The Simpsons episode
"Behind the Laughter"
Episode no.	248
Prod. code	BABF19
Orig. airdate	May 21, 2000
Show runner(s)	Mike Scully
Written by	Tim Long George Meyer Mike Scully Matt Selman
Directed by	Mark Kirkland
Chalkboard	"I will not obey the voices in my head"
Couch gag	The Simpsons come running in, and they take their places on the couch. A "Magic Fingers" box with a coin slot is attached to the armrest next to Bart. Bart puts in a coin; the couch starts wildly vibrating and moves out of view.
Guest star(s)	Willie Nelson as himself Jim Forbes as the narrator
Season 11 September 26, 1999 – May 21, 2000
Beyond Blunderdome Brother's Little Helper Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? Treehouse of Horror X E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder Eight Misbehavin' Take My Wife, Sleaze Grift of the Magi Little Big Mom Faith Off The Mansion Family Saddlesore Galactica Alone Again, Natura-Diddily Missionary: Impossible Pygmoelian Bart to the Future Days of Wine and D'oh'ses Kill the Alligator and Run Last Tap Dance in Springfield It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge Behind the Laughter
List of all The Simpsons episodes

"Behind the Laughter" is an Emmy-winning episode from the eleventh season of The Simpsons. It is presented in a narrative format, with Jim Forbes as narrator. The episode portrays the Simpson family as actors playing themselves on a sitcom, and tells the (partially fictional) story of how The Simpsons began. This episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour). Simpsons redirects here. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mike Scully (born October 2, 1956 in West Springfield, Massachusetts) is an Emmy Award-winning American television writer best known for his work as show runner of the Fox series The Simpsons from 1997 - 2001 (Seasons 9-12). ... The Simpsons writing staff in season 13, including current show runner Al Jean (fourth from left in middle row) and previous show runners Mike Scully (first from left in back row), David Mirkin (sixth from left in back row), and Mike Reiss (fourth from left in back row). ... Tim Long is a writer on The Simpsons. ... George Meyer is a producer and writer for The Simpsons, and arguably the writer who has contributed the most to the show over its long run. ... Mike Scully (born October 2, 1956 in West Springfield, Massachusetts) is an Emmy Award-winning American television writer best known for his work as show runner of the Fox series The Simpsons from 1997 - 2001 (Seasons 9-12). ... Matt Selman is a writer for The Simpsons. ... The three people are caricatures of (left to right) Rich Moore, Wes Archer and David Silverman[1] The following is a list of directors who have worked on the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Mark Kirkland is a director of episodes of The Simpsons. ... Bart writes The Pledge of Allegiance does not end with Hail Satan The chalkboard gag is a running visual joke that occurs during the opening credits of many episodes of The Simpsons. ... The couch gag is a running visual joke in the opening credits of the animated television series The Simpsons. ... (left to right) Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Keith Richards, Homer, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz and Brian Setzer guest starred in the heavily promoted season 14 episode How I Spent My Strummer Vacation. This is a list of guest stars who appeared on The Simpsons. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The Simpsons 11th season (September 1999 - May 2000) began on Sunday, September 26, 1999 with Beyond Blunderdome. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Beyond Blunderdome is the premiere of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Brothers Little Helper is the second episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Guess Whos Coming to Criticize Dinner? is the third episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Treehouse of Horror X is the fourth episode of The Simpsons eleventh season, as well as the tenth Halloween episode. ... E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder is the sixth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Eight Misbehavin is the seventh episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Take My Wife, Sleaze is the eighth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Grift of the Magi is the ninth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Little Big Mom is the tenth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Faith Off is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. ... The Mansion Family is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. ... Saddlesore Galactica is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. ... Alone Again, Natura-Diddily is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. ... Pygmoelian is the sixteenth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Bart to the Future is the 17th episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons // Spoiler warning: The Simpsons are going to a park, but when they arrive, they find that mosquitos have gone crazy and have taken over. ... Days of Wine and Dohses is the eighteenth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Kill The Alligator and Run is the nineteenth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Last Tap Dance in Springfield is the twentieth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... Its A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge is the twenty-first episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. ... The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... An Emmy Award. ... The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour). ...

Plot

This non-canon^[1] episode is a parody of Behind the Music, the popular VH1 biography show, even sharing the same narrator, Jim Forbes. It begins with the Simpson family history and how they got into show business. The first part of the fake documentary follows the family from their weak beginnings to their exceptional prosperity. A television show, a recording contract, a lot of awards, and countless wealth follow Homer's inadequate video "pilot". This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the album by The Soundtrack of Our Lives, see Behind the Music (album). ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division... The Simpson Family The Simpson family is the family featured in the United States animated sitcom The Simpsons. ... Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. ... A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. ...

However, problems begin to arise as the Simpsons' fame continues. After a funny stunt causes him injury (the cliff plummet from "Bart the Daredevil," after a montage of Homer injury clips), Homer becomes addicted to prescription painkillers, Marge makes some senseless business investments, and Bart goes to rehab. The IRS examines soon after and takes away their house (called "Homertime", since it belonged to rapper MC Hammer before he went bankrupt and was called "Hammertime"). Then, the family gets into a big dispute and splits up at the Iowa State Fair. Bart the Daredevil is the eighth episode of The Simpsons second season. ... Marjorie Marge Simpson (née Bouvier) is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons and is voiced by Julie Kavner. ... Bart and his sister Lisa as news anchors. ... Seal of the Internal Revenue Service Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series        “IRS” redirects here. ... MC Hammer (born Stanley Kirk Burrell on March 30, 1962) is an American MC who was popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s, known for his dramatic rise to and fall from fame and fortune, his trademark Hammer pants, and for leaving a lasting influence on hip hop culture... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Iowa State Fair is an annual state fair held in Des Moines, Iowa. ...

Fox is forced to put the show on hiatus, since none of the Simpsons will talk to each other. The members go their independent ways: Homer follows a career in the proper theater; Bart replaces Lorenzo Lamas as the star of the syndicated action show Renegade; Marge makes a nightclub act; and Lisa writes a tell-all book about her experiences. Bringing the family back together seems hopeless until country singer Willie Nelson puts on a phony awards show in order to reconcile the family. They hug and forget past wrongs in a sensitive reunion. Again, they look with hope to the many years of episodes of the Simpsons to come...or not. The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), is a television network in the United States. ... Lorenzo Lamas (born Lorenzo Lamas y de Santos Lamas on January 20, 1958 in Santa Monica, California) is an American television and film actor, primarily on soap operas, movies and television. ... Renegade was a U.S. television series that ran for 5 seasons and 110 episodes between September 17th, 1992 and April 4th, 1997. ... Lisa Marie Simpson is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Yeardley Smith; Lisa is the only character Smith voices on a regular basis. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

The episode ends with an epilogue, in which the narrator states, "...the future looks brighter than ever for this northern Kentucky family." Stating that the family is from Kentucky would seem to mark the end of a long-running joke seen throughout the series, which would continually (and sometimes barely) avoid mentioning the Simpson family's state of residence.^[2][1] However, the episode being non-canon, as well as the stated location being changed to southern Missouri for reruns, makes it unlikely that this long-standing question has finally been answered.^[1]

Following the epilogue, we see the Simpson family in a video editing room, viewing a scene from an upcoming episode, which Homer claims will be in the last season. The scene shows the family talking about winning a trip to Delaware, and was later used as an actual scene in the episode, "Simpsons Tall Tales".^[2] The final scene shows a mock teaser for an "upcoming episode" of Behind the Laughter about Huckleberry Hound. The teaser shows the character revealing that he was gay. Simpsons Tall Tales is the season finale and twenty-first episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons. ... Huckleberry Hound Huckleberry Hound is a fictional cartoon character created by Hanna-Barbera, and the star of the late 1950s animated series The Huckleberry Hound Show, Hanna-Barberas second series made for television after The Ruff & Reddy Show. ...

Cultural references

• The format of the episode parodies VH1's Behind the Music documentary series. Jim Forbes, who narrates this episode, narrated the VH1 program.
• For their show at the Iowa State Fair, the Simpsons wear costumes that are very similar to the Partridge Family's performing outfits.
• The cover of the Krustophenia record is a parody of The Who's Quadrophenia.
• The Simpsons are featured on several magazines, including TV Guide, Rolling Stone, Coin Laundry News, and Short Hair Ideas.
• Like his alleged dove- and bat-biting incidents, Ozzy Osbourne bites the top off of a Grammy and the trophy starts spurting blood.
• Another motive of the phony awards show was to reunite Sammy Hagar with Van Halen, who are shown in the crowd scoffing at each other, following Hagar's departure from the band in 1996. They would reunite (although not permanently) in 2004.
• The black-and-white scene in which a plastic bag floats into the air is a reference to a similar scene in American Beauty.
• Lisa mentions that "Mr. Geffen" produced the Simpsons Boogie record.

VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division... For the album by The Soundtrack of Our Lives, see Behind the Music (album). ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... Opening title card The Partridge Family was an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who traveled around in a very colorful bus to different venues to perform songs. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Alternate cover Original soundtrack version Quadrophenia is a double album released by The Who on October 19, 1973, one of the groups two full-scale rock operas. ... TV Guide is the name of two North American weekly magazines about television programming, one in the United States and one in Canada. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Ozzy Osbourne (born John Michael Osbourne, December 3, 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is the lead vocalist of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist, and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. ... Samuel Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947 in Monterey, California, USA), better known as Sammy Hagar (aka The Red Rocker), is a U.S. rock guitarist, singer, composer and former member of Van Halen, and of the early 70s rock band Montrose. ... This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... American Beauty is a 1999 drama film that explores themes of romantic and paternal love, freedom, beauty, self-liberation, existentialism, the search for happiness, and family against the backdrop of modern American suburbia. ... Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMGs Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?. The Simpsons Archive. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
2. ^ ^{a b} The Simpsons - Behind the Laughter episode summary. TV.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-23.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

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