My Fare Lady
"My Fare Lady" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 26 Episode 14 |
Directed by | Mike Frank Polcino |
Written by | Marc Wilmore |
Production code | TABF07 |
Original air date | February 15, 2015 |
Guest appearances | |
| |
Episode features | |
Couch gag | A pixelated version of the opening sequence by Paul Robertson. |
"My Fare Lady" is the fourteenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 566th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Mike Frank Polcino and written by Marc Wilmore. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 15, 2015. It is the first episode where Bart has no dialogue even though he appears.[1] He did not appear at all in the earlier episode "Four Great Women and a Manicure".
Plot
After a parody of
After driving the kids to their activities, Marge comes across a driver for a
Production
The opening sequence, including the chalkboard and couch gags, was originally a video created by Australian animators Paul Robertson and Ivan Dixon with music by Jeremy Dower.[2] After uploading the video to YouTube on February 1, 2015, producers contacted them within one day to license the video. On February 10, executive producer Al Jean announced that the video would appear at the beginning of this episode.[3]
Christopher Lloyd reprised his Taxi character Jim Ignatowski in this episode as the person who rallies the cabbies against Marge. Executive producer James L. Brooks was also an executive producer on Taxi.[4]
Cultural references
The opening sequence is a reference to Illusion of Gaia, a game on the Super Nintendo. After the opening sequence, there is another one that parodies the opening of The Jetsons.[5][6] A parody of the song "Taxi" by Harry Chapin plays when Marge drives Moe.[6]
Reception
Viewing figures
The episode received an audience of 2.67 million, making it the most watched show on Fox that night.[7]
Critical response
Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B, saying "Performance goes a long way on The Simpsons, the cast’s quarter-century relationship with their characters helping them flesh out a performance with shades no other show can call upon. ‘My Fare Lady,’ while as unfocused as many later episodes and based partly around a forgettable pop fad, is nonetheless entertaining thanks largely to Hank Azaria’s performance as everyone’s favorite least-favorite barkeep, Moe."[5]
Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave this episode 3 out of 5 stars. He felt the episode was not groundbreaking, but praised the jokes, especially the one with Burns asking for a dollar amount to profit to lose his soul.[6]
Awards and nominations
Tress MacNeille's role in the episode was nominated for the Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance at the 67th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, one of three Simpsons actors to be nominated. It was her first nomination in the category.[8]
References
- ^ The Simpsons. "The Simpsons Season 26 Episode 14 - Watch Full Episodes". TV Guide. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (February 1, 2015). "'The Simpsons' Opening Transformed Into Pixel Art". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (February 11, 2015). "'Simpsons' Pixel Art Fan Tribute Will Become The Show's Next Opening". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Swift, Andy (February 13, 2015). "The Simpsons Video: Christopher Lloyd Revives His Iconic Taxi Character". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Perkins, Dennis (February 15, 2015). "Review: The Simpsons: "My Fare Lady"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c Sokol, Tony (February 16, 2015). "The Simpsons: My Fare Lady Review". Den of Geek. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (February 18, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: No Adjustments for 'Saturday Night Live - 40th Anniversary', 'The Bachelor' or 'CSI' Finale". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Montgomery, Daniel (August 25, 2015). "Voice-Over Emmy: Tress MacNeille ('The Simpsons') vs. four past champs". Gold Derby. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
External links
- "My Fare Lady" at IMDb
- "My Fare Lady" at theSimpsons.com