HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Lisa's Substitute" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1991. In the episode,
Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA" * Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978) * Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980) * Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...
's teacher Miss Hoover takes medical leave due to what she thinks is
Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a tick-borne disease caused by species of ''Borrelia'' bacteria, Disease vector, transmitted by blood-feeding ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. It is the most common disease spread by ticks in th ...
. Lisa finds the teaching methods of the substitute teacher, Mr. Bergstrom, inspiring and discovers a renewed love for learning. When Miss Hoover returns to class, Lisa is devastated to lose her most positive adult role model. Eventually, she realizes that while Mr. Bergstrom was one of a kind, she can find role models in other people, including her father
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient 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. Despite doubts about his autho ...
. Meanwhile,
Bart Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations, 50 stations along six routes and of track, including eBART, a spur line running t ...
runs for
class president A class president, also known as a class representative, is usually the leader of a student body class, and presides over its class cabinet or organization within a student council. In a grade school, class presidents are generally elected by ...
against
Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...
. The episode was written by
Jon Vitti Jon Vitti is an American writer best known for his work on the television series ''The Simpsons''. He has also written for ''King of the Hill'', ''The Critic'' and '' The Office'', and has served as a screenwriter or consultant for several animat ...
and directed by Rich Moore. It is the first episode of the show to have the
opening sequence A title screen (also called an opening screen or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often an opening theme song with visua ...
start at the driveway scene.
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
, using the pseudonym Sam Etic, guest stars as Mr. Bergstrom, who was modeled on the physical appearance of
Mike Reiss Michael L. Reiss ( '; born September 15, 1959) is an American television comedy writer. He served as a showrunner, writer, and producer for the animated series ''The Simpsons'' and co-created the animated series ''The Critic''. He created and ...
, a longtime writer and producer on the show. The episode features cultural references to
Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of ...
's film ''
The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novella by Charles Webb. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddoc ...
'', which starred Hoffman, and the novel ''
Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...
'' by E. B. White. Since airing, the episode has received universal acclaim from fans and television critics, and it is one of the most celebrated episodes in the show's history, being regarded by many as the best episode of the series. It acquired a
Nielsen rating Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the #Nielsen TV ...
of 11.1, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.


Plot

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA" * Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978) * Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980) * Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...
's teacher, Miss Hoover, announces to her class that she has
Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a tick-borne disease caused by species of ''Borrelia'' bacteria, Disease vector, transmitted by blood-feeding ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. It is the most common disease spread by ticks in th ...
, and is taking a leave of absence for the rest of the year. She is soon replaced by a substitute teacher, Mr. Bergstrom. When Mr. Bergstrom shows up for his first day teaching Lisa's class, he is dressed as a cowboy and pretends he is in Texas in 1830, and asks the students to name three historical inaccuracies on his costume. Lisa is able to name four historical inaccuracies, and Mr. Bergstrom is impressed by Lisa's knowledge of his deliberate
anachronism An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...
s; he rewards her with his cowboy hat. Due to Mr. Bergstrom's unorthodox teaching methods and friendly nature, Lisa begins to look up to him. When Lisa and
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient 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. Despite doubts about his autho ...
are visiting a museum, they run into Mr. Bergstrom, and Lisa becomes embarrassed when Homer displays his ignorance. Sensing a void in Lisa and Homer's relationship, Mr. Bergstrom takes Homer aside to suggest he be a more positive role model. At
Marge Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret. Notable Marges include: People * Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist * Marge Anderson (1932–2013), Ojibwe ...
's suggestion, Lisa goes to invite Mr. Bergstrom to dinner at their home, but is devastated to find Miss Hoover back (it turns out her Lyme disease was
psychosomatic Somatic symptom disorder, also known as somatoform disorder or somatization disorder, is chronic somatization. One or more chronic physical symptoms coincide with excessive and maladaptive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors connected to those symp ...
) and Mr. Bergstrom gone. Lisa rushes to Mr. Bergstrom's apartment and learns he has accepted a new job in Capital City. She rushes to the train station when Mr. Bergstrom is about to board, and tearfully tells him she will be lost without him. Mr. Bergstrom replies that the life of a substitute teacher is transient, and he has to help students who need him most. He writes her a note and tells her any time she feels alone, its contents are all she needs to know. He boards the train and departs as Lisa reads the written note, "You are Lisa Simpson". Meanwhile,
Bart Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations, 50 stations along six routes and of track, including eBART, a spur line running t ...
's class prepares to elect a class president. Mrs. Krabappel nominates
Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...
, while Sherri and Terri nominate Bart. During a debate with Martin, Bart tells jokes and wins the class over. Certain of his own victory, Bart holds a premature victory party during recess, but he finds out that the majority of students in his class – including himself – did not vote at all, giving Martin the victory with just two votes. That night at the Simpsons' dinner table, Lisa is visibly devastated by Mr. Bergstrom's departure. When Homer tells Lisa he does not care about her problems, Lisa lashes out and calls Homer a "baboon". Homer is initially confused and offended until Marge calls Homer out on his insensitivity. Homer makes up with Lisa by claiming he has never lost anyone special, and then cheers her up by mimicking a monkey. Lisa apologizes and they share a hug. Finding Bart seething over the election result, Homer comforts him by pointing out that being class president would have involved extra work with little reward. Homer then sees
Maggie Maggie or Maggy is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret, or Marigold. People Maggie * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), ...
is crying because she dropped her pacifier, and returns it to her. When Homer goes back downstairs, Marge begins to ask if he made up with Lisa, but Homer interrupts her and says, "Don't say anything, Marge. Let's just go to bed. I'm on the biggest roll of my life."


Production

"Lisa's Substitute" was written by
Jon Vitti Jon Vitti is an American writer best known for his work on the television series ''The Simpsons''. He has also written for ''King of the Hill'', ''The Critic'' and '' The Office'', and has served as a screenwriter or consultant for several animat ...
and directed by Rich Moore. According to Vitti, ''The Simpsons'' producer James L. Brooks contributed more to this episode than he did to any other in the show's history. Vitti said the episode was "very controversial" when it was being made because it "came at a point when the staff were just beginning to realize the comedy potential of the show, but we were trapped with these love stories, and just as the staff were starting to get frustrated with the love stories, along came 'Lisa's Substitute': the biggest, huggiest, warmest and fuzziest of them all." Mr. Bergstrom was modeled on the physical appearance of
Mike Reiss Michael L. Reiss ( '; born September 15, 1959) is an American television comedy writer. He served as a showrunner, writer, and producer for the animated series ''The Simpsons'' and co-created the animated series ''The Critic''. He created and ...
, a longtime writer and producer on the show.
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
provided the voice of Mr. Bergstrom. Hoffman was not sure if he wanted to be identified with a cartoon show at the time, like many early guest stars on ''The Simpsons'', and therefore used the
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
Sam Etic in the
closing credits Closing credits, aka end credits or end titles, are a list of the cast and crew of a particular motion picture, television show, or video game. While opening credits appear at the beginning of a work, closing credits appear close to or at th ...
. Sam Etic is a play on the word Semitic, alluding to the fact that both Hoffman and Mr. Bergstrom are
Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
ish. Brooks suggested the pseudonym, which Hoffman immediately liked. The cast flew to New York to record the episode with Hoffman and were directed by Brooks.
Yeardley Smith Martha Maria Yeardley Smith ( ; born July 3, 1964) is an American actress. She stars as the voice of Lisa Simpson on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. Smith began acting in 1982 after graduating from drama school. She moved to ...
, who provides the voice of Lisa, said she grew as an actress after working with Hoffman that day. ''The Simpsons'' writer
Al Jean Alfred Ernest Jean III (born January 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter and producer. Jean is well known for his work on ''The Simpsons''. He was raised near Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his wri ...
said he remembered when the audio track came back, Hoffman's voice was too low on the singing parts. The staff were "petrified" that the singing scenes would not show up on air, so they had Hoffman re-record them when he was in Los Angeles. Vitti said the note Lisa receives at the end of the episode should have had an exclamation point at the end. He did not notice it in the
animatic A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of simple illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding proces ...
, and it still "haunts imto this day".


Cultural references

Mrs. Krabappel trying to seduce Mr. Bergstrom is a reference to the predicament of Hoffman's character in the 1967 film ''
The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novella by Charles Webb. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddoc ...
''. Mr. Bergstrom reads a line from the 1952 novel ''
Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...
'' to his class. It is implied that this line is the end of the book, but in reality another chapter follows. Vitti said they could not feature more than a line from the book without being sued. The staff contacted a relative of the author E. B. White, but she would not clear the use of the book. When Lisa arrives at Mr. Bergstrom's apartment building, a list of tenants can be seen, including J. Vitti (the episode's writer Jon Vitti) and J. Kamerman (then-animator Jen Kamerman). When Bart unexpectedly loses to Martin in the class president race, a picture of Martin holding a copy of ''The Daily Fourth Gradian'' with the headline "Simpson Defeats Prince" is taken, which in turn ends up on the front page of ''The Daily Fourth Gradian'' under the headline "Prince Beats Simpson". This is a reference to the famous picture of former President
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
holding a copy of a prematurely printed edition of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' that proclaimed " Dewey Defeats Truman", taken the day after his unexpected victory over Thomas E. Dewey in 1948.


Reception

In its original broadcast, "Lisa's Substitute" finished 43rd in the ratings for the week of April 22–28, 1991, with a
Nielsen Rating Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the #Nielsen TV ...
of 11.1, equivalent to approximately ten million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on Fox that week. Since airing, the episode has received universal acclaim from fans and television critics, with many regarding it as the best episode of the series. Gary Russell and Gareth Roberts, authors of ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', said "Despite a scene-stealing performance from M . Krabappel, this is Lisa's show. Mr Bergstrom's last message for Lisa is a delightful touch and adds the finishing touch to a wonderful episode." Former
TV Squad Weblogs, Inc. was a blog network that published content on a variety of subjects, including tech news, video games, automobiles, and pop culture. At one point, the network had as many as 90 blogs, although the vast majority of its traffic could b ...
blogger Adam Finley named "Lisa's Substitute" as one of his top 14 most touching ''Simpsons'' episodes, and The Simpsons Archive webmaster Jouni Paakkinen rated the episode as his third favorite. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide said that Lisa episodes "tend to be goopy", but "Lisa's Substitute" seemed like "a good show, however". He went on to say, "The show offered many other good moments, and it helped expand the Lisa/Homer relationship neatly. The Bart's election subplot punctured any sappiness that otherwise might have occurred. ..'Lisa's Substitute' offered a fairly solid program." Emily VanDerWerff of ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' picked the episode as the show's second best, praising its emotion and Hoffman's performance. Hoffman has been praised for his guest appearance as Mr. Bergstrom. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' named it one of the 16 greatest guest appearances on ''The Simpsons''. In 2007, Simon Crerar of ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' listed his performance as one of the 33 funniest cameos in the history of the show. The episode's reference to ''The Graduate'' was named the 20th greatest film reference in the history of the show by ''
Total Film ''Total Film'' was a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly with a summer issue added, between the July and August issues, every year since issue 91, 2004) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and of ...
'''s Nathan Ditum. Ditum also ranked Hoffman's performance as the 16th best guest appearance in the show's history. "Lisa's Substitute" is also highly regarded among the show's cast and crew. Bart's voice actress,
Nancy Cartwright Nancy Jean Cartwright (born October 25, 1957) is an American actress, best known as the long-time voice of Bart Simpson on ''The Simpsons'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance and an Annie Award f ...
, said it is one of her top three episodes, along with " Bart Sells His Soul" and " Bart the Mother", while writer Al Jean said the episode was his favorite sentimental episode.
Yeardley Smith Martha Maria Yeardley Smith ( ; born July 3, 1964) is an American actress. She stars as the voice of Lisa Simpson on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. Smith began acting in 1982 after graduating from drama school. She moved to ...
, the voice actress of Lisa, has mentioned this episode is one of her favorite ''Simpsons'' episodes of all time.
Dan Castellaneta Daniel Louis Castellaneta ( ; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, ...
, the voice of Homer, named it his favorite episode of the show together with " Simpson and Delilah" and " Homer the Heretic". Executive producer James L. Brooks said he thinks "Lisa's Substitute" stands out because it is ''The Simpsons''' "best show" with a message behind it. In 2005, former writer
Greg Daniels Gregory Martin Daniels (born June 13, 1963) is an American screenwriter, television producer, and director. He has worked on several television series, including writing for ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''The Simpsons'', adapting '' The Office'' ...
referred to this episode as his favorite. In 2016, long time director
Mark Kirkland Mark Kirkland (born ) is an American animation director. He has directed 84 episodes of ''The Simpsons'' since 1990, more than any other director. Career At the age of 13, Kirkland began making Super 8 mm film, super 8 films and working for his ...
named the episode as his favorite during a
Reddit Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...
"Ask Me Anything" chat. When ''The Simpsons'' began streaming on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
in 2019, former ''Simpsons'' writer and executive producer Bill Oakley named this one of the best classic Simpsons episodes to watch on the service.


References


External links

* * {{Good article 1991 American television episodes The Simpsons season 2 episodes Television episodes about elections Television episodes about educators Television episodes written by Jon Vitti Television episodes directed by Rich Moore