Bart on the Road
Encyclopedia
"Bart on the Road" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons
' seventh season
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 31, 1996. In the episode, Bart
makes his own fake driver's license
. He rents a car with it and takes Milhouse, Martin
, and Nelson
on a road trip
to Knoxville
, Tennessee
. In Knoxville, however, the car gets destroyed, and they are stranded without any money or transportation. To get Bart home, Homer
orders equipment for the power plant and ships it via courier
from Knoxville, with the boys stowed away inside the crate.
The episode was written by Richard Appel
, and directed by Swinton O. Scott III
. The idea of a road trip was "so exciting" that the writers immediately knew they wanted to write it. This features cultural references to the 1991 film Naked Lunch
, American singer Andy Williams
, and Look
magazine. Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics, and Central Michigan Life
named it the eighth best episode of the show. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 7.2, and was the fifth highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
" in order to take a trip to Hong Kong
. Bart very reluctantly goes to the DMV
with his aunts Patty and Selma, and Lisa
goes to the nuclear power plant with Homer
, where she makes his work day fun. At the DMV, Bart makes himself a fake driver's license, which he, Nelson, Martin, and Milhouse use to hire a rental car
. The boys tell their parents they are going to attend the "National Grammar Rodeo" in Canada, but secretly take the rented car for a road trip to Knoxville, Tennessee
after finding a brochure for the city's World's Fair
.
In Knoxville, however, they find out that the fair was held fourteen years earlier, and that its featured attraction, the Sunsphere
, is now being used as a warehouse for a wigshop. The boys' car soon gets destroyed by the Sunsphere being toppled by a rock Nelson threw, and they are stranded without any money or transportation. They sign up as couriers and then go to Hong Kong. Bart places a collect call to Lisa, who has spent the entire spring break with Homer at work, to ask her for advice. Lisa obtains Homer's promise that he will not get upset and she reveals Bart's predicament. To get Bart home, Homer orders equipment for the power plant and ships it via courier from Knoxville, with Milhouse, Nelson, and Martin stowed away inside the crate and Bart as the courier.
The ending credits begin with Marge
getting phone calls from Principal Skinner (who saw Bart deliver human eyes in Hong Kong), the Tennessee State Police (who report that they found Bart's crushed rental car), and the courier office (who need Bart to deliver human kidneys to Amsterdam).
, who wanted to do an episode that had two things; a "go to work with your parents day" and Bart getting a driver's license. The "go to work with your parents day" idea appealed to Appel because it was something he "lost the right" to do when he went from public school to private school
as a child. Appel considered those days to be his favorites because he "didn't have to do anything" at his parents' job. The idea of having a driver's license was something that Appel dreamed about when he was younger.
The writing staff had never done a spring break episode before so they thought, "What would Lisa and Bart do on spring break?" and came up with the road trip plot. Bill Oakley
, the show runner
of The Simpsons at the time, said that road trips were something that the writers liked to write stories about. The idea of four children going on a road trip was "so exciting" that they immediately knew they wanted to write it. There was a debate over where the children would go, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida
, was first suggested, but the writers eventually decided to have them go to a "funny unlikely place". Oakley's show runner partner, Josh Weinstein
, said that the writers were always looking for combinations of characters that had not been done many times on the show. Homer and Lisa had not been done "too often" and they wanted the two characters to bond and get closer to each other.
The episode was directed by Swinton O. Scott III
. It was difficult to animate because the animators had to draw completely new designs for the locations outside of Springfield, such as Knoxville. The car scenes were also difficult to animate. At the time, The Simpsons was using traditional animation
without computers, but they had to get one for a scene where the camera spins around the car from above. The car was difficult to animate because it had to "look real" and not "boxy like a truck". The car was based on a 1993 Oldsmobile
car with rounded edges. The Simpsons animator David Silverman
said that the episode was "probably the most difficult one" Scott had to direct on the show.
, an adaptation of William Burroughs's novel dealing with heroin addiction, homosexuality
, and hallucinogens. The boys also go see an Andy Williams
concert in Branson, Missouri
, and the marquee advertising it outside says "Wow, he's still got it – Look
magazine". On the road, the boys pick up a hitchhiker that is based on the hitchhiker in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror film series. Principal Skinner books a vacation with AmeriWestica, a parody of America West Airlines
.
of 7.2. The episode was the fifth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files
, Cops
, Party of Five
, Martin
, and Melrose Place.
Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said that it "contains some superb touching character scenes between Homer and Lisa, a fascinating glimpse of Marge's insecurities, and some nice touches that take it above the show's very high average." Dave Foster of DVD Times said that "Bart on the Road" is an episode which is built upon a "frankly ludicrous" idea which if the writers were to "stumble upon" now, "we'd simply see Bart happen upon a license and skip town without anyone noticing, but here they do give the setup a great deal of consideration both on and off the screen." He thought the story was "partly believable, though the opportunity when Bart hits the road is largely wasted with only a few well constructed jokes to speak of." Foster thinks "what saves the episode is the opportunity to see Lisa and Homer connect, once again displaying what a strong season this is for Lisa as we see the two share some wonderfully tender moments, alongside some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson enjoyed the episode and said that he "loves" the children's experiences at their parents' jobs, "and when they head out of town, the fun continues. Any episode that sends the kids to the site of the World's Fair is OK by me." Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be when Patty and Selma explain their job at the DMV: "Somedays we don't let the line move at all. We call those weekdays." The website concluded its review by giving the episode a grade of B+. John Thorpe of Central Michigan Life
named it the eighth best episode of the show. Robert Canning of IGN
in a Flashback Review gave the episode a 9.5 saying it was "Outstanding" and also stated ""Bart on the Road" is a fun trip and very funny, but it's the way everything comes together that really makes it memorable".
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 7)
The Simpsons seventh season originally aired on the Fox network between September 17, 1995 and May 19, 1996. The show runners for the seventh production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein who would executive produce 21 episodes this season. David Mirkin executive produced the remaining...
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 31, 1996. In the episode, Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
makes his own fake driver's license
Identity document forgery
Identity document forgery is the process by which identity documents issued by governing bodies are copied and/or modified by persons not authorized to create such documents or engage in such modifications, for the purpose of deceiving those who would view the documents about the identity or status...
. He rents a car with it and takes Milhouse, Martin
Martin Prince
Martin Prince, Jr. is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Russi Taylor. Martin is Bart Simpson's classmate, and is Lisa Simpson's rival in intelligence, as well as Nelson Muntz's favorite target for bullying...
, and Nelson
Nelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
on a road trip
Road trip
A road trip is any journey taken on roads, regardless of stops en route. Typically, road trips are long distances traveled by automobile.-Pre-automobile road trips:...
to Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. In Knoxville, however, the car gets destroyed, and they are stranded without any money or transportation. To get Bart home, Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
orders equipment for the power plant and ships it via courier
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
from Knoxville, with the boys stowed away inside the crate.
The episode was written by Richard Appel
Richard Appel
Richard "Rich" Appel is an American writer, producer and former attorney. Growing up in Wilmette, Illinois, Appel developed a love of comedy and dreamt of a career as a comedy writer; he attended Harvard University and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon. Following in his mother's footsteps Appel...
, and directed by Swinton O. Scott III
Swinton O. Scott III
Swinton O. Scott III is an animation director best known for his work on The Simpsons.He directed four episodes of Futurama, 7 episodes of "The Simpsons" and one episode of Family Guy...
. The idea of a road trip was "so exciting" that the writers immediately knew they wanted to write it. This features cultural references to the 1991 film Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch (film)
Naked Lunch is the 1991 Canadian/British/Japanese film adaptation, directed by David Cronenberg, of William S. Burroughs' novel of the same name...
, American singer Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
, and Look
Look (American magazine)
Look was a bi-weekly, general-interest magazine published in Des Moines, Iowa from 1937 to 1971, with more of an emphasis on photographs than articles...
magazine. Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics, and Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan Life is Central Michigan University's student newspaper. It is almost entirely independent from the university. Only the salaries of the adviser and executive secretary are paid through CMU; all other expenses are covered by CM Life's own advertising revenue.The paper is published...
named it the eighth best episode of the show. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 7.2, and was the fifth highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
Plot
Principal Skinner closes school the day before spring break and sends the children on a "go to work with your parents dayTake our daughters and sons to work day
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day is an educational program in the USA that revolves around parents taking their children to work for one day. It is the successor to Take Our Daughters To Work Day, which was expanded to include boys in 2003...
" in order to take a trip to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Bart very reluctantly goes to the DMV
Department of Motor Vehicles
In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
with his aunts Patty and Selma, and Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
goes to the nuclear power plant with Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, where she makes his work day fun. At the DMV, Bart makes himself a fake driver's license, which he, Nelson, Martin, and Milhouse use to hire a rental car
Car rental
A car rental or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time for a fee...
. The boys tell their parents they are going to attend the "National Grammar Rodeo" in Canada, but secretly take the rented car for a road trip to Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
after finding a brochure for the city's World's Fair
1982 World's Fair
The 1982 World's Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the United States. The theme of the exposition was "Energy Turns the World."...
.
In Knoxville, however, they find out that the fair was held fourteen years earlier, and that its featured attraction, the Sunsphere
Sunsphere
The Sunsphere, in Knoxville, Tennessee, is an high hexagonal steel truss structure, topped with a gold-colored glass sphere that served as the symbol of the 1982 World's Fair.-Design:...
, is now being used as a warehouse for a wigshop. The boys' car soon gets destroyed by the Sunsphere being toppled by a rock Nelson threw, and they are stranded without any money or transportation. They sign up as couriers and then go to Hong Kong. Bart places a collect call to Lisa, who has spent the entire spring break with Homer at work, to ask her for advice. Lisa obtains Homer's promise that he will not get upset and she reveals Bart's predicament. To get Bart home, Homer orders equipment for the power plant and ships it via courier from Knoxville, with Milhouse, Nelson, and Martin stowed away inside the crate and Bart as the courier.
The ending credits begin with Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
getting phone calls from Principal Skinner (who saw Bart deliver human eyes in Hong Kong), the Tennessee State Police (who report that they found Bart's crushed rental car), and the courier office (who need Bart to deliver human kidneys to Amsterdam).
Production
The episode was written by Richard AppelRichard Appel
Richard "Rich" Appel is an American writer, producer and former attorney. Growing up in Wilmette, Illinois, Appel developed a love of comedy and dreamt of a career as a comedy writer; he attended Harvard University and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon. Following in his mother's footsteps Appel...
, who wanted to do an episode that had two things; a "go to work with your parents day" and Bart getting a driver's license. The "go to work with your parents day" idea appealed to Appel because it was something he "lost the right" to do when he went from public school to private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
as a child. Appel considered those days to be his favorites because he "didn't have to do anything" at his parents' job. The idea of having a driver's license was something that Appel dreamed about when he was younger.
The writing staff had never done a spring break episode before so they thought, "What would Lisa and Bart do on spring break?" and came up with the road trip plot. Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at high school; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon...
, the show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
of The Simpsons at the time, said that road trips were something that the writers liked to write stories about. The idea of four children going on a road trip was "so exciting" that they immediately knew they wanted to write it. There was a debate over where the children would go, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, was first suggested, but the writers eventually decided to have them go to a "funny unlikely place". Oakley's show runner partner, Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans High School; Weinstein then attended Stanford University and was editor-in-chief of the...
, said that the writers were always looking for combinations of characters that had not been done many times on the show. Homer and Lisa had not been done "too often" and they wanted the two characters to bond and get closer to each other.
The episode was directed by Swinton O. Scott III
Swinton O. Scott III
Swinton O. Scott III is an animation director best known for his work on The Simpsons.He directed four episodes of Futurama, 7 episodes of "The Simpsons" and one episode of Family Guy...
. It was difficult to animate because the animators had to draw completely new designs for the locations outside of Springfield, such as Knoxville. The car scenes were also difficult to animate. At the time, The Simpsons was using traditional animation
Traditional animation
Traditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...
without computers, but they had to get one for a scene where the camera spins around the car from above. The car was difficult to animate because it had to "look real" and not "boxy like a truck". The car was based on a 1993 Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
car with rounded edges. The Simpsons animator David Silverman
David Silverman
David Silverman is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, as well as The Simpsons Movie...
said that the episode was "probably the most difficult one" Scott had to direct on the show.
Cultural references
Bart and his friends use Bart's fake license to see the R-rated 1991 film Naked LunchNaked Lunch (film)
Naked Lunch is the 1991 Canadian/British/Japanese film adaptation, directed by David Cronenberg, of William S. Burroughs' novel of the same name...
, an adaptation of William Burroughs's novel dealing with heroin addiction, homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, and hallucinogens. The boys also go see an Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
concert in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, and the marquee advertising it outside says "Wow, he's still got it – Look
Look (American magazine)
Look was a bi-weekly, general-interest magazine published in Des Moines, Iowa from 1937 to 1971, with more of an emphasis on photographs than articles...
magazine". On the road, the boys pick up a hitchhiker that is based on the hitchhiker in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror film series. Principal Skinner books a vacation with AmeriWestica, a parody of America West Airlines
America West Airlines
America West Airlines corporate offices were in Tempe, Arizona and the main hub was at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The airline became part of the US Airways Group after a merger in 2005....
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Bart on the Road" finished 63rd in the ratings for the week of March 25 to March 31, 1996, with a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 7.2. The episode was the fifth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, Cops
COPS (TV series)
Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...
, Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
, Martin
Martin (TV series)
Martin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on Fox...
, and Melrose Place.
Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said that it "contains some superb touching character scenes between Homer and Lisa, a fascinating glimpse of Marge's insecurities, and some nice touches that take it above the show's very high average." Dave Foster of DVD Times said that "Bart on the Road" is an episode which is built upon a "frankly ludicrous" idea which if the writers were to "stumble upon" now, "we'd simply see Bart happen upon a license and skip town without anyone noticing, but here they do give the setup a great deal of consideration both on and off the screen." He thought the story was "partly believable, though the opportunity when Bart hits the road is largely wasted with only a few well constructed jokes to speak of." Foster thinks "what saves the episode is the opportunity to see Lisa and Homer connect, once again displaying what a strong season this is for Lisa as we see the two share some wonderfully tender moments, alongside some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson enjoyed the episode and said that he "loves" the children's experiences at their parents' jobs, "and when they head out of town, the fun continues. Any episode that sends the kids to the site of the World's Fair is OK by me." Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be when Patty and Selma explain their job at the DMV: "Somedays we don't let the line move at all. We call those weekdays." The website concluded its review by giving the episode a grade of B+. John Thorpe of Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan Life is Central Michigan University's student newspaper. It is almost entirely independent from the university. Only the salaries of the adviser and executive secretary are paid through CMU; all other expenses are covered by CM Life's own advertising revenue.The paper is published...
named it the eighth best episode of the show. Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
in a Flashback Review gave the episode a 9.5 saying it was "Outstanding" and also stated ""Bart on the Road" is a fun trip and very funny, but it's the way everything comes together that really makes it memorable".
External links
- "Bart on the Road" at The Simpsons.com