of Arc, and the third and final segment lampoons William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet.

"I Am Furious (Yellow)" is the eighteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired in the United States by the Fox network on April 28, 2002. In the episode, Bart creates a comic book series based on his father Homer's anger problems, which turns into a popular Internet cartoon series called Angry Dad. Homer finds out and at first is outraged, but after talking to his family, decides to try to become a less angry person.

"Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade" is the third episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 17, 2002. In the episode, the Simpsons buy a satellite television system, which Bart spends so much time watching that he does not study for an important achievement test. He scores so low that Principal Skinner demotes him to third grade, while Lisa does so well that she is moved up to third grade. The two are placed in the same class and become rivals. During a trip to Capital City, they get separated from their class and are forced to help each other in order to find their classmates.

"Large Marge" is the fourth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 24, 2002. In the episode, Marge decides to get liposuction, thinking that Homer does not find her attractive anymore. However, she accidentally receives breast implants, so she becomes adored by many men in Springfield and becomes a model. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse try to imitate a stunt they saw on an episode of Batman that guest starred Krusty the Clown. When the stunt ends badly, media watchdog groups blame Krusty, forcing the clown to make his show more safety-conscious and less fun.

Special Edna is the seventh episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 5, 2003. In the episode, Edna Krabappel begins to lose faith in her relationship with Principal Skinner and becomes depressed. Bart, wanting to raise her spirits, decides to nominate her for the Teacher of the Year Award. Edna and the Simpsons are flown to Orlando, Florida, for the event.

"The Great Louse Detective" is the sixth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 15, 2002. In the episode, the Simpson family wins a free spa weekend, and Homer is nearly killed when a mysterious figure locks him in a sauna. Chief Wiggum decides to hire someone who can think like a murderer in order to find the mystery assailant. Bart's arch-enemy Sideshow Bob is sent to live with the Simpsons so he can help find Homer's attempted killer, who turns out to be the son of the late Frank Grimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer the Moe</span> 3rd episode of the 13th season of The Simpsons

"Homer the Moe" is the third episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox Network in the United States on November 18, 2001. In the episode, Moe, following the advice of his former bartending professor, decides to modernize his bar. The bar's new image attracts several customers, but leaves Moe's four regular customers, Homer, Lenny, Carl, and Barney, feeling alienated, which in turn prompts Homer to open his private bar, disguising it as a hunting club to avoid liquor license restrictions.

"So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 1, 1993. In the episode, Homer plays a series of practical jokes on Bart, and to get even, Bart shakes up a can of Homer's beer with a paint shaker. Homer opens the can, resulting in a huge explosion that lands him in the hospital, where he goes into a coma. At Homer's bedside, the Simpson family reminisce, mainly about moments relevant to Homer's life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment</span> 13th episode of the 2nd season of The Simpsons

"Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The 26th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 7, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets an illegal cable hookup. Despite the family's enjoyment of the new channels, Lisa suspects they are stealing cable. Her suspicions are confirmed by Reverend Lovejoy and she protests by no longer watching television. Homer invites his friends to watch a cable-TV boxing match, but Lisa's protest persuades him to cut the cable when the fight ends.

"Dog of Death" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 12, 1992. In the episode, Santa's Little Helper falls ill and the family must make budget cuts to pay for his operation. Although the dog's life is saved, the family begins to feel the strain of their sacrifices and starts treating him badly, causing him to run away. Santa's Little Helper ends up in the possession of Mr. Burns, who trains him to become a vicious attack dog. Several days later, Bart stumbles upon the trained Santa's Little Helper and is attacked, but the dog eventually recognizes his old friend and stops.

"Homer Loves Flanders" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 1994. In the episode, Ned Flanders invites Homer to a football game and the two become good friends. However, in a reversal of their usual roles, Ned soon grows weary of Homer's overbearing friendship and stupid antics, and actually begins to hate him.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 14 Season of television series

The fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States between November 3, 2002, and May 18, 2003, and was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. The show runner for the fourteenth production season was Al Jean, who executive produced 21 of 22 episodes. The other episode, "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", was run by Mike Scully. The season was the first to use digital ink-and-paint for most of its episodes, though four episodes were hold-overs from season 13's production run and used traditional ink-and-paint. A fifth season 13 holdover episode, which was the first episode of season 14, used digital ink-and paint like the rest of the season. The fourteenth season has met with mostly positive reviews and won two Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, four Annie Awards and a Writers Guild of America Award. This season contains the show's 300th episode, "Barting Over".

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network between October 11, 1990, and July 11, 1991, and contained 22 episodes, beginning with "Bart Gets an "F". Another episode, "Blood Feud", aired during the summer after the official season finale. The executive producers for the second production season were Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon, who had also been executive producers for the previous season. It was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. The DVD box set was released on August 6, 2002, in Region 1, July 8, 2002 in Region 2 and in September 2002 in Region 4. The episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, and was also nominated in the "Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special" category.

References

  1. 1 2 Groening, Matt (2010). Richmond, Ray; Gimple, Scott M.; McCann, Jessie L.; Seghers, Christine; Bates, James W. (eds.). Simpsons World The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 (1st ed.). HarperCollins. pp. 667–711. ISBN   9780594045052.
  2. ↑ Valdivia, Victor (December 22, 2011). "The Simpsons: The Fourteenth Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Jean, Al (2009). The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Tennis the Menace". 20th Century Fox.
  4. ↑ Phipps, Keith (March 4, 2013). "The Best Sitcom of the Past 30 Years, Round One: The Cosby Show vs. The Simpsons". Vulture . Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  5. ↑ Witherspoon, Chris (July 12, 2013). "Bill Cosby's advice to Adam Sandler: 'Keep it clean'". TheGrio . Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Helter Shelter Trivia". TV.com . Archived from the original on May 4, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  7. ↑ Moore, Frazier (December 4, 2002). "CBS wins week as Nielsen ratings for ABC's 'Dinotopia' practically extinct". Daily Breeze .
  8. ↑ Lambert, David (September 28, 2011). "The Simpsons - Finalized Box Art, Details and Extras for 'The Complete 14th Season' DVDs, Blu-rays". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Jacobson, Colin (December 16, 2011). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fourteenth Season [Blu-Ray] (2002)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  10. ↑ Keefer, Ryan (December 15, 2011). "The Simpsons: The Fourteenth Season (Blu-ray)". DVD Talk . Retrieved August 22, 2012.
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.