Old Yeller Belly

Season 14, Episode 19, Aired
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Episode Summary

Bart's tree house is destroyed and the Amish are called in to rebuild it. Because the Amish are master electricians, Bart's new tree house catches fire at its grand opening. Everyone makes it to safety, with the exception of Homer, who is trapped. He looks to the family dog for help, but Santa's Little Helper (SLH) is a coward and only saves himself. It's up to Snowball II to save Homer's life. Snowball II is made a hero in Homer's eyes and SLH is thrown out of the house. The dog park is turned into a cat park and renamed for Snowball II. SLH doesn't look very good in the eyes of his fellow dogs either. Kent Brockman asks Homer about his cat and any other pets he may have and Homer makes the bold statement that "I have no dog." Bart and Lisa look to help SLH regain his status as family dog. Their efforts fail. A passing photographer spots SLH drinking beer from a can that he is balancing on his nose. The photo appears in the paper and the owner of Duff Brewery decides its time to replace Duffman with a dog. The family signs a contract for the brewery's new spokesdog "Suds McDuff." The new campaign is a hit. The family stands to make lots of money, until SLH's original owner from the dog track comes to lay claim to his dog. He uses a tape of Homer's own words against him as proof of his continued ownership of the dog. SLH is being exploited by his original owner. The family comes up with a plan to get their dog back. They find the actor who played Duffman (Barry Duffman) and plan to have him rescue a drowning Homer, when it becomes obvious to the crown that "Suds McDuff" is a cowardly dog. The plan doesn't work, when Duffman turns out to be as cowardly as his replacement. The shark that tried to attack Homer becomes "wasted" on the Duff beer that came out of the keg that Homer was floating on. As a result, the shark becomes the company's new mascot. With his gravy train at an end, SLH's original owner returns the dog back to the family.moreless
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Cast & Crew

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  • Julie Kavner

    Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, and Selma Bouvier

  •

    Harry Shearer

    Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, and others

  •

    Dan Castellaneta

    Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, and others

Fan Episode Reviews (3)

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  • Santa's Little Helper is Suds McDuff

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Hornets3, Aug 16, 2009 Report Abuse
    I love episode hat revolve around Santas Little help (i.e. Dog of Death, Bart's Dog gets an F, and Canine Mutiny). This episode is not exception. The idea that SLH becomes part of the Duff corp. is hilarious, and it was sort of sad to see his real owner come back for him in sort of an air bud parody. I loved when Homer got stuck in the fire, or when the shark got drunk in the water. It was sad for SLH to lose all his fame, but it was nice to seem him back where he was missed, with the Simpsons.moreless

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  • Finally an episode that revolves around Santa's Little Helper... How long I have waited for this day...

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Jan 08, 2008 Report Abuse
    When a fire breaks out, Homer is trapped beneath an ice sculpture. Santa's Little Helper is turns tail and runs away, leaving the family cat to perform the rescue. The poor dog is banished from the house. While playing alone outside, Santa's Little Helper toys with a discarded can of Duff beer. A photojournalist snaps a picture, which inspires the Duff Corporation to name the dog as the new mascot. In exchange, the Corporation showers the Simpsons with wealth.

    Out of nowhere, the original owner of Santa's Little Helper appears and reclaims the dog. Santa's Little Helper is now miserable, so the Simpsons create an elaborate plan. During a Duff Beer publicity event at the beach, Homer pretends to drown. (In reality, he is merely balancing on a keg of beer.)

    Once again, Santa's Little Helper is afraid to save him. The once adoring public is shocked by the dog's cowardice. Meanwhile, Homer is attacked by a giant shark. The shark bites the keg of beer, and gets drunk. The inebriated animal floats to the shore, where the crowd is delighted by his antics. In a burst of inspiration, the Duff Corporation fires Santa's Little Helper and names the shark as the new mascot.

    The dog's owner wants nothing to do with him any longer, and the Simpson's family pet is once again their own.moreless

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  • a fairly good episode

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By jimbo_001, Dec 13, 2005 Report Abuse
    the classification above does not refer to the episode per se but rather to Santa's Little Helper leaving the family. he was taken away in "The Canine Mutiny" and ran away in "Dog of Death" so SLH has left the family before. the plot was original though with duffman being dethroned and santa's little helper taking over. this episode did have some great gags like bart's new treehouse and homer's assumption that since there was fire and a black cat he must be in heaven. this was a well plotted episode but did have a bit of repetition regarding SLH leaving.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • When Homer is passed out during the fire, Snowball claws his shirt leaving 3 claw marks, but, when the fire dept. is putting it out, the marks are gone. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Santa's Little Helper's previous owner returns in this episode. We last saw him in the very first episode, "The Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". Edit
    • On Homer's list of how much he likes each member of the family, Vegas Wife is last (just below The Boy) Edit
    • In a commercial spot, which was made at the last minute, Marge says "I except cowardliness from a French poodle but not from our dog." This was made to just make fun of the French position regarding the situation between the US and Iraq in the 2002/2003 timeframe. Edit

  • Quotes

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    • Duffman: You're firing me? But what about my children, Duffgirl and Dufflad? Howard K. Duff: Those were one-shot characters in the Super Bowl ad. Duffman: Oh, yeah. Edit
    • Marge: Family head count! Pointy, pointy, spiky, stylish...where's baldy? Edit
    • Martin: Lisa's having a tea party. Bart: If I understand the female mind, and I do, they're plotting against us. Edit

  • Allusions

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    • Futurama The name and "character" of Suds McDuff are a tribute to Futurama. In the season two episode "Fry & The Slurm Factory", Slurms Mackenzie was an animal mascot (a slug-like creature) for the drink Slurm. Suds and Slurms have similar names, wore the same Hawaiian shirt and similar shades, and both were seen dancing and partying in their respective beverage adverts and promotional events. Edit
    • Astronaut: Houston, we have a problem. This place is dullsville! "Houston, we have a problem," is the tagline for the 1995 film Apollo 13. Astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) says it to Mission Control after the explosion in Apollo 13's Service Module. Edit
    • Luigi: I make-a you lasagna. You eat it up like the cat in the funny paper who's a-not so funny! Luigi is no doubt referring to Garfield, the titular feline of a comic strip (and cartoon show). He has a tremendous appetite, especially for lasagna. Edit

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