Saturdays of Thunder

Last updated

"Saturdays of Thunder"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 8
Directed by Jim Reardon
Written by Ken Levine
David Isaacs
Production code8F07
Original air dateNovember 14, 1991 (1991-11-14)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "I will not fake rabies"
Couch gag The family falls through the couch due to the cushions being missing.
Commentary Matt Groening
Al Jean
Mike Reiss
Ken Levine
Jim Reardon
David Silverman
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Lisa's Pony"		Next →
"Flaming Moe's"
The Simpsons season 3
List of episodes

"Saturdays of Thunder" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 14, 1991. In the episode, Homer realizes he knows little about Bart and strives to be a better father. When he learns Bart is competing in a Soap Box Derby, Homer helps him make a racer. Bart drives Martin's far superior racer instead, hurting Homer's feelings. Homer eventually realizes he must be a good father by supporting Bart.

Contents

The episode was written by Ken Levine and David Isaacs, and directed by Jim Reardon. American actors Larry McKay and Phil Hartman voiced guest appearances as a television announcer and Troy McClure respectively. "Saturdays of Thunder" features cultural references to films such as Ben-Hur , Lethal Weapon , and Days of Thunder .

"Saturdays of Thunder" is the first episode to feature the full Alf Clausen arrangement of the show's theme song, which is still in use to this day, though it was slightly revamped beginning with "'Round Springfield".

Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics, who praised its sports theme. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 14.9, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.

Plot

Marge makes Homer take a fatherhood quiz and discovers he knows next to nothing about his son. After a pep talk at the National Fatherhood Institute, Homer offers to help Bart build his own Soap Box Derby racer. At the qualifying race, Bart and Martin Prince form an alliance vowing to beat bully Nelson and his intimidating racer, the Roadkill 2000.

The racer that Bart and Homer build is so poorly made that it fails to accelerate and breaks down before reaching the finish line. Martin wins the race, but his aerodynamically designed vehicle veers out of control and crashes into a wall at high speed, leaving him with a broken arm. He allows Bart to take his place as driver. Feeling betrayed, Homer rejects Bart's attempt to apologize for switching vehicles, denounces both boys, and angrily tells Bart to do whatever he wants.

Marge reminds Homer that she has defended him in the past, but his recent actions prove he is a bad father. As Bart prepares for the finals with Martin's newly tuned racer, Homer takes the fatherhood quiz again and finds that he can now answer all the questions due to having spent so much time with Bart. Homer hurries to the race and wishes Bart luck, telling Bart he will be proud of him regardless of who wins. Nelson repeatedly tries to cheat and force Bart to crash, but Bart wins the race and the championship. He and Homer savor their victory, though Martin tries to take all the credit as he actually built the winning racer.

Production

Executive producer Sam Simon found a real fatherhood test that served as the inspiration for the episode's subplot. Sam Simon.jpg
Executive producer Sam Simon found a real fatherhood test that served as the inspiration for the episode's subplot.

The episode was written by Ken Levine and David Isaacs, and directed by Jim Reardon. The inspiration originated from a line in "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge", in which Marge bans Bart and Lisa from watching their favorite cartoon, The Itchy & Scratchy Show , and Bart tells Lisa "Let's go finish our soap box racers." [1] Phil Hartman made his fourth guest appearance on The Simpsons in this episode as Troy McClure. He appears at the beginning of the episode in I Can't Believe They Invented It!, a television show that Homer watches. Larry McKay guest starred as the television announcer at the Soap Box Derby. [1]

The idea for the subplot of Homer's parenting originated from a real fatherhood test executive producer Sam Simon found and brought to the Simpsons studio. [1] Levine later commented on writing the episode, "At the time David and I were writing this, my son, Matt, was about Bart's age. [...] So for me there was a certain amount of guilt associated, like 'Do I know my son's hobby? Do I know my son's best friend?' etc." [2] The scene in which Bart welds on his racer resulted in an argument between the staff and Fox's censors, who were concerned that children would imitate Bart and misuse welding tools. The staff was able to convince them that very few children can even access welding tools. [1]

Cultural references

"Saturdays of Thunder" features a number of references to pop culture. The title is itself a play on the film Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise. [3] The song used at the end of the episode is "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler. While Homer is watching television at the beginning of the episode, Marge and her sisters, Patty and Selma, go through a catalog of different hairstyles; Patty tells her sisters that she wants Mary Tyler Moore's hairstyle. [2] When Marge and her sisters head to the beauty parlor, Homer promises Marge he will take Lisa to the video store. When they arrive at the store, Homer watches a clip from the latest McBain film that sees McBain's partner being brutally shot in the chest, a reference to a similar scene in the film Lethal Weapon . McBain's partner is black, a reference to the fact that Dirty Harry's partner is black in Sudden Impact . [1]

When Homer calls the National Fatherhood Institute, he is put on hold and Harry Chapin's song "Cat's in the Cradle" plays while he waits. [2] Cast member Harry Shearer based the voice of Dave, the director of the Fatherhood Institute, on actor Mason Adams. [1] At the institute, Dave gives Homer a copy of the book Fatherhood by Bill Cosby. In a subsequent episode, "Dog of Death", Homer throws the book into the fireplace as replacement for wood. [1] When Homer and Bart build the soapbox racer, Mac Davis's song "Watching Scotty Grow", sung by Bobby Goldsboro, plays on the soundtrack. [3] The whipping and spikes coming out of Nelson's racer are a reference to the chariot race in Ben-Hur . [1] [4] The idea of Nelson's racer being "armed with every dirty trick in the book" was based on the 1973 Soap Box Derby World Championship scandal, when a 14-year-old boy was stripped of his title two days after winning the national race for cheating. [5] During the final race, Homer stands up in the crowd to cheer on Bart and his body is silhouetted against the sun, a reference to a scene in The Natural; [1] the theme from The Natural plays in the scene. [6]

Reception

"Saturdays of Thunder" originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 14, 1991. It received high ratings due to the fact that it was immediately followed by the premiere of the music video for Michael Jackson's song "Black or White". [2] In its original American broadcast, the episode finished 26th in the ratings for the week of November 11–17, 1991, with a Nielsen rating of 14.9, equivalent to approximately 13.7 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on Fox that week. [7]

This image depicts a race similar to the ones featured in the episode, which was praised for its sports theme. Some critics, however, thought the Soap Box Derby plotline had limited modern day appeal because few practice the sport any more. Soapbox racers.jpg
This image depicts a race similar to the ones featured in the episode, which was praised for its sports theme. Some critics, however, thought the Soap Box Derby plotline had limited modern day appeal because few practice the sport any more.

Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Niel Harvey of The Roanoke Times called it a "classic bit of Simpsonia," [9] and the Daily Record said it is "definitely one not to miss". [10] The Orlando Sentinel 's Gregory Hardy named it the sixth best episode of the show with a sports theme. [11] Michael Coulter of The Age commented that "Saturdays of Thunder" is "one of the many excellent" The Simpsons episodes to feature a sporting theme. He went on to say: "A 'classic' Simpsons, insofar as it boasts a plot, rather than a sequence of surreal pop-culture parodies". [12]

The episode's parody of Ben-Hur was named the eighth greatest film reference in the history of the show by Total Film 's Nathan Ditum. [13] Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict looked unfavorably on the episode, writing that it "has a premise—Bart builds a soapbox racer—that frankly has very limited modern day appeal. We can't really get into the whole Martin/Nelson/Bart race dynamic and today, soapbox derby has been technologized all out of proportion to the point where very few, if any, practice it. With such a narrow target, many of the jokes just don't work." Gibron preferred the subplot of Homer's attempts to become a better father. [8]

Nate Meyers of Digitally Obsessed was more positive about the episode, commenting that the emphasis is on Homer's parenting, like many other season three episodes, and "contrary to popular opinion, Homer is actually a good father who tries to do good by his children." He thought the racing sequences featured "good animation and direction", but considered the highlight to be the clip from the film McBain that Homer watches in the video store. Meyers rated the episode a 4 (of 5). [14]

DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson, who listed the episode as one of his favorites from season three, said that "on the surface, 'Saturdays of Thunder' essentially just rehashes" the theme of the previous episode, "Lisa's Pony", in which Homer tries to be a better father for Lisa. Jacobson commented that "Saturdays of Thunder", however, "simply seems funnier than 'Lisa's Pony'. The soapbox derby elements provide lots of great gags. [It] offers a great episode." [15] Like Meyers, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide thought the highlight of the episode was the McBain clip. [4] Nathan Rabin writes: "If 'Saturdays of Thunder' is formulaic that’s probably because at this point the show was operating at such a high level that it didn’t need a constant influx of new ideas to remain vital... It was so good that the writers and producers could get a little cocky and formulaic. They could get away with the climactic big hug undercut by the closing sneer because at that point the show didn’t need to be blindingly original to be something close to perfect." He adds: "I love the resigned, reflective way Bart says, “Maybe it’s for the best” when informed that they’re finally hauling his father away, as if he'd been secretly anticipating that moment for years." [16]

Related Research Articles

"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">Lisa's First Word</span> 10th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of Lisa's first word. Maggie's first word is voiced by Elizabeth Taylor.

"Treehouse of Horror II" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on October 31, 1991. It is the second annual Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of three self-contained segments, told as dreams of Lisa, Bart and Homer and is the only Treehouse of Horror episode to date where each segment name is not stated inside the episode. In the first segment, which was inspired by W. W. Jacobs's short story The Monkey's Paw and The Twilight Zone episode "A Small Talent for War", Homer buys a Monkey's Paw that has the power to grant wishes, although all the wishes backfire. In the second part, which parodies the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life", Bart is omnipotent, and turns Homer into a jack-in-the-box, resulting in the two spending more time together. In the final segment, Mr. Burns attempts to use Homer's brain to power a giant robotic laborer.

"Bart vs. Thanksgiving" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on Thanksgiving, November 22, 1990. In the episode, Bart runs away from home after destroying a centerpiece that Lisa makes for the Thanksgiving dinner table.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson family</span> Family of five fictional characters in animation series The Simpsons

The Simpson family are the main fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge who were high school sweethearts and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989, and started airing in Winter 1989.

"Bart Gets Hit by a Car" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 10, 1991. In the episode, Bart is hit by Mr. Burns' car. Prompted by ambulance-chasing lawyer Lionel Hutz and quack doctor Nick Riviera, the Simpsons sue Burns, seeking extensive damages for Bart's injuries. Hutz and Dr. Nick exaggerate Bart's injuries to earn the jury's sympathy at the trial. Marge wants Homer to accept Burns' proposed settlement instead of asking Bart to lie on the witness stand.

"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.

"Make Room for Lisa" is the sixteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on February 28, 1999. The main plot has Homer and Lisa embark on a spiritual journey via a sensory deprivation tank.

"$pringfield ", simply known as "$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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saddlesore Galactica</span> 13th episode of the 11th season of The Simpsons

"Saddlesore Galactica" is the thirteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 6, 2000. In the episode, the Simpson family rescues a diving horse named Duncan from an abusive owner and keeps him as a pet. When the cost of keeping Duncan rises, Homer and Bart train him to be a racehorse. Duncan wins several races and, as a result, Homer is threatened with death by a group of jockeys. Meanwhile, Lisa is upset over her school unfairly losing the musical band competition at a state fair and writes a letter to U.S. President Bill Clinton in protest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Way We Was</span> 12th episode of the 2nd season of The Simpsons

"The Way We Was" is the twelfth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 1991. In the episode, Marge tells the story of how she and Homer first met and fell in love. Flashing back to 1974, it is shown how Homer falls in love with Marge in high school and tries to get close to her by enlisting her as his French tutor. After several hours of verb conjugation, Marge falls for Homer too, only to become enraged when he admits he is not a French student. Marge rejects Homer's invitation to the prom and goes with Artie Ziff, who turns out to be a terrible date and Marge realizes that it is Homer she really wants.

"Bart the Lover" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on February 13, 1992. In the episode, Bart, playing a prank on his teacher Edna Krabappel, responds to her personal ad as a man named Woodrow. In the subplot, Ned Flanders asks Homer to curtail his swearing, so Homer starts using a swear jar.

"Bart Gets an Elephant" is the seventeenth 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 March 31, 1994. In this episode, Bart wins a radio contest and is awarded a full-grown African elephant that he names Stampy. After Stampy wrecks the Simpsons' house and eats all the food, Homer decides to sell Stampy to an ivory dealer. Bart runs away with Stampy to save his pet, but the family finds the two at a museum exhibit, where Homer sinks into a tar pit. Homer is saved by Stampy, and so gives the elephant away to an animal refuge instead.

"Lisa the Greek" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 23, 1992. In the episode, Homer bonds with Lisa when he discovers her ability to pick winning football teams. When Lisa learns her father is only using her talent to help him gamble, she thinks he does not care for her.

"Bart's Inner Child" is the seventh 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 November 11, 1993. In the episode, Marge — realizing her excessive nagging spoils the family's fun — seeks help from self-help guru Brad Goodman. He praises Bart's irreverent attitude and encourages his followers to emulate Bart's care-free antics. Soon everyone in Springfield starts to act like Bart, who feels that his role as a troublemaker is usurped. After the inaugural "Do What You Feel Festival" ends in calamity and a riot, the town decides to stop acting like Bart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart Gets Famous</span> 12th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Bart Gets Famous" is the twelfth 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 February 3, 1994. In the episode, Bart gets a job as Krusty the Clown's production assistant. He replaces Sideshow Mel in one of Krusty's skits and accidentally destroys the stage props. When Bart says "I didn't do it," he instantly becomes famous for his catchphrase.

"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth 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 April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience that prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies. He chooses Bart as his heir because he admires the "creature of pure malevolence". Marge convinces Bart to spend time with his benefactor, who allows his heir the money and freedom to do whatever he pleases. Soon Bart leaves his family to live with Burns instead.

"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.

"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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Jean, Al (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Levine, Ken (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  3. 1 2 Reardon, Jim (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. 1 2 Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Saturdays of Thunder". BBC. Archived from the original on March 12, 2005. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
  5. ↑ Reiss, Mike (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Saturdays of Thunder" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ↑ Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p.  71. ISBN   978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN   98141857. OCLC   37796735. OL   433519M..
  7. ↑ Associated Press (November 20, 1991). "Nielsen Ratings /Nov. 11-17". Press-Telegram . p. C5.
  8. 1 2 Gibron, Bill (December 15, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  9. ↑ Harvey, Niel (September 4, 2003). "'The Simpsons' Is A Consistent Slam Dunk". The Roanoke Times . p. 8.
  10. ↑ "Movie Choice". Daily Record . March 9, 2001.
  11. ↑ Hardy, Gregory (February 16, 2003). "Hitting 300 - For Sporting Comedy, 'The Simpsons' Always Score". Orlando Sentinel . p. C17.
  12. ↑ Coulter, Michael (November 10, 2005). "Sport - Friday". The Age . p. 18.
  13. ↑ Ditum, Nathan (June 6, 2009). "The 50 Greatest Simpsons Movie References". Total Film . GamesRadar. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  14. ↑ Meyers, Nate (June 23, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". Digitally Obsessed. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  15. ↑ Jacobson, Colin (August 21, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  16. ↑ Rabin, Rabin. "The Simpsons (Classic): "Saturdays of Thunder"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
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.