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"The Call of the Simpsons"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 1
Directed byWesley Archer[1]
Written byJohn Swartzwelder[1]
Original air dateFebruary 18, 1990[2]
Episode features
Chalkboard gag"I will not draw naked ladies in class."[3]
Couch gagThe family comes in and just sits on the couch in a normal manner.[1]
CommentaryWes Archer
Al Jean
Mike Reiss
Episode chronology
The Simpsons season 1
List of episodes

"The Call of the Simpsons" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons' first season, and originally aired February 18, 1990.[2] It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Wesley Archer.[1] Albert Brooks made his first guest appearance on The Simpsons in this episode as the voice of Cowboy Bob.[4]

In the episode, Homer purchases an RV and the Simpsons family set off for a vacation in the wild. Accidentally driving it off the edge of a cliff, the family is trapped in the woods. As Homer and Bart try to find a way back to civilization, Homer gets himself covered in mud and is mistakenly taken for Bigfoot by a naturalist. The news about the encounter spread quickly and Bigfoot hunters converge on the woods to capture Homer.

Plot

Homer is jealous of Ned Flanders' new RV and goes shopping for one of his own. However, he is unable to afford a new RV, and is forced to settle for a dilapidated, second hand RV instead. The family packs everything into their new RV and head off on a camping trip. Homer takes an unwise, off-road shortcut that soon results in the RV dangling precariously on the edge of a cliff. The family manages to inch out of the vehicle just before it plummets off the cliff, stranding them in the wilderness.

Marge and Lisa Simpson set up camp while Homer and Bart head off to look for civilization. Maggie follows them, but quickly gets separated and is cared for by an adoptive family of bears. Homer and Bart's attempts to find food prove fruitless, and soon they fall into a river and lose their clothes. Homer finds a beehive and attempts to get the honey, but is repeatedly stung by bees that cause his mouth to swell, rendering him incomprehensible. He staggers into a stream, where an amateur cameraman captures a video of him and, mistaking him for Bigfoot, sells it to the local news.

Soon the forest is swarming with Bigfoot hunters. Lisa and Marge are found and rescued. Marge sees a picture of "Bigfoot" and announces that he is actually her husband, causing a minor tabloid scandal. Homer and Bart encounter a grizzly bear, but Maggie calms it before it attacks them. Maggie leaves with Homer and Bart as they wander back into civilization, where Homer is immediately tranquilized and brought to a research lab for study. They keep him for several days, but eventually are forced to release him. The results of their study are inconclusive.

Production

A video camera is being pointed at a bearded man who is wearing glasses. Some other people stand in the background.
James L. Brooks suggested an idea for the plot that was later scrapped.

The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Wesley Archer.[1] A plot twist that involved Homer being carried away to an eagle nest and being raised as a baby eagle was suggested for this episode by executive producer James L. Brooks, but they ended up going with Maggie being raised by bears instead.[5] The sequence with Marge and Lisa by the bonfire was originally longer and included a conversation between the two about boys, but it was cut from the episode.[6] In the original script, Homer and Bart were not talking in the scene where they concealed their private parts with mud and moss, but Sam Simon thought it would be "too funny to leave as a stage direction" and they added dialogue to the scene.[7]

Albert Brooks guest starred in the episode as the voice of Cowboy Bob. He was not sure if he wanted to be identified with a cartoon show or not at the time, like many of the other early guest stars on The Simpsons, and was therefore credited as A. Brooks in the ending credits.[7] This episode was a satire of the Bigfoot specials that had aired on the Fox network at the time when this episode was written.[5] A lot of resources were spent on the backgrounds in the episode, trying to make them look realistic with many observational details such as trees, rocks, fences and the way the cars were positioned.[6] Burger King figurines were made out of the camping designs of the Simpsons family in this episode.[6]

Reception

In its original American broadcast on February 18, 1990, "The Call of the Simpsons" finished third place in the ratings for that day, with a Nielsen rating of 14.6 and a 22 percent audience share.[8] The episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1990 in the category "Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special".[9] IGN.com named Albert Brooks' guest performance in this episode, along with his four other appearances on The Simpsons, the best guest appearance in the show's history.[4]

"The Call of the Simpsons" received mixed reviews from 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, both criticized and praised the episode saying: "This episode is a bit less than the sum of its parts. The early stuff at the RV Round-Up is much better than the main camping story, although there's some nice Marge-Lisa bonding, and who could resist Maggie and the bears?"[1] In a DVD review of the first season, David B. Grelck gave the episode a rating of 1.5/5, adding "the surrealism of Homer as bigfoot is a major misstep. This type of gag would be very different today, if done at all."[10] Jon Bonné at MSNBC called the episode "a perfect example of the first season’s bizarre and fruitful balance between edgy humor and softly-drawn neuroses" and stated that "it was this combination that made Groening’s shorts for the Ullman show so compelling, and ultimately what made it possible for The Simpsons to break the molds of network television."[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Call of the Simpsons BBC.co.uk. Retrieved on August 6, 2008
  2. ^ a b "The Call of the Simpsons" The Simpsons.com. Retrieved on August 6, 2008
  3. ^ Richmond, Ray (1997). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family. Harper Collins Publishers. p. 23. ISBN 0-00063-8898-1. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian. "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances". IGN. Retrieved 2007-05-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b Jean, Al (2001). The Simpsons The Complete First Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Call of the Simpsons" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^ a b c Archer, Wes (2001). The Simpsons The Complete First Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Call of the Simpsons" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ^ a b Reiss, Mike (2001). The Simpsons The Complete First Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Call of the Simpsons" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  8. ^ "Simpsons Ratings". rec.arts.tv. January 21, 1991. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  9. ^ Emmy Awards official site emmys.org. Retrieved on August 8, 2008
  10. ^ Grelck, David B. (2001-09-25). "The Complete First Season". WDBGProductions. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  11. ^ Jon Bonné (2000-10-02). "'The Simpsons' has lost its cool". MSNBC. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
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