Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
"Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 9 Episode 10 |
Directed by | Bob Anderson |
Written by | Ron Hauge |
Production code | 5F07 |
Original air date | December 21, 1997 |
Guest appearance | |
| |
Episode features | |
Couch gag | (first) Somebody shakes up a snow globe, which contains the Simpsons sitting on a couch./(second) The Simpsons run to the living room, only to notice that everything has been stolen, which includes their couch.[2] |
Commentary | Matt Groening Mike Scully George Meyer Ron Hauge Nancy Cartwright Yeardley Smith Bob Anderson |
"Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" is the tenth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 21, 1997. Bart accidentally ruins Christmas for the Simpson family by burning down the tree and all their presents.
It was written by Ron Hauge, directed by Bob Anderson, and guest starred Alex Trebek as himself.[2] Hauge was inspired to write the episode after learning of an orphanage that had been ripped off. The episode was included, among other Christmas themed episodes of the series, on a 2005 Christmas special boxed set on DVD.
Plot
Homer and Marge go Christmas shopping at a Try-N-Save megastore, where frenzied shoppers are snatching the holiday season's most popular toys. Homer, posing as a store cashier, helps himself to whatever items he finds suitable for the family. He then stuffs the register with cash and leaves with a big grin.
At bedtime on
When the family comes downstairs to find the tree and presents gone, Bart makes up a story about how he caught a
As a result of the report, everyone in Springfield gives them a new Christmas tree and $15,000. With the donations, Homer buys a new car. Driving it home, Homer gets stuck behind The Plow King and impatiently passes it. He drives the car onto a frozen lake, forcing everyone to jump out. The ice cracks, causing the car to sink and blow up.
The next morning, a guilt-ridden Bart admits the truth to his family. Though they're rightly furious and strangle him as a group, they also go along with the lie when Brockman and his news crew arrive to do a follow-up story. When a cameraman, with help from
Marge attempts to win back enough money to make things right on
Production
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Alex_Trebek_2009.jpg/170px-Alex_Trebek_2009.jpg)
Writer Ron Hauge said he got the idea for the episode one day when he was heading to work. He was listening to the radio and heard of an orphanage getting ripped off, and they were getting back more than they gave.[3] The spectators in the stands during Bart's dreams are based on the likenesses of various animators.[4]
Cultural references
The episode has several references to Christmas films. The title is a play on
A Charlie Brown Christmas is also parodied when the senior citizens are dancing at the Springfield Retirement Castle—their dancing is based on the way the Peanuts characters dance.[4] Marge appears as a contestant on Jeopardy! with host Alex Trebek guest starring. One of the stuffed animals Chief Wiggum is carrying is Binky from Matt Groening's comic strip Life in Hell.[6]
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" finished 23rd in ratings for the week of December 15–21, 1997, with a
The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide said "A deliberately mawkish Christmas episode that is low on good jokes (although the Simpsons watching their own fire on television is a good start) and a retread of any number of episodes where Bart does wrong, feels guilty and eventually has to fess up. The only real ray of sunshine is the closing moments when the neighbours get their revenge but the Simpsons find the family spirit after all."[8]
In its review of a 2005 DVD boxed set of Christmas themed episodes of The Simpsons, The Journal described "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", "Miracle On Evergreen Terrace", "Skinner's Sense of Snow", and "Dude, Where's My Ranch?" among memorable episodes of the series.[9]
In his review of the same DVD, Digitally Obsessed critic Joel Cunningham wrote that "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" is "a good one [...] A nice combo of humor, satire, and heartwarming holiday fuzzies".
References
- ISBN 978-0-06-098763-3.
- ^ a b Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace". BBC. Retrieved December 10, 2007.
- ^ Hauge, Ron (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Anderson, Bob (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Groening, Matt (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b Scully, Mike (2006). The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ "NBC basks in holiday spirit". Rocky Mountain News. Associated Press. December 25, 1997. p. 18D.
- ^ Martyn, Warren; Adrian Wood (2000). I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide. Virgin Books. MiracleonEvergreenTerrace (section, online version).
- ^ Staff (December 16, 2005). "Rent". The Journal. pp. Page 40 (The Simpsons: Christmas Double Pack).
- ^ Cunningham, Joel (November 24, 2003). "Christmas with the Simpsons". Digitally Obsessed. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
- Evening Times. pp. Page 20 (Christmas with The Simpsons Double Pack).
External links
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