Upcoming Episodes plus STUFF for "Simpsons Christmas Stories" (HABF01)

And now for the non-empty version:

12/25 - ONE EPISODE IN THE EAST, TWO IN THE WEST ------------------------------------------------ 8:00 - MOUNTAIN AND PACIFIC TIME ZONES ONLY - Bonfire of the Manatees (GABF18) When Homer lets Fat Tony shoot a porno film in his house after losing a football bet, Marge leaves the house and ends up meeting a marine biologist (voiced by Alec Baldwin) who specializes in protecting manatees

8:30 - Marge's Son Poisoning (GABF20) Marge can't get Homer to go riding with her on her tandem bicycle, so Bart, who feels sorry for her, decides to ride with her, but soon he earns a reputation as a "mama's boy"; Homer is pushed by Moe into the world of organized arm wrestling * NOTE: Fox is airing a football game nationwide starting at 5:00 Eastern; if it goes into overtime, the episode's start may be delayed in the Eastern and Central time zones

12/30 - SPECIAL FRIDAY AIRING - See Homer Run (GABF21) When Bart steals a "Bart Blvd." street sign that results in a major traffic accident, the town blames Mayor Quimby and organizes a recall election, resulting in "Safety Salamander" Homer (and pretty much every "character" in Springfield) running to replace him

1/1 - PRE-EMPTED for "Vertical Limit" (although it is a Fox NFL
      doubleheader day, so there is a chance an episode will air at
      7:00 or 7:30 in the west)

STUFF for "Simpsons Christmas Stories" (HABF01) ----------------------------------------------- Written by Don Payne Directed by Steven Dean Moore Blackboard: none Couch: The couch is on the cover of the Springfield Shopper, under the headline "COUCH GAG THRILLS NATION" Overseas Animation: Akom TV Rating: TV-PG-LV

RATING: B-plus - the "three-part" episodes tend to be better than the usual ones, mainly because there seems to be a need to cram more gags into them in order to get all three stories closed, but the Nutcracker one probably wasn't the best choice

REFERENCES "The First Noel" (title "The First D'oh-El") "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (title "I Saw Grampa Cussing Santa Claus") "The Nutcracker Suite" (title "The Nutcracker...Sweet") "The Three Stooges" (Homer's "Wise man, eh?" routine) "I Dream of Jeannie" (the way Bart turns wine into water) Energizer batteries (the Energizer Bunny Christmas Special) "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (the Krusty snowball gag is similar to the Ed Ames tomahawk throw) 7F04 (Homer says "This is the worst (holiday) ever") 1F21 (Mr. Burns cuts in on Grampa during a swing dance)

DYN
...this is the 365th episode - syndicating stations can now air an
   episode every day of the year (except February 29) without
   repeating?
...even though there are a number of "Christmas episodes," this is the
   first one to have "Christmas" in its official title?  (The official
   title of the "Christmas Special" is "Simpsons Roasting on an Open
   Fire")
...there were no voice credits other than the six "stars"?
...in the second story, Bart's stocking has a slingshot, Lisa's has
   school supplies and sheet music, and Maggie's has a pink Bongo
   doll?
...The Gospel According to Homer has some differences from the ones
   according to Luke and Matthew:
   - somebody knew the birth was coming, as there was a "Welcome Class
     of 20 BC" sign;
   - the wise men showed their gifts to Herod first;
   - Herod found the infant Jesus (according to Matthew, the wise men
     not returning with the location caused Herod to order all infant
     boys killed);
   - Jesus dies when he is 33 (his age is never mentioned in the
     Bible);
   - in reality, Matthew was not alive when Jesus was born
...WWII-era Burns sounds "younger" than he usually does?  (Usually, he
   has the same voice no matter how old he is)
...according to Grampa, there was an atomic bomb dropped in December
   of 1944 (but apparently nobody noticed)?
...in the third story, they kept Grampa out of the house, yet in the
   second story, he has a stocking over the fireplace?
...the stockings change between the second and third stories?  (They
   are all solid in the second story, but Lisa's has polka-dots in the
   third one)
...apparently, Grampa really does have a brother Cyrus?

GOOFS / FREEZE FRAME / WHATNOT President Bush gave a nationally televised speech from 9:00 to about 9:20 (Eastern time) on December 18, 2005, which is when this episode first aired; although the speech was after the episode aired in the Eastern and Central time zones and before it aired in the Pacific time zone, Fox stations in the Mountain time zone delayed the start of the episode from its usual 7:00 start.

The sign outside the church says that Jesus is "2005 years young". In fact, (a) Herod died in 4 BC, making Jesus at least 2008 years old in 2005 (if Matthew's claim that Jesus was born during Herod's reign is true), and (b) the concept of AD and BC uses the basis that 1 AD was when Jesus was born ("year zero" does not exist under this system), making Jesus 2004 years old in 2005.

A WWII-era pocket watch shouldn't play music.

There is no evidence of the accidents caused by the cars stopping for Moe's sled once Moe has crossed the road.

-- Don Unfortunately, I'm in a bit of a rush, so I'll leave the lyrics for another time

Don Del Grande wrote:

If you're taking further notes, in the Eastern time zone the speech came after The War at Home, and was followed immediately by Family Guy and American Dad (in full, not in progress).

Say, now's another time - but first:

MORE WHATNOT Who is the voice of the Cat Lady? Isn't it Tress MacNeille (who wasn't credited)?

LYRICS to "The Nutcracker...Sweet" ---------------------------------- (Marge) I've still gotta bake my Christmas pie (Bart) I've still gotta get Dad a lousy tie (Cletus) Christmas crowds is what I hate (Sideshow Mel) No time left to procrastinate (Lenny) So move your ass (Carl) And let me pass (Lenny & Carl) 'Cause Christmas Eve is here (Quimby) Er, why is this Santa suit so snug? (Burns) Grr, why should I care, it's all humbug (Apu) I've jacked my prices up so high But there's no junk these saps won't buy Last year's eggnog, a green hot dog (crowd) 'Cause Christmas Eve is here (Comic Book Guy) These holiday cookies swell my fat (Cat lady) Gya Eyadada Gya Ga Ya Da Cat (Krusty) Even though we're not gentile We'll get together for a while (Crazy Old Man) To shoot the breeze (Rabbi Krustovski) And eat Chinese (crowd in restaurant) 'Cause Christmas Eve is here - Oy! (Marge) Christmas is a family day (Homer) I told Grampa we'd be away (Lisa) He's at the door (Bart) Let's hit the floor (all four, quietly) 'Cause Christmas Eve is here!

(Homer) I need a present for my wife Or I'll have no sex for life Diamond ring, a vase by Ming Some kind of useful kitchen thing I need a store I can break into Or a place run by a Hindu (Apu) The Christmas rush has cleaned me out I just have jerky made of trout

-- Don

Somebody claiming to be Don Del Grande wrote in news:[email]:

Fox got a new movie to show! ;-)