Waiting for Duffman

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"Waiting for Duffman"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 26
Episode 17
Directed by Steven Dean Moore
Written by John Frink
Production codeTABF10
Original air dateMarch 15, 2015 (2015-03-15)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Couch gag The family is repeatedly sucked into a portal above the couch until Bart eventually separates from the rest, avoids getting beamed up, and closes the portal via a remote control. He then finds a severed Homer head.
Episode chronology
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"Peeping Mom"
The Simpsons season 26
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"Waiting for Duffman" is the seventeenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 569th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by John Frink. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 15, 2015. The title is a play on Waiting for Guffman .

Contents

In this episode, Homer wins a contest to replace Duffman but learns he must be sober on the job. R. Lee Ermey reprises his role of Colonel Leslie Hapablap from "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming". Stacy Keach guest starred as H.K. Duff VII. The episode received mixed reviews.

"Waiting for Duffman" was dedicated in memory of Sam Simon, a developer of The Simpsons, who died seven days before it aired.

Plot

When Barry Huffman (the man who plays Duffman) undergoes hip replacement surgery following an injury during a parade and retires, Duff Beer's owner Howard K. Duff VII sets up a reality show called "So You Think You Can Duff," presented by Cat Deeley in order to find his replacement. The judges for this competition are Der Zip Zorp (a best-selling Electronica artist that wears a computer monitor-shaped helmet), Missy LeBeau (a former Duff Girl and current senator from Oklahoma), and Rajneesh Superstar (a billionaire Mumbai entrepreneur). The competition is fierce until only Homer Simpson and one other competitor remain. Homer wins the competition after the other contestant is disqualified upon Der Zip Zorp detecting a tattoo of Duff Beer's competitor Olde Ogdenville Ale on his back. Howard K. Duff VII tells him that he has inserted him with a chip that will reveal if he drinks, because he must stay sober on the job.

While sober, Homer sees the misery that Duff is causing to the people and environment of Springfield. At a motor racing event, he gives out alcohol-free beer as a placebo in an attempt to convince the audience that alcohol is not essential for a good time. This angers them, and they form an angry mob. Howard K. Duff fires Homer and tells him that there was no chip, resulting in Homer's return to heavy drinking.

Following the incident, Howard K. Duff tracks down Barry Huffman (who is now working at a coffee shop) and convinces him to take his old job back.

Production

Cat Deeley was cast as herself, hosting a reality competition series for the next Duffman. [2] R. Lee Ermey reprised his role as Colonel Leslie Hapablap from the seventh season episode "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming." Stacy Keach continued his recurring role as H.K. Duff VII. [1]

For the episode's initial broadcast, the end credits included a clip of Sam Simon describing his work and a thank-you to him. Simon had died the week before on March 8, 2015. [3]

Cultural references

Ichabod Duff crossing the Duffaware River is a parody of George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, MMA-NYC, 1851.jpg
Ichabod Duff crossing the Duffaware River is a parody of George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River

Reception

The episode received a 1.5 rating and was watched by a total of 3.59 million people, making it the most watched show on Fox that night. [6]

Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C rating, saying "There are a few funny lines scattered throughout "Waiting For Duffman" which provide exactly the quantity of laughs necessary to mark this as a serviceable Simpsons episode, without doing anything to rise above that standard." [4]

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode 3 out of 5 stars. He stated that the episode had plenty of laughs but was tepid. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 Swift, Andy (March 13, 2015). "[VIDEO] 'The Simpsons' Season 26 — Cat Deeley Guest-Stars". TVLine . Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ Slezak, Michael (March 5, 2015). "The Simpsons First Look: Cat Deeley Gets Animated! Plus: The SYTYCD Host Shares an LOL Seacrest Zinger!". TVLine . Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  3. ↑ Harnick, Chris (March 16, 2015). "The Simpsons Honors Sam Simon With Touching Tribute". E! Online . Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Perkins, Dennis (March 15, 2015). "Review: The Simpsons: "Waiting For Duffman"". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on March 19, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Sokol, Tony (March 16, 2015). "The Simpsons: Waiting for Duffman Review". Den of Geek . Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  6. ↑ Bibel, Sara (March 17, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Last Man on Earth', 'Secrets & Lies', 'Battle Creek' & '60 Minutes' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
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