Upcoming Episodes plus STUFF for "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation"

11/17 - DOUBLE FEATURE
7:30 - Gump Roast (DABF12)
    WARNING - CLIP SHOW
8:00 - NEW EPISODE - Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade (DABF20)
    Lisa and Bart end up in the same class when Lisa is moved up a
    grade and Bart is moved a grade down

11/24 - NEW EPISODE - Large Marge (DABF18)
    Marge goes into the hospital for plastic surgery, but ends up
    with breast implants; Bart watches an episode of the old "Batman"
    TV series (complete with the voices of Adam West and Burt Ward)
    as the Special Guest Villain is somebody who looks like Krusty as
    "Clownman"
(A "King of the Hill" rerun airs at 7:30)

Upcoming "Futurama" Episodes
-----------------------------------------------------------
11/17 - NEW EPISODE - Jurassic Bark (4ACV07)
    Fry and Bender go to a museum exhibit of a 20th-Century pizzeria,
    only to discover that it's Panucci's Pizza...and the exhibit
    includes Fry's old dog
However, because of football, those of you in the Eastern and Central
time zones who get a 4:05 Eastern game (Carolina at Tampa Bay or San
Francisco at San Diego - of course, if one ends before the other, Fox
will switch to the one in progress) will probably get this episode
"already in progress", assuming the game doesn't run so long that
they tell the stations to air it another time (like, say, 12:30 AM).
The following cities don't get a choice:
Episode definitely on: Dallas, Green Bay, New Orleans, Washington
Episode probably on (* definitely on if the game is sold out):
  Atlanta*, Detroit*, Houston*, Indianapolis*, Jacksonville,
  Minneapolis*, New York*, Philadelphia*
Episode probably in progress (* definitely in progress if the game is
sold out):
  Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati*, Cleveland, Kansas City*, Miami*,
  Nashville*, Pittsburgh, Tampa*
Episode definitely in progress: Charlotte

11/24 - Pre-empted in the east for NFL football; the west will get
        "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" (Fry goes to the planet where
        all Star Trek videos were sent from Earth centuries ago)

12/ 1 - Pre-empted in the east for NFL football; the west will probably get a repeat (to be announced)

STUFF for "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" (DABF22)
-----------------------------------------------------
Written by Mike Scully
Directed by Mike B. Anderson
Blackboard: none
Couch: Homer is on water skis, carrying the others, as he ski jumps
       over sharks; they land on the couch, but Homer loses his legs,
       which are in the sharks' mouths
Special Guest Voice: Elvis Costello, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz,
  Tom Petty, Keith Richards, Brain Setzer, Marcia Wallace
Also Starring: Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Karl Wiedergott
Overseas Animation: Akom
Rating: TV-PG-V

REVIEW: A-minus - the best episode of the season (okay, technically
        it's the only episode of the season); the only problem was
        that entire "Taxicab Confessions" bit, which really didn't
        go anywhere except yet another visit to the gap between
        Homer and his family.  (You know, I usually give a B-plus to
        episodes where 2 out of 3 acts are good; I suppose it is
        better to leave 'em laughing.)

REFERENCES "Happy Days" ("jumping the shark") "It's Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It)" 9F10 (Lisa says Springfield has no light rail)

"PUSHING-IT" REFERENCES "Hey Arnold!" (Homer says "I'm OK" when he trips over a branch at fantasy camp, the way Eugene always says it after an accident)

DYNs
...when Homer parked in front of Moe's, he was partially on the
   sidewalk?
...whenever Homer swings a guitar around, the "thin end" trails
   behind, rather than the entire guitar pointing outwards?
...the benefit is for Planet Hollywood, even though technically the
   restaurant chain doesn't exist here (it's "Planet Springfield")?
...the line for the men's room is longer than for the women's room,
   which is the opposite to what usually happens?
...Skinner wears fireproof boxers?
...the keep leaving in the "The persons in this film are fictitions.
   Any similarity to actual persons or events is unintentional" line
   in the closing credits even when it's clear that the similarity
   between, say, "Mick Jagger" and Mick Jagger is intentional?
MAGGIE ALERT
...there's a Maggie fall?

GOOFS / FREEZE FRAME / WHATNOT It almost sounds as if Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are being voiced by impersonators, but in the closing credits, you can see them delivering the lines themselves.

Tom Petty's guitar changes shape when he turns it over.

After Homer set his guitar afire, he starts playing it as if it was never burning.

The show's producers have a problem with showing the regulars recording voices (even on the DVDs), but don't seem to have any problems showing tonight's stars recording them.

I guess that's probably because we already know how the guest stars look while they do their own voices. On the other hand, the producers don't seem to be 100% against seeing the actors do the voices; this has been seen on a few specials/news things (like the 20/20 report) and when they did live readings of episodes. I'm surprised it hasn't been on the DVDs yet, but it probably will be at some point.

"Don Del Grande" wrote in message news:[email]...

Or "Planet Hype." I wouldn't necessarily say Planet Hollywood doesn't exist in the Simpsons' world, though; other real-world celebrities and businesses have been mentioned along with Springfield parodies, often in the same episode (McDonald's/Krusty Burger, Don King/Lucius Sweet, Arnold Schwarzenegger/Rainier Wolfcastle).

Nathan

One subtle dyn, which is totally in character for Homer, When kissing the cardboard groupies Homer lifts one foot, which is what a woman does, but never a man.

Haven't been on the ng for a long long while. "Strummer Vacation" was so borderline-awful that I had to see the ng's reaction. I disagree with Don's grade, but I'm glad to see the regulars still at it...

Don Del Grande wrote:

I give it a C-minus, but only because it was saved by the "altered consciousness" sequence, and Elvis Costello running the supply shack. Other than that it was utterly unfunny (and in spots groan-worthy). How long can they drag out Homer testing the mics? Yeesh. (More happened in one act of the third season ep than in all three acts of a recent ep.)

The "benefit concert" was likely a dig at Planet Hollywood's financial troubles. (The appearance of the sign immediately after the line about a "benefit concert" was one of the few moments where I actually laughed.)

--  wb

i liked mick jagger saying they're having another gig to benefit the victims of last night's concert. they could've thrown in an altimont (sp?) joke though.