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{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode|
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
episode_name = Some Enchanted Evening |
{{Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_no = 13 |
| image = The Simpsons 7F03.jpg
prod_code = 7G01 |
| caption = ] giving Botzcowski advice about babysitting her children.
airdate = ], ] |
| season = 1
writer = ] and ] |
| episode = 13
director = ] and ] |
| director = ]<br/>Kent Butterworth
blackboard = "I will not yell 'Fire' in a crowded classroom." |
| writer = ]<br/>]
couch_gag = The entire family tightly fits onto the couch. No gag. |
| production = 7G01{{Sfn|Groening|2010|p=49}}
guest_star = ] as ] and ] as the Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper Babysitting Service Receptionist. |
| airdate = {{Start date|1990|5|13}}
image = ]|
| guests = * ] as Ms. Botz
season = 1 |
* ] as the Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers Babysitting Service Receptionist and Doofy the Elf
* ] as a Florist
| blackboard = "I will not ]."{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997 |pp=30-31}}
| couch_gag = The family comes in and just sits on the couch in a normal manner.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season1/page13.shtml |title=Some Enchanted Evening |access-date=February 12, 2007 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=]}}</ref>
| commentary = Matt Groening<br/>]<br/>]<br/>David Silverman
| prev = ]
| next = ]
}} }}
"'''Some Enchanted Evening'''" is the thirteenth and final episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It was originally broadcast on ] in the United States on May 13, 1990.{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997|pp=30-31}} A family drama, it had a very long delayed release. Written by ] and ] and directed by ] and Kent Butterworth, "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first episode produced for season one and was intended to air as the series premiere in fall 1989, but aired as the season one finale due to animation problems. The Christmas special "]" premiered in its place on December 17, 1989. It is the last episode to feature the original opening sequence starting from "]". In the episode, ] and ] go on a night out while leaving the children under the care of a diabolical babysitter named Ms. Lucille "Botz" Botzcowski, who is found to be a wanted criminal.
:''This article is about the Simpsons episode; for other uses see ].''


] provided the voice of Ms. Botz. The episode features cultural references to such films as '']'' and '']'' as well as a musical reference to '']''.
"'''Some Enchanted Evening'''" was the first full-length '']'' episode produced, and the thirteenth episode shown on television. The episode features ]'s, ]'s, and ]'s encounter with the notorious "Babysitter Bandit".


Since its initial broadcast, the episode has received mixed reviews. It acquired a ] of 15.4 and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
==Synopsis==
{{spoiler}}


==Plot==
Marge is fed up with Homer's thoughtlessness and explains her predicament on ]'s radio call-in show. Monroe urges Marge to confront Homer about her feelings. Homer, who has heard the call on a radio at work, feels bad and – after a stop at ] for advice – brings home a single ]. Marge's mood immediately softens, and a remorseful Homer decides to treat Marge to a night on the town: dinner at a fancy restaurant, dancing, and staying at a hotel room.
] is depressed that ] takes her for granted, and phones ]'s call-in therapy radio slot. Listening to the call at work, Homer feels bad when Marge reveals his name on the radio. After work, he visits ], where ] advises him to give Marge a rose and a box of chocolates. Marge's mood softens and Homer invites her to go dancing, dine at a fancy restaurant, and spend the night at a motel.


Marge and Homer hire Ms. Botz through a babysitting service to watch the kids. Botz puts ] to bed while ] and ] watch '']''. While watching ''America's Most Armed and Dangerous'' on television, Bart and Lisa scream in horror when they realize that Botz is a wanted burglar, dubbed the 'Babysitter Bandit'. Realizing her cover is blown, she prevents them from escaping and calling for help. Botz ties up the kids and packs the family's possessions into her suitcases. Maggie wakes up, goes downstairs and finds Bart and Lisa; they try to get her attention, but she focuses on the happy little elves. As the video ends, Maggie attempts to watch it again, and Lisa tells her she can if she unties her and Bart. While Ms. Botz is still cleaning up, she sees that Maggie is out of her crib. Bart lures Ms. Botz into his room, and knocks her out with a baseball bat.
Marge attempts to hire a ] through the local babysitting service, but is rejected (because of her children's previous antics with babysitters). Homer calls later and – after identifying himself as "]" – is able to get a babysitter.


Realizing Botz cut the telephone line, the kids go to a local phone booth and call the producers of ''America's Most Armed and Dangerous''. When Marge and Homer are unable to reach Ms. Botz by phone, they return home early to find her bound and gagged. Unaware she is a wanted criminal, Homer and Marge free her and pay her handsomely. She flees just as the kids arrive with the police and news reporters. Homer, thinking this is one of their naughty tricks, quickly grabs Bart, saying how he and Marge had untied her. However, reporters tell him that Ms. Botz is a wanted criminal. Realizing his blunder, he lies to the media, and thinking all that hard work was for nothing, Homer is embarrassed. When a television newscast identifies him as a 'local boob', Marge assures him he must be doing something right if he raised three children who can ] a stranger, making Homer feel better.
Later, Ms. Botz – an imposing-looking woman with an intimidating demeanor – arrives to take the job. On Marge's advice, Ms. Botz has Bart and Lisa watch "The Happy Little Elves Meet the Curious Bear Cub." However, it isn't long before Ms. Botz leaves the room, and Bart – having grown bored with the ] – switches to something more to his liking.


==Production==
Bart tunes into a station airing "America's Most Armed and Dangerous," which is doing a profile of a wanted ] nicknamed "The Babysitter Bandit." The announcer also warns that the suspect, named Lucille Botzkowski, could be "using a clever alias." A profile of the suspect confirms Bart and Lisa's suspicions: Ms. Botz is "The Babysitter Bandit."
Even though this episode aired as the last episode of the first season, it was the first episode in production and was intended to be the first episode to air from the half-hour show. The series is a spin-off from '']'' in which the family already appeared in a series of animated ]. The characters were already created, but had to be further developed in order to carry a half-hour show. The episode was therefore meant as an introduction to the characters.<ref name="Silverman">{{cite video |people=Silverman, David |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> ''The Simpsons'' creator ] and writer/producer ] (of such television series as '']'') wrote the script for the episode. Both Groening and Simon are credited with developing the series, along with executive producer ]. The name "Ms. Botz" was based on a real person who had once babysat Groening.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


] strongly criticized the initial version of the episode]]
As if on cue, "Ms. Botz" enters the room. Bart and Lisa try to hide, but she easily finds them, ties them up and makes them watch "The Happy Little Elves" tape as Ms. Botz goes about her work uninterrupted. Maggie eventually wakes up and goes downstairs, to discover that her siblings are tied up watching TV. Eventually, Maggie frees Bart and Lisa, and they are able to hit Ms. Botz with a baseball bat.


The episode was first directed by Kent Butterworth. ], the animation studio that produced the earlier ''Simpsons'' shorts, was in charge of the animation, with one exception. During the years of producing the shorts, everything was created in-house. As a budgetary consideration, production was subcontracted to South Korean animation studio ].<ref name="animation">{{cite news |first=Harvey |last=Deneroff |title=Matt Groening's Baby Turns 10 |publisher=Animation Magazine, Vol. 14, #1 |date=January 2000 |pages=10, 12}}</ref> While character and background layout was done in Los Angeles, ], coloring and filming is done by the overseas studio.<ref name="animation"/> A debacle erupted when this episode, the first to return from Korea, was screened in front of the production staff at the ] bungalow.<ref name="Groening"/> Brooks' initial reaction to the animation was "This is shit."<ref name="Groening"/> Afterward the room almost cleared.<ref name="Groening"/> A heated argument ensued between Brooks and Klasky-Csupo animation studio head ], who denied there was anything wrong with the animation and suggested that the real problem was the quality of the show's writing.<ref name="brooks">{{cite video |people=Brooks, James L. |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
After tying up Ms. Botz, the kids – finding all their telephones disabled – go to a nearby pay telephone and alert the authorities (via the "America's Most Armed and Dangerous" tipline). Meanwhile, Marge decides to try to call home to check up on things at home, but get no answer. Worried, she and Homer decide to go home ... only to find Ms. Botz bound and gagged.


The producers felt the animation did not exhibit a distinct style envisioned for the show. At the time, there were only a few choices for animation style; usually, animators would follow the styles of ], ], or ]. Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons tended to be set in pliable universes in which the characters and environments seemed to be made of rubber.<ref name="Groening"/> By contrast, the showrunners wanted a realistic environment in which the characters and objects could not do anything that was not possible in the real world, but one example of AKOM's early work was their animation of doors with the rubber effect that they wanted to avoid. Meanwhile, Hanna-Barbera's style relied on exaggerated sound effects, which they did not want to use either.<ref name="Groening"/>
Homer, thinking his children have gotten the best of another babysitter and unaware of her true identity, frees her and pays her handsomely. After advising Homer to keep an eye on Bart, Ms. Botz makes a clean getaway, just seconds before the Springfield police arrive to arrest her. Homer begins to scold Bart for his behavior toward Ms. Botz, but immediately finds a reporter's microphone shoved in his face, telling him he just freed a wanted criminal. Homer is dubbed the "local boob."


The producers considered aborting the series if the next episode, "]", turned out as this episode, but fortunately it turned out to suffer only a few easily fixed problems.<ref name="brooks"/> Afterward, they entreated Fox to postpone the series premiere for several months. The premiere then switched to "]" which had to be aired in December being a Christmas special.<ref name="jean">{{cite video |people=Jean, Al |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> This ensured more time could be spent fixing the animation problems and rewriting much of this episode. Directorial retakes were handled by ], who already had considerable experience directing the shorts.<ref name="Groening"/> Silverman estimates that about 70% of everything had to be redone. Most of these retakes consisted of changing the backgrounds. The result is an episode where the animation is uneven because it shifts between the early animation and the retakes.<ref name="Silverman"/> It is still possible to see the doors slam like they were made of rubber.<ref name="Groening"/> The Fox censors wanted to replace the sentence "the blue thing with the things", which they believed to be too sexual.<ref name="Groening"/> Due to the fledgling position of the Fox network, Brooks had obtained an unusual contractual provision that ensured the network could not interfere with the creative process by providing show notes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=568&IssueNum=32 |title=Harry Shearer |access-date=September 1, 2006 |author=Kuipers, Dean |date=April 15, 2004 |publisher=Los Angeles: City Beat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060717015139/http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=568&IssueNum=32 |archive-date=July 17, 2006}}</ref> so the showrunners simply ignored the censors.<ref name="Groening"/>
==First Screening==
According to the commentary for the episode on the ], a debacle erupted when this episode, the first to return from animation in ], was screened in front of the production staff at the ] bungalow. The animation was reportedly so appalling that the room had cleared by the time the episode finished playing, hastened by executive producer ]' infamous initial reaction, "This is shit," and the heated argument that ensued between him and ] animation studio head ], who denied that there was anything wrong with the animation and suggested that the real problem lay with the quality of the show's writing. The producers considered aborting production on the series if the next episode, ] turned out as poorly, but fortunately it turned out to suffer only a few, easily fixable problems. Afterwards, the producers entreated ] to push the air date for the series premiere back several months, which was then switched to ] so that more time could be spent fixing the animation problems with this episode. Directorial duties for the retakes were also handed from ] to ], who already had considerable experience directing The Simpsons ].


The episode featured several early character designs; ] has black hair in this episode, which was later changed to gray, while ] has yellow hair, which was later changed to brown in order to differentiate the character's hair color from that of his skin.<ref name="Silverman"/> Because of the delayed broadcast, there are also a few continuity errors. ], for example, does not appear in this episode, despite being introduced in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".<ref name="Silverman"/> ] was at the time credited as a guest star for portraying Maître d'.<ref>End credits</ref> In this episode, Moe Szyslak was originally voiced by ], but when Hank Azaria came up with his version, they decided to have Hank Azaria replace Christopher Collins as the voice of Moe in all later appearances.<ref name="Silverman"/> Azaria became a regular cast member in the second season.
==Deleted Scenes==
On the first season DVD, it contains some of the original footage that was redone for this episode. However, no sound effects were finished, but the original dialogue tracks can be heard. The quality of this footage is a little re-mastered but not much.<br><br>The following cut out, and later redone, include:


Ms. Botz's pursuit of Bart into the cellar is reminiscent of Robert Mitchum's pursuit of a young boy in the film '']''.<ref name="Groening"/> ] plays "]" from the ] remake of '']'' directed by ] and starring ] and ].<ref name="BBC"/> Before the episode aired, Ms. Botz voice-over ] had worked with Brooks on some shows he made in the 1970s.<ref name=brooksmarshall /><ref name=stillbrooksmarshall /> This relationship included her being a regular cast member on '']'' and having three guest appearances on '']''.<ref name=brooksmarshall>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/penny-marshall-appreciation-laverne-shirley-a-league-of-their-own-1203092820/|title = Remembering Penny Marshall, Who Forged Her Own Path and Paved the Way for Others|date = December 18, 2018}}</ref><ref name=stillbrooksmarshall>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/tv/penny-marshall-memorable-tv-roles/|title = Remembering Penny Marshall's Most Memorable TV Roles, from Laverne & Shirley to the Odd Couple}}</ref>
The original opening: Marge is talking to Maggie, while cooking breakfast. Homer and the kids rush downstairs and raid the kitchen for food. Bart and Lisa's "tug-a-war" over the last donut is here, but animated differently. Also, included is brief moment where Marge puckers her lips to kiss Homer. But, Homer drinks her coffee and slams the door on her lips, leaving a mark. This would explain the kiss mark left on the back of the door later in the episode when Marge and Homer leave for their date.


The scene of Ms. Botz handing Bart the Happy Little Elves VHS and telling him that he, Lisa, and Maggie were going to watch it or else was animated by ], who had previously animated the scene of Bart's confession in the episode "]".
Angry Marge: As an angry Marge waits for Homer, Dr. Marvin Monroe's words plays in her in head, while radios cicle above her head. This was re-animated with monstrous visions of home appliances.


==Reception==
Calling a Sitter: An alternate take to Homer's reaction to the old lady on the phone quoting that Homer is a "big ape".
]


In its original broadcast, "Some Enchanted Evening" finished 12th for the week in the ] with a rating of 15.4, being seen by approximately 14.2&nbsp;million homes.<ref name=ratings>{{cite news |title=CBS wins the week as networks' ratings hit record low |date=May 16, 1990 |page=L06 |newspaper=] |author=Richmond, Ray}}</ref> The episode was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.<ref name=ratings/>
Dancing: An alternate take of Homer and Marge dancing.


Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "It's quite a shock to discover that this confident, fully rounded episode was the first to be made. The perfect template."<ref name="BBC"/> Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said it was "a reasonably good episode" and added: "Still, it's an awkward piece and not one I enjoyed a great deal. To be sure, 'Evening' was generally entertaining, but it's nothing special."<ref name="dvdmg">{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonone.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete First Season (1990) |access-date=August 29, 2008 |first=Colin |last=Jacobson |publisher=DVD Movie Guide}}</ref> In a DVD review of the first season, David B. Grelck rated the episode a {{frac|1|1|2}} (of 5).<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202012353/http://www.wdbgproductions.com/cinerama/reviews/simpsonsseason1.htm |url=http://www.wdbgproductions.com/cinerama/reviews/simpsonsseason1.htm |title=The Complete First Season |access-date=September 15, 2011 |archive-date=February 2, 2009 |date=September 25, 2001 |author=Grelck, David B. |publisher=WDBGProductions}}</ref>
Also, there is a commentary on these scenes explaining why they were redone.


According to Al Jean, viewers thought this episode was the best episode of the first season after the season ended.<ref name="jean" /> However, in 2006, '']'' named "]" the best episode of the first season.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/08/the-simpsons-20-seasons-20-episodes |title=The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski |website=] |date=January 8, 2010 |access-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302212129/http://tv.ign.com/articles/731/731095p1.html |archive-date=March 2, 2007 }}</ref> ], who played Ms. Botz, ranked on ]'s list of their favorite 25 ''Simpsons'' guest stars.<ref>{{cite web |author=Potts, Kimberly |title=Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars |url=http://www.aoltv.com/feature/the-simpsons/guest-stars |access-date=November 24, 2008 |publisher=] }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Trivia==
{{Clear}}
*The episode's production number is '''7G01''', as it was the first ''Simpsons'' episode produced and, if not for the aforementioned animation problems, it would have served as the series premiere.
*Dr Marvin Monroe's Therapy Hotline number is 555-PAIN.
*When Dr. Marvin Monroe says "I'm as sure as my voice is annoying.", this is referencing how difficult and annoying it was for Harry Shearer to provide Monroe's voice.
*The name of the baby sitting service Marge calls is : Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper Baby-sitting Service.
*Chilly is the elf who cannot love.
*The number for America's Most Armed and Dangerous is 1-800-U-SQUEAL
*The name of the band at the restaurant is The Larry Davis Experience.
*The real name of the Baby-sitter Bandit is Miss Lucille Botzkowski.
*Maggie falls over 22 times.
*This episode is also known for its notoriously crude animation.
*One of the elves' faces on the title card for the elves movie resembles ], a character in Matt Groening's later show, '']''
*This episode features a rare continuity error in the series. In the scene where Bart is shown sitting tied up on the couch and Ms. Botz walks in carrying a tied-up Lisa in her arms before dumping her on the sofa alongside Bart, you can see quite clearly that the rope Ms. Botz has used to bind Lisa is wound right around her body from the neck right down to her ankles. A few shots later when Maggie comes down and frees her, the rope tying Lisa's legs together at the knees has disappeared.


==Cultural References== ==References==
{{reflist}}
* The chalkboard gag sentence is a reference to the old "don't yell fire in a crowded theater" rule.
;Bibliography
* "]" - The "America's Most Armed and Dangerous" show is a parody of the ] show. The host of the parody is a ]-soundalike.
{{refbegin}}
* The Happy Little Elves - These elf-like creatures are similar to other fantasy folk-type cartoon characters, most notably ] and ].
* {{cite book|title=]|last=Groening|first=Matt|publisher=]|year=1997|isbn=978-0-06-095252-5|edition=1st|location=New York|lccn=98141857|oclc=37796735|ol=433519M|ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}|author-link=Matt Groening|editor1-first=Ray|editor1-last=Richmond|editor1-link=Ray Richmond|editor2-first=Antonia|editor2-last=Coffman}}
* "]" - The ominous-sounding music as Ms. Botz approaches Bart and Lisa is similar to the music that plays when the bloodthirsty shark is about to attack in the movie.
* {{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |title=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |title-link=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |date=2010-10-28 |publisher=] |isbn=9780061711282 |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |edition=1st |editor2-last=Gimple |editor2-first=Scott M. |editor2-link=Scott M. Gimple |editor-last3=McCann |editor-first3=Jessie L. |editor-last4=Seghers |editor-first4=Christine |editor-last5=Bates |editor-first5=James W.}}
* "]" - Homer hums the song, made famous by Cuban bandleader ].
{{refend}}
* "Some Enchanted Evening" - The episode title is taken from the title of a song from ]'s "]" and is also the name of a 1978 ] album.
* A dirty ] - When Homer calls the babysitting service he gives them a fake name of Samson, reiterating it with the line "No, I said Samson, not Simpson." This is a reversal of the , which ends with "My name is Simpson, not ]."


==Quotes== ==External links==
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages|En-Some Enchanted Evening (the Simpsons).ogg|date=January 23, 2009}}
*'''Dr. Marvin Monroe:''' If he doesn't start loving, you'll be leaving.<br/>'''Marge:''' Leave Homer?<br/>'''Dr. Marvin Monroe''': No, don't use his real name!<br/>'''Marge:''' Leave Pedro?
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_1#Some_Enchanted_Evening|Some Enchanted Evening}}
*'''Ms. Botz:''' Come, children, let's go watch the Happy Little Elves.<br/>'''Bart:''' Look, lady, we've seen the Crappy Little Elves about 14 billion times.
{{Portal|The Simpsons}}
*'''Bart:''' We know who you are, Ms. Botz - or should I say Ms. Botzkowski! You're the Babysitter Bandit!<br/>'''Ms. Botz:''' You're a smart young man, Bart. I hope you're smart enough to keep your mouth shut.<br/>'''Lisa:''' He isn't.
* {{snpp capsule|7G01|Some Enchanted Evening}}
*(the Simpsons call a babysitter)<br/>'''Marge:''' Wait - what about a babysitter?<br/>'''Homer:''' Whoops.<br/>'''Marge:''' Not to worry. (picks up phone to dial the babysitting service, hearing Moe on the other line after Bart's crank call)<br/>'''Moe:''' Listen you lousy bum, if I ever get a hold of you, I swear I'll cut your belly open!<br/>'''Marge:''' Goodness, must be a crossed wire. (dials phone)<br/>'''Receptionist:''' Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper Babysitting Service!<br/>'''Marge:''' This is Marge Simpson. I'd like a babysitter for the evening.<br/>'''Receptionist:''' Wait a minute - (turns to look at a poster with the Simpson kids' pictures and a header reading "NO! NO! NO!") The Simpsons? Lady, you've got to be kidding! (hangs up, phone rings, picks up again) Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper Babysitting Service!<br/>'''Homer:''' Hello, this is Homer Saaaampson.<br/>'''Receptionist:''' Did your wife just call a second ago?<br/>'''Homer:''' No! I said Sampson, not Simpson!<br/>'''Receptionist:''' Thank God! Those Simpsons - what a bunch of savages, especially that big ape father!<br/>'''Homer:''' D'oh! Actually, the Simpsons are neighbors of ours, and we've found them to be a quite misunderstood and underrated family.
* {{IMDb episode |id=0701215 |episode=Some Enchanted Evening}}


{{The Simpsons episodes|1}}
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{snpp capsule|7G01}}
*{{imdb episode|id=0701215|episode=Some Enchanted Evening}}


{{Good article}}
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Latest revision as of 23:46, 13 December 2024

13th episode of the 1st season of The Simpsons
"Some Enchanted Evening"
The Simpsons episode
Marge giving Botzcowski advice about babysitting her children.
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 13
Directed byDavid Silverman
Kent Butterworth
Written byMatt Groening
Sam Simon
Production code7G01
Original air dateMay 13, 1990 (1990-05-13)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag"I will not yell 'Fire' in a crowded classroom."
Couch gagThe family comes in and just sits on the couch in a normal manner.
CommentaryMatt Groening
James L. Brooks
Al Jean
David Silverman
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Krusty Gets Busted" 		Next →
"Bart Gets an 'F'"
The Simpsons season 1
List of episodes

"Some Enchanted Evening" is the thirteenth and final episode of the first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was originally broadcast on Fox in the United States on May 13, 1990. A family drama, it had a very long delayed release. Written by Matt Groening and Sam Simon and directed by David Silverman and Kent Butterworth, "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first episode produced for season one and was intended to air as the series premiere in fall 1989, but aired as the season one finale due to animation problems. The Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" premiered in its place on December 17, 1989. It is the last episode to feature the original opening sequence starting from "Bart the Genius". In the episode, Homer and Marge go on a night out while leaving the children under the care of a diabolical babysitter named Ms. Lucille "Botz" Botzcowski, who is found to be a wanted criminal.

Penny Marshall provided the voice of Ms. Botz. The episode features cultural references to such films as The Night of the Hunter and Psycho as well as a musical reference to A Star Is Born.

Since its initial broadcast, the episode has received mixed reviews. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 15.4 and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.

Plot

Marge is depressed that Homer takes her for granted, and phones Dr. Marvin Monroe's call-in therapy radio slot. Listening to the call at work, Homer feels bad when Marge reveals his name on the radio. After work, he visits Moe's Tavern, where Moe advises him to give Marge a rose and a box of chocolates. Marge's mood softens and Homer invites her to go dancing, dine at a fancy restaurant, and spend the night at a motel.

Marge and Homer hire Ms. Botz through a babysitting service to watch the kids. Botz puts Maggie to bed while Bart and Lisa watch The Happy Little Elves. While watching America's Most Armed and Dangerous on television, Bart and Lisa scream in horror when they realize that Botz is a wanted burglar, dubbed the 'Babysitter Bandit'. Realizing her cover is blown, she prevents them from escaping and calling for help. Botz ties up the kids and packs the family's possessions into her suitcases. Maggie wakes up, goes downstairs and finds Bart and Lisa; they try to get her attention, but she focuses on the happy little elves. As the video ends, Maggie attempts to watch it again, and Lisa tells her she can if she unties her and Bart. While Ms. Botz is still cleaning up, she sees that Maggie is out of her crib. Bart lures Ms. Botz into his room, and knocks her out with a baseball bat.

Realizing Botz cut the telephone line, the kids go to a local phone booth and call the producers of America's Most Armed and Dangerous. When Marge and Homer are unable to reach Ms. Botz by phone, they return home early to find her bound and gagged. Unaware she is a wanted criminal, Homer and Marge free her and pay her handsomely. She flees just as the kids arrive with the police and news reporters. Homer, thinking this is one of their naughty tricks, quickly grabs Bart, saying how he and Marge had untied her. However, reporters tell him that Ms. Botz is a wanted criminal. Realizing his blunder, he lies to the media, and thinking all that hard work was for nothing, Homer is embarrassed. When a television newscast identifies him as a 'local boob', Marge assures him he must be doing something right if he raised three children who can hogtie a stranger, making Homer feel better.

Production

Even though this episode aired as the last episode of the first season, it was the first episode in production and was intended to be the first episode to air from the half-hour show. The series is a spin-off from The Tracey Ullman Show in which the family already appeared in a series of animated one-minute shorts. The characters were already created, but had to be further developed in order to carry a half-hour show. The episode was therefore meant as an introduction to the characters. The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and writer/producer Sam Simon (of such television series as Cheers) wrote the script for the episode. Both Groening and Simon are credited with developing the series, along with executive producer James L. Brooks. The name "Ms. Botz" was based on a real person who had once babysat Groening.

James L. Brooks strongly criticized the initial version of the episode

The episode was first directed by Kent Butterworth. Klasky Csupo, the animation studio that produced the earlier Simpsons shorts, was in charge of the animation, with one exception. During the years of producing the shorts, everything was created in-house. As a budgetary consideration, production was subcontracted to South Korean animation studio AKOM. While character and background layout was done in Los Angeles, inbetweening, coloring and filming is done by the overseas studio. A debacle erupted when this episode, the first to return from Korea, was screened in front of the production staff at the Gracie Films bungalow. Brooks' initial reaction to the animation was "This is shit." Afterward the room almost cleared. A heated argument ensued between Brooks and Klasky-Csupo animation studio head Gábor Csupó, who denied there was anything wrong with the animation and suggested that the real problem was the quality of the show's writing.

The producers felt the animation did not exhibit a distinct style envisioned for the show. At the time, there were only a few choices for animation style; usually, animators would follow the styles of Disney, Warner Bros., or Hanna-Barbera. Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons tended to be set in pliable universes in which the characters and environments seemed to be made of rubber. By contrast, the showrunners wanted a realistic environment in which the characters and objects could not do anything that was not possible in the real world, but one example of AKOM's early work was their animation of doors with the rubber effect that they wanted to avoid. Meanwhile, Hanna-Barbera's style relied on exaggerated sound effects, which they did not want to use either.

The producers considered aborting the series if the next episode, "Bart the Genius", turned out as this episode, but fortunately it turned out to suffer only a few easily fixed problems. Afterward, they entreated Fox to postpone the series premiere for several months. The premiere then switched to "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" which had to be aired in December being a Christmas special. This ensured more time could be spent fixing the animation problems and rewriting much of this episode. Directorial retakes were handled by David Silverman, who already had considerable experience directing the shorts. Silverman estimates that about 70% of everything had to be redone. Most of these retakes consisted of changing the backgrounds. The result is an episode where the animation is uneven because it shifts between the early animation and the retakes. It is still possible to see the doors slam like they were made of rubber. The Fox censors wanted to replace the sentence "the blue thing with the things", which they believed to be too sexual. Due to the fledgling position of the Fox network, Brooks had obtained an unusual contractual provision that ensured the network could not interfere with the creative process by providing show notes, so the showrunners simply ignored the censors.

The episode featured several early character designs; Moe Szyslak has black hair in this episode, which was later changed to gray, while Barney Gumble has yellow hair, which was later changed to brown in order to differentiate the character's hair color from that of his skin. Because of the delayed broadcast, there are also a few continuity errors. Santa's Little Helper, for example, does not appear in this episode, despite being introduced in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". Hank Azaria was at the time credited as a guest star for portraying Maître d'. In this episode, Moe Szyslak was originally voiced by Christopher Collins, but when Hank Azaria came up with his version, they decided to have Hank Azaria replace Christopher Collins as the voice of Moe in all later appearances. Azaria became a regular cast member in the second season.

Ms. Botz's pursuit of Bart into the cellar is reminiscent of Robert Mitchum's pursuit of a young boy in the film The Night of the Hunter. Moe's Tavern plays "The Man That Got Away" from the 1954 remake of A Star Is Born directed by George Cukor and starring Judy Garland and James Mason. Before the episode aired, Ms. Botz voice-over Penny Marshall had worked with Brooks on some shows he made in the 1970s. This relationship included her being a regular cast member on Friends and Lovers and having three guest appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

The scene of Ms. Botz handing Bart the Happy Little Elves VHS and telling him that he, Lisa, and Maggie were going to watch it or else was animated by Dan Haskett, who had previously animated the scene of Bart's confession in the episode "Bart the Genius".

Reception

Penny Marshall was named one of AOL's 25 favorite guest stars.

In its original broadcast, "Some Enchanted Evening" finished 12th for the week in the Nielsen ratings with a rating of 15.4, being seen by approximately 14.2 million homes. The episode was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.

Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "It's quite a shock to discover that this confident, fully rounded episode was the first to be made. The perfect template." Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said it was "a reasonably good episode" and added: "Still, it's an awkward piece and not one I enjoyed a great deal. To be sure, 'Evening' was generally entertaining, but it's nothing special." In a DVD review of the first season, David B. Grelck rated the episode a 1+1⁄2 (of 5).

According to Al Jean, viewers thought this episode was the best episode of the first season after the season ended. However, in 2006, IGN named "The Crepes of Wrath" the best episode of the first season. Penny Marshall, who played Ms. Botz, ranked on AOL's list of their favorite 25 Simpsons guest stars.

References

  1. Groening 2010, p. 49.
  2. ^ Richmond & Coffman 1997, pp. 30–31.
  3. ^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Some Enchanted Evening". BBC. Retrieved February 12, 2007.
  4. ^ Silverman, David (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. ^ Groening, Matt (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^ Deneroff, Harvey (January 2000). "Matt Groening's Baby Turns 10". Animation Magazine, Vol. 14, #1. pp. 10, 12.
  7. ^ Brooks, James L. (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  8. ^ Jean, Al (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  9. Kuipers, Dean (April 15, 2004). "Harry Shearer". Los Angeles: City Beat. Archived from the original on July 17, 2006. Retrieved September 1, 2006.
  10. End credits
  11. ^ "Remembering Penny Marshall, Who Forged Her Own Path and Paved the Way for Others". December 18, 2018.
  12. ^ "Remembering Penny Marshall's Most Memorable TV Roles, from Laverne & Shirley to the Odd Couple".
  13. ^ Richmond, Ray (May 16, 1990). "CBS wins the week as networks' ratings hit record low". The Orange County Register. p. L06.
  14. Jacobson, Colin. "The Simpsons: The Complete First Season (1990)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
  15. Grelck, David B. (September 25, 2001). "The Complete First Season". WDBGProductions. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  16. Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski (January 8, 2010). "The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes". IGN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  17. Potts, Kimberly. "Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars". AOL. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
Bibliography

External links

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