Dr. Nick Riviera
Encyclopedia
Dr. Nick Riviera, usually referred to as Dr. Nick, is a recurring fictional character on the animated television series The Simpsons
. He is voiced
by Hank Azaria
, and first appeared in the episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car
". Riviera is an inept quack
physician, and a satire
of incompetent medical professionals.
from "Hollywood Upstairs Medical College", where he apparently spent much of his time using his ability to acquire prescription drugs to impress a succession of attractive women. Thus far, none of the patients he has swindled, maimed, or given useless or dangerous medical advice seems to have sued
him—although a few have come after him in person. For example, in "Homer's Triple Bypass
" a large angry man grabs him, and Riviera says "Well if it isn't my old friend Mr. McGregg—with a leg for an arm and an arm for a leg"; the man literally has an arm where a leg should be and a leg where an arm should be, and it is implied that this is Riviera's fault. Riviera is a stereotype
of shady, immoral doctors
who perform medical procedures for money with little or no regard for medical ethics
, or their patients' well-being. In "The Girl Who Slept Too Little
" he is seen digging up corpses in the graveyard for body parts, presumably to use in operations on patients. In the same episode he tells Lisa "you have a check-up on Thursday!", to which she replies "We don't go to you anymore, we have a better doctor!" and receives a congratulation from him. In the episode "Much Apu About Nothing
", he is seen taking a citizenship test, implying that prior to this he was not a citizen of the United States. In “Treehouse of Horror IX
,” he injects himself with anesthetic after punching Homer
in the face in order to knock him out before performing a hair transplant on him, using a pizza cutter.
The degrees in his office read "Mayo Clinic Correspondence School", "Club Med School", "Female Body Inspector", and "I went to medical school for four years and all I got was this lousy diploma." He was part of the Sigma Chi
fraternity house, according to the episode "Homer's Triple Bypass." He frequently appears on infomercial
s, pitching all sorts of bizarre medical offers or endorsing dubious devices, and has often turned his operations into TV spectacles. He is also shown as an inventor/huckster (in the style of Ron Popeil
) on the television show I Can't Believe They Invented It!, with products such as the "Juice Loosener" in "Marge in Chains
", an inefficient juicer made in Japan
which ultimately causes an influenza
epidemic in Springfield (due to one of the workers at the factory having the disease, but still going to work, thus spreading his germs through the packaging).
He has operated on the Simpson family a couple of times when they cannot afford their regular doctor, Julius Hibbert
, notably when Homer needed a heart bypass. Lisa Simpson
attended the live audience for the operation and saved the day by guiding the obviously clueless Dr. Riviera through the operation. He also worked with Doctor Hibbert as an anesthesiologist
during Bart's appendectomy
(in 'Round Springfield
) but was of little help as he accidentally anesthetized himself instead. It is revealed in the episode "Homer's Triple Bypass
" that his phone number is 1-600-DOCTORB, explaining that: "The B is for Bargain!". His catchphrase is "Hi Everybody", except in "The Simpsons Movie
", in which he was seemingly killed with a large shard of glass, saying, "Bye Everybody...Ow." However, he has made a few appearances since.
, the co-founder of Klasky Csupo
animation studios (which animated the series for its first three seasons and The Tracey Ullman Show shorts). The animator
s mistakenly believed that Hank Azaria
was impersonating Csupó, when in fact he was doing a bad impression of Ricky Ricardo
from the TV series I Love Lucy
.
Riviera is known for his exclamation of "Hi, everybody!" upon entering a scene, which is immediately followed by the other characters present with, "Hi, Dr. Nick!" except in "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" where Mr. Burns
says "Ho, Mer. Simp-son
", but with the same inflection as the usual greeting.
In The Simpsons Movie
, Riviera is impaled by a large shard of glass that breaks and falls off the enormous dome covering Springfield
, saying "Bye, everybody!" before he faints. Executive producer
s James L. Brooks
and Al Jean
confirmed that the character was dead, but he just fainted, and he would be "brought back to life à la Dr. Marvin Monroe". Riviera is seen alive and well, without any explanation, playing golf with Doctor Hibbert in "Lost Verizon
", as well as performing an operation in "Judge Me Tender
".
He appears again in season 20's "Eeny Teeny Maya Moe
" where he was to perform a surgery on Moe Szyslak
, but as usual he screws up, and performs it on Springfield Elementary School band conductor Dewey Largo. Most recently, he appeared in the opening for the episode "To Surveil with Love
", in which the characters sing Ke$ha's song "Tik Tok
". He can be seen underneath the couch as the bit is ending.
placed Riviera 23rd on their list of the "Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters". In a tongue-in-cheek
analysis, the Canadian Medical Association Journal
compared the services of Riviera and Dr. Hibbert
. It concludes that Riviera is a better role model
for physicians, whereas Hibbert is a paternalistic and wasteful physician, unlike Riviera, who strives to cut costs and does his best to avoid the coroner
, disproving Marge Simpson
's claim that he is not a doctor at all.
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...
. He is voiced
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
by Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
, and first appeared in the episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car
Bart Gets Hit by a Car
"Bart Gets Hit by a Car" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 1991. At the start of the episode, Bart is hit by Mr. Burns' car. Prompted by ambulance chasing lawyer Lionel Hutz and quack doctor Dr. Nick...
". Riviera is an inept quack
Quackery
Quackery is a derogatory term used to describe the promotion of unproven or fraudulent medical practices. Random House Dictionary describes a "quack" as a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or...
physician, and a satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
of incompetent medical professionals.
Role in The Simpsons
Dr. Nick has a medical degreeDoctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from "Hollywood Upstairs Medical College", where he apparently spent much of his time using his ability to acquire prescription drugs to impress a succession of attractive women. Thus far, none of the patients he has swindled, maimed, or given useless or dangerous medical advice seems to have sued
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
him—although a few have come after him in person. For example, in "Homer's Triple Bypass
Homer's Triple Bypass
"Homer's Triple Bypass" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired in the United States on December 17, 1992. In the episode, Homer Simpson suffers a heart attack when Mr. Burns shouts at him at work. Dr...
" a large angry man grabs him, and Riviera says "Well if it isn't my old friend Mr. McGregg—with a leg for an arm and an arm for a leg"; the man literally has an arm where a leg should be and a leg where an arm should be, and it is implied that this is Riviera's fault. Riviera is a stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
of shady, immoral doctors
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who perform medical procedures for money with little or no regard for medical ethics
Medical ethics
Medical ethics is a system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to the practice of medicine. As a scholarly discipline, medical ethics encompasses its practical application in clinical settings as well as work on its history, philosophy, theology, and sociology.-History:Historically,...
, or their patients' well-being. In "The Girl Who Slept Too Little
The Girl Who Slept Too Little
"The Girl Who Slept Too Little" is the second episode of The Simpsons seventeenth season, which originally broadcast on September 18, 2005. 9.79 million viewers watched the episode.-Plot:...
" he is seen digging up corpses in the graveyard for body parts, presumably to use in operations on patients. In the same episode he tells Lisa "you have a check-up on Thursday!", to which she replies "We don't go to you anymore, we have a better doctor!" and receives a congratulation from him. In the episode "Much Apu About Nothing
Much Apu About Nothing
"Much Apu About Nothing" is the 23rd episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 5, 1996. In the episode, a referendum is created that will require all illegal immigrants from Springfield to be deported...
", he is seen taking a citizenship test, implying that prior to this he was not a citizen of the United States. In “Treehouse of Horror IX
Treehouse of Horror IX
"Treehouse of Horror IX" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1998...
,” he injects himself with anesthetic after punching 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...
in the face in order to knock him out before performing a hair transplant on him, using a pizza cutter.
The degrees in his office read "Mayo Clinic Correspondence School", "Club Med School", "Female Body Inspector", and "I went to medical school for four years and all I got was this lousy diploma." He was part of the Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
fraternity house, according to the episode "Homer's Triple Bypass." He frequently appears on infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
s, pitching all sorts of bizarre medical offers or endorsing dubious devices, and has often turned his operations into TV spectacles. He is also shown as an inventor/huckster (in the style of Ron Popeil
Ron Popeil
Ronald M. Popeil is an American inventor and marketing personality, best known for his direct response marketing company Ronco...
) on the television show I Can't Believe They Invented It!, with products such as the "Juice Loosener" in "Marge in Chains
Marge in Chains
"Marge in Chains" is the 21st episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 6, 1993. In the episode, Marge is arrested for shoplifting after forgetting to pay for an item at Kwik-E-Mart...
", an inefficient juicer made in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
which ultimately causes an influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
epidemic in Springfield (due to one of the workers at the factory having the disease, but still going to work, thus spreading his germs through the packaging).
He has operated on the Simpson family a couple of times when they cannot afford their regular doctor, Julius Hibbert
Julius Hibbert
Dr. Julius M. Hibbert, usually referred to as Dr. Hibbert, is a recurring character on the animated series The Simpsons. His speaking voice is provided by Harry Shearer and his singing voice was by Thurl Ravenscroft, and he first appeared in the episode "Bart the Daredevil". Dr...
, notably when Homer needed a heart bypass. Lisa Simpson
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...
attended the live audience for the operation and saved the day by guiding the obviously clueless Dr. Riviera through the operation. He also worked with Doctor Hibbert as an anesthesiologist
Anesthesiologist
An anesthesiologist or anaesthetist is a physician trained in anesthesia and peri-operative medicine....
during Bart's appendectomy
Appendicectomy
An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the vermiform appendix. This procedure is normally performed as an emergency procedure, when the patient is suffering from acute appendicitis...
(in 'Round Springfield
'Round Springfield
"Round Springfield" is the 22nd episode of the sixth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on April 30, 1995. In the episode, Bart is rushed to hospital after eating a jagged metal Krusty-O and decides to sue Krusty the Clown. Whilst visiting Bart, Lisa meets her old mentor, jazz musician...
) but was of little help as he accidentally anesthetized himself instead. It is revealed in the episode "Homer's Triple Bypass
Homer's Triple Bypass
"Homer's Triple Bypass" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired in the United States on December 17, 1992. In the episode, Homer Simpson suffers a heart attack when Mr. Burns shouts at him at work. Dr...
" that his phone number is 1-600-DOCTORB, explaining that: "The B is for Bargain!". His catchphrase is "Hi Everybody", except in "The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
", in which he was seemingly killed with a large shard of glass, saying, "Bye Everybody...Ow." However, he has made a few appearances since.
Character
The design of Riviera is modeled physically on Gábor CsupóGábor Csupó
Gábor Csupó is a Hungarian-born animator, writer, film director and music producer. He is co-founder of the animation studio Klasky Csupo, which has produced shows like Rugrats, Duckman, and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.-Career:...
, the co-founder of Klasky Csupo
Klasky Csupo
Klasky Csupo, Inc. is a multimedia entertainment production company located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, founded by artist/producer, Arlene Klasky and animator, Gábor Csupó.- History :...
animation studios (which animated the series for its first three seasons and The Tracey Ullman Show shorts). The animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
s mistakenly believed that Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
was impersonating Csupó, when in fact he was doing a bad impression of Ricky Ricardo
Ricky Ricardo
Enrique Alberto Fernando Ricardo y de Acha, III, a.k.a. Ricky Ricardo is a main character in the television show I Love Lucy, played by Desi Arnaz...
from the TV series I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
.
Riviera is known for his exclamation of "Hi, everybody!" upon entering a scene, which is immediately followed by the other characters present with, "Hi, Dr. Nick!" except in "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" where Mr. Burns
Montgomery Burns
Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer...
says "Ho, Mer. Simp-son
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...
", but with the same inflection as the usual greeting.
In The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
, Riviera is impaled by a large shard of glass that breaks and falls off the enormous dome covering Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
, saying "Bye, everybody!" before he faints. Executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...
and Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
confirmed that the character was dead, but he just fainted, and he would be "brought back to life à la Dr. Marvin Monroe". Riviera is seen alive and well, without any explanation, playing golf with Doctor Hibbert in "Lost Verizon
Lost Verizon
"Lost Verizon" is the second episode of The Simpsons twentieth season, and first aired October 5, 2008. Bart becomes jealous of his friends and their cell phones. Working at a golf course, Bart takes the cell phone of Denis Leary after the star comedian throws it away in anger...
", as well as performing an operation in "Judge Me Tender
Judge Me Tender
"Judge Me Tender" is the twenty-third episode and season finale of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It is the 464th episode for the series and originally premiered in the United States on May 23, 2010, on Fox Broadcasting Company. In the episode, Moe discovers his talent for judging in...
".
He appears again in season 20's "Eeny Teeny Maya Moe
Eeny Teeny Maya Moe
"Eeny Teeny Maya Moe" is the sixteenth episode of the The Simpsons twentieth season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 5, 2009. Moe falls in love with a woman named Maya, whom he met over the Internet. When Moe meets her in person, she turns out to be a dwarf. Moe remains in...
" where he was to perform a surgery on Moe Szyslak
Moe Szyslak
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
, but as usual he screws up, and performs it on Springfield Elementary School band conductor Dewey Largo. Most recently, he appeared in the opening for the episode "To Surveil with Love
To Surveil With Love
"To Surveil with Love" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States on May 2, 2010 as the 461st episode of the whole series. In the episode, radiation seeps out of Homer's gym bag after a bomb squad blows it up and...
", in which the characters sing Ke$ha's song "Tik Tok
TiK ToK
"Tik Tok" is the debut single by American recording artist Kesha. The song was produced by Benny Blanco and Dr. Luke and co-written by Blanco, Dr. Luke and Kesha. It was released on August 7, 2009 as the lead single from Kesha's debut studio album, Animal...
". He can be seen underneath the couch as the bit is ending.
Reception
IGNIGN
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...
placed Riviera 23rd on their list of the "Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters". In a tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
analysis, the Canadian Medical Association Journal
Canadian Medical Association Journal
The Canadian Medical Association Journal is a general medical journal that is published biweekly by the Canadian Medical Association . It covers research and ideas aimed at improving health for people in Canada and globally. CMAJ publishes original clinical research, analyses and reviews, news,...
compared the services of Riviera and Dr. Hibbert
Julius Hibbert
Dr. Julius M. Hibbert, usually referred to as Dr. Hibbert, is a recurring character on the animated series The Simpsons. His speaking voice is provided by Harry Shearer and his singing voice was by Thurl Ravenscroft, and he first appeared in the episode "Bart the Daredevil". Dr...
. It concludes that Riviera is a better role model
Role model
The term role model generally means any "person who serves as an example, whose behaviour is emulated by others".The term first appeared in Robert K. Merton's socialization research of medical students...
for physicians, whereas Hibbert is a paternalistic and wasteful physician, unlike Riviera, who strives to cut costs and does his best to avoid the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
, disproving Marge Simpson
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...
's claim that he is not a doctor at all.