The Simpsons: Season 4 (1992-1993)
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Season Info
Season 4 of "The Simpsons" contains a number of the show's most-enduring classics, including "Marge vs. the Monorail," in which the Simpsons matriarch attempts to prevent the town of Springfield from wasting a budget surplus on an ill-advised boondoggle (the episode was written by future late-night host Conan O'Brien). Other highlights include Homer's stint as a union leader in "The Last Exit to Springfield," Lisa's attempt to turn down the romantic advances of an unpopular classmate in "I Love
Network: FOX
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Episodes
Kamp Krusty
In the hopes that they can persuade their son, Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright), to start taking his studies seriously, Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) and Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) promise their boy that if he manages a C average on his final report card of the year, he'll get to go to Kamp Krusty, a summer camp owned and operated by chain-smoking and ethically flexible children's entertainer Krusty the Clown (voice of Dan Castellaneta). While his sister Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) brings home all A's as usual, Bart doesn't quite make his goal; despite this, both Marge and Homer decide they could use a break from their troublesome son and send both Bart and Lisa to Kamp Krusty after all. However, life at Kamp Krusty turns out to be more like a punishment than a reward; the camp is a dangerous rattletrap, the food is awful, most of the counselors are sullen teenage bullies, and to add insult to injury, Krusty sends an impersonator rather than visiting the camp himself. For Bart, the presence of the fake Krusty is the last straw, and soon he's leading his fellow campers in an overthrow of Kamp Krusty. "Kamp Krusty" was first aired on September 24, 1992.
A Streetcar Named Marge
Looking for something to break the monotony of her life as a housewife, Marge Simpson (voice of Julie Kavner) auditions for the Springfield Community Center's upcoming production of Streetcar! -- a musical adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire. The director, melodramatic Llewllyn Sinclair (voice of Jon Lovitz), isn't impressed at first by Marge's audition, but after hearing her talk to Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), he's convinced she's just the woman to play Blanche DuBois opposite Ned Flanders (voice of Harry Shearer), who was cast because he looks better with his shirt off than anyone else who tried out. Homer doesn't think much of Marge's new interest in theater, and her anger at her husband gives her performance a keen emotional edge, but will this rift in their marriage prove irreparable? Meanwhile, since Marge is busy with rehearsals, she sends baby Maggie to a daycare center, the Ayn Rand School for Tots, where the staff is determined to keep the children away from their pacifiers; Maggie, however, isn't about to give it up without a fight. A Streetcar Named Marge first aired on October 1, 1992.
Homer the Heretic
It's a frosty Sunday morning in Springfield, and while Marge Simpson (voice of Julie Kavner) and her children, Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), and Maggie, are getting ready to go to church, Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) just can't be bothered to get out of bed. Annoyed, Marge leaves without Homer, taking the kids with her. While his wife and children fidget through an especially tedious sermon and fight foul weather on the way home, Homer sleeps in, feasts on his "patented Space-Age Out-of-This-World Moon Waffles," and enjoys a football game on television. Convinced he's had the best Sunday morning of his life, Homer decides to renounce churchgoing, and in a dream God gives Homer the go-ahead to start his own faith. Marge is more than a bit taken aback by Homer's decision to renounce his faith, but nothing she says can dissuade him until Homer accidentally sets his house on fire while the rest of the family is at church. "Homer the Heretic" was first aired on October 8, 1992.
Lisa the Beauty Queen
Springfield Elementary School holds their annual fundraising carnival, and as one might expect, the Simpson family is in attendance. Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) is excited to have won a ride of the Duff Beer Blimp in a raffle, but Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) comes home less enthusiastic; a caricature artist drew a less-than flattering picture of her, and she's now convinced she's ugly. Hoping to boost Lisa's confidence, Homer enters his daughter in the Little Miss Springfield Pageant, a beauty contest for children; Lisa objects at first, but changes her mind when Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) tells her Homer sold his passes for the blimp ride in order to raise the entrance fee. After a makeover, Lisa comes in as first runner-up at the pageant, and when perennial children's beauty contest champion Amber Dempsey (voice of Lona Williams) is struck by lightning, Lisa becomes the new Little Miss Springfield by default. However, pint-size activist Lisa is struck with a crisis of conscience when she learns that the pageant was sponsored in part by Laramie Cigarettes, and now she's expected to appear on the Laramie float during the upcoming Springfield Day parade. "Lisa the Beauty Queen" first aired on October 15, 1992; Bob Hope also makes a brief appearance, providing his own voice.
Treehouse of Horror III
It's Halloween again, and the Simpson family is having a party, with everyone trying to top each other with tales of terror. In Clown Without Pity, Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) forgets to buy a birthday present for Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright), and finds a talking Krusty the Clown doll at a strange little shop. Homer soon realizes, however, that he didn't get an ordinary toy; the doll threatens to kill him and chases him around the house with a knife when it isn't busy trying to convince the Malibu Stacy doll owned by Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) that she looks awfully warm in that cheerleader's outfit. Grampa passes along his own version of the classic monster epic King Kong -- King Homer -- in which Mr. Burns and Smithers (both voiced by Harry Shearer) set out to capture the giant ape King Homer, using aspiring starlet Marge Bouvier (voice of Julie Kavner) to lure the beast into their trap. And in Dial "Z" For Zombie, Bart learns the local library is a lot more interesting than he imagined when he finds a book of magic spells that can be used to reanimate the dead. Bart and Lisa use one of the incantations to resurrect their departed cat, Snowball I, but they make a few miscalculations, and soon Springfield is crawling with "the living impaired" who've passed on over the past two centuries. "Treehouse Of Horror III" was first aired on October 29, 1992.
Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie
Bart is punished by being barred from the Itchy and Scratchy movie. Voices: Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith.
Marge Gets a Job
The Simpson family's home is in sad shape -- the house has slipped from its foundation, and has begun sliding on an angle into the ground. Surly Joe, proprietor of the only foundation-repair firm in town, tells Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) and Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) that it will cost 8,500 dollars to set the house right. This is more than the family budget can handle at the moment, so Marge decides to look for a job. After Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) encourages Marge to beef up her resumé with a creative approach to the facts, she lands a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, where Homer works. It isn't long before C. Montgomery Burns (voice of Harry Shearer), the ancient and ill-tempered owner of the plant, develops a powerful infatuation with Marge, and he's willing to do whatever he must to win her heart away from her husband, including a candlelight dinner with music from Marge's favorite singer, Tom Jones (performing his own voice), who has been specially kidnapped for the occasion. Meanwhile, Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) discovers his habit of telling tall tales is catching up with him when he finds himself trailed by an escaped wolf -- but given his history of spinning whoppers, no one believes him. "Marge Gets a Job."
New Kid on the Block
While young Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) hasn't had much use for girls in the past, he begins to change his mind about the fairer sex when he meets Laura Powers (voice of Sara Gilbert), the daughter of a divorcée who has moved into the neighborhood. Laura is the perfect girl for Bart -- she's pretty, she knows how to put bullies in their place, and she's hip to such pranks as the "Wet Willie" and the "Hertz Doughnut." However, she's also about five years older than Bart, which makes it hard for her to take him seriously as potential boyfriend material, though he makes a good impression (for a change) when she comes over to babysit. Bart is convinced he's found true love, until Laura informs him she has a boyfriend -- Jimbo Jones (voice of Pamela Hayden), one of Springfield's more obnoxious thugs-in-training. Bart isn't about to take this lying down and plots his revenge against Jimbo. Meanwhile, Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) takes Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) to local seafood restaurant The Frying Dutchman when he hears they have an "all you can eat" buffet; however, the restaurant's management cuts Homer off after eating most of their stock on hand, and Homer decides to take the matter to court with the help of semi-qualified attorney Lionel Hutz (voice of Phil Hartman). "New Kid on the Block" first aired on November 12, 1992.
Mr. Plow
After Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) totals both family cars in an accident following an evening drinking at Moe's Tavern, he's in the market for a new vehicle, and decides to visit the Springfield Auto Show to see what's available. Homer is fast talked into buying an expensive four-wheel-drive truck with a snowplow attachment, but he's convinced he can make the truck pay for itself by renting out his services plowing driveways. Homer throws together a low-budget television commercial advertising his "Mr. Plow" service, and after a snowstorm hits Springfield, business is quickly booming. However, Homer's booze-infused best friend Barney Gumble (also voiced by Castellaneta) feels like he's not accomplishing much compared to his pal, and Homer encourages Barney to make something of himself by following his example. Barney follows his advice all too closely -- he buys a snowplow of his own, dubs himself "The Plow King," persuades his old friend Linda Rondstat to sing a jingle in his commercial, and soon drives off with nearly all of Homer's customers. Homer is more than a bit disappointed with Barney, turning old friends into bitter rivals. "Mr. Plow" also features a guest appearance from Batman star Adam West at the Auto Show; the episode first aired on November 19, 1992.
Lisa's First Word
Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) and his wife, Marge (voice of Julie Kavner), are trying to prompt baby Maggie to say her first word one day, which leads both Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) to ask what their first words were. Bart's first word involves something neither Homer or Marge want to discuss with the kids, but they do have a story about how Lisa learned to speak. It's 1983, and Marge, mother of a bundle of manic energy called Bart, learns she's expecting another baby. Homer decides its time they move out of their crowded flat on Springfield's Lower East Side and find a house of their own, and while this puts a strain on their budget, Homer does find himself the beneficiary of a windfall of a sort -- after the Soviet Union opts to boycott the 1984 Olympic Games, thousands of game tickets at Krusty Burger unexpectedly become winners, filling the Simpson dinner table for free. Once Lisa is born, Bart becomes extremely jealous of the new arrival, and eventually decides to run away from home. Lisa, however, loves her big brother, and Bart finally warms up to her once she says her first words. "Lisa's First Word" first aired on December 3, 1992; the episode also features a brief vocal cameo from Elizabeth Taylor.
Homer's Triple Bypass
Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) is convinced something has gone wrong with his car one morning, but after stopping at a repair shop, he's told his car is OK -- the thumping he feels is his overworked heart, which is finally pushed over the edge later than day when Mr. Burns (voice of Harry Shearer) threatens to fire him for eating doughnuts while ignoring his work. Homer has a heart attack, and a cardiologist tells him he needs a triple coronary bypass operation; however, Homer doesn't have medical insurance, and simply can't pay the 40,000 dollars the operation would cost. With his options running out, Homer sees a television commercial for semi-qualified surgeon Dr. Nick Riviera (voice of Hank Azaria), who will perform any sort of needed operation for a flat fee of $129.99. Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) is wary of Dr. Riviera's abilities, but Homer decides to go through with the bypass anyway; fortunately for everyone involved, Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) did some homework on the procedure before her father went under the knife. "Homer's Triple Bypass" was first aired on December 17, 1992.
Marge vs. the Monorail
After C. Montgomery Burns (voice of Harry Shearer) is found guilty of dumping toxic waste from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in a city park, he's fined $3 million, which he pays at once, in cash. With a sudden and unexpected budget surplus, the good people of Springfield are trying to decide what to do with the money when smooth-talking salesman Lyle Lanley (voice of Phil Hartman) convinces the town that what they need is a monorail system. Marge Simpson (voice of Julie Kavner), however, is against the idea and has reason to believe that Lanley is pulling a fast one on the city, even though Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) has already enrolled in monorail conductor's school. Marge discovers that the monorails Lanley constructed in other cities were not only faulty but dangerous, and she must race back to Springfield before someone gets hurt and before Lanley gets away with the money. Leonard Nimoy makes a guest appearance as a celebrity attending the monorail dedication (whom Mayor Quimby mistakes for one of the Little Rascals). "Marge Vs. The Monorail" first aired on January 14, 1993.
Selma's Choice
After the death of their somewhat beloved Aunt Gladys, Marge Simpson (voice of Julie Kavner) and her husband, Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), and children, Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), and Maggie, attend the funeral with Marge's sisters, Patty and Selma (both also voiced by Julie Kavner). In her videotaped will, Aunt Gladys urges Patty and Selma not to remain childless and die alone, advice Selma takes to heart. However, the less-than-glamorous Selma has a hard time attracting eligible men, and after a number of humiliating experiences with dating services, Selma considers resorting to artificial insemination. On the day of a family outing to the Duff Gardens theme park, Homer falls ill and Marge asks Selma to take the kids to Duff Garden, imagining spending the afternoon watching over the kids would be good training for a future mom such as Selma; however, Selma soon learns parenthood is more complex than she imagined. "Selma's Choice" was first aired on January 21, 1993.
Brother from the Same Planet
Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) promises his son, Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright), that he'll remember to pick him up after soccer practice, but as is so often the case with Homer, despite his best intentions, he forgets, and Bart is left to walk home in the rain. Convinced that he deserves a better dad, Bart sees a TV commercial for Bigger Brothers, an organization that matches up strong and positive male role models with boys who need them. After fudging on a few facts on his Bigger Brother application, Bart has a new friend in Tom (voice of Phil Hartman), a friendly and appallingly noble Air Force pilot. Homer is hurt when he finds out about Bart's Bigger Brother, but figures two can play at that game; he becomes a Bigger Brother himself and begins spending time with Pepi (voice of Tress MacNeille), an immigrant boy from an unnamed country who hangs on Homer's every word, no matter how ridiculous. When Homer and Tom both end up taking their charges to the Springfield Aquarium, it leads to a showdown between the twin father figures. Meanwhile, Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) has developed a crush on a teen star named Corey, and begins calling a 900-hotline number for the latest scoop on her fave rave. But after racking up a massive phone bill, Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) decides she has to break her daughter's Corey habit once and for all. "Brother From the Same Planet" first aired on February 4, 1993.
I Love Lisa
Valentine's Day has come to Springfield Elementary School, and while the rest of his classmates have gotten cards from their fellow students, intellectually challenged Ralph Wiggum (voice of Nancy Cartwright) hasn't received a single valentine. Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) feels sorry for poor Ralph, so she erases the name from a card she was given and passes it along to Ralph. Convinced she likes him, Ralph quickly develops a major crush on Lisa, but the more time she spends with Ralph, the more Lisa is convinced she doesn't feel anything for him but a mixture of annoyance and pity. Ralph tries to win Lisa's heart with Malibu Stacy accessories and tickets to the Krusty the Clown Anniversary Special, where Lisa is prodded into admitting on the air that she doesn't like Ralph, breaking his heart. Lisa feels awful about hurting Ralph's feelings, and her heart sinks even deeper when she discovers she has won the female lead in the school play, portraying Martha Washington -- and that her leading man will be Ralph, cast as George. I Love Lisa was first aired on February 11, 1993, just in time for Valentine's Day.
Duffless
Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) and his alcoholic friend Barney Gumble (also voiced by Castellaneta) sneak out of work and take a tour of the Duff Brewery, where they help themselves to the copious free samples of Duff Beer, Duff Lite, Duff Dry, Duff Dark, and Raspberry Duff. On his way home, Homer gets picked up for drunk driving, causing him to lose his license and to attend Alc-Anon meetings under a court order. He pledges to give up drinking for thirty days, in part to get his license back and in part to please Marge (voice of Julie Kavner), who is worried about Homer's fondness for alcohol. But Homer finds that going a month without beer is harder than he expected. Meanwhile, after Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) destroys a giant tomato that Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) was growing for a science fair project, she gets an idea for a new project -- an experiment in which she'll prove an ordinary hamster is smarter than her brother. Duffless was first aired on February 18, 1993.
Last Exit to Springfield
It's time for the workers at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to negotiate a new contract with management, but their union representative has gone missing, so a handful of employees take it upon themselves to present their demands to owner C. Montgomery Burns (voice of Harry Shearer). One of those employees is Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta), who regrettably agrees to remove dental insurance from the employee benefit plan in the new contract in exchange for some free beer. Homer's decision comes back to haunt him when he finds out that his daughter Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) needs braces; Homer then persuades his fellow employees to vote down Burns' contract, and Homer is named the new union representative in the plant. Burns vows not to give in to the employee's demands, and finally Homer and his fellows go out on strike. In the meantime, Lisa still needs her braces, and the family is forced to settle on the cheapest they can find, which are even more conspicuous and unsightly than the average pair. "Last Exit to Springfield" was first aired on March 11, 1993.
So It Has Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show
Bart's prank hospitalizes Homer, whose life flashes by (in past clips) before he goes into a coma. Julie Kavner, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Nancy Cartwright.
The Front
While Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) and his sister Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) are loyal fans of The Itchy and Scratchy Show , even they are forced to admit that the show's writing has gone to the dogs, and one day they decide they could come up with better stories than the show's current production staff. Bart and Lisa team up and write a script for Itchy and Scratchy , but Roger Meyers Jr. (voice of Alex Rocco), the show's producer, rejects it because the Simpson siblings are too young. Undaunted, Bart and Lisa resubmit the script, with Grampa Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) credited as the author; it's accepted, and soon "Grampa" is getting more work from Itchy and Scratchy . But things become a bit complicated when a script by "Grampa" is nominated for an Emmy, and Bart and Lisa have to persuade him to attend the ceremony. Meanwhile, after attending their high school reunion, Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) is forced to admit to Marge (voice of Julie Kaver) that he failed Remedial Science 1A, and therefore never officially graduated. Homer decides to go back to school and finally get his diploma, but it soon becomes obvious that he hasn't improved much as a student over the years. "The Front" was first aired on April 15, 1993; Brooke Shields makes a cameo appearance as a presenter at the Emmy Awards.
Whacking Day
Principal Skinner (voice of Harry Shearer) ought to be used to misbehavior from Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) by now, but when Bart escapes from the school's basement after being locked-in to avoid any unpleasantness during a visit by Superintendent Chalmers (voice of Hank Azaria) and manages to run over Chalmers with a lawn tractor, Skinner has had enough and expels Bart. Rather than allow him to sit around all day, Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) encourages her son to read Johnny Tremain, which Bart does after learning the title character is deformed in an accident. To the surprise of everyone, Bart turns into a budding history buff. Meanwhile, the curious Springfield custom of Whacking Day, in which the local spend one day each year beating snakes senseless, has drawn the ire of Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), who is offended by the purposeless cruelty to animals. In an effort to help save the snakes from a grim fate, Lisa attempts to attract the serpents to the safety of the Simpson home with the help of her funky bass guitar and the voice of visiting soul icon Barry White. Bart, meanwhile, has done some research and reveals the startling truth behind the origins of Whacking Day. "Whacking Day" first aired on April 29, 1993.
Marge in Chains
Springfield is hit with an epidemic of the Osaka Flu, and Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) is the only member of the Simpson household who manages to avoid coming down with the bug. Unfortunately, this means she has to wait on Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), and Grampa (also voiced by Castellaneta) hand and foot while they struggle with the ailment. Overworked and preoccupied, Marge forgets to pay for a pint of whiskey Grampa asked her to pick up at the Kwik-E-Mart, and Apu (voice of Harry Shearer) decides to press charges. Marginally qualified attorney Lionel Hutz (voice of Phil Hartman) defends Marge in court, and given Hutz's level of legal acumen, it comes as little surprise when she soon finds herself behind bars. But it isn't long before the rest of Springfield discovers they're as dependent on Marge Simpson as her family. "Marge in Chains" first aired on May 6, 1993; David Crosby makes a cameo appearance as Lionel Hutz's 12-step sponsor.
Krusty Gets Canceled
The citizens of Springfield are being inundated with advertisements heralding the arrival of something called "Gabbo," raising curiosity to a fever pitch. One day, it is revealed that Gabbo is the irrepressible wooden sidekick of ventriloquist Arthur Crandall (voice of Hank Azaria), and that they are to star in a new television show. However, much to the dismay of Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), Gabbo's show is scheduled to air opposite that of their favorite entertainer, Krusty the Clown (voice of Dan Castellaneta), and soon Krusty's ratings sink through the floorboards as Gabbo leaps to unprecedented success. Krusty's show is dropped from the schedule, and after his career as a professional gambler hits the skids, Krusty is left with nowhere to go. Eager to help their fallen hero, Bart and Lisa suggest that Krusty stage a comeback special, featuring some of the big-name stars he's become friendly with during his years in show business. Krusty hands his address book to Bart and Lisa and asks them to get to work rounding up talent, while he attempts to lose the weight he put on with a steady diet of milkshakes. Appearing on Krusty's TV special are Bette Midler, Johnny Carson, Hugh Hefner, Luke Perry, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, all of whom perform their own voices; Barry White and Elizabeth Taylor also provide voice cameos for the episode. "Krusty Gets Kancelled" first aired on May 13, 1993.
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