The Simpsons (season 19)

The Simpsons (season 19)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	20
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	September 23, 2007 – May 18, 2008
Season chronology

The Simpsons' nineteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 23, 2007 and May 18, 2008.^[1][2]

Production

The nineteenth season of The Simpsons is the first one produced after the movie and contained seven hold-over episodes from season 18's JABF production line. Al Jean served as showrunner, a position he has held ever since the thirteenth season.

Army Archerd reported that due to the 100-day Writers Guild of America strike only 22 episodes would be produced instead of the planned 23, which is much closer to the length of a regular season than most live-action and animated programs that were also affected by the strike.^[3] Entertainment Weekly also reported that at the time, there were only 6 episodes remaining that were ready, which would make the season's production run consist of a total of 22 episodes.^[4]

The nineteenth season featured the returns of several characters from previous seasons. Kelsey Grammer made his tenth appearance as Sideshow Bob and David Hyde Pierce made his second as Bob's brother Cecil Terwilliger in "Funeral for a Fiend".^[5] Beverly D'Angelo made her second appearance as Lurleen Lumpkin, who first appeared in season three's "Colonel Homer".^[6] Glenn Close returned as Grandma Mona Simpson for the third time.^[7][8]

Matt Groening described this season as "just about our most ambitious yet".^[9] The season's "The Homer of Seville" was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award, but lost to season eighteen's "Kill Gil: Vols. 1 & 2".^[10]

Reception

Critical reception

Robert Canning of IGN gave the series a 6.6 saying that it was "Passable" and that "Heck, read through the comments section at the bottom of our IGN Simpsons reviews and more than half will in some way be talking about the poor quality of recent episodes. (And "poor quality" is putting it politely.)" although he praised the late episodes of the season.^[11]

Awards

"Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, the tenth in the history of the show.^[12] Alf Clausen also received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (original Dramatic Score) for the episode "Treehouse of Horror XVIII".^[13]

Nielsen rating

The Simpsons ranked 83rd in the seasonal ratings getting a viewership of 7.950 million viewers and an 18-49 Nielsen Rating of 3.8 making it the highest ranking show from "Animation Domination" right above Family Guy.^[14]

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
401	1	"He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs"	Mark Kirkland	Joel H. Cohen	September 23, 2007	JABF20	9.7[15]
After Homer saves Mr. Burns from drowning, Mr. Burns rewards him with a dinner and a flight on his corporate jet, making Homer disappointed that he will never be rich or successful enough to enjoy the high life.[16] Guest Stars: Stephen Colbert and Lionel Richie.
402	2	"The Homer of Seville"	Michael Polcino	Carolyn Omine	September 30, 2007	JABF18	8.4[17]
A freak accident turns Homer into an opera singer (which can only be achieved if he lies down) and he becomes the toast of Springfield's cultural elite -- and the target of a crazed, motorcycle-riding female fan who blackmails him into becoming his manager.[18] Guest Stars: Maya Rudolph and Plácido Domingo.
403	3	"Midnight Towboy"	Matthew Nastuk	Stephanie Gillis	October 7, 2007	JABF21	7.7[19]
Homer befriends a tow-truck driver named Louie, who shows Homer what it is like to tow vehicles for a living. Meanwhile, Marge puts Maggie in a special school to help babies become independent, but when the lessons work too well, Marge finds herself tearfully bonding with a sack of potatoes.[20] Guest Star: Matt Dillon.
404	4	"I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"	Bob Anderson	Dana Gould	October 14, 2007	JABF19	8.8[21]
Marge breaks her promise to visit a disturbed bank robber in prison, and ends up getting kidnapped by him. Guest Stars: Steve Buscemi, Ted Nugent and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
405	5	"Treehouse of Horror XVIII"	Chuck Sheetz	Marc Wilmore	November 4, 2007	JABF16	11.7[22]
The nineteenth season's annual trio of Halloween stories, all of which are movie parodies:[23] "E.T., Go Home" - In this send-up of E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Bart finds Kodos (who is hiding from the government) and helps him obtain devices to contact his home planet, but Kodos' intentions are proven to be murderous. "Mr. & Mrs. Simpson" - In this send-up of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Homer lives a double life as a government assassin, but discovers that Marge is one too and must eliminate her after she botched his attempt at assassinating Kent Brockman. "Heck House" - In this send-up of Seven, Ned Flanders turns the church into a Heck House and asks God for devilish powers so he can teach the children the consequences of committing the seven deadly sins. Guest Star: Maurice LaMarche.
406	6	"Little Orphan Millie"	Lance Kramer	Mick Kelly	November 11, 2007	JABF22	10.57[24]
Milhouse adopts an aloof attitude after his parents are presumed dead during a honeymoon cruise, making Milhouse popular and Bart unpopular. Meanwhile, Marge hides her eyes from Homer after Homer admits that he does not know what Marge's eye color is.[25]
407	7	"Husbands and Knives"	Nancy Kruse	Matt Selman	November 18, 2007	JABF17	10.5[26]
The Comic Book Guy's Android Dungeon faces competition with "Coolsville Comics 'n Toys," a new comic book store owned by a nicer, more personable store owner named Milo. Meanwhile, Marge creates a gym for the average woman, and a self-conscious Homer resorts to plastic surgery after being told that Marge's success will lead to her divorcing Homer and getting a younger, handsomer trophy husband.[27] Guest Stars: Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, Dan Clowes, Jack Black and Maurice LaMarche.
408	8	"Funeral for a Fiend"	Rob Oliver	Michael Price	November 25, 2007	KABF01	9.0[28]
A night at a rib restaurant turns into yet another plot for Sideshow Bob to kill The Simpson family, but the whole scheme turns into a family affair when Bart kills his mortal enemy by throwing away his nitroglycerine (which Sideshow Bob needs for his heart) and the rest of the Terwiligers go after Bart for killing Bob. Guest Stars: Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney and Keith Olbermann.
409	9	"Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind"	Chuck Sheetz	J. Stewart Burns	December 16, 2007	KABF02	10.15[29]
Homer wakes up in the snow with no memory of what he did the night before -- and finds his wife and kids missing.
410	10	"E Pluribus Wiggum"	Michael Polcino	Michael Price	January 6, 2008	KABF03	8.2[30]
Thanks to Homer's latest blunder (blowing up every fast-food restaurant in the city), Springfield moves up election day and becomes the first city in the nation to hold primary elections. However, all the media attention and similar-sounding politicians wear on the townspeople's nerves, so they elect Ralph Wiggum to be the 2008 Presidential candidate as a joke -- until Ralph reveals that he wants to be President, so he can bring peace in these divided times.[31] Guest Stars: Jon Stewart and Dan Rather.
411	11	"That '90s Show"	Mark Kirkland	Matt Selman	January 27, 2008	KABF04	7.6[32]
After discovering Marge's diploma, Homer recounts the time he gave up his dreams of being a musician just to put Marge through college -- until Marge breaks Homer's heart and falls for her professor.[33] Guest Stars: Kurt Loder and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
412	12	"Love, Springfieldian Style"	Raymond S. Persi	Don Payne	February 17, 2008	KABF05	7.81[34]
On Valentine's Day, Homer and Marge get stuck in a Tunnel of Love ride after Bart turns the water into Jell-O. To pass the time, the family tells stories of famous couples: Bonnie and Clyde (Homer and Marge cut a path of crime through 1930s Springfield by robbing banks), Lady and the Tramp (Homer and Marge again; this time, as the eponymous dogs from the classic Disney movie), and Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen (Nelson and Lisa are punk rockers in love and addicted to chocolate).[35]
413	13	"The Debarted"	Matthew Nastuk	Joel H. Cohen	March 2, 2008	KABF06	8.18[36]
Bart begins to suspect a rat when all of his pranks backfire -- and might have something to do with his new friend, Donny. Meanwhile, Homer grows attached to his rental car, which he gets to drive for a week while his old car gets repaired.[37] Guest Stars: Topher Grace and Terry Gross.
414	14	"Dial 'N' for Nerder"	Bob Anderson	Carolyn Omine & William Wright	March 9, 2008	KABF07	7.3 [38]
Bart and Lisa's prank on Martin Prince goes too far and they worry that they may be implicated in his death by the police (and Nelson, who becomes an amateur sleuth). Meanwhile, Marge calls upon the producer of a reality show that specializes in tracking down cheating couples when she begins to suspect that Homer may be cheating...on his diet.[39]
415	15	"Smoke on the Daughter"	Lance Kramer	Billy Kimball	March 30, 2008	KABF08	7.10[17]
Lisa is accepted into a ballet school run by jazz dancer Chazz Busby, and discovers that her dancing improves whenever she is around cigarette smoke. Meanwhile, Homer shows Bart his secret beef jerky project, which has been taken over by raccoons.[40]
416	16	"Papa Don't Leech"	Chris Clements	Reid Harrison	April 13, 2008	KABF09	6.9[41]
When Mayor Quimby launches a campaign to shake down anyone who has not paid taxes in years, Lurleen Lumpkin (the country singer who tried to seduce Homer from the season three episode "Colonel Homer") hides out at the Simpson house, which does not sit well with Marge (who still cannot forgive her for almost stealing her husband).[6] Guest Stars: Beverly D'Angelo and The Dixie Chicks.
417	17	"Apocalypse Cow"	Nancy Kruse	Jeff Westbrook	April 27, 2008	KABF10	7.69[42]
Bart joins the 4-H Club and befriends a cow named Lou, but when Lou is set to be sent to slaughter, Bart gives Lou to a country girl named Mary -- whom he now must marry after finding out that giving a cow to a country girl is considered a marriage proposal in hillbilly tradition.[43] Guest Star: Zooey Deschanel.
418	18	"Any Given Sundance"	Chuck Sheetz	Daniel Chun	May 4, 2008	KABF11	6.18[44]
The Simpsons are going to Utah for the Sundance Film Festival after Lisa's short film on her dysfunctional family life becomes a rave with everyone -- except for the Simpson family.[45] Guest Star: Jim Jarmusch and John C. Reilly.[46]
419	19	"Mona Leaves-a"	Mike B. Anderson & Ralph Sosa	Joel H. Cohen	May 11, 2008	KABF12	6.02[47]
Mona Simpson, Homer's '60s radical mother, returns, vowing that her days of protesting are over, but Homer will not accept. Things get worse when Mona dies and her last wishes are to have her ashes spread over the mountains, which turns out to be a plot in stopping a nuclear disaster.[48] Guest Stars: Glenn Close, Lance Armstrong.
420	20	"All About Lisa"	Steven Dean Moore	John Frink	May 18, 2008	KABF13	6.11[49]
Sideshow Mel narrates the story of how Lisa rose to stardom as Krusty the Clown's latest replacement. Meanwhile, Bart and Homer start coin-collecting and go after a rare 1917 coin known as "The Kissing Lincolns" penny.[50] Guest Star: Drew Carey.

Blu-ray and DVD release

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, will still be available, now packaged with the digital format.^[51][52][53]

References

1. "Season 19 Information". The Futon Critic. 2007-07-22. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
2. "Fox unleashes a May sweeps to remember". FoxFlash. 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
3. "On the Firing Line". Army Archerd. 2007-11-08. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
4. "Striking Home". Entertainment Weekly. 2007-08-11. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
5. "Season 19 Information". The Futon Critic. 2007-07-22. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
6. Snierson, Dan (2007-11-15). "'The Simpsons' Whistle Dixie (Chicks)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
7. Snierson, Dan (2008-01-25). "Zooey Deschanel, Glenn Close to guest on 'The Simpsons'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
8. "Simpsons Writers Dish on Movie and New Season". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
9. Douglas, Edward (2007-07-20). "The Future of The Simpsons?". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
10. "Writer's Guild Awards". WGA. Archived from the original on 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
11. The Simpsons: Season 19 Review - IGN
12. ""Simpson's" wins 10th best cartoon Emmy". Reuters. 2008-09-13. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
13. "The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards and Creative Arts Emmy Awards Nominees are...". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
14. ABC Medianet Archived April 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
15. Gough, Paul (September 24, 2007). "Cowboys, Bears beat Sunday's premieres". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-09-28.
16. "He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
17. Simpsons Channel | Your Source For Simpsons News Archived May 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
18. "Homer of Seville". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
19. "Midnight Towboy". Simpsons Channel. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
20. "Midnight Towboy". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
21. "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". Simpsons Channel. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
22. Gough, Paul (2007-11-06). "Football goes the distance for CBS, NBC". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
23. "Treehouse of Horror XVIII". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2016. Episode News: Little Orphan Millie
25. "Little Orphan Millie". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
26. "Husbands and Knives". Simpsons Channel. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
27. "Husbands and Knives". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
28. "Funeral for a Fiend". Simpsons Channel. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
29. "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind". Simpsons Channel. 2008. Archived from the original on 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
30. "E Pluribus Wiggum". Simpsons Channel. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
31. "E Pluribus Wiggum". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
32. "That 90's Show". Simpsons Channel. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
33. "That '90s Show". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
34. Calabria, Rosario T. (February 18, 2008). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Sunday, February 17, 2008". Your Entertainment Now. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
35. "Love, Springfieldian Style". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
36. Calabria, Rosario T. (March 3, 2008). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Sunday, March 2, 2008". Your Entertainment Now. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
37. "The Debarted". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
39. "Dial 'N' for Nerder". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
40. "Smoke on the Daughter". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
41. James Hibberd (2008-04-14). "Disappointing return for 'Housewives'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
42. "Ratings: Apocalypse Cow". Simpsons Channel. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008.
43. "Apocalypse Cow". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
44. "Ratings: Any Given Sundance" Archived February 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
45. "Any Given Sundance". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
46. Fox Flash
47. "Ratings: Mona Leaves-a" Archived February 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
48. "Mona Leaves-a". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
49. "Ratings: All About Lisa". Simpsons Channel. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.
50. "All About Lisa". The Simpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
51. "Fox to End 'The Simpsons' Seasonal DVD Production"
52. "The Simpsons to no longer see Blu-ray, DVD releases"
53. "The death knell for optical media: There will be no more Simpsons DVDs"

Bibliography

• Turner, Chris (2004). Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation. Foreword by Douglas Coupland. (1st ed.). Toronto: Random House Canada. ISBN 978-0-679-31318-2. OCLC 55682258.

External links

• Season 19 at The Simpsons.com