This Little Wiggy
Encyclopedia
"This Little Wiggy" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons
' ninth season
and originally aired on the Fox
network on March 22, 1998. It was written by Dan Greaney
, and directed by Neil Affleck
. The episode sees Ralph Wiggum
becoming friends with Bart, leading to the near electrocution of Mayor Quimby
. Phil Hartman
guest stars as recurring character
Troy McClure
.
created by the Knowledgeum, a new museum that offers a hands-on approach to learning about science. The family go there the following Saturday, where Bart wanders off and walks into an exhibit of the planet Mars
. He meets Ralph
, who is in the process of being pushed into a giant ear
by Kearney, Jimbo, Nelson
and Dolph. When Ralph is freed by a center employee, Marge
and Chief Wiggum are there to meet him. Marge observes that Ralph has a vivid imagination and learns that he has no friends to play with; she arranges a play-date for Ralph to spend time with a horrified Bart. During the play-date, Ralph shows Bart his swing set, his sandbox, and a rock where he met a leprechaun, who tells him to burn things.
Bart, who doesn't want to be seen in public with Ralph, has a scare when the two encounter Nelson's gang of bullies riding a stolen vehicle with a video (Bart covers this up by hastily convincing Ralph to hide in a prickly bush), but later exploits it when he discovers Ralph's father has a police master key capable of opening any door in Springfield. Bart and Ralph thus steal the key and decide to enter several closed stores at night, such as a toy store and a bakery, having fun doing whatever the two can imagine. After encountering Nelson and his gang, the boys go to an unused penitentiary
. When Ralph objects because he is afraid, the bullies throw him and Bart into a muddy puddle and leave to pick huckleberries — but not before tossing the key into the penitentiary. Ralph and Bart enter the prison to retrieve the key, and in the process stumble onto a room housing an old electric chair. Eager with curiosity to test it they melt the couple from atop a wedding cake
they had gorged themselves on earlier that night. The two flee when an elderly guard approaches, but accidentally leave the electric chair armed.
Afterwards at the Simpsons home, Bart and Ralph learn the penitentiary will once again be used by the town, and remember that they left the power on; Bart tries to call the prison and warn them, but the elderly guard has tied up the line having a stupid, pointless conversation with his wife. Unaware that the power is active, Mayor Quimby straps himself into the electric chair in a publicity attempt, and his staff follows his command to not turn off the chair no matter how realistic his "execution" looks. Ralph then tells Bart that Lisa
can probably figure out a way to warn the Mayor. She decides to launch a small model rocket
with a warning message attached and aims it toward the penitentiary. However, the rocket is blown off-course and crashes through Mr. Burns
' office window. Mr. Burns reads the note, and realizes that the penitentiary has been receiving free power for over thirty years; he responds to it by shutting off the penitentiary's power. Mayor Quimby doesn't feel very well but escapes being killed. In the aftermath, the Simpsons congratulate Ralph, for pointing out that Lisa could solve the problem. Lisa is at first baffled that she received no credit for having thought of the solution and implementation, but she is reminded by Bart that it is rare for Ralph to be useful or praised, and that he needs a little credit. Lisa then joins in the praising. Ralph's imaginary leprechaun
friend congratulates him, then tells him to burn
the Simpsons's house down.
Show runner
Mike Scully
had pitched an idea to Dan Greaney
on Marge forcing Bart to become Ralph Wiggum
's friend. Scully gave the idea to Greaney due to his ability to write Ralph's lines and actions well, and his overall liking of the character.
This episode was the second to focus on Ralph, after the fourth-season
episode "I Love Lisa
". Despite this, producer J. Stewart Burns
did not believe Ralph had an episode with a plot centered around him as of 2007 (though there was focus on Ralph in the season 19 episode "E Pluribus Wiggum
").
The robot that was introduced early in the episode was influenced by Greaney's experiences working with a USA Today
themed robot. While at a baseball
game with the robot, the robot led the stadium in singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
". The robot was not well-received, and the spectators threw objects at it. The robot's operator had to stay close to the robot during the baseball game, and was also teased and bothered in the same way as the operator in the episode.
Episode director Neil Affleck
was praised by the staff for his directing in this episode. In the scene where Chief Wiggum falls on his back in his bedroom, unable to roll over or get back up, Affleck decided to act out the scene for the staff to showcase how Affleck envisioned Chief Wiggum's predicament. Affleck was also praised for his ability to create three new elaborate settings in the episode: the science museum, the Springfield penitentiary, and the large toy store.
The episode originally did not involve Lisa helping Ralph and Bart to brainstorm an idea to alert the penitentiary. The original scene, which Greaney cites as one of his favorite scenes in the show, despite never actually being in the show, involved Bart, Ralph, and Homer trying to make a plan to save Mayor Quimby.
exhibit's logo uses the same font and style of Star Wars
logo. The chair and attached gun for the fertilization simulation is based the guns of the Millennium Falcon
from Star Wars.
of 9.1, equivalent to approximately 8.9 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Ally McBeal
.
The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide - Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood - enjoyed the episode, calling it "Marvellous fun as Bart comes to realize there's more to Ralph, or at least his daddy, than he realised."
The episode featured one of Dan Greaney
's and Matt Selman
's favorite scenes in the series, where the family is exiting the museum and Homer is trying to tell them about his day at the museum. Dan praised Neil Affleck
's direction in the scene, and described Homer's actions by saying, "[He's] this over excited kid who's got a story to tell and he's out of breath and ahead of himself, and nobody even cares."
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 9)
The Simpsons ninth season originally aired between September 1997 and May 1998, beginning on Sunday, September 21, 1997 with "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson". The show runner for the ninth production season was Mike Scully...
and originally aired on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on March 22, 1998. It was written by Dan Greaney
Dan Greaney
Daniel "Dan" Greaney is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons. He was hired during the show's seventh season after writing the first draft of the episode "King-Size Homer", but left after season eleven...
, and directed by Neil Affleck
Neil Affleck
Neil Affleck is an actor, animator and director. Currently directing the children's cartoon, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends on Nick Jr., he has worked on The Simpsons and Family Guy in the past....
. The episode sees Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum is a recurring fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. The son of Police Chief Wiggum and a classmate of Lisa Simpson, Ralph is best known as the show's resident oddball, and is noted for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior...
becoming friends with Bart, leading to the near electrocution of Mayor Quimby
Joe Quimby
Mayor Joseph "Joe" Quimby, nicknamed "Diamond Joe," is a recurring character from the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Bart Gets an F". A member of the Democratic Party, Quimby is the mayor of Springfield, and is a...
. Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
guest stars as recurring character
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
Troy McClure
Troy McClure
Troy McClure is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He was voiced by Phil Hartman and first appears in the second season episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". McClure is a washed-up actor, usually shown doing low-level work, such as hosting infomercials...
.
Plot
Bart's class is interrupted by “Robbie the Automaton,” a robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
created by the Knowledgeum, a new museum that offers a hands-on approach to learning about science. The family go there the following Saturday, where Bart wanders off and walks into an exhibit of the planet Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. He meets Ralph
Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum is a recurring fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. The son of Police Chief Wiggum and a classmate of Lisa Simpson, Ralph is best known as the show's resident oddball, and is noted for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior...
, who is in the process of being pushed into a giant ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
by Kearney, Jimbo, 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...
and Dolph. When Ralph is freed by a center employee, 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...
and Chief Wiggum are there to meet him. Marge observes that Ralph has a vivid imagination and learns that he has no friends to play with; she arranges a play-date for Ralph to spend time with a horrified Bart. During the play-date, Ralph shows Bart his swing set, his sandbox, and a rock where he met a leprechaun, who tells him to burn things.
Bart, who doesn't want to be seen in public with Ralph, has a scare when the two encounter Nelson's gang of bullies riding a stolen vehicle with a video (Bart covers this up by hastily convincing Ralph to hide in a prickly bush), but later exploits it when he discovers Ralph's father has a police master key capable of opening any door in Springfield. Bart and Ralph thus steal the key and decide to enter several closed stores at night, such as a toy store and a bakery, having fun doing whatever the two can imagine. After encountering Nelson and his gang, the boys go to an unused penitentiary
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
. When Ralph objects because he is afraid, the bullies throw him and Bart into a muddy puddle and leave to pick huckleberries — but not before tossing the key into the penitentiary. Ralph and Bart enter the prison to retrieve the key, and in the process stumble onto a room housing an old electric chair. Eager with curiosity to test it they melt the couple from atop a wedding cake
Wedding cake
A wedding cake is the traditional cake served to the guests at a wedding reception after a wedding. In modern Western culture, it is usually a large cake, multi-layered or tiered, and heavily decorated with icing, usually over a layer of marzipan or fondant...
they had gorged themselves on earlier that night. The two flee when an elderly guard approaches, but accidentally leave the electric chair armed.
Afterwards at the Simpsons home, Bart and Ralph learn the penitentiary will once again be used by the town, and remember that they left the power on; Bart tries to call the prison and warn them, but the elderly guard has tied up the line having a stupid, pointless conversation with his wife. Unaware that the power is active, Mayor Quimby straps himself into the electric chair in a publicity attempt, and his staff follows his command to not turn off the chair no matter how realistic his "execution" looks. Ralph then tells Bart that 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...
can probably figure out a way to warn the Mayor. She decides to launch a small model rocket
Model rocket
A model rocket is a small rocket that is commonly advertised as being able to be launched by anybody, to, in general, low altitudes and recovered by a variety of means....
with a warning message attached and aims it toward the penitentiary. However, the rocket is blown off-course and crashes through 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...
' office window. Mr. Burns reads the note, and realizes that the penitentiary has been receiving free power for over thirty years; he responds to it by shutting off the penitentiary's power. Mayor Quimby doesn't feel very well but escapes being killed. In the aftermath, the Simpsons congratulate Ralph, for pointing out that Lisa could solve the problem. Lisa is at first baffled that she received no credit for having thought of the solution and implementation, but she is reminded by Bart that it is rare for Ralph to be useful or praised, and that he needs a little credit. Lisa then joins in the praising. Ralph's imaginary leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
friend congratulates him, then tells him to burn
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
the Simpsons's house down.
Production
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...
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...
had pitched an idea to Dan Greaney
Dan Greaney
Daniel "Dan" Greaney is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons. He was hired during the show's seventh season after writing the first draft of the episode "King-Size Homer", but left after season eleven...
on Marge forcing Bart to become Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum is a recurring fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. The son of Police Chief Wiggum and a classmate of Lisa Simpson, Ralph is best known as the show's resident oddball, and is noted for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior...
's friend. Scully gave the idea to Greaney due to his ability to write Ralph's lines and actions well, and his overall liking of the character.
This episode was the second to focus on Ralph, after the fourth-season
The Simpsons (season 4)
The Simpsons fourth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 24, 1992 and May 13, 1993, beginning with "Kamp Krusty." The show runners for the fourth production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season...
episode "I Love Lisa
I Love Lisa
"I Love Lisa" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season, and originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 11, 1993. In the episode, Lisa gives Ralph Wiggum a Valentine's Day card when she sees that he has not received any. Ralph reads too much into Lisa's...
". Despite this, producer J. Stewart Burns
J. Stewart Burns
J. Stewart Burns is a television writer and producer most notable for his work on Unhappily Ever After, The Simpsons and Futurama....
did not believe Ralph had an episode with a plot centered around him as of 2007 (though there was focus on Ralph in the season 19 episode "E Pluribus Wiggum
E Pluribus Wiggum
"E Pluribus Wiggum" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season, first broadcast January 6, 2008 on Fox. It was written by Michael Price and directed by Michael Polcino, and it guest starred Jon Stewart and Dan Rather as themselves...
").
The robot that was introduced early in the episode was influenced by Greaney's experiences working with a USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
themed robot. While at a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
game with the robot, the robot led the stadium in singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...
". The robot was not well-received, and the spectators threw objects at it. The robot's operator had to stay close to the robot during the baseball game, and was also teased and bothered in the same way as the operator in the episode.
Episode director Neil Affleck
Neil Affleck
Neil Affleck is an actor, animator and director. Currently directing the children's cartoon, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends on Nick Jr., he has worked on The Simpsons and Family Guy in the past....
was praised by the staff for his directing in this episode. In the scene where Chief Wiggum falls on his back in his bedroom, unable to roll over or get back up, Affleck decided to act out the scene for the staff to showcase how Affleck envisioned Chief Wiggum's predicament. Affleck was also praised for his ability to create three new elaborate settings in the episode: the science museum, the Springfield penitentiary, and the large toy store.
The episode originally did not involve Lisa helping Ralph and Bart to brainstorm an idea to alert the penitentiary. The original scene, which Greaney cites as one of his favorite scenes in the show, despite never actually being in the show, involved Bart, Ralph, and Homer trying to make a plan to save Mayor Quimby.
Cultural references
At the Springfield Knowledgeum, the MarsMars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
exhibit's logo uses the same font and style of Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
logo. The chair and attached gun for the fertilization simulation is based the guns of the Millennium Falcon
Millennium Falcon
The Millennium Falcon is a spacecraft in the Star Wars universe commanded by smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee first mate, Chewbacca...
from Star Wars.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "This Little Wiggy" finished 27th in ratings for the week of March 16–22, 1998, 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 9.1, equivalent to approximately 8.9 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
.
The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide - Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood - enjoyed the episode, calling it "Marvellous fun as Bart comes to realize there's more to Ralph, or at least his daddy, than he realised."
The episode featured one of Dan Greaney
Dan Greaney
Daniel "Dan" Greaney is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons. He was hired during the show's seventh season after writing the first draft of the episode "King-Size Homer", but left after season eleven...
's and Matt Selman
Matt Selman
Matthew "Matt" Selman is an American writer and producer. Selman grew up in Massachusetts, attended the University of Pennsylvania and was editor-in-chief of student magazine 34th Street Magazine. After considering a career in journalism, he decided to try and became a television writer...
's favorite scenes in the series, where the family is exiting the museum and Homer is trying to tell them about his day at the museum. Dan praised Neil Affleck
Neil Affleck
Neil Affleck is an actor, animator and director. Currently directing the children's cartoon, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends on Nick Jr., he has worked on The Simpsons and Family Guy in the past....
's direction in the scene, and described Homer's actions by saying, "
External links
- "This Little Wiggy" at The Simpsons.com