Team Homer
Encyclopedia
"Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons
' seventh season
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer
starts a bowling
team with Moe
, Apu
, and Otto
. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining. Meanwhile, Bart's "Down with homework" T-shirt incites a student riot that leads to the implementation of a uniform dress code.
The episode was written by Mike Scully
and directed by Mark Kirkland
. Scully came up with the idea for it when he went bowling one day. The episode features cultural references to Mad
magazine and the film Caddyshack
. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from fans and television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 9.4, and was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
, Apu
, and Otto
) go to Mr. Burns
for a sponsorship. Homer sneaks into Burns office, where he finds an anesthetized Burns (who mistakes him for the Pillsbury Doughboy
). Homer takes this opportunity to get Burns to sign the check. Meanwhile, at school, Bart's "Down with homework" T-shirt incites a student riot, and as a result, everyone is forced to wear uniforms.
Back at the bowling alley, Homer and his friends enter the bowling league competition, calling themselves the Pin Pals. They beat three teams before moving up into second place in their league. Meanwhile, Burns recovers from his stupor and discovers the check he wrote to Homer. Burns decides to replace Otto in the team, and since Burns is a horrible bowler, the team is convinced they will lose the championship.
Back at school, Skinner's dress code demoralizes the students until a rainstorm soaks through the uniforms, causing the gray color to be washed out, revealing tie-dye
colors that make the playful spirit of the children return. At the bowling alley, before the championship game begin, Burns gives the team new shirts. Two pins away from victory, Burns takes his turn. Otto tips over a vending machine and the vibrations help the Pin Pals win by knocking down the pins. As the team celebrates their win, Burns takes the trophy and keeps it for himself. Cheered on by his teammates, Homer attempts to break into the mansion and recover the trophy; however, this ends disastrously when the hounds are released and catch Homer a few feet from the gate, mauling him severely.
. He was bowling "a lot" at the time and one day on when he was bowling he came up with the idea for "Team Homer". The idea for the school plot came later in production when the school that Scully's children went to was thinking of "switching over" to school uniforms. Both Scully and his children were against it so he decided to put it in the episode.
Former show runner
of The Simpsons David Mirkin
thought the episode was "really fun" because there were "lots of characters" in it and it featured "lots of terrific animation". Mirkin liked that you could see the different characters "team up" and how they pair off. "It's kind of cool to see them hang around like this. Particularly Homer's group which has some nice emotion and they really comes together as a group," Mirkin commented.
The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland
. When he first read the script, he thought the challenge of this episode was that the bowling theme had already been covered in the season one
episode "Life on the Fast Lane
". Since it had been done before, Kirkland felt pressure to make the bowling alley look "really good". Kirkland and his team of The Simpsons animators at Film Roman
all went over to a local bowling alley and had lunch. They checked out the whole alley for inspiration and drew sketches. "Life on the Fast Lane
" deals with Marge becoming infatuated with Jacques, a French bowling
instructor. Mirkin points out that Jacques makes a brief appearance in this episode, but without a speaking-role.
Mirkin remembered the episode "very fondly" because when it was finished, the staff got customized Simpsons bowling balls, bowling bags, and Pin Pal shirts as gifts. Scully said the bowling balls were "really cool" because they were yellow and had the Simpsons logo on them.
Doris Grau
, script supervisor for the show and voice of Lunchlady Doris, died on December 30, 1995. "Team Homer" was one of the last episodes to feature her voice, and included a dedication to her.
In one scene, Homer tells Marge: "We were so close to winning the championship. Now, thanks to Burns, it's never going to happen. And I spent so much time building that trophy case." The scene then cuts to the trophy case with an Academy Award in it that Homer has stolen. In the original Fox broadcast, the name in the inscription on the Academy Award was Haing S. Ngor
. In American syndication and the season seven DVD, the name was changed to Don Ameche
(who had won for Cocoon
). Ngor, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
for the 1984 film The Killing Fields
, was murdered on February 25, 1996, between the original and the syndicated broadcast. Producers were concerned the syndicated episode would imply Homer had murdered Ngor to steal the statue.
magazine. Bart also puts a Mad iron-on
reading "Down with Homework" on one of his T-shirts, which causes controversy at school. Milhouse is shocked to see the new school uniforms, and his jaw drops, a "Woody Allen
-esque" type of joke. The final bowling scene is similar to the final golfing scene in the 1980 film Caddyshack
. Homer references the song "Mr. Roboto
" by Styx
. Moe's unsuccessful attempt to sideline Mr. Burns by hitting his leg with a crowbar is done in a similar manner to Shane Stant's attempt in 1994 to sideline figure skater
Nancy Kerrigan
by physical assault.
In its original American broadcast, "Team Homer" finished 58th in the ratings for the week of January 1–7, 1996, with a Nielsen rating
of 9.4. The episode was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files
, Beverly Hills, 90210
, and Married... With Children
.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from fans and television critics. It was named the fifth best episode of the show by MSNBC
. They praised how the episode utilized Burns's physical weaknesses for laughs, and Homer's line; "I guess some people never change. Or, they quickly change and then quickly change back." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said that to his surprise, "the dress code plot works the best". He liked the mockery of Mad magazine and the "overemphasis on the way it disrupts the educational process". Jacobson thought the bowling plot had plenty of "nice moments" too, "and these add up to a solid show." Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be when Homer ends a phone conversation with the "highly quotable" line, "I gotta go. My damn wiener kids are listening." The website concluded its review by giving the episode a grade of A−. Mirkin described the episode as "excellent", and praised Scully's "great" script.
The episode received criticism from the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, who said that "Team Homer" is one of their least favorite episodes. They thought the school uniform plot was "a lot more satisfying than the bowling story" They added that the scene where Martin
and Lisa model the new uniforms is the highlight of the episode.
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 January 7, 1996. In the episode, 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...
starts a bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
team with Moe
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"...
, Apu
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
, and Otto
Otto Mann
Otto Mann is a fictional character on the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the school bus driver for Springfield Elementary School...
. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining. Meanwhile, Bart's "Down with homework" T-shirt incites a student riot that leads to the implementation of a uniform dress code.
The episode was written by Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
and directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
. Scully came up with the idea for it when he went bowling one day. The episode features cultural references to Mad
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
magazine and the film Caddyshack
Caddyshack
Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray...
. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from fans and television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 9.4, and was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
Plot
Unable to afford the $500 registration fee to join a bowling league, Homer and his friends (MoeMoe 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"...
, Apu
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
, and Otto
Otto Mann
Otto Mann is a fictional character on the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the school bus driver for Springfield Elementary School...
) go to 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...
for a sponsorship. Homer sneaks into Burns office, where he finds an anesthetized Burns (who mistakes him for the Pillsbury Doughboy
Pillsbury Doughboy
Poppin' Fresh, more widely known as the Pillsbury Doughboy, is an advertising icon and mascot of The Pillsbury Company, appearing in many of their commercials. Many commercials from 1965 until 2004 conclude with a human finger poking the Doughboy's stomach...
). Homer takes this opportunity to get Burns to sign the check. Meanwhile, at school, Bart's "Down with homework" T-shirt incites a student riot, and as a result, everyone is forced to wear uniforms.
Back at the bowling alley, Homer and his friends enter the bowling league competition, calling themselves the Pin Pals. They beat three teams before moving up into second place in their league. Meanwhile, Burns recovers from his stupor and discovers the check he wrote to Homer. Burns decides to replace Otto in the team, and since Burns is a horrible bowler, the team is convinced they will lose the championship.
Back at school, Skinner's dress code demoralizes the students until a rainstorm soaks through the uniforms, causing the gray color to be washed out, revealing tie-dye
Tie-dye
Tie-dye is a process of resist dyeing textiles or clothing which is made from knit or woven fabric, usually cotton; typically using bright colors. It is a modern version of traditional dyeing methods used in many cultures throughout the world. "Tie-dye" can also describe the resulting pattern or an...
colors that make the playful spirit of the children return. At the bowling alley, before the championship game begin, Burns gives the team new shirts. Two pins away from victory, Burns takes his turn. Otto tips over a vending machine and the vibrations help the Pin Pals win by knocking down the pins. As the team celebrates their win, Burns takes the trophy and keeps it for himself. Cheered on by his teammates, Homer attempts to break into the mansion and recover the trophy; however, this ends disastrously when the hounds are released and catch Homer a few feet from the gate, mauling him severely.
Production
The episode was written by Mike ScullyMike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
. He was bowling "a lot" at the time and one day on when he was bowling he came up with the idea for "Team Homer". The idea for the school plot came later in production when the school that Scully's children went to was thinking of "switching over" to school uniforms. Both Scully and his children were against it so he decided to put it in the episode.
Former 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 David Mirkin
David Mirkin
David Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he became a stand-up...
thought the episode was "really fun" because there were "lots of characters" in it and it featured "lots of terrific animation". Mirkin liked that you could see the different characters "team up" and how they pair off. "It's kind of cool to see them hang around like this. Particularly Homer's group which has some nice emotion and they really comes together as a group," Mirkin commented.
The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
. When he first read the script, he thought the challenge of this episode was that the bowling theme had already been covered in the season one
The Simpsons (season 1)
The Simpsons first season originally aired between December 17, 1989 and May 13, 1990, beginning with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The show runners for the first production season were Matt Groening, James L...
episode "Life on the Fast Lane
Life on the Fast Lane
"Life on the Fast Lane", also known as "Jacques To Be Wild", is the ninth episode of The Simpsons first season, which originally aired on March 18, 1990. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by David Silverman. Albert Brooks guest starred as Jacques, a French bowling instructor, with...
". Since it had been done before, Kirkland felt pressure to make the bowling alley look "really good". Kirkland and his team of The Simpsons animators at Film Roman
Film Roman
Film Roman is an animation studio founded by Phil Roman, best known for producing the animation for The Simpsons, King of the Hill for 20th Century Fox, as well as the Garfield and Peanuts animated TV specials....
all went over to a local bowling alley and had lunch. They checked out the whole alley for inspiration and drew sketches. "Life on the Fast Lane
Life on the Fast Lane
"Life on the Fast Lane", also known as "Jacques To Be Wild", is the ninth episode of The Simpsons first season, which originally aired on March 18, 1990. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by David Silverman. Albert Brooks guest starred as Jacques, a French bowling instructor, with...
" deals with Marge becoming infatuated with Jacques, a French bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
instructor. Mirkin points out that Jacques makes a brief appearance in this episode, but without a speaking-role.
Mirkin remembered the episode "very fondly" because when it was finished, the staff got customized Simpsons bowling balls, bowling bags, and Pin Pal shirts as gifts. Scully said the bowling balls were "really cool" because they were yellow and had the Simpsons logo on them.
Doris Grau
Doris Grau
Doris Grau was an American script supervisor, actress, and voice artist from Brooklyn. Shortly after moving to Hollywood in 1940, she began her career with supervising film and television scripts...
, script supervisor for the show and voice of Lunchlady Doris, died on December 30, 1995. "Team Homer" was one of the last episodes to feature her voice, and included a dedication to her.
In one scene, Homer tells Marge: "We were so close to winning the championship. Now, thanks to Burns, it's never going to happen. And I spent so much time building that trophy case." The scene then cuts to the trophy case with an Academy Award in it that Homer has stolen. In the original Fox broadcast, the name in the inscription on the Academy Award was Haing S. Ngor
Haing S. Ngor
Dr. Haing Somnang Ngor was a Cambodian American physician, actor and author who is best known for winning the 1985 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his debut performance in the movie The Killing Fields, in which he portrayed Cambodian journalist and refugee Dith Pran. His mother was...
. In American syndication and the season seven DVD, the name was changed to Don Ameche
Don Ameche
Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
(who had won for Cocoon
Cocoon (film)
The score for Cocoon was composed and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released twice, through Polydor Records in 1985 and a reprint through P.E.G. in 1997 and features eleven tracks of score and a vocal track performed by Michael Sembello...
). Ngor, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for the 1984 film The Killing Fields
The Killing Fields (film)
The Killing Fields is a 1984 British drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which is based on the experiences of two journalists: Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg. The film, which won three Academy Awards, was directed by Roland Joffé and stars Sam Waterston as...
, was murdered on February 25, 1996, between the original and the syndicated broadcast. Producers were concerned the syndicated episode would imply Homer had murdered Ngor to steal the statue.
Cultural references
Bart and Milhouse buy an issue of MadMad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
magazine. Bart also puts a Mad iron-on
Iron-on
Iron-on transfers are images that can be imprinted on fabric. They are frequently used to print onto T-shirts.On one side is paper, and on the other is the image that will be transferred in reverse. After placing it on the fabric and either running over the fabric side with an iron or pressing...
reading "Down with Homework" on one of his T-shirts, which causes controversy at school. Milhouse is shocked to see the new school uniforms, and his jaw drops, a "Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
-esque" type of joke. The final bowling scene is similar to the final golfing scene in the 1980 film Caddyshack
Caddyshack
Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray...
. Homer references the song "Mr. Roboto
Mr. Roboto
"Mr. Roboto" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung and performed by the band Styx on their 1983 concept album Kilroy Was Here. In Canada, where they were always more popular than in their native U.S., it went to #1 on the RPM national singles chart, becoming their third single to top the charts in...
" by Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
. Moe's unsuccessful attempt to sideline Mr. Burns by hitting his leg with a crowbar is done in a similar manner to Shane Stant's attempt in 1994 to sideline figure skater
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...
by physical assault.
Reception
Nielsen 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 9.4. The episode was the fourth 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...
, Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
, and Married... With Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from fans and television critics. It was named the fifth best episode of the show by MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
. They praised how the episode utilized Burns's physical weaknesses for laughs, and Homer's line; "I guess some people never change. Or, they quickly change and then quickly change back." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said that to his surprise, "the dress code plot works the best". He liked the mockery of Mad magazine and the "overemphasis on the way it disrupts the educational process". Jacobson thought the bowling plot had plenty of "nice moments" too, "and these add up to a solid show." Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be when Homer ends a phone conversation with the "highly quotable" line, "I gotta go. My damn wiener kids are listening." The website concluded its review by giving the episode a grade of A−. Mirkin described the episode as "excellent", and praised Scully's "great" script.
The episode received criticism from the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, who said that "Team Homer" is one of their least favorite episodes. They thought the school uniform plot was "a lot more satisfying than the bowling story" They added that the scene where 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 Lisa model the new uniforms is the highlight of the episode.
External links
- "Team Homer" at The Simpsons.com