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| ⚫ | {{Infobox Simpsons episode |
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| | episode_name = Lisa the Greek | |||
| ⚫ | {{Infobox Simpsons episode | ||
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| season = 3 | ||
| | episode = 14 | |||
| ⚫ | | writer |
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| ⚫ | | writer = ]<br>] | ||
| ⚫ | | couch_gag |
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| production = 8F12 | ||
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| airdate = {{Start date|1992|01|23}} | ||
| | guests = * ] as Smooth Jimmy Apollo and ] | |||
| ⚫ | | couch_gag = ] accidentally sits on ]. | ||
| | commentary = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>] | |||
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| "'''Lisa the Greek'''" is the fourteenth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It originally aired on ] in the United States on January 23, 1992. In the episode, ] bonds with ] when he discovers her ability to pick winning ] teams. When Lisa learns her father is only using her talent to help him gamble, she thinks he does not care for her. | |||
| "'''Lisa the Greek'''" is the fourteenth episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ]. | |||
| The episode was written by ] and ], and directed by ]. The episode was written to satirize the ''Simpsons'' staff members' "love affair with gambling, particularly on football".<ref name="Jean"/> "Lisa the Greek" references both the ] and the ] (NFL). It aired only days before ], and correctly predicted that the ] would win. | |||
| ==Synopsis== | |||
| {{spoiler}} | |||
| Armed with high-cholesterol snacks, Homer sits down to another Sunday of ]. Lisa enters the room to show her dad a shoebox apartment she made for her ] dolls. Homer is not really that interested, though, especially after ] – on whom he has ] ]20 – gives up a quick touchdown. | |||
| Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a ] of 14.2, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired. | |||
| Lisa complains to Marge, who suggests spending some "quality time" with Homer by taking up his interests. Lisa decides to join her father on the couch, and an annoyed Homer reluctantly agrees. By now, ] is crushing Denver 35-7 and has just forced another Broncos fumble. In the end, Denver loses 55-10, and Homer angrily blames the TV (and sports anchorman "Smooth" Jimmy Apollo) for losing his bet. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Plot== | ||
| Homer decides to try again on the ]-] game and calls a ] "guaranteed pick" service for advice; however, it soon becomes clear the only thing "The Coach" wants is the caller's money. A desperate Homer turns to Lisa to pick a winner, and she picks the Dolphins, and Homer quickly calls ] to place his $50 wager. Lisa questions Homer about the call, and likens sports betting to putting a lot of toppings on ice cream. In the end, the Dolphins win, and Homer and Lisa celebrate. Meanwhile, Marge has taken Bart shopping for new clothes, but the bullies taunt him. | |||
| When ] complains to ] that ] does not share her interests, Marge suggests doing something he likes, so Lisa watches a televised ] game with him. After being cheated by a premium rate betting advice hotline, a desperate Homer asks Lisa to pick a winner. She picks the ], so Homer calls ] to place a $50 bet. Homer and Lisa celebrate the Dolphins' victory. | |||
| Meanwhile, Marge arranges a Mother-Son Day with ] by taking him clothes shopping. She forces him to try on unfashionable clothes and humiliates him by flinging open the fitting room door, causing Sherri and Terri and the other customers to laugh at him in his underwear. Bart spends the rest of the day locked in the car to avoid getting beaten up by bullies for Marge’s poor fashion choices while Marge herself remains oblivious. | |||
| Lisa becomes very adept at choosing winners of football games, and Homer cleans up. Homer declares every Sunday "Daddy-Daughter Day." With his new money, he starts buying expensive presents for the family and treating them to fine dining. Marge eventually wants to know where Homer's extra income is coming from and gets the truth, but Homer says it's not really a big deal. | |||
| Since Lisa is adept at picking winning teams, Homer declares every Sunday during football season Daddy-Daughter Day. Lisa sustains her winning streak for eight weeks, earning her father more money as the ] approaches. Homer buys his family expensive gifts and meals with his gambling earnings. When Lisa asks Homer if they can go hiking the Sunday after the Super Bowl, he tells her that Daddy-Daughter Days are over until next football season. Lisa realizes that Homer only wanted her to help him gamble and does not treasure her company. | |||
| The next day at breakfast, Lisa says she is looking forward to spending the "Daddy-Daughter Day" after ] going hiking at Mount Springfield. However, Homer announces he had already made plans with Barney to go bowling, and that "Daddy-Daughter Day" is over until the next football season. Lisa bursts into tears, realizing all Homer wanted was to exploit her prognostic abilities to help him gamble. Marge calls Homer a "very selfish man." Lisa then gives up all her Malibu Stacy toys that Homer bought for her. | |||
| Homer |
After a nightmare in which her childhood sports betting with Homer caused her to grow up to become a compulsive gambler, Lisa, feeling unappreciated and betrayed, gives away all the toys Homer bought her with his betting stash. She tells Homer who will win the game, but she warns him that she is so distraught she might unconsciously want him to lose. She makes a cryptic prediction: if she still loves him, ] will win; if she does not, then ] will. As Homer anxiously watches the game at Moe's, Washington scores at the last second and wins. Overjoyed that his daughter still loves him, Homer cancels his bowling date with ] and goes hiking with Lisa the next weekend. | ||
| ==Production== | |||
| Homer mopes throughout the game, especially after Buffalo gets a 14-7 halftime lead. The game is highlighted by a corny halftime commercial for Duff Beer, an equally silly halftime show and ]'s promo for his new ], which premieres right after the Super Bowl. In the end, Washington rallies in the second half and scores at the last second to win the game. A happy Homer realizes his daughter still loves him. | |||
| ] enjoys working on Homer–Lisa episodes. |alt=A man with glasses and a red shirt is sitting in front of a microphone.]] | |||
| The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Rich Moore. According to ] ], it was designed to satirize the staff members' "love affair with gambling, particularly on football".<ref name="Jean">{{cite video |people=Jean, Al |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Kogen, Wolodarsky, Jean, ], ], and ] were all frequent gamblers.<ref name="Wolodarsky">{{cite video |people=Wolodarsky, Wallace |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Many of the staff members were also football fans, particularly Kogen and Wolodarsky.<ref name="Kogen"/> In "Lisa the Greek", the writers wanted to further develop Lisa's character, and so they decided to make it about Lisa's relationship with her father.<ref name="Kogen">{{cite video |people=Kogen, Jay |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> | |||
| Homer cancels his bowling date with Barney and – on the Sunday after the Super Bowl – makes good on his promise to go hiking with Lisa. | |||
| Kogen commented that Lisa and Marge episodes "tend to be the better episodes", because they are more thought-out and have more emotional depth. However, they are harder to write than other episodes because they are "less jokey". The writers therefore made the decision to replace Marge's role with Homer, who tends to be funnier than Marge.<ref name="Kogen"/> Jean commented that because he has a daughter, Homer–Lisa episodes are easier for him to write and he "always want to work on them".<ref name="Jean"/> Moore said they are his favorite episodes to direct, because "the two most opposite characters in the cast finding some kind of common ground That was always interesting."<ref name="Moore">{{cite video |people=Moore, Rich |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> In one scene, Homer makes Lisa sit on the end of the sofa so she will not interrupt the game. ], the voice of Lisa, recalls that many people at the ] thought Homer was "too harsh" in the scene, but it ended up being included in the episode anyway.<ref name="Yeardley">{{cite video |people=Yeardley, Smith |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> | |||
| ==Trivia== | |||
| * This episode correctly predicted that the ] would win Super Bowl XXVI. | |||
| * When a repeat re-aired the following year on ]], days before ], they ] the episode to mention the ] instead of the Washington Redskins. Fortunately, the Cowboys won, making the episode accurate again and continued to be accurate in later years when it was redubbed. In fact, showrunner ] would always bet against Lisa's predictions, causing him to think "Why didn't I take Lisa's advice?". For another re-airing, this time in ], days before ], the dialogue was redubbed again to mention the ] instead of the Washington Redskins and the ] in place of the Buffalo Bills. The 49ers, of course, won. The DVD version and some syndicated reruns have the original dialogue, while other syndicated prints use the Dallas-Buffalo references. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Cultural references== | ||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| "Lisa the Greek" references both the ] and the ].<ref name="Carman"/> The episode aired just days before ] and correctly predicted that the ] would defeat the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Plenty of hype on road to Super Bowl |last=Nelson |first=John |date=January 23, 1992 |work=] |page=13D}}</ref> When a repeat of the episode re-aired the following year (only days before Super Bowl XXVII), the staff ] it to mention the ] instead of Washington; the Cowboys won, making the episode accurate once again. It continued to be accurate through ] and Jean commented that he would always bet against Lisa's predictions, causing him to think "Why didn't I take Lisa's advice?" when he lost.<ref name="Jean"/> As Lisa studies football at the Springfield library, she goes through the ] and finds an entry on ], an American sportscaster.<ref name="book"/> The title of the episode refers to the American ] and sports commentator ].<ref name="Jean"/> "Smooth" Jimmy Apollo is based on Snyder and Brent Gunsilman is based on ]. The program on which Apollo and Gunsilman appear, ''Inside Football Today'', is based on the ] pregame show '']'', which featured Musburger, George, and Snyder as co-hosts and panelists (Musburger from 1975-1990, George from 1975-1978 and again from 1980-1983, and Snyder from 1976-1988); the program's intro with a defensive player decapitating the ball carrier on a ] gridiron is based on the intro for ''The NFL Today'' used between 1983 and 1988. The ] Bowl commercial that airs during ] is a reference to ] ads for ].<ref name="Jean"/> | |||
| * When Marge comes home from shopping for clothes, and talks to Homer, Lisa stands on the couch. Then, when the "camera" pans to behind Marge, Lisa sits down. When the "camera" pans to Homer and Lisa again, Lisa stands again. | |||
| In addition to the football references, the episode references '']'' (1979). Homer tells Moe, who keeps his wallet in his boot, "I used to hate the smell of your sweaty feet. Now it's the smell of victory," a play on Kilgore's line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like victory."<ref name="book">{{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=] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |page= |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} }}.</ref> In a commercial for his new television show, celebrity ] says that he plays "Jack Handle, a retired cop who shares an apartment with a retired criminal. We're the original Odd Couple!", referencing the television show '']''.<ref name="book"/> His new sitcom, ''Handle with Care'' (starring a retired cop who resides with a retired convict) is a sitcom patterned after the 1970s series '']'' starring ] and ], a detective series about an ex-police officer partnered with a reformed con artist. With his gambling winnings Homer buys Marge a bottle of perfume, ]'s Versatility. The bottle is shaped like an ].<ref name="book"/> | |||
| ⚫ | ==Cultural |
||
| * ] — ] (and all related accessories) are based on the doll franchise. | |||
| * ] — The Duff Bowl is an obvious parody of the ] advertisements for ]'s ] family of beers. | |||
| * ] — "Smooth" Jimmy Apollo is based on the American sports commentator, and the namesake of this show's title. | |||
| * ] - Brent Gunsilman is based on the American Sports Commentator. | |||
| * "]" — Homer's comment, "Come on Denver, justify my love!" during the Denver Broncos-New England Patriots game makes use of the title of the ] song. | |||
| * '']'' — Troy McClure's new sitcom, ''Handle with Care'' (starring a retired cop who resides with a retired convict) is a sitcom patterned after the 1970s series starring Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner (a detective series about an ex-police officer partnered with a reformed con artist). | |||
| == |
==Reception== | ||
| ] received a ] for her performance in the episode.]] | |||
| * ''']''': '''' …and when the doctor said I didn't have worms any more, that was the happiest day of my life.<br/>''']''': Thank you, Ralph, very graphic. | |||
| * ''']''': ''] Bowl, a ] of the ]]'' Hey Homer, didn't you say that if Duff Dry wins, your daughter loves you?<br/>'''Homer''': Not Duff Dry, Washington!<br/>'''Barney''': Okay, okay. They're ''both'' great teams. | |||
| * '''TV''': '''' So call me now! $5 for the first minute, $2 for each additional minute! <br/>'''''Homer''' dials 1-909-WIN-BIGG''<br/>'''Voice''': You… have reached… the Coach's… Hot-……<br/>'''Homer''': Line.<br/>'''Voice''': Line.<br/>'''Homer''': Yeah, lay it on me, Coach.<br/>'''Voice''': In the game… of… Mi… am… i…<br/>'''Homer''': Mm hmm?<br/>'''Voice''': Versus Cin…<br/>'''Homer''': Cincinnati.<br/>'''Voice''': cin…<br/>'''Homer''': Cincinnati.<br/>'''Voice''': nat…<br/>'''Homer''': Cincinnati.<br/>'''Voice''': i…<br/>'''Homer''': Come on, come on, don't you realize this is costing me money? | |||
| *'''Bart''':(''on a lame halftime show'') This sucks. Come on snipers, where are you! | |||
| *'''Lisa''': Who's winning?</br>'''Bart''': You hate Dad is up by a touchdown. | |||
| *'''Homer:''' Buffalo is going to win. Lisa hates me. </br>'''Man:''' Whatcha got riding on this game?</br>'''Homer:''' My daughter.</br> '''Man:''' What a gambler! | |||
| *'''Jimmy Apollo''': When you're right 52% of the time, you're wrong 48% of the time. | |||
| In its original American broadcast, "Lisa the Greek" finished 27th in the ratings for the week of January 18–24, 1992, with a ] of 14.2, equivalent to approximately 13 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.<ref name=Ratings>{{cite news |title=What we watch, what we don't... |work=] |page=13 |date=January 31, 1993}}</ref> Yeardley Smith, received a ] for ] in 1992 for her performance in the episode.<ref name="PTE">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php |title=Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search |publisher=Emmys.org |access-date=2009-02-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715011545/http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php |archive-date=2009-07-15 }}</ref><ref name="44th">{{cite news |title=Briefing–'Simpsons' score big in Prime-Time Emmys |date=1992-08-03 |page=L20 |newspaper=]}}</ref> "Lisa the Greek" is one of ]'s favorite episodes along with season two's "]".<ref>{{cite news |title=Insider favorites |date=May 18, 2007 |work=] |publisher=] |page=50}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sunjournal.com/2007/05/19/simpsons-insiders-pick-favorite-episodes/ |title='Simpsons' insiders pick their favorite episodes |last=Justin |first=Neal |date=May 20, 2007 |work=]|via=Lewiston Sun-Journal|access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * "]" — about ] | |||
| * "]" — Homer is commissioned to produce the halftime show for ] | |||
| Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. John Carman of the '']'' called it his favorite episode of the show.<ref name="Carman">{{cite news |title=TV Guide Missed Some Great Shows |last=Carman |first=John |date=June 30, 1997 |work=] |page=E1}}</ref> Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood wrote that "it's nice to see and Lisa getting along so well for once."<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season3/page14.shtml |title=Lisa the Greek |access-date=2009-07-07 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> Nate Meyers of Digitally Obsessed rated the episode a 5{{nbsp}}(of 5) and commented that "any football fan will love this episode, but the reason why it is so good is the relationship between Homer and Lisa. The two truly are a father and daughter to one another, causing both laughter and touching emotion in the audience."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?ID=6129 |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season |last=Meyers |first=Nate |date=June 23, 2004 |publisher=Digitally Obsessed |access-date=2009-06-06 |archive-date=2016-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313103432/http://digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?id=6129 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ==External links== |
||
| {{wikiquote}} | |||
| ⚫ | * |
||
| Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict said "Lisa the Greek" is "a chance for Homer and Lisa to bond under less than ideal, but always amusing, circumstances. Oddly, for a show relying on actual events like the Super Bowl to guide its plotline, it doesn't have retread feeling.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason3.php |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season |last=Gibron |first=Bill |date=December 15, 2003 |publisher=DVD Verdict |access-date=2009-06-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629194944/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason3.php |archive-date=June 29, 2009 }}</ref> DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson, however, did not think the episode developed Lisa's and Homer's relationship, but it "tosses in some good pokes at the NFL and the culture that surrounds the sport".<ref name="Jacobson">{{cite web |url=http://dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonthree.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991) |last=Jacobson |first=Colin |date=August 21, 2003 |publisher=DVD Movie Guide |access-date=2009-06-06}}</ref> Jacobson added that although the episode "echoes the neglectful father theme seen not long ago in ']', the show doesn't feel like just a retread. It's not a classic, but it remains an above average program."<ref name="Jacobson" /> | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| The '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Daniel Brown said NFL gambling "seems to be a ]-wide addiction, which is why 'Lisa the Greek' is filled with sophisticated gags about ]s and ]s".<ref>{{cite news |title=Eat My Sports - A Retrospective |last=Brown |first=Daniel |date=July 22, 2007 |work=] |page=1C}}</ref> The '']'' named it seventh best episode of the show with a sports theme.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sports and The Simpsons |date=November 26, 2002 |work=] |page=C–2}}</ref>{{clear}} | |||
| ] | |||
| '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Liam Lacey noted the similarities between the episode and ] (2009) in a review of the film. He said the "message in each case is about the dangerous confusion of love and money. Naturally there's a turning point where the child begins to wonder whether her father really loves her or just her profitable talent."''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/imagine-that/article1178045/ |title=Imagine That |last=Lacey |first=Liam |date=June 17, 2009 |work=] |access-date=2009-07-24}}</ref>'' | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ⚫ | ==External links== | ||
| {{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_3#Lisa_the_Greek|Lisa the Greek}} | |||
| {{Portal|The Simpsons}} | |||
| ⚫ | *{{snpp capsule|8F12}} | ||
| *{{IMDb episode |id=0768557 |episode=Lisa the Greek}} | |||
| {{The Simpsons episodes|3}} | |||
| {{Good article}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Lisa The Greek}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 03:03, 4 January 2025
14th episode of the 3rd season of The Simpsons
| "Lisa the Greek" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 14 | ||
| Directed by | Rich Moore | ||
| Written by | Jay Kogen Wallace Wolodarsky | ||
| Production code | 8F12 | ||
| Original air date | January 23, 1992 (1992-01-23) | ||
| Guest appearances | |||
| |||
| Episode features | |||
| Couch gag | Homer accidentally sits on Santa's Little Helper. | ||
| Commentary | Matt Groening James L. Brooks Al Jean Mike Reiss Julie Kavner Nancy Cartwright Yeardley Smith Jay Kogen Wallace Wolodarsky Rich Moore | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
| |||
| The Simpsons season 3 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Lisa the Greek" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 23, 1992. In the episode, Homer bonds with Lisa when he discovers her ability to pick winning football teams. When Lisa learns her father is only using her talent to help him gamble, she thinks he does not care for her.
The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Rich Moore. The episode was written to satirize the Simpsons staff members' "love affair with gambling, particularly on football". "Lisa the Greek" references both the Super Bowl and the National Football League (NFL). It aired only days before Super Bowl XXVI, and correctly predicted that the Washington Redskins would win.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 14.2, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.
Plot
When Lisa complains to Marge that Homer does not share her interests, Marge suggests doing something he likes, so Lisa watches a televised football game with him. After being cheated by a premium rate betting advice hotline, a desperate Homer asks Lisa to pick a winner. She picks the Miami Dolphins, so Homer calls Moe's Tavern to place a $50 bet. Homer and Lisa celebrate the Dolphins' victory.
Meanwhile, Marge arranges a Mother-Son Day with Bart by taking him clothes shopping. She forces him to try on unfashionable clothes and humiliates him by flinging open the fitting room door, causing Sherri and Terri and the other customers to laugh at him in his underwear. Bart spends the rest of the day locked in the car to avoid getting beaten up by bullies for Marge’s poor fashion choices while Marge herself remains oblivious.
Since Lisa is adept at picking winning teams, Homer declares every Sunday during football season Daddy-Daughter Day. Lisa sustains her winning streak for eight weeks, earning her father more money as the Super Bowl approaches. Homer buys his family expensive gifts and meals with his gambling earnings. When Lisa asks Homer if they can go hiking the Sunday after the Super Bowl, he tells her that Daddy-Daughter Days are over until next football season. Lisa realizes that Homer only wanted her to help him gamble and does not treasure her company.
After a nightmare in which her childhood sports betting with Homer caused her to grow up to become a compulsive gambler, Lisa, feeling unappreciated and betrayed, gives away all the toys Homer bought her with his betting stash. She tells Homer who will win the game, but she warns him that she is so distraught she might unconsciously want him to lose. She makes a cryptic prediction: if she still loves him, Washington will win; if she does not, then Buffalo will. As Homer anxiously watches the game at Moe's, Washington scores at the last second and wins. Overjoyed that his daughter still loves him, Homer cancels his bowling date with Barney and goes hiking with Lisa the next weekend.
Production
The episode was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, and directed by Rich Moore. According to show runner Al Jean, it was designed to satirize the staff members' "love affair with gambling, particularly on football". Kogen, Wolodarsky, Jean, George Meyer, Sam Simon, and James L. Brooks were all frequent gamblers. Many of the staff members were also football fans, particularly Kogen and Wolodarsky. In "Lisa the Greek", the writers wanted to further develop Lisa's character, and so they decided to make it about Lisa's relationship with her father.
Kogen commented that Lisa and Marge episodes "tend to be the better episodes", because they are more thought-out and have more emotional depth. However, they are harder to write than other episodes because they are "less jokey". The writers therefore made the decision to replace Marge's role with Homer, who tends to be funnier than Marge. Jean commented that because he has a daughter, Homer–Lisa episodes are easier for him to write and he "always want to work on them". Moore said they are his favorite episodes to direct, because "the two most opposite characters in the cast finding some kind of common ground That was always interesting." In one scene, Homer makes Lisa sit on the end of the sofa so she will not interrupt the game. Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa, recalls that many people at the table-read thought Homer was "too harsh" in the scene, but it ended up being included in the episode anyway.
Cultural references
"Lisa the Greek" references both the Super Bowl and the NFL. The episode aired just days before Super Bowl XXVI and correctly predicted that the Washington Redskins would defeat the Buffalo Bills. When a repeat of the episode re-aired the following year (only days before Super Bowl XXVII), the staff redubbed it to mention the Dallas Cowboys instead of Washington; the Cowboys won, making the episode accurate once again. It continued to be accurate through Super Bowl XXIX and Jean commented that he would always bet against Lisa's predictions, causing him to think "Why didn't I take Lisa's advice?" when he lost. As Lisa studies football at the Springfield library, she goes through the card catalog and finds an entry on Phyllis George, an American sportscaster. The title of the episode refers to the American bookie and sports commentator Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder. "Smooth" Jimmy Apollo is based on Snyder and Brent Gunsilman is based on Brent Musburger. The program on which Apollo and Gunsilman appear, Inside Football Today, is based on the CBS pregame show The NFL Today, which featured Musburger, George, and Snyder as co-hosts and panelists (Musburger from 1975-1990, George from 1975-1978 and again from 1980-1983, and Snyder from 1976-1988); the program's intro with a defensive player decapitating the ball carrier on a CGI gridiron is based on the intro for The NFL Today used between 1983 and 1988. The Duff Bowl commercial that airs during halftime is a reference to Bud Bowl ads for Budweiser.
In addition to the football references, the episode references Apocalypse Now (1979). Homer tells Moe, who keeps his wallet in his boot, "I used to hate the smell of your sweaty feet. Now it's the smell of victory," a play on Kilgore's line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like victory." In a commercial for his new television show, celebrity Troy McClure says that he plays "Jack Handle, a retired cop who shares an apartment with a retired criminal. We're the original Odd Couple!", referencing the television show The Odd Couple. His new sitcom, Handle with Care (starring a retired cop who resides with a retired convict) is a sitcom patterned after the 1970s series Switch starring Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner, a detective series about an ex-police officer partnered with a reformed con artist. With his gambling winnings Homer buys Marge a bottle of perfume, Meryl Streep's Versatility. The bottle is shaped like an Academy Award.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Lisa the Greek" finished 27th in the ratings for the week of January 18–24, 1992, with a Nielsen rating of 14.2, equivalent to approximately 13 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on Fox that week. Yeardley Smith, received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992 for her performance in the episode. "Lisa the Greek" is one of Dan Castellaneta's favorite episodes along with season two's "Lisa's Substitute".
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. John Carman of the San Francisco Chronicle called it his favorite episode of the show. Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood wrote that "it's nice to see and Lisa getting along so well for once." Nate Meyers of Digitally Obsessed rated the episode a 5 (of 5) and commented that "any football fan will love this episode, but the reason why it is so good is the relationship between Homer and Lisa. The two truly are a father and daughter to one another, causing both laughter and touching emotion in the audience."
Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict said "Lisa the Greek" is "a chance for Homer and Lisa to bond under less than ideal, but always amusing, circumstances. Oddly, for a show relying on actual events like the Super Bowl to guide its plotline, it doesn't have retread feeling. DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson, however, did not think the episode developed Lisa's and Homer's relationship, but it "tosses in some good pokes at the NFL and the culture that surrounds the sport". Jacobson added that although the episode "echoes the neglectful father theme seen not long ago in 'Lisa's Pony', the show doesn't feel like just a retread. It's not a classic, but it remains an above average program."
The San Jose Mercury News's Daniel Brown said NFL gambling "seems to be a crew-wide addiction, which is why 'Lisa the Greek' is filled with sophisticated gags about point spreads and bookies". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named it seventh best episode of the show with a sports theme.
The Globe and Mail's Liam Lacey noted the similarities between the episode and Imagine That (2009) in a review of the film. He said the "message in each case is about the dangerous confusion of love and money. Naturally there's a turning point where the child begins to wonder whether her father really loves her or just her profitable talent."
References
- ^ Jean, Al (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- Wolodarsky, Wallace (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Kogen, Jay (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- Moore, Rich (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- Yeardley, Smith (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa the Greek" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Carman, John (June 30, 1997). "TV Guide Missed Some Great Shows". San Francisco Chronicle. p. E1.
- Nelson, John (January 23, 1992). "Plenty of hype on road to Super Bowl". St. Petersburg Times. p. 13D.
- ^ Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..
- "What we watch, what we don't...". Austin American-Statesman. January 31, 1993. p. 13.
- "Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search". Emmys.org. Archived from the original on July 15, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- "Briefing–'Simpsons' score big in Prime-Time Emmys". Daily News of Los Angeles. August 3, 1992. p. L20.
- "Insider favorites". RedEye. Chicago Tribune. May 18, 2007. p. 50.
- Justin, Neal (May 20, 2007). "'Simpsons' insiders pick their favorite episodes". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Lewiston Sun-Journal.
- Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Lisa the Greek". BBC. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
- Meyers, Nate (June 23, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". Digitally Obsessed. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
- Gibron, Bill (December 15, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
- ^ Jacobson, Colin (August 21, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
- Brown, Daniel (July 22, 2007). "Eat My Sports - A Retrospective". San Jose Mercury News. p. 1C.
- "Sports and The Simpsons". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 26, 2002. p. C–2.
- Lacey, Liam (June 17, 2009). "Imagine That". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
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