s p o i l e r
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Preview from snpp.com
December 1 . Helter Shelter (DABF21)
When nobody takes the Simpsons in while their house is being
fumigated, they go on a reality TV show that requires them to live as people
did in 1895, but when they start getting into it and the show gets boring,
they get a new boarder: David Lander (Squiggy from Laverne & Shirley); boxer
Larry Holmes guest voices as wellpreview from tvguide.com
Helter Shelter 30 min. Reality-TV shows are skewered smartly when the Simpsons go back in time (sort of) to compete on a show that suggests PBS's Frontier House. Finding their friends of little help when their home needs long-term fumigation, the Simpsons find shelter as contestants on 1895 Challenge, which requires them to dress and live in the fashion of the time. It's not easy, and the family's stress makes for good television. But as they adjust, they become boring and the ratings go down. So to spice things up, the producers add a celebrity---David L. Lander (Laverne & Shirley's Squiggy)---to the mix. Boxing's Larry Holmes also has a cameo. (VCR Plus+ 2410)
I was thinking the other day of some of the jokes I maybe did not get the first time but enjoy now. Here are two examples:
Bart Gets an F- Delegate: [o.s.] Hey, look everybody! John Hancock's writing his name in the snow!
Treehouse of Horror III-Smithers: I think women and sea-men don't mix. Burns:We *know* what you think!
References:
Frontier House. Information on the show can be found at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/frontierhouse/. This was a show that took three families and asked them to live like the original frontiersmen did over a century ago in Montana. Two of the families ended up doing fairly well at the whole survival thing, but the family from California did everything possible to get by with doing as little work as possible. Probably would have frozen to death due to lack of cut fire wood.
1900 House. Information on the show can be found at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/1900house/ . This show took a British family to the turn of the century in London.
King of the Kill- Second reference to the show that I can remember. I think the first was in Bart Star, but this parody of the opening sequence from the Judge show was pretty funny. Actually, the other one was kinda funny too, and I like it anytime the Simpsons parodies anything these days. Dont seem to do it very well, but occasionally they can hit one out of the park.
Previous Episode References: Bill Cosby Returns-'Round Springfield [2F32]
Book References: Simpsons Guide To Springfield- Ye Old Off Ramp Inn's exterior seems to be taken directly from the book. While it has been mentioned before, I dont think that it has ever had that particular exterior shot before.
Oreo Information: Nabisco's "Oreo's" are the world's best-selling brand of cookie at a rate of 6 billion sold each year. The first Oreo was sold in 1912 after being invented in 1911. They were not around in 1896, as was stated by the show. (I did not know this, but I was curious how much homework the writers actually did.)
Scott Joplin Information: He composed the Entertainer in 1902, not in or before 1895, as the music suggested from the TV reality program.
Review: Well, there was some pretty good writing in this episode, and there was some atrocious writing in this episode. While the parodies in the early part of the episode actually had me laughing out loud, the social commentary on reality television was a little contrived and obvious. I think most people are smart enough to realize that there is little reality in today's reality TV, but hell, at least it gave the writers a vehicle to write an episode (and get David Lander in the episode). The ultimate irony in this episode is that an episode as anti-television as this one could come at a time when the show is definitely out of its own prime. Maybe Bart is right, and everyone is tired of such adventures. Grade-B- (mainly for the KOTH reference)