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{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode|
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
episode_name = Margical History Tour|
{{Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_no = 324|
| season = 15
prod_code = FABF06|
| episode = 11
airdate = ], ] |
writer = ]| | director = ]
| writer = ]
director = ]|
| production = FABF06
blackboard = None|
| airdate = {{Start date|2004|02|08}}
couch_gag = The family bakes in a giant ].|
| couch_gag = The couch is replaced by a giant ]. Someone puts a tray inside and presses a button. The Simpsons rise from the tray as it cooks.
guest_star = None|
| commentary = ]<br />Brian Kelley<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />Mike B. Anderson
image = ] |
| prev = ]
season = 15 |
| next = ]
color = #EFEFEF
}} }}
"'''Margical History Tour'''" is the eleventh episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It first aired on the ] in the United States on February 8, 2004. The episode was written by ] and directed by ].


In this episode, Marge tells Bart, Lisa, and Milhouse three stories about historic figures. The episode received mixed reviews.
"'''Margical History Tour'''" is the eleventh episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ]. The episode aired on ], ].


==Synopsis== ==Plot==
When ], ], and ] go to the library to study but see that most of the books have been removed due to their unpopularity, so Marge tells them stories about history.
{{spoiler}}


===Henry VIII===
] takes ], ], and ] to the ] to find books for their school reports, only to find no books on the shelves. The books have been replaced by pamphlets and instruction manuals, and it's full of homeless people (and ]) sleeping. In lieu of books, Marge tells the kids some history tales. She starts off with Milhouse's book report on ].
] (]) desires a male heir. He has a dream of a conversation with ] (Bart), who taunts him about his failure. When ] (]) promises to produce a son were she his wife, Margerine of Aragon (Marge) takes Henry to a ] (]) who encourages him to remain faithful but changes his mind after Henry threatens him. Sir ] (]) protests that ] is not permitted in the ]. The King says he will start ]. More objects, prompting Henry to shoot him out of a cannon. Henry and Margarine explain their divorce to ] (Lisa), who says Henry's heir could be female but leaves when Henry threatens her.


Henry's new Church grants him his divorce. The ] (]), now head of the ], officiates Henry's wedding to Anne. She bears Henry ] and is beheaded. Henry marries a total of six times but fails to produce a son.
===]===
In this version of the Henry VIII story, ] is King Henry VIII, in search of a woman who can bear him a son. He is an absolute glutton and womaniser. Unhappy that his wife ] has borne him a daughter, ] (]), he wants to divorce her. He can't have her executed as she is the daughter of the ]. They go to a counsellor (]) and ask him his opinions on divorce. Through a little coercion, he advises Henry to speak to the ], ] (]). Sir Thomas tells Henry that the church and their religion won't allow him to divorce his wife. Henry declares that he will start his own religion. Sir Thomas tries to reason with the adamant King, who finally seems to relent and then informs Sir Thomas that since he stuck to his principles, he will be ]d. And so he is, except Henry's definition is a bit different, as Sir Thomas More is fired out of a ], over a cliff. Mary tries to persuade him to let a female be the heir, but when he wonders if he can "canonize" her as well, she takes off.


Years later, Henry is old and lying in his bed with Margerine by his side. He apologizes for locking her up and asks her to become his Queen again. Margerine accepts then ].
Henry then banishes Margerine and marries ] (]). They consummate their marriage then and there. Nine months later, Anne tearfully apologises to Henry for having borne a girl child. He tells her to think nothing of it and we see that she is already set up on the ], with ] as the ]. She is executed and Henry moves on to the next wife, ]. However, during the wedding, Henry hears that she has an annoying, high-pitched voice, and she is next on the chopping block. (Look at ''Trivia'' below for the historical accurancy of this) Many more executions follow, including those of ] (who was mistaken for a woman), Sarah Wiggum, ] (although she has already borne 10 sons) and others. When ] comes to Henry to tell him that they have run out of pikes on which to stick the heads, he has him executed as well. But it turns out he was right and his head can't be piked.


===Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea===
Finally, after many years and executions, Henry is old and sick, lying on his bed, with Margerine by his side. He asks for her forgiveness for having locked her up in a dungeon and asks her to be his queen again. She accepts tenderly and then offers to fluff his ] and then smothers him to death with it, saying that she will see him in hell.
] (]) and ] (]) are assigned to ] by President ] (]). They meet a ] tribe, whose chief (Homer) offers them the guidance of his daughter, ] (Lisa). They are accompanied by ] (Milhouse) until he is slaughtered by ] (Bart).


Sacagawea gives them tips on how to survive the land but quickly tires of Lewis and Clark's stupidity. She leaves them and sets off back home. She encounters a mountain lion, but Lewis and Clark save her using her advice. The party arrives at the ] and a downpour begins, prompting Lewis and Clark to name the place ]. The two explorers promises Sacagawea national recognition, but it is not until the present that she was retrospectively honored with the creation of the ].
===] and ]===
At the end of the story, Milhouse is happy with all the material he got and leaves. But on his way out, he is tripped by ], who steals his book report. Marge asks Lisa what her report is on. Lisa wants to do one on ]. So starts Marge's version.
Lewis (]) and Clark (]) are assigned to explore the west by President ] (]). They meet a tribe of Native Americans led by Homer. The explorers "welcome" them to the ] and give them a little flag. Homer then offers them the guidance of his daughter, ] (Lisa), which translates to "little know-it-all who won't shut her maize hole". She is married to a French fur trapper, ] (played by Milhouse), and is not very happy with that arrangement. They set off, headed for the ]. Sacagawea gives them many tips on how to survive the land, including how to scare a ] (by making yourself appear bigger than it). They are attacked by a group of Native Americans, led by Bart, who wants to scalp someone. Charbonneau introduces himself as his brother-in-law and reminds him about when he killed all of the tribe's buffalo. Bart is happy to have someone to scalp (and decapitate).


===Mozart and Salieri===
Sacagewea starts to get fed up with Lewis and Clark's antics and stupidity. They have a ], with a painted-on needle; they visualise a mud puddle to be the Pacific; and they even think about having ] (]) ] in the river. Finally, she leaves them and sets off back home. She decides to rest on a ] - a nice, soft, furry rock, which just happens to be a ]. The lion tries to attack her, but she is saved by Lewis and Clark, who run out spreading their coats about them, making themselves look bigger. The mountain lion flees and Sacagawea is saved. She is happy that they actually were listening to her. The party arrives at the Pacific Ocean and a heavy downpour begins, prompting Lewis and Clark to name the rain-soaked place ].
Popular ] (Bart) plays ]s on the piano in ] and is pushed along by his ] (Homer). ] (Lisa) is resentful of her brother's talents, especially when Mozart wins the award for best composer. At Mozart's ] opera, '']'', Salieri serves the ] (]) drugged wine. The opera is a success until the audience sees the Emperor asleep and mimics him, leaving Mozart stunned.


His failure leads to Mozart's fall from popularity, causing him to become deathly ill. At ], Salieri says she wanted to ruin his life, not kill him. Mozart says he thought highly of Salieri's work, believing that it would be remembered more than his, but his youthful death ensures he and his music will be immortalized forever. He then dies. Salieri visits the Emperor's court to submit Mozart's ] as her own. The Emperor, however, is already focused on ] (]), whose performance of "]" on the piano prompts him to declare all other music obsolete. Crushed, Salieri throws the Requiem away and boards a carriage filled with lunatics.
===] and ]===
Bart is up next. He doesn't seem too excited about having to do a book report. But Marge convinces him with a story of a bad-ass musician, who lived dangerously and died young. She gets his attention and starts the next story.


===Epilogue===
In a parody of the movie '']'', Bart is ] and Lisa is ]. Mozart is a big hit in ], playing a ] on a grand piano as if he were playing at a rock concert. After the concert, his father ] (Homer) congratulates him and advises him to start merchandising. Salieri asks to be allowed to lead the next time, but Homer will have none of it. Later, as Salieri practises on her small piano, Mozart comes and starts teasing her. At a Music Awards function (hosted by ]'s own ]), Mozart wins the best composer award, making Salieri's jealousy reach a boiling point.
Lisa says Marge's story of Mozart and Salieri is based upon the movie '']'' and calls it inaccurate. Homer notes that the actor starred both in ''Amadeus'' and in '']'' and begins singing its theme.

]s and ] gather to watch Mozart's next opera, "]" (parody of "]"). Sitting in the balcony is the Emperor (]). Salieri wonders why there are so many spectators. Leopold replies that it is because the Emperor is there and people follow him everywhere. Salieri gets an idea and serves the Emperor free wine, spiked with a sleeping potion. The opera seems to be going pretty well, but that all changes when the audience hears the Emperor snoozing away. Immediately, everyone starts to dislike the opera. People even fake falling asleep. Mozart is shocked that his work is a flop.

This leads to Mozart's decline. He starts to drink and gets caught in the rain. He develops a high fever and becomes very ill. Salieri calls in "the best doctor in all of Vienna", ], who uses ] therapy on Mozart, which, obviously, doesn't work. Soon, Mozart is dying and his family gathers around him. Leopold is inconsolable, considering he won't be able to live without Mozart's income. Salieri feels a bit guilty about her hand in all this, saying she only wanted to ruin his life, not kill him. Mozart confesses that he thought highly of Salieri's work, believing that it would be remembered more than his, but with his youthful death, both he and his music will be immortalised forever. He then dies, after shouting, "Eat my pantaloons!" Leopold runs out into the street and mourns Mozart's death, but starts peddling ] taken from Mozart.

The next day, Salieri goes to the Emperor's court to play to submit her work, "Requiem", in tribute to her "beloved" brother, Mozart. She is delighted, now that Mozart is no more. However, the Emperor's aide (]) tells her that he is listening to another young musician's composition. She takes a peek and sees ] (Nelson) playing for the Emperor (the famous theme from the ], accompanied by a variation of Nelson's characteristic laughter), who enjoys the music so much that he declares all other music ]. Angry beyond all belief, Salieri dumps her composition and walks out in a daze, eyes twitching. She hails a carriage to the mental asylum, gets in and laughs hysterically as the carriage draws away.

Lisa realizes that Marge's telling of the lives of Mozart and Salieri is not the real version, noting that Mozart and Salieri had better relations in their time, and says that the story is based on the movie '']''. This spurs Homer on to realize that ], who starred in ''Amadeus'', also starred in '']''. He begins singing a horribly incorrect version of the ''Animal House'' theme song, which carries on through the "whatever happened to..." clips about the main characters (see below) and the credits.

==Trivia==
*This is one of several Simpsons episodes that features three "mini-stories." Others include ], ], ], ], ] and the ] episodes.
*Contrary to this episode, and popular belief, ] only beheaded two of his six wives, ] and her cousin, ].
* None of these mini-episodes (especially the Henry VIII episode) are historically accurate. This is actually brought up at one point by Lisa.


==Cultural references== ==Cultural references==
Some items seen in the library are 'Everybody Poops: The Video'', ''] Price Guides'', and '']'' ].
*The title is a take off of the ] and ] "Magical Mystery Tour" by ].
*The books seen in the library are "]: The Movie", "] Price Guides", and "Itchy & Scratchy Books on Tape". "Everyone Poops" is a Japanese childrens' book that says that there is nothing wrong with pooping because it's natural for humans and animals. "Yu-Gi-Oh! Price Guides" are for how much cards in the ] are worth.

==Quotes==
*'''Lisa (looking around at book shelves):''' "]: The Video"? "] Price Guides"? There are hardly any books here at all! <br/> '''Milhouse:''' But Krabappel wants a paper on Henry VIII and I have to score a pumpkin sticker or better on it.
*'''Homer/Henry VIII:''' ''(singing to the tune of "]" and taking large bites of food between each stanza)'' I'm Henry the Eighth, I am. Henry the Eighth, I am, I am. I've been eating since 6 am, for dessert I'll have dinner again. My name's synonymous with gluttony, I'll always eat a turkey or a ham -<br/>'''Marge/Margarin of Aragon:''' Stop singing that song! We all know who you are! <br/>'''Sideshow Mel:''' Her Majesty, Margarine of Aragon! <br/>'''Homer/Henry VIII:''' What’re you doing out of bed? I just planted my seed in your womanly dirt. <br/>'''Marge/Margerine of Aragon:''' Your Majesty, I know you want a son, but must we discuss my womb in front of the entire court? <br/>'''Court:''' (laughing) <br/>'''Dr Nick:''' As the royal physician, it is my learned opinion that her womb is filled with sea serpents. <br/>'''Marge/Margerine of Aragon:''' Hrrrmm…
*'''Ned Flanders/Sir Thomas More:'''( to Homer/Henry VIII) Divorce! Well, there's no such thing in the Cath-diddly-athic Church! But it's the only church we got, so what are you gonna do? <br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' I'll start my own church! <br/> '''Ned Flanders/Sir Thomas More:''' Whaaaaaaaa!? <br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' Yes, my own church. Where divorce will be so easy, more than half of all marriages will end in it! <br/> '''Ned Flanders/Sir Thomas More:''' Your Majesty, I work for the ], and I think a celibate Italian weirdo knows a lot more about marriage than you.<br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' Hmm, I understand. And because you stuck to your principles, I'm going to ] you. <br/> ''(Cut to tower roof, with Ned/More shoved in a cannon. Homer gives thumbs-up to cannoneer, and the fuse is lit)'' <br/> '''Ned/More:''' I can see my houuuuuuuuuuuuuse!
*'''Bishop Lovejoy:''' And by the power vested in me, ''(points to Homer/Henry)'' by you just now, I pronounce you King and ]. In the name of ], amen...Henry.
*'''Marge/Margerine of Aragon:''' Sweetie, sometimes a mommy and a daddy decide to live apart. It's not your fault. It's just that you came out the wrong sex and ruined everything.<br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' So grow a penis or get lost.<br/> '''Lisa/Mary:''' ''(grunts and struggles)'' I can't.<br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' Bye-bye!<br/> '''Lisa/Mary:''' But why can't your heir be female or ]?<br/>'''Homer/Henry VIII:''' ''(rubbing his chin)'' I wonder if I can cannonize a child... <br/> '''Lisa/Mary:''' Leaving!
*'''Homer/Henry VIII (to Jane Seymour):''' Hey, baby. How'd you like to be queen for a day? ''(winks to Executioner Wiggum)'' <br/> '''Executioner Wiggum:''' Heh! It's funny, 'cause you're king.
*'''Lindsey Nagle/Anne Boleyn:''' Henry, I am ever so sorry I bore you a daughter. <br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' Oh, Anne. I'll love her as much as I love you. <br/> ''(the camera pulls out revealing a crowd at the ] waiting for the execution)'' <br/> '''Executioner Wiggum (to Lindsey/Anne):''' Your head lives for five seconds afterwards. So I put a ] in the basket. ''(swings his axe and beheads Lindsey/Anne)'' <br/> '''Lindsey/Anne's head (not seen; in basket):''' Oh, my ]. "Today, you will welcome great changes into your life". Wrong! ''(dies)''
*'''Homer/Henry VIII (as aides are slicing his crown and other royal items in half):''' No fair! I invented divorce! How come you get half of everything? <br/> '''Pasty-Faced Lawyer:''' You should have invented the ]. Now, one half of your kingdom, please. <br/> ''(Homer/Henry VIII holds up of map of the ]. He rips it in half and gives the left part to Marge/Margerine of Aragon)'' <br/> '''Marge/Margerine of Aragon (groans):''' I get ]? <br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' Ha ha!
*'''Homer/Henry VIII:''' ''(in his sleep)'' Must sire a dude. Must sire a dude. <br/> ''(a ] appears with Bart inside dressed in prince clothing)'' <br/> '''Bart:''' Father, dearest. I am the son you crave. I'm athletic and smart and ever so masculine. Could a girl belch like this? ''(belches)'' <br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' Oh, my sweet little boy. Why can't I have you? <br/> '''Bart:''' I don't know. Too much jerkin' your merkin'? <br/> '''Homer/Henry VIII:''' Why you little!! ''(reaches into bubble and strangles Bart)'' Get out of my dreams and into my wife! <br/>'''Marge/Margerine of Aragon:''' ''(wakes up and sighs)'' I could have married the King of France. ''He'' wasn’t so obsessed with procreation. Ting-a-ling-a-ling. Know what I mean?'''
*''(in his throne, Homer watches an old-fashion ] episode. Instead of cartoons, the cat and mouse are played by ]s)'' <br/> '''Itchy:''' Sir Scratchy, I accuse you of holding a ] ]. <br/> '''Scratchy:''' Lord Itchy, I accuse you of not signing the ]. <br/> ''(our favorite cat and mouse begin beating each other with clubs)''
*'''Homer/Henry VIII:''' Look at me! I eat and eat and eat and I never get any thinner!
*'''Lisa:''' I have to do a report on Sacagawea, but all I could find is this book on ].<br/>''''<br/>'''Homeless man:''' Hey, I got toilet paper!
*'''Chief Homer:''' Long have we awaited the coming of the white man...and Carl. <br/> '''Lenny/Lewis:''' Thanks. And welcome to the ]. <br/> '''Carl/Clark:''' Have a flag, and while you're at it, cover your nakedness and worship our Lord.<br/>'''Chief Homer:''' ''(dismissively)'' Yeah, yeah, we'll get right on it.
*'''Lenny/Lewis:''' At last! The Pacific Ocean! <br/> '''Lisa/Sacagawea:''' That's a mud puddle. <br/> '''Lenny/Lewis:''' Some of us find accomplishment in the smallest things. <br/> '''Lisa/Sacagawea:''' How'd you get to be explorers anyway? <br/> '''Lenny/Lewis:''' We got the job 'cause we own a ]. <br/> '''Carl/Clark:''' Turns out the needle was just painted on.
*'''Lisa/Sacagawea:''' Okay, those ] are poisonous, those ] are poisonous, oh, and your belt is a ], also poisonous. <br/> '''Otto/Tweedleberge:''' I'll tell you what's poisonous—your attitude. ''(eats berries)'' You know... ''(falls on the ground)'' Ooo, I'm dying. But at least people will remember the expedition of Lewis and Clark and Tweedleberger. ''(dies)'' <br/> '''Lisa/Sacagawea:''' Also, if you're confronted by a ], try to make yourself look as big as possible. And when you get a chance, bury your friend. ''(points to vultures already eating Otto/Tweedleberger's body)'' <br/> '''Lenny/Lewis:''' Hey, we're still mourning. Let's get a drink. <br/> '''Moe:''' All right, customers! And they said you shouldn't open a bar in ]! ''(a tornado comes by and takes Moe's bar)'' Well, nothing can crush the frontier spirit. ''(begins rebuilding his bar when the building comes crashing down on him)'' That'll do it. ''(groans in pain)''
*'''Mayor Quimby/President ]:''' It has been two years, so our brave explorers should be right about here...''(points on a map, then sees Lenny, Carl, and Lisa outside the ])''. You morons!
*'''Bart:''' What is that? A quarter? <br/>'''Milhouse:''' A Chuck-E-Cheese token?<br/>'''Marge:''' No! It's a ]! You can trade it in at the bank for a regular dollar! Huh? Huh?
*'''Emperor Burns:''' Splendid, young ]. I hereby declare all other music...obsolete! <br/> '''Nelson/Beethoven:''' ''(to the tune of ])'' Ha, ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha, ha!
*'''Lisa/Salieri:''' I never wanted you to die. I only wanted to destroy your talent and your joy.
*'''Bart/Mozart:''' Thank you all for your support. And be sure to be at my next concert in... (''he drops his pants and ]s the audience'') ]!!
*''']:''' Guten Tag, everybody!<br/>'''Bart/Mozart and Lisa/Salieri:''' Guten Tag, Dr. Nick.
*'''Bart/Mozart:''' Eat my pantaloons! ''(dies)''
*'''Homer/Leopold Mozart:''' Mozart is dead! ''(cries, then holds up Bart's face)'' Get your genuine death masks, fresh off the corpse! Be the first on your block to give me money! ''(bystanders walk away)''
*'''Marge:''' ...and that's the life of Mozart. Thank God he died young. I gotta get dinner on the stove.
*'''Homer:''' All I know is the guy who played Mozart was also in '']''. Now there's a movie with good music. <br/> ''(breaking into the Animal House song)'' <br/> Animal House, House, House <br/> Nobody ever went to class <br/> Then we saw ] ass <br/> Animal House, House, House, House <br/> Animal House, House, House, House <br/> Then they did the end like '']'' <br/> Where you found out what happened to everyone.

== Whatever happened to... ==

''This is the "whatever happened to..." stills played just before the credits whilst Homer is singing Animal House.''

''']'''

Henry VIII still holds the "world turkey leg eating record"


The title of the episode is a satire of ]' movie, song, and album '']''.
(accompanied by still of Homer as Henry VIII with turkey leg)


When King Henry first appears, he is gorging himself while singing the 1911 ] song "]". The lyrics, however, are altered to refer to the King's enormous appetite and reputation for gluttony. Henry also wipes his face with ], a document which limits the power of the Monarchy and forms the basis of the ]. During King Henry's dream about his son, a brief snatch of the song, "]" can be heard. While in the marriage counselor's office, Henry is reading a magazine called ''The Yorker'', a send-up of '']'', until Margerine reminds him that they've come to talk about their problems. The Sir ] subplot is a satire of ]'s ]-winning film, '']'', starring ] as Sir Thomas and ] as King Henry. Later, in a dig at Tudor ], Henry watches a ]-style show in which Itchy & Scratchy accuse each other of conducting an illegal ] and for refusing to sign the ].
'''] and ]'''


As Lisa points out at the end of the episode, the Mozart segment is a satire of ]'s ] '']'' and ]'s Academy Award-winning ].<ref name="Jacobson"/> During Mozart's first concert, ] calls out a request for "]". In reality, the ] for Mozart's work was not introduced until 70 years after Mozart's death. Later, Salieri is compared to the three "untalented" Mozarts—Randy, Jermaine, and Tito from the ]. Mozart's opera "The Musical Fruit" is a satire of both '']'', and the children's song "]," while the opera is sung to the tune of his composition ], which also plays over the closing credits. A fragment from the movement '']'' from '']'' can be heard while Mozart is dying. When Salieri arrives at the Imperial Palace, the Emperor is listening to Beethoven perform the ] from his ] on the piano. When the Emperor declares all other music obsolete, Beethoven points at Salieri and "Haw Haws" to the opening of his ].
Sacagawea went on to pose for butter cartons. (Shows spoof of Land O Lakes butter carton with Lisa/Sacagawea in classic pose.)


The epilogue is similar to the one from '']''.
(accompanied by still of Lisa as Sacagawea with Pacific North-West backdrop)


==Reception==
'''] and ]'''
===Viewing figures===
The episode was watched by 8.87 million viewers, which was the 48th most-watched show that week.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/41429322/the-los-angeles-times/|title=National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 2-8)|date=February 11, 2004|work=]|access-date=June 10, 2023|via=]|archive-date=June 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607124149/https://www.newspapers.com/article/41429322/the-los-angeles-times/|url-status=live}}{{free access}}</ref>


===Critical response===
Mozart's burial site is now the most popular gas station in Germany
Colin Jacobson of ''DVD Movie Guide'' thought it was one of the better episodes of the season but thought the ''Amadeus'' segment was the worst of the episode.<ref name="Jacobson">{{cite web|first=Colin|last=Jacobson|date=December 13, 2012|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifteenth Season (2003)|url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonfifteen.shtml|website=DVD Movie Guide|access-date=October 26, 2024|archive-date=August 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806152020/http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonfifteen.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>


On ''Four Finger Discount'', Guy Davis and Brendan Dando thought it was a filler episode but liked the scene of Homer as Henry VIII’s dream of Bart as his son.<ref>{{cite podcast|first1=Guy|last1=Davis|first2=Brendan|last2=Dando|title=Margical History Tour (S15E11)|work=Four Finger Discount (Simpsons Podcast)|date=April 29, 2023|url=https://fourfingerdiscount.podbean.com/e/margical-history-tour-simpsons-podcast-review/|time=4:50|access-date=October 26, 2024|archive-date=July 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723135043/https://fourfingerdiscount.podbean.com/e/margical-history-tour-simpsons-podcast-review/|url-status=live}}</ref>
(accompanied by still of gas station)


In 2021, Ben Sherlock of '']'' ranked this episode as one of the series' 10 best anthology episodes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sherlock |first1=Ben |title=The Simpsons: 10 Best Anthology Episodes, Ranked |url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-best-anthology-episodes/#simpsons-bible-stories-season-10-episode-18 |website=] |date=May 10, 2021 |access-date=12 April 2023 |archive-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412125105/https://screenrant.com/simpsons-best-anthology-episodes/#simpsons-bible-stories-season-10-episode-18 |url-status=live }}</ref>
''']'''


==References==
That night, Homer watched animal house again and went to work the next day in a toga
{{Reflist}}


== External links ==
(accompanied by still of Homer reclining on the sofa in his briefs with the TV. on)
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_15#Episode_11.Margical_History_Tour|"Margical History Tour"}}
{{portal|The Simpsons}}
* {{IMDb episode|0784540}}
* Script on Springfield! Springfield!
{{The Simpsons episodes|15}}


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Latest revision as of 03:22, 4 January 2025

11th episode of the 15th season of The Simpsons
"Margical History Tour"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 15
Episode 11
Directed byMike B. Anderson
Written byBrian Kelley
Production codeFABF06
Original air dateFebruary 8, 2004 (2004-02-08)
Episode features
Couch gagThe couch is replaced by a giant microwave. Someone puts a tray inside and presses a button. The Simpsons rise from the tray as it cooks.
CommentaryAl Jean
Brian Kelley
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Matt Selman
Tim Long
J. Stewart Burns
Tom Gammill
Max Pross
Mike B. Anderson
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" 		Next →
"Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
The Simpsons season 15
List of episodes

"Margical History Tour" is the eleventh episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 8, 2004. The episode was written by Brian Kelley and directed by Mike B. Anderson.

In this episode, Marge tells Bart, Lisa, and Milhouse three stories about historic figures. The episode received mixed reviews.

Plot

When Bart, Lisa, and Milhouse go to the library to study but see that most of the books have been removed due to their unpopularity, so Marge tells them stories about history.

Henry VIII

Henry VIII (Homer) desires a male heir. He has a dream of a conversation with a son (Bart), who taunts him about his failure. When Anne Boleyn (Lindsay Naegle) promises to produce a son were she his wife, Margerine of Aragon (Marge) takes Henry to a marriage counselor (Dr. Hibbert) who encourages him to remain faithful but changes his mind after Henry threatens him. Sir Thomas More (Ned Flanders) protests that divorce is not permitted in the Catholic Church. The King says he will start his own Church. More objects, prompting Henry to shoot him out of a cannon. Henry and Margarine explain their divorce to their daughter (Lisa), who says Henry's heir could be female but leaves when Henry threatens her.

Henry's new Church grants him his divorce. The Archbishop of Canterbury (Reverend Lovejoy), now head of the Church of England, officiates Henry's wedding to Anne. She bears Henry another daughter and is beheaded. Henry marries a total of six times but fails to produce a son.

Years later, Henry is old and lying in his bed with Margerine by his side. He apologizes for locking her up and asks her to become his Queen again. Margerine accepts then smothers Henry with a pillow.

Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea

Meriwether Lewis (Lenny) and William Clark (Carl) are assigned to explore the West by President Thomas Jefferson (Mayor Quimby). They meet a Shoshone tribe, whose chief (Homer) offers them the guidance of his daughter, Sacagawea (Lisa). They are accompanied by her husband (Milhouse) until he is slaughtered by Sacagawea's brother (Bart).

Sacagawea gives them tips on how to survive the land but quickly tires of Lewis and Clark's stupidity. She leaves them and sets off back home. She encounters a mountain lion, but Lewis and Clark save her using her advice. The party arrives at the Pacific Ocean and a downpour begins, prompting Lewis and Clark to name the place Eugene, Oregon. The two explorers promises Sacagawea national recognition, but it is not until the present that she was retrospectively honored with the creation of the Sacagawea dollar.

Mozart and Salieri

Popular Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Bart) plays sonatas on the piano in Vienna and is pushed along by his father (Homer). Antonio Salieri (Lisa) is resentful of her brother's talents, especially when Mozart wins the award for best composer. At Mozart's flatulence-themed opera, The Musical Fruit, Salieri serves the Emperor (Mr. Burns) drugged wine. The opera is a success until the audience sees the Emperor asleep and mimics him, leaving Mozart stunned.

His failure leads to Mozart's fall from popularity, causing him to become deathly ill. At her brother's deathbed, Salieri says she wanted to ruin his life, not kill him. Mozart says he thought highly of Salieri's work, believing that it would be remembered more than his, but his youthful death ensures he and his music will be immortalized forever. He then dies. Salieri visits the Emperor's court to submit Mozart's Requiem as her own. The Emperor, however, is already focused on Ludwig van Beethoven (Nelson Muntz), whose performance of "Ode to Joy" on the piano prompts him to declare all other music obsolete. Crushed, Salieri throws the Requiem away and boards a carriage filled with lunatics.

Epilogue

Lisa says Marge's story of Mozart and Salieri is based upon the movie Amadeus and calls it inaccurate. Homer notes that the actor starred both in Amadeus and in Animal House and begins singing its theme.

Cultural references

Some items seen in the library are 'Everybody Poops: The Video, Yu-Gi-Oh! Price Guides, and Itchy & Scratchy books on tape.

The title of the episode is a satire of The Beatles' movie, song, and album Magical Mystery Tour.

When King Henry first appears, he is gorging himself while singing the 1911 music hall song "I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am". The lyrics, however, are altered to refer to the King's enormous appetite and reputation for gluttony. Henry also wipes his face with Magna Carta, a document which limits the power of the Monarchy and forms the basis of the Constitution of the United Kingdom. During King Henry's dream about his son, a brief snatch of the song, "Greensleeves" can be heard. While in the marriage counselor's office, Henry is reading a magazine called The Yorker, a send-up of The New Yorker, until Margerine reminds him that they've come to talk about their problems. The Sir Thomas More subplot is a satire of Fred Zinnemann's Academy Award-winning film, A Man for All Seasons, starring Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas and Robert Shaw as King Henry. Later, in a dig at Tudor anti-Catholicism, Henry watches a Punch and Judy-style show in which Itchy & Scratchy accuse each other of conducting an illegal Catholic Mass and for refusing to sign the Act of Supremacy.

As Lisa points out at the end of the episode, the Mozart segment is a satire of Peter Shaffer's stage play Amadeus and Miloš Forman's Academy Award-winning film of the same name. During Mozart's first concert, Otto Mann calls out a request for "Sonata in A, K.331". In reality, the K numbering system for Mozart's work was not introduced until 70 years after Mozart's death. Later, Salieri is compared to the three "untalented" Mozarts—Randy, Jermaine, and Tito from the Jackson Five. Mozart's opera "The Musical Fruit" is a satire of both The Magic Flute, and the children's song "Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit," while the opera is sung to the tune of his composition Eine kleine Nachtmusik, which also plays over the closing credits. A fragment from the movement Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem can be heard while Mozart is dying. When Salieri arrives at the Imperial Palace, the Emperor is listening to Beethoven perform the Ode to Joy from his 9th Symphony on the piano. When the Emperor declares all other music obsolete, Beethoven points at Salieri and "Haw Haws" to the opening of his 5th Symphony.

The epilogue is similar to the one from Animal House.

Reception

Viewing figures

The episode was watched by 8.87 million viewers, which was the 48th most-watched show that week.

Critical response

Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide thought it was one of the better episodes of the season but thought the Amadeus segment was the worst of the episode.

On Four Finger Discount, Guy Davis and Brendan Dando thought it was a filler episode but liked the scene of Homer as Henry VIII’s dream of Bart as his son.

In 2021, Ben Sherlock of Screen Rant ranked this episode as one of the series' 10 best anthology episodes.

References

  1. ^ Jacobson, Colin (December 13, 2012). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifteenth Season (2003)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  2. "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 2-8)". The Los Angeles Times. February 11, 2004. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  3. Davis, Guy; Dando, Brendan (April 29, 2023). "Margical History Tour (S15E11)". Four Finger Discount (Simpsons Podcast) (Podcast). Event occurs at 4:50. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  4. Sherlock, Ben (May 10, 2021). "The Simpsons: 10 Best Anthology Episodes, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.

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