Wikipedia

Mr. Plow

"Mr. Plow"is the ninth episode of thefourth seasonof the American animated television seriesThe Simpsons.It originally aired onFoxin the United States on November 19, 1992. In the episode,Homerbuys asnowplowand starts a business plowing driveways. It is a huge success, and inspired by this,Barney Gumblestarts a rival company and quickly puts Homer out of business.[3]

"Mr. Plow"
The Simpsonsepisode
Promotional artwork for the episode, featuringBarney Gumble,Homer Simpson,Linda RonstadtandAdam West
Episodeno.Season 4
Episode 9
Directed byJim Reardon
Written byJon Vitti
Production code9F07
Original air dateNovember 19, 1992(1992-11-19)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag"A burp is not an answer"[2]
Couch gagThe family runs in and sits on a small wooden chair.[1]
CommentaryMatt Groening
Al Jean
Jon Vitti
Jim Reardon
Episode chronology
←Previous
"New Kid on the Block" 		Next→
"Lisa's First Word"
The Simpsonsseason 4
List of episodes

The episode was written byJon Vittiand directed byJim Reardon.The episode was well received, with some critics calling it one of the best in the show's history.

Dan Castellanetawon his second consecutive Emmy Award for "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance"for this episode (Castellaneta performs the voice of both Homer and Barney in the series). The episode was also submitted in the"Outstanding Comedy Series"category although ultimately it was not nominated.

Plot

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After crashing intoMarge's car on a snowy night,Homerhas to purchase a replacement car. The Simpsons go to a car show where a salesman convinces Homer to buy a pickup truck mounted with asnowplowby saying Homer can make the payments by plowing people's driveways. Homer starts a plowing business called Mr. Plow but has trouble finding customers untilLisasuggests recording a commercial and airing it on public television. The resulting commercial attracts many customers and the business becomes highly successful. Homer is given thekey to the cityin recognition of his service.

Barney,envious of Homer's success, starts a rival business called Plow King. Barney advertises his business with a commercial featuring a jingle sung byLinda Ronstadt.Homer pays an agency to make him a new commercial, but the new commercial is perplexing and does not sufficiently advertise Homer's business. As a result, Barney becomes much more successful than Homer.Mayor Quimbyrevokes Homer's key to the city and gives it to Barney.

To get revenge on Barney and revitalize his own business, Homer tricks Barney into plowing a non-existent driveway on Widow's Peak, a large, treacherous mountain outside of town. After a day of successfully plowing Springfield citizens' driveways, Homer sees a news report that says Barney is trapped in an avalanche on Widow's Peak. Feeling guilty and fearful for Barney's life, Homer drives to the mountain and rescues Barney. Barney and Homer reconcile and agree to become business partners. However, after Homer says, "When two best friends work together, not evenGodhimself can stop them! ", an angeredGodpromptly retaliates by increasing the outside temperature, melting all the snow and effectively putting both Homer and Barney out of business. Since Homer can no longer make the snowplow payments, his plow is repossessed, but he keeps the Mr. Plow jacket to wear to bed because he knows itarousesMarge.

Production

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On the telephone, Homer pretends to be actorTony Dow,and calls people gay. This joke was originally going to be censored for legal reasons.

When the episode was being written, many writers'contractshad expired, so some writers were not at the annual story retreat.Al Jeanwas very nervous about how they could write a whole new season with such a small crew. In addition, there were several scenes added after theanimatic,making the schedule even tighter.[4]However, Jon Vitti was very committed to this episode and pitched almost the entire plot by himself.[5]

It was Vitti's idea to haveAdam Westat the car show, as he wanted to finally meet him.[6]The other writers agreed because they were all big fans ofBatmanas children and also wanted to meet West.Matt Groeningsaid that West was one of the most popular people to ever come to the studio.[7]Linda Ronstadtwas recorded inSan Francisco.Vitti was tasked with recording Ronstadt, and enjoyed it immensely. He said the most beautiful thing he has ever heard is Ronstadt singing the Spanish Plow King jingle.

Two more script changes that put extra pressure on the episode were a post-animatic rewrite and a complete character change. In the original script for the episode,Lennywas going to be Homer's rival, the Plow King. The idea was quickly dropped because it did not seem to fit in.[citation needed]The post-animatic rewrite was to include the joke in which Homer uses the radio dial to tip the precariously balanced plow back onto the road. This joke was pitched byConan O'Brien,and the writers liked it so much that they added it to the episode.[8]

TheSimpsonsteam encountered trouble with the networkcensorsin the scene where Homer answers the phone and pretends to beTony DowfromLeave it to Beaver.After a brief pause, Homer replies to an inquiry by the person on the phone with "Yeah, they weregay."The censors refused to allow the line to be aired, fearinglegal recourseforlibel.TheSimpsonscrew protested, arguing that no one in particular was being implied, and that the "they" could be anybody. After numerous phone calls and arguments, the censors allowed the joke to air.[9]

Cultural references

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The episode parodiesWalter Cronkite's reporting of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

TheCarnival of the Starsshow seen at the start of the episode is a parody ofCircus of the Stars,an annual special that aired onCBSfrom 1976 to 1994, which featured celebrities performing circus acts.[5]Troy McClureis broadcasting fromMolokai,adding "It's not just for lepers anymore!" "Mr. Plow" contains several references that Al Jean called "very obscure". In the scene of Kent Brockman reporting Barney's accident, his attire (including glasses) and facial expressions are similar toWalter Cronkite's when reporting theKennedy assassination.[5]The scene where Homer drives over a rickety bridge in the mountains is a parody of a climactic scene fromWilliam Friedkin'sSorcerer(1977), including music similar toTangerine Dream's score for the film.[5]

The revamped Mr. Plow commercial is a parody of a similar perfume commercial that aired at the time of the episode's production. The fast-moving clouds were taken from the documentaryKoyaanisqatsi.[5]The music in the commercial was a Russian recording of "Casta Diva" fromVincenzo Bellini'sNorma.At the time the episode was made, Russia did not abide by Americancopyrightlaws and America did not respect Russia's copyright laws, so they would not have to pay to use the recording.[6]The shattered snowglobe is an allusion toCitizen Kane(1941). Homer's original jingle, "Call Mr. Plow, that's my name, that name again is Mr. Plow!", is based on a radio jingle for theRoto-Rooter,which had a similar tune, "Call Roto-Rooter, that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain."[6]

Adam Westplays himself and is first seen signing autographs at a car show. When West says he is Batman and worked with Robin,Bartsays he doesn't know who Robin is, and West goes on a tangent about how he was disappointed by thenewer Batman movieswhere the actor suited up with prosthetic chests.[10]Linda Ronstadt's desire to record a Spanish version of the Plow King jingle, along with hermariachicostume in Barney's commercial, are references to her recording several popular Spanish-language albums celebrating the music ofMexico,beginning withCanciones de Mi Padre.The McMahon & Tate advertising firm is a reference toBewitched.The scene of Barney's gradual descent into a drunk is a parody of the transformation sequence inDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(1941).[5]The scene of Bart being pelted with snowballs is a reference to theSonny Corleonetollbooth shooting scene inThe Godfather(1972).[4]When Moe offers free beer to Homer, Barney mentions that he hadn't done that for theIranian hostages.Thesnowmenmelting during the heatwave is a reference to the meltingNazisat the end ofRaiders of the Lost Ark.[4]

Reception

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In its original broadcast, "Mr. Plow" finished 23rd in ratings for the week of November 16–22, 1992, with aNielsen ratingof 14.6, equivalent to approximately 13.6 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, beatingMarried... with Children.[11]

In 1993, Dan Castellaneta won anEmmy Awardfor "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance"for his performance as Homer in this episode. It was his second consecutive Emmy, as he had also won in the same category the previous year.[12]In 1993, "Mr. Plow" and "A Streetcar Named Marge"were submitted for thePrimetime Emmy Awardfor "Outstanding Comedy Series".TheSimpsons' staff had previously submitted episodes for "Outstanding Animated Program",winning twice, but that season they took a chance with the main comedy category. However, the Emmy voters were hesitant to pit cartoons against live action programs, andThe Simpsonsdid not receive a nomination. TheSimpsons' crew submitted episodes for Outstanding Comedy Series the next season, but again these were not nominated.[5]Since then, the show has submitted episodes in the animation category and has won eight times.[12]

In 2003, the episode was placed sixth onEntertainment Weekly's top 25The Simpsonsepisode list.[13]In June 2009, Robert Canning ofIGNgave the episode a score of 9.8 out of 10 and said it was "a fantastic episode that told an engaging story and was laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish. [...] There was a fun, engaging story, great guest stars poking fun at themselves, flashbacks, songs, cutaways and opportunities to highlight characters outside the series' namesake family."[14]

In January 2010, Michael Moran ofThe Timesranked the episode as the second best in the show's history.[15]Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the bookI Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide,enjoyed the episode. They said that it is: "A good one. The highlights; the TV showCarnival of Stars,featuring Angela Lansbury walking on hot coals ('Excitement, she wrote!'), Homer's flashback to all he's done for Barney, and best of all, the McMahon & Tate ad agency's arty commercial for Mr. Plow. "[1]In June 2012, Nathan Rabin ofThe A.V. Clubstated that the episode "isn't just spectacularly funny and filled with classic bits: it also foretells the future. Not bad for an animated cartoon from the 1990s."[16]

When asked to pick his favourite season out ofThe Simpsonsseasonsonethroughtwenty,Paul Lane of theNiagara Gazettepicked season four and highlighted "Brother from the Same Planet"and" Mr. Plow "which he called" excellent ", along with" the sweetly funny ""Lisa's First Word",and"Homer the Heretic".[17]The episode's reference toThe Godfatherwas named the 37th greatest film reference in the history of the show byTotal Film's Nathan Ditum.[18]Ditum also ranked West's performance as the seventh-best guest appearance in the show's history.[19]

WhenThe Simpsonsbegan streaming onDisney+in 2019, formerSimpsonswriter and executive producerBill Oakleynamed this one of the best classic Simpsons episodes to watch on the service.[20]

Legacy

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On December 17, 2015,GoogleandYouTubemodernized the episode and its "Mr. Plow" jingle for use in a commercial in which Lisa uses the website on her computer to place Homer's advertisement onto its YouTube campaign.[21][22]

References

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  1. ^abcdeMartyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000)."Mr. Plow".BBC.Archived fromthe originalon April 28, 2004.RetrievedOctober 19,2007.
  2. ^Groening, Matt(1997).Richmond, Ray;Coffman, Antonia (eds.).The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family(1st ed.). New York:HarperPerennial.p.101.ISBN978-0-06-095252-5.LCCN98141857.OCLC37796735.OL433519M..
  3. ^Groening, Matt; Vitti, Jon; Reardon, Jim (2004).The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Plow"(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. ^abcReardon, Jim (2004).The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Plow"(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. ^abcdefgJean, Al (2004).The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Plow"(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^abcVitti, Jon (2004).The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Plow"(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ^Groening, Matt (2004).The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Plow"(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  8. ^Jean, Al; Reardon, Jim; Vitti, Jon (2004).The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Plow"(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  9. ^Jean, Al; Vitti, Jon (2004).The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Plow"(DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  10. ^Wilkinson, Alissa (June 10, 2017)."7 times Adam West played" Adam West, "and it was great".Vox.Archivedfrom the original on December 31, 2023.RetrievedAugust 31,2024.
  11. ^Moore, Frazier(November 28, 1992). "ABC is first in November sweeps race".Sun-Sentinel.p. 3D.
  12. ^ab"Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search".Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2009.RetrievedOctober 24,2007.
  13. ^"The Family Dynamic (The best" Simpsons "episodes, Nos. 6-10)".Entertainment Weekly.February 2, 2003.Archivedfrom the original on February 4, 2009.RetrievedDecember 19,2015.
  14. ^Canning, Robert (June 2, 2009)."The Simpsons Flashback: 'Mr. Plow' Review".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on December 24, 2015.RetrievedDecember 19,2015.
  15. ^Moran, Michael (January 14, 2010)."The 10 best Simpsons episodes ever".The Times.Archived fromthe originalon June 15, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  16. ^Rabin, Nathan (June 3, 2012)."The Simpsons (Classic): 'Mr. Plow'".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on April 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  17. ^Dzikiy, Phil; Paul Lane (September 25, 2008). "TELEVISION: 20 years — A 'Simpsons' extravaganza".Niagara Gazette.
  18. ^Ditum, Nathan (June 6, 2009)."The 50 Greatest Simpsons Movie References".Total Film.GamesRadar.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  19. ^Ditum, Nathan (March 29, 2009)."The 20 Best Simpsons Movie-Star Guest Spots".Total Film.GamesRadar.Archivedfrom the original on March 6, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  20. ^Katz, Mathew (November 11, 2019)."The best classic Simpsons episodes on Disney+".Digital Trends.Archivedfrom the original on February 21, 2024.RetrievedJanuary 15,2022.
  21. ^Hendrickson, John (December 19, 2015)."If Mr. Plow Was an Annoying YouTube Ad".Esquire.Archivedfrom the original on April 3, 2023.RetrievedDecember 19,2015.
  22. ^Homer Simpson saves the day with YouTube.YouTube for Business. December 17, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon December 17, 2015.RetrievedDecember 19,2015– viaYouTube.
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