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{{Infobox Simpsons episode {{Infobox Simpsons episode
| image = Marge vs. the Monorail (promo card).png
| episode_name = {{PAGENAME}}
| image_size = 235
| image = ]
| caption = Promotional artwork for the episode
| episode_no = 71
| prod_code = 9F10 | season = 4
| episode = 12
| airdate = ], ]
| show runner = ] & ] | director = ]
| writer = ] | writer = ]
| production = 9F10
| director = ]
| music = "]"<br>by Conan O'Brien and ]
| blackboard = "I will not eat things for money"
| airdate = {{Start date|1993|1|14}}
| couch_gag = The show's entire cast joins the family in front of the couch.
| guest_star = ] as Lyle Lanley<br>] as himself<br>] as Monorail error message voice | guests = * ] as Lyle Lanley
* ] as himself
| season = 4
| blackboard = "I will not eat things for money"<ref name="Simpsguide">{{cite book|last1=Martyn|first1=Warren|last2=Wood|first2=Adrian|title=I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide|date=2000|publisher=Virgin Books|isbn=0-7535-0495-2}}</ref>
| couch_gag = The Simpsons sit on the couch, followed by four rows of Springfield's residents sitting in front of the family.<ref name="bbc"/>
| commentary = ]<br>Al Jean<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>Conan O'Brien
| prev = ]
| next = ]
}} }}
"'''Marge vs. the Monorail'''" is the twelfth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It originally aired on ] in the United States on January 14, 1993. The plot revolves around Springfield's ] of a faulty ] from a ], and how it subsequently falls to ] to stop the train from destroying the town.
"'''Marge vs. the Monorail'''" was the 71st full-length '']'' episode released on television. The citizens of ] must decide how to disperse a $3 million fine paid by ], who is caught dumping ] in a city park. At the ] to decide how to spend the money, a well-timed appearance by slick, fast-talking, Lyle Lanley (]) persuades the townspeople to commission a ], over the objections of ]. When ] is hired to be the monorail's conductor, Marge uncovers disturbing evidence about the project, and it seems disaster is inevitable. ] guest stars as himself.


The episode was written by ] and directed by ]. Recurring guest star ] provided the voice of Lyle Lanley, while ] made a guest appearance as himself.
==Synopsis==
"Marge vs. the Monorail" has been widely praised by fans and critics and is generally considered one of the best episodes of ''The Simpsons''.<ref name="Moran">{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-10-best-simpsons-episodes-ever-bwhpbrv8sbn|title=The 10 best Simpsons episodes ever|last=Moran|first=Michael|date=January 14, 2010|work=]|access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> Showrunner ] called it "the best episode of television ever".<ref name="Vice" /> O'Brien has said that, of the episodes he wrote, this was his favorite.<ref name="O'Brien"/> Nimoy's unexpected guest appearance was also widely praised.<ref name="Reiss"/> Despite this, the episode attracted some criticism when it was first aired due to the somewhat abstract and less ] nature of the plot, particularly from voice actor ] who in 1995 described the episode as "truly one of our worst".<ref name="Schembri">{{cite news|title=My life as Lisa|last=Schembri|first=Jim|newspaper=The Age (Green Guide)|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|date=July 6, 1995|page=10}}</ref>
{{spoiler}}


==Plot==
] drives home from work in a send-up of the opening to '']''. ] and ] dump ] in a city park and are caught. Burns is put on trial, appearing in court in ]-style full-body restraints, and is fined $3 million, which he pays off from his pocket change, also purchasing the statue of ].
When the ] fines ] $3 million for dumping nuclear waste in a ] park, a town meeting is held to decide how to spend the money. ] nearly persuades the townspeople to repair Springfield's heavily damaged ], but fast-talking salesman Lyle Lanley leads ] that convinces them to build a ].


After running a questionable training program, Lanley randomly selects ] as the monorail's conductor. A suspicious Marge visits Lanley's office and discovers he plans to ] money from the project and then leave Springfield. Marge drives to North Haverbrook, a previous purchaser of one of Lanley's monorails, and finds it in ruins.
] holds a town hall meeting on what to do with Burns' money. ] suggests repairing a cracked Main Street, and this gains favor initially until the arrival of an unknown stranger. This stranger, Lyle Lanley, guest-voiced by ], in a parody of '']'', suggests via "The Monorail Song," that Springfield spend the money on a ]. After Springfield decides to build the monorail, Lanley offers a monorail conductor class, with Homer among the students, and Homer is chosen to become the conductor, despite having no idea about his job. He gets to wear a ] similar to ]'s in '']''.


Marge meets Sebastian Cobb, the engineer who designed North Haverbrook's monorail. Cobb confirms that all of Lanley's monorail projects are scams and offers to help Marge prevent Springfield from suffering the same fate. At the Springfield monorail's inaugural run, Lanley arranges for ] to be present at a well-attended opening ceremony, which is a diversion that enables Lanley to escape on a plane to ]. When the flight makes an unexpected stopover in North Haverbrook, the town's residents attack Lanley in revenge.
]Feeling uncertain about the monorail, Marge investigates Lanley's past by traveling to "North Haverbrook," which Lanley mentioned was a previous purchaser of one of his monorails. She discovers the public transportation project was a dangerous ] perpetrated by Lanley, who is seen boarding a flight to ] with Springfield's money in a suitcase.


Back in Springfield, the monorail leaves the station just before Marge and Cobb arrive. Substandard equipment causes the train to speed around the track, endangering Homer, ] and the passengers. Marge and Cobb contact Homer by radio, and Cobb tells him he must find an anchor to stop the train. Homer improvises by prying loose the metal "M" from the engine's side logo, tying a rope to it, and throwing it from the train. The "M" catches on the donut of the Lard Lad Donut store's sign and the rope holds, stopping the monorail. Nimoy announces that his work is done, and ] objects that Nimoy did not do anything. Nimoy replies "Didn't I?" before ].
Back in Springfield, the monorail has already started its maiden voyage, and malfunctions begin almost immediately. As ] and ] argue about who has the jurisdiction to take control of the emergency, it is left to Homer and ] to save the passengers, which they accomplish by using a crudely-shaped ] (actually the "M" from the monorail) to stop the runaway monorail.


As the passengers disembark, Marge ] that the monorail was the last folly the people of Springfield embarked upon, except for "the popsicle stick skyscraper, and the 50-foot magnifying glass, and that escalator to nowhere."
As for Lanley, his plane makes a forced landing in North Haverbrook, where a mob of disgruntled townsfolk gather to "thank" him.


==Production==
{{endspoiler}}
The episode was written by ],<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season4/page13.shtml|title=Marge vs. the Monorail|work=BBC.co.uk|access-date=February 14, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629180421/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season4/page13.shtml}}</ref> who conceived the idea when he saw a billboard in Los Angeles that just had the word "Monorail" on it, with no other details or explanation.<ref name="Roundtable">{{cite AV media|last=O'Brien|first=Conan|date=2013|title="The Simpsons" Writers Reunion&nbsp;– Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien|url=http://teamcoco.com/video/simpsons-serious-jibber-jabber|medium=Online video|publisher=Team Coco|access-date=April 15, 2013}}</ref> He first pitched this episode at a story retreat to Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who said the episode was a little crazy and thought he should try some other material first. O'Brien had previously pitched episodes where ] and where ]; both went well. ] "absolutely loved" this episode when O'Brien presented it.<ref name="Jean">{{cite AV media|last=Jean|first=Al|date=2004|title=The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref><ref name="Vice">{{cite news|first=Sean|last=Cole|title=An Oral History of 'Marge vs The Monorail', the Episode That Changed 'The Simpsons'|work=]|date=November 5, 2020|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/akdzx5/an-oral-history-of-marge-vs-the-monorail-the-simpsons|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref>


] was not originally considered for the role as the celebrity at the maiden voyage of the monorail, as the writing staff did not think he would accept, because ] had previously turned the show down. Instead, ] was asked to guest star, as he had previously appeared as ] in the ] episode "]". After demanding several script changes,<ref name="Reiss">{{cite AV media|last=Reiss|first=Mike|date=2004|title=The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Takei declined, saying he did not want to make fun of public transportation as he was a member of the board of directors of the ] (now the ]). O'Brien later joked that "we went to the only actor in the world who took monorails seriously."<ref>{{Cite youtube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtJ28qOEG1g |title="The Simpsons" Writers Reunion -- Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien {{!}} CONAN on TBS |date=April 18, 2013 |last=Team Coco |type=Video |time=54:52}}</ref> The staff then went to Nimoy, who accepted.<ref name="Jean"/><ref name="Vice"/> Writer ] said Nimoy was "just very gracious and easy to work with, and a good sport when we went and recorded his voice."<ref name="Vice"/> Nimoy would guest star again as himself in the season 8 episode "]".
==Trivia==
*] says this is his favorite ''Simpsons'' episode (O'Brien also wrote this episode).
*] was asked to guest star but declined, saying he did not want to make fun of public transportation (Takei was a member of the board of directors of the ]). The role was instead given to another '']'' star, ], who made a second appearance in the ] episode "]".
*], Homer's near ], appears here with the gravelly voice of ]; she was previously voiced by ] in the third season episode '']''.
*The three "escalator to nowhere" patrons are ]s of directors ], ], and supervising director ].
*This particular episode was one of many whose content ] wished to duplicate on the '']'' episode "]".
*When released on DVD for The Simpsons Season 4, the episode had two separate commentary tracks. The first is accessed simply by turning the commentaries on in the Main Menu. The second, containing writer ], must be accessed manually by changing the audio to track five.
*A framed painting of the ] can be seen on the doomed monorail. In a more tragic case of life imitating art, next to the Hindenburg is a painting of the ] burning down, eight years before it actually happened.
*According to the Season 4 DVD set, ]'s favorite line from the season comes when Homer says, about a group of ] living in the monorail, "I call the big one Bitey."
*This episode was vaguely mentioned in a scene from the television show "Supernatural" in Season One - Episode 17. The main characters are looking for other towns where strange happenings have occurred, the other towns are, "Brockway, Ogdenville and Northhaverbrook" spoken over the phone from Sam to Dean.


Phil Hartman was cast as Lanley because,<ref name="bbc"/> as Reiss put it, he "was always pretending to be a glad-handing salesman." Martin added, "He was very good at portraying slick, empty people. I think he brought a lot of joy to it."<ref name="Vice"/>
==Cultural References==
*The episode starts with a tribute song to The ] as Homer heads home from work and crashes his car
*The episode is a partial spoof of '']'', with "The Monorail Song" strongly resembling the Music Man's "Trouble".
*When Mr. Burns is brought into the court room, he is restrained in the same way as ] in the film '']''.
*On the Truck-o-Saurus advert, the narrator said that the (impersonated) voice of Truck-o-Saurus was ].
*Lisa imagines interacting with ] via ] helmet.
*According to Lyle Lanley, both the monorail and ] can outrun ].
*Homer sings part of the traditional ] ] "I Gave My Love a Cherry (The Riddle Song)".
*In one scene, Barney Gumble is waving to signal to a crane operator, who is building the monorail, where the track needs to be placed. He sees Homer and waves at him. The crane operator takes this as a signal to drop the track, which he does, subsequently destroying a house. This could be a reference to the film '']'', in which a man directing a taxiing plane is asked where a forklift truck is, and waves his batons in the direction of the forklift, causing the plane, whose pilot takes this as a direction, to crash into a terminal.
*The celebrity on the maiden voyage of the North Haverbrook monorail was ].
*] refers To "Springfield Heights, 90210" a reference to '']''.
*Mayor Quimby confuses '']'', '']'' and '']''.


Director Rich Moore<ref name="bbc"/> and animator David Silverman called the production process for this episode "huge and ambitious". Because of limited design resources, Moore took photos of buildings to use for various shots. The Lanley Institute came from a building in old town ]. Different locations in North Haverbrook were all photos taken around North Hollywood. Moore bypassed the design team and provided the photos directly to background layout artist ].<ref name="Vice"/>
==Quotes==
* ''(in the ] parody)'' (Power Plant Worker blows a whistle thing)<br>'''Homer''': Yabba, dabba doo! (Runs away, skids along a pipe, out a window, and smashes through the window of his car, breaking the glass.)(singing) Simpson, Homer Simpson. He's the greatest guy in history. From the town of Springfield, he's about to hit a chestnut tree!


==Cultural references==
*'''John Truckasaurus''': '']]'' You crazy car, I don't know whether to eat you or kiss you.
O'Brien has explained that the first part of the episode is a loose parody of '']'', his favourite musical,<ref>{{cite web |title=140913 - Conan O'Brien - The Monorail Song @ The Simpsons Take the Hollywood Bowl ~|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x46kEaOvXsM| via=YouTube |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref> with Lyle Lanley based on Harold Hill and "]" inspired by the show's "]".<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="Vice"/> The second half is a parody of the disaster films of ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Conan O’Brien on Writing "Marge vs. the Monorail" for "The Simpsons" | work=] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x46kEaOvXsM|via=YouTube |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref>


The episode starts with a tribute song to '']'' as Homer heads home from work and crashes his car into a ] tree.<ref name="bbc"/> The music that plays as ] moves the barrel of toxic waste is a spoof of the "]" theme from '']''. When Mr. Burns is brought into the courtroom, he is restrained in the same way as ] in the film '']''.<ref name="bbc"/> ] makes a guest appearance as himself. References are made to his role in '']'', and to his role as the host of '']''. Kyle Darren, the caricature of ], star of '']'' is present for the opening of the monorail, as is Lurleen Lumpkin from "]", who says "I spent last night in a ditch."<ref name="leaving74">Mullen, p. 74</ref> Mayor Quimby uses the phrase "]" from the '']'' franchise, confusing it with Nimoy's work on ''Star Trek'' (and—at the same time—believing Nimoy to have been "one of ]").<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nohomers.net/content/info/articles/11.shtml|title=I Bent My Wookiee! Celebrating the Star Wars/Simpsons Connection|access-date=January 15, 2021|date=July 24, 2007|first=Scott|last=Chernoff|publisher=No Homers Club|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724223022/http://starwars.com/community/news/media/f20070724/index.html?page=3|archive-date=July 24, 2011}}</ref> Homer briefly serenades Marge in their bedroom with a line from the folk tune "]".<ref name="IGNFB">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/10/the-simpsons-flashback-marge-vs-the-monorail-review|title=The Simpsons Flashback: "Marge vs. the Monorail" Review|last=Canning|first=Robert|date=June 9, 2009|website=]|access-date=}}</ref> ] and Kyle Darren stand near a picture of the ]. Homer's Monorail conductor uniform is based on uniforms from ''Star Wars''.<ref name="Moore">{{cite AV media|last=Moore|first=Rich|date=2004|title=The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The monorail's logo peels off after it runs amok, revealing the original logo for the ], though that event's train actually used cars suspended from an overhead rail.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldsfairphotos.com/nywf64/monorail.htm|title=The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair|website=Worlds Fair Photos.com|publisher=Bill Cotter|access-date=December 11, 2019}}</ref>
*'''EPA Agent:''' Agent Malone, ]. Some ] stumbled on your little game of "hide the ooze".


==Reception==
*'''Homer''': Heh heh heh. Oh, ], you wife-beating drunk. Heh heh heh.
In its original American broadcast, "Marge vs. the Monorail" finished 30th in the ratings for the week of January 11 to 17, 1993, with a ] of 13.7.<ref name=ratings>{{cite news|title=Nielsen Ratings /Jan. 11–17|date=January 20, 1993|page=C5|work=]}}</ref> The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.<ref name=ratings/>


"Marge vs. the Monorail" has frequently been selected as one of the show's best episodes. In 1998, '']'' included it on its list of top twelve ''Simpsons'' episodes.<ref>{{cite news|title=A Dozen Doozies|work=]|date=January 3–9, 1998|url=http://www.simpsonsarchive.com/other/articles/dozendoozies.html|access-date=January 13, 2019}}</ref> In 2003, '']'' released a list of its Top 25 episodes, ranking this episode in fourth, saying "the episode has arguably the highest throwaway-gag-per-minute ratio of any ''Simpsons'', and all of them are laugh-out-loud funny."<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2003/02/02/best-simpsons-episodes-nos-1-5/|title=The best ''Simpsons'' episodes, Nos. 1-5|magazine=] |access-date=January 15, 2022|archive-date=October 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018160211/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748~3~0~25bestand1,00.html|url-status=dead}} ''EW.com''. Retrieved on February 13, 2007</ref> In his book '']'', ] named the episode as one of his five favorites.{{sfn|Turner|2004}} In 2006, '']'' named the episode the best of the fourth season.<ref name="TV">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/08/the-simpsons-20-seasons-20-episodes|title=The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes|work=IGN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302212129/http://tv.ign.com/articles/731/731095p1.html|archive-date=March 2, 2007|access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> John Ortved of '']'' called it the third-best episode of the show, due to, "An amazing musical number; Leonard Nimoy in a random guest appearance... Besides being replete with excellent jokes, this episode reveals the town's ] and its collective lack of reason. This is the episode that defines Springfield more than any other."<ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Orvted|title=Springfield's Best|work=]|date=July 5, 2007|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/08/top10simpsons200708|access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> In 2010, Michael Moran of '']'' ranked the episode as the ninth best in the show's history.<ref name="Moran"/> In 2019, ] named it among the 10 greatest ''Simpsons'' episodes of all time.<ref name="EntIe">{{cite web|url=https://entertainment.ie/tv/tv-news/10-greatest-the-simpsons-episodes-of-all-time-418495/|title=The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time|last=Molumby|first=Deidre|publisher=]|date=September 6, 2019|access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref> Later that same year, '']'' named it one of the five greatest episodes in ''Simpsons'' history,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/nov/28/the-simpsons-the-five-greatest-episodes-in-the-iconic-shows-history|title=The Simpsons: the five greatest episodes in the iconic show's history|work=]|last=Belam|first=Martin|date=November 28, 2019|access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref> '']'' ranked the episode first in its list of 10 best ''Simpsons'' episodes picked by ''Simpsons'' experts,<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Raisa Bruner|title=We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time|magazine=]|date=December 10, 2019|url=https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/|access-date=2019-12-11}}</ref> and '']'' ranked it second on its list of top 30 ''Simpsons'' episodes.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Simpsons' Top 30 Episodes|url=https://consequence.net/2019/12/the-simpsons-top-30-episodes/|publisher=]|date=2019-12-17|access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref> ], who worked on the show up until the eight season, said that "If a gun was put to my head, and they said, 'Tell me the best episode of television ever,' it’s this. It’s 'Marge vs. the Monorail'."<ref name="Vice" />
*'''Marge:''' I think the money should be spent on something the whole town can be proud of.<br />'''Homer:''' Like a giant billboard that says "no fat chicks!"?


The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "an unsurpassed episode. It's hard to know where to start dishing out the praise—Leonard Nimoy's guest appearance, the Monorail song, Marge's narration, the truck full of popcorn..."<ref name="bbc"/> Robert Canning of ''IGN'' strongly praised the episode, stating "It is by far one of the most loved episodes of ''The Simpsons'' and can safely be called a classic by any fan. From beginning to end, there's joke after joke after hilarious joke. There's nothing in this half-hour that doesn't work, and no matter how many times I watch this episode, it never, ever gets old."<ref name="IGNFB"/> Emily VanDerWerff of '']'' named it the show's best episode, stating "It's the one you think of when you think of a ''Simpsons'' episode", and is "maybe the show's funniest, and it most perfectly encapsulates what may be the show's overriding theme: People are really stupid and self-serving, but if you give them long enough, they'll eventually bumble toward the right answer."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/5-for-the-day-the-simpsons/|title=5 for the Day: The Simpsons|work=]|access-date=January 15, 2022|date=August 1, 2007|author=VanDerWerff, Emily}}</ref> In 2012, "Marge vs. the Monorail" was the second-place finisher in a ''Splitsider'' reader poll to decide on the best episode of any television sitcom, losing to the '']'' episode "]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/03/and-the-best-sitcom-episode-of-all-time-is.html|title=And the Best Sitcom Episode of All Time Is…|last=Frucci|first=Adam|date=March 7, 2012|work=Vulture|access-date=January 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233335/http://splitsider.com/2012/03/and-the-best-sitcom-episode-of-all-time-is/|archive-date=December 30, 2013}}</ref>
*'''Mr. Burns''': Hello, my name is ], and I come from... some place far away. (Yesss, that'll do.) Anyway I say we invest that money back in the nuclear plant.<br />'''Smithers''': I like the way Snrub thinks!


Leonard Nimoy's appearance guest as himself has been praised as being one of the show's best.<ref name="Reiss"/> In a list of the 25 greatest guest voices on the show, released September 5, 2006, ''IGN'' ranked Leonard Nimoy at 11th.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric |last2=Iverson |first2=Dan |last3=Zoromski |first3=Brian |title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/04/top-25-simpsons-guest-appearances |website=IGN |access-date=January 15, 2022 |date=January 4, 2010}}</ref> Nathan Ditum ranked his performance as the 13th-best guest appearance in the show's history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-20-best-simpsons-movie-star-guest-spots/|title=The 20 Best Simpsons Movie-Star Guest Spots|last=Ditum|first=Nathan|date=March 29, 2009|work=]|publisher=GamesRadar|access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> Nimoy made a second guest appearance in ]'s "]".<ref name="IGN"/>
*'''Lyle Lanley''': Y'know, a town with money is a little like the mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it and danged if he knows how to use it.<br />'''Homer''': Heh heh heh... "Mule."<br />'''Lyle Lanley''': The name's Lanley. Lyle Lanley. And I come before you good people tonight with an idea. Probably the greatest... Aw, it's not for you. It's more of a Shelbyville idea.<br />'''Quimby''': Now wait just a minute! We're twice as smart as the people of Shelbyville! Just tell us your idea and we'll vote for it!<br />'''Lyle Lanley''': All right, I tell you what I'll do. I'll show you my idea! I give you the Springfield Monorail! I've sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and by gum, it put them on the map!


Conan O'Brien has said that of all the episodes of ''The Simpsons'' he wrote, this is his favorite.<ref name="O'Brien">{{cite AV media|last=O'Brien|first=Conan|date=2004|title=The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Homer's lines "I call the big one Bitey" and "Donuts, is there anything they can't do?" are among series creator ]'s favorite lines.<ref name="Groening">{{cite AV media|last=Groening|first=Matt|date=2004|title=The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> O'Brien and ] performed the monorail song live at the ] from September 12–14, 2014, as part of the show "The Simpsons Take The Bowl".<ref>{{cite news|last=Whitney|first=Erin|date=September 13, 2014|title=Here's Conan O'Brien Performing 'The Monorail Song' At 'The Simpsons' Hollywood Bowl Show|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/simpsons-monorail-song-conan_n_5815790|newspaper=HuffPost|access-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref> When ''The Simpsons'' began streaming on ] in 2019, former ''Simpsons'' writer and executive producer ] named the episode as one of the best classic Simpsons episodes to watch on the service.<ref>{{cite news|last=Katz|first=Mathew|title=The best classic Simpsons episodes on Disney+|work=]|date=November 11, 2019|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/best-classic-simpsons-episodes-disney-plus/}}</ref>
*''Lyle Lanley speaks to ] second grade class''<br />'''Lisa:''' Mr. Lanley, I would like to know why a small town with a centralized population would need a mass transit system. <br/> '''Lanley:''' Young lady, that is the most intelligent question I've ever been asked.<br/>'''Lisa:''' Really? <br/> '''Lanley:''' Oh, I could give you an answer, but the only one who would understand it would be you and me ''(leans in)'' and that includes your teacher. ''(Lisa giggles)'' Let's keep it going. You there, eating the paste.


'']'' references "Marge vs. the Monorail" in the episode "]" when ] says that places attacked by the monster included Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, all towns mentioned in the song Lyle Lanley uses to persuade Springfield to purchase a monorail.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/supernatural-easter-eggs-references-things-missed/|title=20 Things You Completely Missed In Supernatural|last=Bruce|first=Amanda|date=January 18, 2018|website=Screen Rant}}</ref>
*''Homer is watching TV when a commercial comes on. It depicts a man bearing a strong resemblance to Homer at this very moment''<br/>'''Lyle Lanley:''' Are you stuck in a dead-end job?<br/>'''Homer:''' Maybe! <br/> '''Lyle Lanley:''' Are you wasting away the precious gift of life in front of the idiot box?<br/>'''Homer:''' What's it to ya?! <br/> '''Lyle Lanley:''' Are you on your third beer of the evening? <br/> '''Homer:''' Does ] count as beer? <br/> '''Lyle Lanley:''' Then perhaps you should join the exciting field of monorail conducting by enrolling at the Lanley Institute! <br/> ''(photograph shows an impressive building)'' <br/> '''Disclaimer:''' Actual institute may not match photograph.


Conversely, the episode was not initially well received by many fans of the show's earlier seasons, as it was a particularly absurd early example of the show taking a more joke-based cartoon approach to comedy, rather than the more realistic situational style of comedy it had employed in its first few years. In 1995, during the production of the ], ] said of the episode as "truly one of our worst—we all agree".<ref name="Schembri"/>
*'''Bart''': Y'know? I used to think you were stuck in an emasculating, go-nowhere job.<br />'''Homer''': Heh, heh… Kids.<br />'''Bart''': But now, I want to follow in your footsteps.<br />'''Homer''': Do you want to change your name to Homer Junior? The kids can call you ''Ho-Ju''!<br />'''Bart''': I'll get back to you.


The Monorail Society, an organization with 14,000 members worldwide, has blamed the episode for sullying the reputation of monorails,<ref>{{cite web|title=Marge vs. the Monorail|url=https://www.monorails.org/tMspages/msvsmr.html|publisher=The Monorail Society|access-date=February 24, 2021}}</ref> to which ''Simpsons'' creator ] responded in 2021, "That's a by-product of our viciousness... Monorails are great, so it makes me sad, but at the same time if something's going to happen in The Simpsons, it's going to go wrong, right?"<ref>{{cite news|last=Chalk|first=Will|title=The Simpsons creator Matt Groening on equality, memes and monorails|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-56024683|access-date=February 24, 2021|publisher=BBC News|date=February 24, 2021}}</ref>
*'''Marge''': According to this book, the monorail goes over 150 miles an hour! What if something goes wrong?<br />'''Homer''': '''' "What if." What if I stepped in the shower and slipped on a bar of soap?...'''' Oh, my God! I could be killed!


In '']'', Nathan Rabin writes of the episode's throwaway gags: "it’s a testament to the depth and richness of the fourth season of ''The Simpsons'' that it could come up with something as awesome as a mutated squirrel with laser eyes solely for the sake of a three-second gag." He concludes this review celebrating the episode's writer O'Brien, noting that the episode "gave Americans an early glimpse inside the beautiful mind and wonderfully warped sensibility of a comedy icon who would go on to become the most successful ''Simpsons'' alum of all time (with the possible exception of ]) as well as a goddamned American treasure."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |date=June 24, 2012 |title=The Simpsons (Classic): Marge vs. the Monorail |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-marge-vs-the-monorail-1798173292}}</ref>
*'''Marge''': Homer, there's a family of possums in here.<br />'''Homer''': I call the big one "Bitey."<br />''(] has said this was his favorite Simpsons line from season 4, written by ])''


==See also==
*''Leonard Nimoy is the grandmaster of the monorail unveiling:''<br />'''Leonard Nimoy''': I'd say this vessel could do at least ]. <br />'''Mayor Quimby''': And let me say, "May ] be with you."<br />'''Leonard Nimoy''': Do you even know who I ''am''?<br />'''Mayor Quimby''': I think I do. Weren't you one of the ]?
{{Portal|The Simpsons}}
* ], where episode writer Conan O'Brien performed a parody of "]"
* ]


==References==
*'''Quimby''': Watch it, you walking tub of donut batter!<br />'''Wiggum''': Hey, I got pictures of you, Quimby.<br />'''Quimby''': You don't scare me. That could be ''anyone's'' ass!
{{Reflist|2}}
*'''Wiggum:''' The town charter says that in an emergency, I run the show! <br/> '''Quimby:''' We'll see about that! To Town Hall! <br/> '''Wiggum:''' Fine! ''(calm)'' Should we take one car, or should I follow you?
;Bibliography

{{refbegin}}
*<br />'''Wiggum:''' Hey, it says that as chief constable I'm entitled to a pig every month. And "two comely lasses of virtue true."<br />'''Quimby:''' Keep the pig. How many broads do I get? ''(grabs the charter)''<br/>'''Wiggum:''' Hey, let go! You're rippin' it! <br/> '''Quimby:''' No, you are! <br/> '''Wiggum:''' No, you are! <br/> '''Quimby:''' Let go! That's the charter!
* {{cite book|last=Groening|first=Matt|authorlink=Matt Groening|editor1-first=Ray|editor1-last=Richmond|editor1-link=Ray Richmond|editor2-first=Antonia|editor2-last=Coffman|title=The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|title-link=The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|edition=1st|date=1997|location=New York|publisher=]|lccn=98141857|ol=433519M|oclc=37796735|isbn=978-0-06-095252-5|ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}}}

* {{cite book|last=Mullen|first=Megan|editor1-first=John|editor1-last=Alberti|title=]|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n6vZJnxK1XYC&q=Leaving+Springfield|access-date=February 27, 2009|date=2004|publisher=Wayne State University Press|isbn=0-8143-2849-0|chapter=''The Simpsons'' and Hanna-Barbera's Animation Legacy}}
*'''] 1:''' I got it! We can just shut off the power! <br/> '''Technician 2:''' No such luck. It's ]ed. <br/> '''Technician 1:''' '''' Solar power. When will people ''learn''?
* {{cite book|last=Turner|first=Chris|authorlink=Chris Turner (author)|title=Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation|title-link=Planet Simpson|others=Foreword by ].|edition=1st|date=2004|location=Toronto|publisher=]|oclc=55682258|isbn=978-0-679-31318-2}}
*<br />'''Leonard Nimoy''': A solar eclipse. The cosmic ballet... goes on.<br />'''Passenger''' (''sitting next to him''): Does anyone wanna switch seats?
{{refend}}

*'''Captain''': Folks, this is your captain speaking. Our non-stop flight to Tahiti will be making a brief layover in North Haverbrook.<br />'''Lyle Lanley''': North Haverbrook. Where've I heard that name before? '''' Oh no. '''' OH NO!<br />''''</br>'''Member of angry mob''': THERE HE IS! SEAT 3-F!</br> ''''

*'''Homer''': Are we gonna die, son?<br />'''Bart''': Yeah, but at least we're going to take a lot of innocent people with us.

*'''Marge''': Homer, there's a man here who thinks he can help you!<br />'''Homer''': ]?!<br />'''Marge''': No, he's a scientist.<br />'''Homer''': Batman's a scientist.<br />'''Marge''': It's not Batman!

*'''Marge''': How fast are they going?<br />'''Homer''': Eeeeeyaaaaaaai! ''(super fast as monorail whizzes by platform)''<br />'''Cobb:''' Well, judging by your husband's cowardly scream, <span title="289.7 km/h">a hundred eighty miles an hour.</span><br />(Marge gasps)<br />'''Homer''': Eeeeeyaaaaaaai! ''(super fast as monorail whizzes by platform again)''

*'''Marge:''' We're too late!<br/>'''Cobb:''' I ''shouldn't'' have stopped for that haircut. Sorry.

*'''Sea Captain''': Arr! Ya'call that an anchor?

*'''Homer''': Doughnuts... is there anything they can't do?

*<br />'''Leonard Nimoy''': Well, my work is done here.<br />'''Barney''': What do you mean your work is done? You didn't do anything!<br />'''Leonard Nimoy''': Didn't I? ]'']

*'''Marge''': ''(in reference to the monorail)'' And that was the only folly the people of ] ever embarked upon. Except for the popsicle stick skyscraper. And the 50-foot magnifying glass. And that escalator to nowhere.

==See also==
* '']'' — The 1997 album that contains the ''Monorail'' Song.


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikiquote|The Simpsons/Season 4#Marge vs. the Monorail|"Marge vs. the Monorail"}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{snpp capsule|9F10}} * {{Snpp capsule|9F10}}
* {{IMDb episode | id= 0701173 }}
* Find ''Monorail'' at at ]
* at ]


{{The Simpsons}} {{The Simpsons episodes|4}}
{{The Music Man}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Marge Vs. The Monorail}}
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Latest revision as of 01:57, 16 December 2024

12th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons
"Marge vs. the Monorail"
The Simpsons episode
Promotional artwork for the episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 12
Directed byRich Moore
Written byConan O'Brien
Featured music"The Monorail Song"
by Conan O'Brien and Al Jean
Production code9F10
Original air dateJanuary 14, 1993 (1993-01-14)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag"I will not eat things for money"
Couch gagThe Simpsons sit on the couch, followed by four rows of Springfield's residents sitting in front of the family.
CommentaryMatt Groening
Al Jean
Mike Reiss
Rich Moore
David Silverman
Conan O'Brien
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Homer's Triple Bypass" 		Next →
"Selma's Choice"
The Simpsons season 4
List of episodes

"Marge vs. the Monorail" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 14, 1993. The plot revolves around Springfield's impulse purchase of a faulty monorail from a conman, and how it subsequently falls to Marge to stop the train from destroying the town.

The episode was written by Conan O'Brien and directed by Rich Moore. Recurring guest star Phil Hartman provided the voice of Lyle Lanley, while Leonard Nimoy made a guest appearance as himself. "Marge vs. the Monorail" has been widely praised by fans and critics and is generally considered one of the best episodes of The Simpsons. Showrunner Josh Weinstein called it "the best episode of television ever". O'Brien has said that, of the episodes he wrote, this was his favorite. Nimoy's unexpected guest appearance was also widely praised. Despite this, the episode attracted some criticism when it was first aired due to the somewhat abstract and less situational nature of the plot, particularly from voice actor Yeardley Smith who in 1995 described the episode as "truly one of our worst".

Plot

When the Environmental Protection Agency fines Mr. Burns $3 million for dumping nuclear waste in a Springfield park, a town meeting is held to decide how to spend the money. Marge nearly persuades the townspeople to repair Springfield's heavily damaged Main Street, but fast-talking salesman Lyle Lanley leads a song-and-dance routine that convinces them to build a monorail.

After running a questionable training program, Lanley randomly selects Homer as the monorail's conductor. A suspicious Marge visits Lanley's office and discovers he plans to skim money from the project and then leave Springfield. Marge drives to North Haverbrook, a previous purchaser of one of Lanley's monorails, and finds it in ruins.

Marge meets Sebastian Cobb, the engineer who designed North Haverbrook's monorail. Cobb confirms that all of Lanley's monorail projects are scams and offers to help Marge prevent Springfield from suffering the same fate. At the Springfield monorail's inaugural run, Lanley arranges for Leonard Nimoy to be present at a well-attended opening ceremony, which is a diversion that enables Lanley to escape on a plane to Tahiti. When the flight makes an unexpected stopover in North Haverbrook, the town's residents attack Lanley in revenge.

Back in Springfield, the monorail leaves the station just before Marge and Cobb arrive. Substandard equipment causes the train to speed around the track, endangering Homer, Bart and the passengers. Marge and Cobb contact Homer by radio, and Cobb tells him he must find an anchor to stop the train. Homer improvises by prying loose the metal "M" from the engine's side logo, tying a rope to it, and throwing it from the train. The "M" catches on the donut of the Lard Lad Donut store's sign and the rope holds, stopping the monorail. Nimoy announces that his work is done, and Barney objects that Nimoy did not do anything. Nimoy replies "Didn't I?" before beaming away.

As the passengers disembark, Marge narrates that the monorail was the last folly the people of Springfield embarked upon, except for "the popsicle stick skyscraper, and the 50-foot magnifying glass, and that escalator to nowhere."

Production

The episode was written by Conan O'Brien, who conceived the idea when he saw a billboard in Los Angeles that just had the word "Monorail" on it, with no other details or explanation. He first pitched this episode at a story retreat to Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who said the episode was a little crazy and thought he should try some other material first. O'Brien had previously pitched episodes where Lisa had a rival and where Marge gets a job at the power plant and Mr. Burns falls in love with her; both went well. James L. Brooks "absolutely loved" this episode when O'Brien presented it.

Leonard Nimoy was not originally considered for the role as the celebrity at the maiden voyage of the monorail, as the writing staff did not think he would accept, because William Shatner had previously turned the show down. Instead, George Takei was asked to guest star, as he had previously appeared as Akira in the second season episode "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish". After demanding several script changes, Takei declined, saying he did not want to make fun of public transportation as he was a member of the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District (now the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority). O'Brien later joked that "we went to the only actor in the world who took monorails seriously." The staff then went to Nimoy, who accepted. Writer Jeff Martin said Nimoy was "just very gracious and easy to work with, and a good sport when we went and recorded his voice." Nimoy would guest star again as himself in the season 8 episode "The Springfield Files".

Phil Hartman was cast as Lanley because, as Reiss put it, he "was always pretending to be a glad-handing salesman." Martin added, "He was very good at portraying slick, empty people. I think he brought a lot of joy to it."

Director Rich Moore and animator David Silverman called the production process for this episode "huge and ambitious". Because of limited design resources, Moore took photos of buildings to use for various shots. The Lanley Institute came from a building in old town Pasadena. Different locations in North Haverbrook were all photos taken around North Hollywood. Moore bypassed the design team and provided the photos directly to background layout artist Nancy Kruse.

Cultural references

O'Brien has explained that the first part of the episode is a loose parody of The Music Man, his favourite musical, with Lyle Lanley based on Harold Hill and "The Monorail Song" inspired by the show's "Ya Got Trouble". The second half is a parody of the disaster films of Irwin Allen.

The episode starts with a tribute song to The Flintstones as Homer heads home from work and crashes his car into a chestnut tree. The music that plays as Smithers moves the barrel of toxic waste is a spoof of the "Axel F" theme from Beverly Hills Cop. When Mr. Burns is brought into the courtroom, he is restrained in the same way as Hannibal Lecter in the film The Silence of the Lambs. Leonard Nimoy makes a guest appearance as himself. References are made to his role in Star Trek: The Original Series, and to his role as the host of In Search of.... Kyle Darren, the caricature of Luke Perry, star of Beverly Hills, 90210 is present for the opening of the monorail, as is Lurleen Lumpkin from "Colonel Homer", who says "I spent last night in a ditch." Mayor Quimby uses the phrase "May the Force be with you" from the Star Wars franchise, confusing it with Nimoy's work on Star Trek (and—at the same time—believing Nimoy to have been "one of The Little Rascals"). Homer briefly serenades Marge in their bedroom with a line from the folk tune "The Riddle Song". Kent Brockman and Kyle Darren stand near a picture of the Hindenburg. Homer's Monorail conductor uniform is based on uniforms from Star Wars. The monorail's logo peels off after it runs amok, revealing the original logo for the 1964 World's Fair, though that event's train actually used cars suspended from an overhead rail.

Reception

In its original American broadcast, "Marge vs. the Monorail" finished 30th in the ratings for the week of January 11 to 17, 1993, with a Nielsen rating of 13.7. The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.

"Marge vs. the Monorail" has frequently been selected as one of the show's best episodes. In 1998, TV Guide included it on its list of top twelve Simpsons episodes. In 2003, Entertainment Weekly released a list of its Top 25 episodes, ranking this episode in fourth, saying "the episode has arguably the highest throwaway-gag-per-minute ratio of any Simpsons, and all of them are laugh-out-loud funny." In his book Planet Simpson, Chris Turner named the episode as one of his five favorites. In 2006, IGN named the episode the best of the fourth season. John Ortved of Vanity Fair called it the third-best episode of the show, due to, "An amazing musical number; Leonard Nimoy in a random guest appearance... Besides being replete with excellent jokes, this episode reveals the town's mob mentality and its collective lack of reason. This is the episode that defines Springfield more than any other." In 2010, Michael Moran of The Times ranked the episode as the ninth best in the show's history. In 2019, Entertainment.ie named it among the 10 greatest Simpsons episodes of all time. Later that same year, The Guardian named it one of the five greatest episodes in Simpsons history, Time ranked the episode first in its list of 10 best Simpsons episodes picked by Simpsons experts, and Consequence ranked it second on its list of top 30 Simpsons episodes. Josh Weinstein, who worked on the show up until the eight season, said that "If a gun was put to my head, and they said, 'Tell me the best episode of television ever,' it’s this. It’s 'Marge vs. the Monorail'."

The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "an unsurpassed episode. It's hard to know where to start dishing out the praise—Leonard Nimoy's guest appearance, the Monorail song, Marge's narration, the truck full of popcorn..." Robert Canning of IGN strongly praised the episode, stating "It is by far one of the most loved episodes of The Simpsons and can safely be called a classic by any fan. From beginning to end, there's joke after joke after hilarious joke. There's nothing in this half-hour that doesn't work, and no matter how many times I watch this episode, it never, ever gets old." Emily VanDerWerff of Slant Magazine named it the show's best episode, stating "It's the one you think of when you think of a Simpsons episode", and is "maybe the show's funniest, and it most perfectly encapsulates what may be the show's overriding theme: People are really stupid and self-serving, but if you give them long enough, they'll eventually bumble toward the right answer." In 2012, "Marge vs. the Monorail" was the second-place finisher in a Splitsider reader poll to decide on the best episode of any television sitcom, losing to the Community episode "Remedial Chaos Theory".

Leonard Nimoy's appearance guest as himself has been praised as being one of the show's best. In a list of the 25 greatest guest voices on the show, released September 5, 2006, IGN ranked Leonard Nimoy at 11th. Nathan Ditum ranked his performance as the 13th-best guest appearance in the show's history. Nimoy made a second guest appearance in season eight's "The Springfield Files".

Conan O'Brien has said that of all the episodes of The Simpsons he wrote, this is his favorite. Homer's lines "I call the big one Bitey" and "Donuts, is there anything they can't do?" are among series creator Matt Groening's favorite lines. O'Brien and Hank Azaria performed the monorail song live at the Hollywood Bowl from September 12–14, 2014, as part of the show "The Simpsons Take The Bowl". When The Simpsons began streaming on Disney+ in 2019, former Simpsons writer and executive producer Bill Oakley named the episode as one of the best classic Simpsons episodes to watch on the service.

Supernatural references "Marge vs. the Monorail" in the episode "Something Wicked" when Sam Winchester says that places attacked by the monster included Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, all towns mentioned in the song Lyle Lanley uses to persuade Springfield to purchase a monorail.

Conversely, the episode was not initially well received by many fans of the show's earlier seasons, as it was a particularly absurd early example of the show taking a more joke-based cartoon approach to comedy, rather than the more realistic situational style of comedy it had employed in its first few years. In 1995, during the production of the seventh season, Yeardley Smith said of the episode as "truly one of our worst—we all agree".

The Monorail Society, an organization with 14,000 members worldwide, has blamed the episode for sullying the reputation of monorails, to which Simpsons creator Matt Groening responded in 2021, "That's a by-product of our viciousness... Monorails are great, so it makes me sad, but at the same time if something's going to happen in The Simpsons, it's going to go wrong, right?"

In The A.V. Club, Nathan Rabin writes of the episode's throwaway gags: "it’s a testament to the depth and richness of the fourth season of The Simpsons that it could come up with something as awesome as a mutated squirrel with laser eyes solely for the sake of a three-second gag." He concludes this review celebrating the episode's writer O'Brien, noting that the episode "gave Americans an early glimpse inside the beautiful mind and wonderfully warped sensibility of a comedy icon who would go on to become the most successful Simpsons alum of all time (with the possible exception of Brad Bird) as well as a goddamned American treasure."

See also

References

  1. Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0495-2.
  2. ^ "Marge vs. the Monorail". BBC.co.uk. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2007.
  3. ^ Moran, Michael (January 14, 2010). "The 10 best Simpsons episodes ever". The Times. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  4. ^ Cole, Sean (November 5, 2020). "An Oral History of 'Marge vs The Monorail', the Episode That Changed 'The Simpsons'". Vice. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  5. ^ O'Brien, Conan (2004). The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^ Reiss, Mike (2004). The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ^ Schembri, Jim (July 6, 1995). "My life as Lisa". The Age (Green Guide). Melbourne, VIC. p. 10.
  8. O'Brien, Conan (2013). "The Simpsons" Writers Reunion – Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien (Online video). Team Coco. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  9. ^ Jean, Al (2004). The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  10. Team Coco (April 18, 2013). "The Simpsons" Writers Reunion -- Serious Jibber-Jabber with Conan O'Brien | CONAN on TBS (Video). Event occurs at 54:52.
  11. "140913 - Conan O'Brien - The Monorail Song @ The Simpsons Take the Hollywood Bowl ~". Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via YouTube.
  12. "Conan O'Brien on Writing "Marge vs. the Monorail" for "The Simpsons"". The Howard Stern Show. Retrieved April 15, 2024 – via YouTube.
  13. Mullen, p. 74
  14. Chernoff, Scott (July 24, 2007). "I Bent My Wookiee! Celebrating the Star Wars/Simpsons Connection". No Homers Club. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  15. ^ Canning, Robert (June 9, 2009). "The Simpsons Flashback: "Marge vs. the Monorail" Review". IGN.
  16. Moore, Rich (2004). The Simpsons season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  17. "The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair". Worlds Fair Photos.com. Bill Cotter. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  18. ^ "Nielsen Ratings /Jan. 11–17". Long Beach Press-Telegram. January 20, 1993. p. C5.
  19. "A Dozen Doozies". TV Guide. January 3–9, 1998. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  20. "The best Simpsons episodes, Nos. 1-5". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2022. EW.com. Retrieved on February 13, 2007
  21. Turner 2004.
  22. "The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes". IGN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  23. Orvted, John (July 5, 2007). "Springfield's Best". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  24. Molumby, Deidre (September 6, 2019). "The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time". Entertainment.ie. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  25. Belam, Martin (November 28, 2019). "The Simpsons: the five greatest episodes in the iconic show's history". The Guardian. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  26. Raisa Bruner (December 10, 2019). "We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time". Time. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  27. "The Simpsons' Top 30 Episodes". Consequence of Sound. December 17, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  28. VanDerWerff, Emily (August 1, 2007). "5 for the Day: The Simpsons". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  29. Frucci, Adam (March 7, 2012). "And the Best Sitcom Episode of All Time Is…". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
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Bibliography

External links

The Simpsons episodes
Seasons 1–20
1
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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14
15
16
17
18
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20
Season 21–present
21
22
23
24
25
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31
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35
36
Season 4
Themed episodes
See also
Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey's The Music Man (1957)
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