The Simpsons episode guides
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Five official episode guides for the American
animated sitcom An animated sitcom is a subgenre of the sitcom that is animation, animated instead of live action and is generally made or created for adult animation, adult audiences in most cases. ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', ''The Simpsons'', ''South Park'', and ...
''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' have been published by
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
since 1997. The first guide covers seasons 1 to 8, while the following three cover seasons 9 to 14 (two seasons each). The fifth was released in 2010 and covers seasons 1 to 20.


''The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family''

The first guide, ''The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family'', was published in the fall of 1997. It was edited by
Ray Richmond Ray Richmond (born October 19, 1957, in Whittier, California) is a globally syndicated critic and entertainment/media columnist. Richmond has also worked variously as a feature and entertainment writer, beat reporter and TV critic for a variety ...
and Antonia Coffman, and includes a foreword by series creator
Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
. As an
in-joke An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or a private joke, is a joke whose humour is understandable only to members of an ingroup; that is, people who are ''in'' a particular social group, occupation, or other community of shared interest. It i ...
, the guide made an actual appearance in the 2003 episode "
Today I Am a Clown "Today I Am a Clown" is the sixth episode of the The Simpsons (season 15), fifteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on Dece ...
", where
Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...
uses it to remind
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
that
Santa's Little Helper Santa's Little Helper is a fictional dog in the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. He was previously voiced by Frank Welker, and is currently voiced by Dan Castellaneta. The dog ...
was supposedly neutered in a previous episode (specifically, "
Two Dozen and One Greyhounds "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds" is the twentieth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 1995. The episode was written by Mike ...
"). The guide provides an episode-by-episode history of the first eight seasons of ''The Simpsons''. Each episode is covered in either one or two pages, featuring a synopsis, credits, pictures, and memorable quotes, as well as the episode's
chalkboard gag The opening sequence of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' is among the most popular opening sequences in television. It is accompanied by " ''The Simpsons'' Theme", one of television's most recognizable theme songs. The f ...
. Obscure or hidden jokes are also brought to attention. The episodes are arranged in chronological order, and at the beginning of each season are two-page special features, such as a list and brief description of ''The Simpsons'' shorts from ''
The Tracey Ullman Show ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' is an American television variety show starring Tracey Ullman. It debuted on Fox on April 5, 1987, the network's second original primetime series to air following '' Married... with Children'', and ran until May 26, ...
'', a list of times Homer has said "
D'oh! "D'oh!" () is the most famous catchphrase used by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from the television series ''The Simpsons,'' an animated sitcom (1989–present). It is an exclamation typically used after Homer injures himself, realizes ...
", and a list of
Itchy & Scratchy ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' (often shortened as ''Itchy & Scratchy'') is a Story within a story, fictional animated television series featured on ''The Simpsons''. Description The show depicts a blue mouse named Itchy who repeatedly and violen ...
cartoons. On two pages there are short biographies of each of the five immediate members of the Simpson family, namely Homer,
Marge Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret (name), Margaret. Notable Marges include: People *Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist *Marge Anderson (1932 ...
,
Bart Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Barthol ...
, Lisa and
Maggie Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret. Maggie may refer to: People Women * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), Aust ...
. Short biographies of other ''Simpsons'' characters appear in sidebars to each episode's page, starting with Santa's Little Helper for "
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (titled onscreen as "The Simpsons Christmas Special") is the series premiere of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 17, 1989. Introd ...
" and ending with
Willem Dafoe Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Willem Dafoe, various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for ...
's Commandant from "
The Secret War of Lisa Simpson "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" is the twenty-fifth episode and the season finale of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 18, 1997. Bart gets ...
".


''The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued''

''The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued'' is an episode guide for the ninth and tenth seasons of ''The Simpsons'', starting with "
The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" is the first episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on September 21, 1997, as the 179 ...
" and ending with "
Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo" is the twenty-third and final episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 16, 1999. In the episode, after being ...
". The book is the first companion to the original ''The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family'', and was also published by HarperCollins. ''The Simpsons Forever!'' was edited by
Scott M. Gimple Scott Milhouse Gimple (born March 29, 1971)Internet Movie Database;– Scott M. Gimple ...
and released in 1999. Groening wrote an introduction to ''The Simpsons Forever!'', just as he did with the original book. In his introduction, he claims that the choice was made to publish a second book as opposed to revising and republishing the last edition, to spare consumers from purchasing material they already owned. Groening goes on to describe the format of the book, which, like the last, includes synopses and quotes. The book continues the work of the last edition by listing the times Homer cries "
D'oh! "D'oh!" () is the most famous catchphrase used by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from the television series ''The Simpsons,'' an animated sitcom (1989–present). It is an exclamation typically used after Homer injures himself, realizes ...
" or says "Mmm...", as well as new couch gags, but it includes unique features as well, including a tribute to Troy McClure, whose character was retired after his voice actor,
Phil Hartman Philip Edward Hartman (; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to the United States w ...
, was murdered. The guide also includes the lyrics to the ''Simpsons''-related songs, "
Do the Bartman "Do the Bartman" is a song from the 1990 album ''The Simpsons Sing the Blues'', featuring the voice cast of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It was performed by ''The Simpsons'' cast member Nancy Cartwright (the voice o ...
" and "
Deep, Deep Trouble "Deep, Deep Trouble" is a rap song from the 1990 ''Simpsons'' album '' The Simpsons Sing the Blues'', performed by the fictional character Bart Simpson (voiced by Nancy Cartwright) about his trouble-making antics. It was written by Matt Groening ...
".


''The Simpsons Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Still Continued''

''The Simpsons Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Still Continued'' is an episode guide for the eleventh and twelfth seasons of ''The Simpsons''. It was edited by Jesse L. McCann and published in 2002 by HarperCollins. The book is a companion to the prior ''Simpsons'' episode guides. The book consists of synopses and quotes for each episode, beginning with "
Beyond Blunderdome "Beyond Blunderdome" is the eleventh season premiere of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on September 26, 1999 and was watched in around 8.1 million homes ...
" and ending with "
Simpsons Tall Tales "Simpsons Tall Tales" is the twenty-first and final episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 20, 2001. In the episode, Homer ref ...
". In this way it follows the last two books. However, this edition dedicates two pages of coverage to every episode, and four pages of coverage for each
Halloween special This is a list of Halloween television specials and Halloween-themed television episodes. Children and family * ''ABC Weekend Special'': ** "Soup and Me" (1978) * '' Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'': Witch's Brew (1999) * ''The Addams Family'' ** " ...
. It thus outdoes the prior editions, which had one-to-two page coverage for each episode. The book also continues the work of the last two editions by listing the times Homer cries "D'oh!" or says "Mmm...", as well as new couch gags, but it includes unique features as well, like Church marquees. Sketches from the early production are included. Groening wrote an introduction to the book, as he had for the previous editions. In it, he refers to the eleventh and twelfth seasons as the "Wackier-Than-Ever Years", and explains that it had been the objective to take the series in unexpected directions. To this end, the character
Apu APU or Apu may refer to: Film and television * ''The Apu Trilogy'', a series of three Bengali films, directed by Satyajit Ray, with the fictional character Apu Roy, comprising: ** ''Pather Panchali'' (''Song of the Little Road'') (1955), the first ...
became the father of octuplets ("
Eight Misbehavin' "Eight Misbehavin is the seventh episode of the The Simpsons (season 11), eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on Novembe ...
) and
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
lost a thumb ("
Trilogy of Error "Trilogy of Error" is the eighteenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 266th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 29, 2001. In the ...
"). Groening also acknowledges the death of the character
Maude Flanders The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...
during this timeframe ("
Alone Again, Natura-Diddily "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" is the fourteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American television series ''The Simpsons'', and marks the final regular appearance of the character Maude Flanders. In the episode, she is killed in an acciden ...
"), saying that it was "funny, funny stuff — well, weird, anyway." Groening goes on to claim that these two seasons contained some of his personal favorite scenes from all the series. He lists among these the farm animals driven insane by the food product tomacco ("
E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)", also known as "E-I-E-I-D'oh", is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on November 7, 1999. In ...
") and the portrayal of the dolphins enslaving mankind ("
Treehouse of Horror XI "Treehouse of Horror XI" is the first episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', the 249th episode overall, and the eleventh Halloween episode. The episode features "G-G-Ghost D-D-Dad", "Scary Tales ...
"). He also identifies the episode "
Worst Episode Ever "Worst Episode Ever" is the eleventh episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 4, 2001. In the episode, Bart and Milhous ...
" as one he particularly enjoyed, calling it "a very special story."


''The Simpsons One Step Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued Yet Again''

''The Simpsons One Step Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued Yet Again'' is the third sequel to the ''Simpsons'' episode guide ''The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family''. It was edited by Jesse L. McCann and like its predecessors, has an episode-by-episode guide to seasons 13 and 14 of ''The Simpsons''. Each season begins with production art and ends with character designs. The first episode covered in the book is "
Treehouse of Horror XII "Treehouse of Horror XII" is the first episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. Because of Fox's contract with Major League Baseball's World Series, the episode first aired on the Fox network ...
", the last being "
Moe Baby Blues "Moe Baby Blues" is the twenty-second and final episode of the fourteenth season of the American television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 18, 2003. Moe, unhappy and suicidal, inadverten ...
". Each episode guide includes quotes, a "Stuff You May Have Missed" section, and references to films, television shows, and books. As in the previous three books, each episode includes a character profile sidebar. All special guest stars appearing in seasons 13–14 are listed with the episode they appeared in. The last pages of the book include character designs, couch gags, Homer's "D'oh!"s and "Mmmmm"s, an
Itchy & Scratchy ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' (often shortened as ''Itchy & Scratchy'') is a Story within a story, fictional animated television series featured on ''The Simpsons''. Description The show depicts a blue mouse named Itchy who repeatedly and violen ...
filmography A filmography is a list of films related by some criteria. For example, an actor's career filmography is the list of films they have appeared in; a director's comedy filmography is the list of comedy films directed by a particular director. The t ...
, a "Who Does What Voice" section, songs featured on the show, and Church marquees.


''Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20''

''Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20'' is the fourth sequel to the ''Simpsons'' episode guide ''The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family''. The book covers seasons one to twenty, covering "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" through "
Coming to Homerica "Coming to Homerica" is the twenty-first and final episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 17, 2009. The episode title is a par ...
". The book was released on October 26, 2010, in the United States. Like its predecessors, it uses the same basic structure; however, the guide to each episode occupies two pages, giving every episode from seasons one to ten double pages.


Editions


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpsons episode guides, The HarperCollins books Lists of books Works based on The Simpsons .