Sunday March 26, 2006
HABF08
Homer is stoked for a party, where Lenny shows off his new plasma screen HD TV. Three days later and Homer still hasn’t left Lenny’s apartment. Lenny eventually gets him to leave and Marge enters them in a contest where they can win a plasma TV of their own. They don’t win, but 3rd place gets them a tour of the FOX studios, where Homer learns about a wife-swapping show where he can win enough money to buy his own plasma TV. Marge agrees to appear and they exchange wives with the Heathbar family. Charles Heathbar winds up falling in love with Marge (who is giving him what he needs), while his real wife Verity finds Homer detestable.
Write a Recap »The Simpsons go on a reality show where Marge swaps lives for a week with another mother. Marge loves her new family and soon starts liking the father, while the opposite mother makes life for Homer and Bart a living hell. In the end, the father of the family Marge is with intends to break up with his wife due to the way she treats him and their son, but she leaves him, and starts apparently dating Selma {or Patty}.
A not great episode, had some good parts, seemed average or so. My overall grade for this episode is B-
The Simpsons are on reality television... WHOOO!!!!! hide show
Homer is stoked for a party, where Lenny shows off his new plasma screen HD TV. Three days later and Homer still hasn't left Lenny's apartment. Lenny eventually gets him to leave and Marge enters them in a contest where they can win a plasma TV of their own. They don't win, but 3rd place gets them a tour of the FOX studios, where Homer learns about a wife-swapping show where he can win enough money to buy his own plasma TV. Marge agrees to appear and they exchange wives with the Heathbar family. Charles Heathbar winds up falling in love with Marge (who is giving him what he needs), while his real wife Verity finds Homer detestable.
Ever since I heard Ricky Gervais wrote and starred in this episode, I knew it was going to be great. And thankfully, it is. hide show
Gervais' character is excellent. It was good to see his unique humour retained in this character.
I was amazed that this episode didn't have the usual lame, cheesy humour that would only appeal to people who can't understand clever humour, that you find in basically every "new" Simpson's episode.
Some of the stuff in this episode didn't really appeal to me, but the writing is top-notch.
I've only seen 2 episodes from S17, and they have both been great, so I'll surely watch another one.
I recommend this episode to fans of the early episodes.
This obviously cannot compete with those episodes, but this is still good to watch.
My two fav shows, The Office and The Simpsons...here's why it didn't work.... hide show
As an English native, who adores The Office(British version), Ricky Gervais and the Simpsons...I was soooo looking forward to this episode. The fact that the Simpsons hasn't been good for years...in it's prime it's simply one of the best comedies ever screened, didn't put me off. Boy was I upset with this episode.
Ricky Gervais is an extreme fan of The Simpsons, to say the least. He was given the ultimate priviledge, to write and star in an episode.
The Office is one of the greatest British comedies in history. With only two series, each containing the usual British (and by American standards, meesly) 6 episodes and a Christmas Special consisting of a further 2 episodes, The Office went out on top.
The prospect of "mixing" these two historic, classic and excellent shows is the stuff t.v. dreams are made of...so what went wrong???
For a start, Ricky Gervais is famed for his, uncomfortable silent scenes. This works wonderfully in The Office, the camera lingering on one of his cringe-worthy situations, painfully funny for the viewer. If Gervais ever thought that this would work in a cartoon, he was very much proven wrong.
The slo-mo scene with Homer leaping onto the couch, astronaut style was okay. But we are well aware and far too familiar with Homer's ideologies of the modern world. Seeing donuts as the second coming, not being able to live without t.v. and beer. Don't get me wrong. This is why we love him, this is what makes him one of televisions greatest creations. But Gervais simply covered what writers had done hundreds of episodes before him.
The comment by Homer that, "You take forever to say nothing" was one of the funniest moments of this episode. Very apt, considering this is a direct comment on exactly what gervais was doing wrong, by trying to duplicate his own "only-works-in-a-live-action-show" style onto cartoon celluloid.
The Princess Di inspired song is quite funny. But very British isn't it? Can we brits not make any jokes for American viewers that don't involve the Royal Family?
Overall, this episode probably isn't as bad in terms of recent Simpson episodes. However it was the promise of t.v. gold that it offered and didn't deliver that is its biggest let-down.
It would have worked a lot better if Gervais had actually just guest starred David Brent so that we could actually see two great t.v. characters come together.
I did not care much for this episode, when I wanted to care so much.
Most overhyped t.v. pairing ever.
I still love you Mr. Gervais and Mr. Simpson. I'm just sorry that it didn't work out between the both of you.
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