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Season 3
Season 4
Season 5


The fourth season began on September 24, 1992 with the first episode, "Kamp Krusty," and ended on May 13, 1993 with "Krusty Gets Kancelled". Al Jean and Mike Reiss were the show runners of the season, as they also were for the previous season.

This was the first time the producers did not submit episodes for the "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) award. By 1993, animated TV series were allowed to be nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, whereas previously the series could only be nominated for animated awards. "A Streetcar Named Marge" and "Mr. Plow" were submitted by producers, but neither had a nomination as voters deemed it unsuitable to have animation nominated alongside live action TV series. Nonetheless, the season was nominated for 6 awards and won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance" by Dan Castellaneta in "Mr. Plow"; an Annie Award for "Best Animated Television Program"; a Genesis Award for "Best Television Prime Time Animated Series" for "Whacking Day"; and a Saturn Award for "Best Television Series."

Season 4 is also had been associated with an attempted Simpsons feature-length film. James L. Brooks suggested the script for "Kamp Krusty" as a possible movie idea. However, due to problems with making the story long enough for an 80-minute film, the idea was dropped. It would not be until over 14 years later where a Simpsons film would finally be made known as The Simpsons Movie, released on July 27, 2007 worldwide.

All 22 episodes of Season 4, including extras, were released on DVD on June 15, 2004 in Region 1, August 2, 2004 in Region 2 and August 25, 2004 in Region 4.

Episodes[]

Picture # Title Original airdate Directed by Written by Prod. code
Kamp krusty 60 - 1 "Kamp Krusty" September 24, 1992 Mark Kirkland David M. Stern 8F24

The children of Springfield, including Bart and Lisa, are excited about going to Kamp Krusty because the camp's ad promises they will get to spend the summer with Krusty the Clown. When they arrive, however, they find that conditions at the camp are deplorable, Krusty is nowhere to be found, and the camp is staffed by an uncaring director (Mr. Black) and the school bullies.

A Streetcar Named Marge 61 - 2 "A Streetcar Named Marge" October 1, 1992 Rich Moore Jeff Martin 8F18

Marge auditions for the part of Blanche DuBois in a local musical production of A Streetcar Named Desire. When she channels her depression and anger over Homer's indifferent treatment of her into her acting, she impresses the director and wins the part. Meanwhile, Maggie is sent to a strict daycare which takes away her and the other babies' pacifiers, and Maggie leads the babies in a revolt to get them back.

God 62 - 3 "Homer the Heretic" October 8, 1992 Jim Reardon George Meyer 9F01

One Sunday morning, Homer skips church and has what he considers to be the best day of his life. He then decides to quit church completely and forms his own religion, customized for himself. Marge, Ned Flanders, and Reverend Lovejoy try to talk Homer into coming back, but Homer refuses.

Lisa the b queen 63 - 4 "Lisa the Beauty Queen" October 15, 1992 Mark Kirkland Jeff Martin 9F02

Lisa feels that she is ugly after she sees a caricatured drawing of herself. To boost her confidence, Homer enters Lisa in the Little Miss Springfield beauty pageant. Although reluctant to enter, Lisa does well, winning second place, then becomes Little Miss Springfield by default after the original winner is hit by lightning and hospitalized.

Treehouse of Horror III (Promo Picture)
64 - 5 "Treehouse of Horror III" October 29, 1992 Carlos Baeza Al Jean & Mike Reiss, Jay Kogen & Wally Wolodarsky, Sam Simon, Jon Vitti 9F04

Opening: Homer advises viewers that the following program is scary, then switches to taunting them and dares them to turn the TV off. A TV in the episode switches off, but Marge can be heard angrily asking Homer if he dared them, which he denies.

Prologue: The Simpson family and several local children in their costumes gather in the Simpsons's living room for a Halloween party. Lisa, Grampa, and Bart each tell a scary story.

Clown Without Pity: Homer has forgotten Bart's birthday, and hastily buys him a Krusty the Clown doll in spite of the store clerk's warning that the doll is evil. Bart is happy with the gift, but (initially unknown to the rest of the family) the doll repeatedly tries to kill Homer.

King Homer: In a parody of King Kong, Mr. Burns hires Marge Bouvier to help him capture a mysterious large ape called King Homer.

Dial "Z" for Zombies: Bart discovers a book of magic and attempts to raise Lisa's cat Snowball I from the dead, but instead accidentally re-animates hundreds of corpses from the cemetery, unleashing a plague of zombies on Springfield.

Itchy and scratchy the movie 65 - 6 "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" November 3, 1992 Rich Moore John Swartzelder 9F03

Bart's behavior is worse than ever, as Homer and Marge learn at Parents Night at Springfield Elementary. Homer warns Bart that he needs to improve his behavior, and Marge warns Homer that he needs to do better at punishing Bart and sticking to it. After Bart almost gets Maggie killed, Homer has finally had enough, and he forbids Bart from seeing "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie".

Marge gets a job 66 - 7 "Marge Gets a Job" November 5, 1992 Jeff Lynch Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein 9F05

The Simpson home is in dire need of foundation repairs, as one end of the house is sinking. Marge decides to get a job to help pay for them. She is hired on at Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, where she ends up working alongside Homer. Mr. Burns quickly becomes attracted to Marge and attempts to seduce her.

New Kid on the Block (Promo Picture) 67 - 8 "New Kid on the Block" November 12, 1992 Wes Archer Conan O'Brien 9F06

The Simpsons have new next-door neighbors: Ruth Powers and her daughter, Laura. Bart quickly develops a crush on Laura, but is heartbroken when she tells him that she is in love with Jimbo Jones. Meanwhile, Homer clashes with a local seafood restaurant, "The Frying Dutchman," over the definition of their "all-you-can-eat" special.

Mr. Plow 2 68 - 9 "Mr. Plow" November 19, 1992 Jim Reardon Jon Vitti 9F07

Homer wrecks both of the family cars during a blizzard, buys a snowplow, and goes into business by starting his own plowing service business, "Mr. Plow". Homer's business succeeds, but he ends up facing competition as Barney starts his own rival snowplow business, the "Plow King".

Lisa's first word 69 - 10 "Lisa's First Word" December 3, 1992 Mark Kirkland Jeff Martin 9F08

Marge tells the story of how the Simpson family moved to their house when Bart was a toddler and Marge was pregnant with Lisa. When Lisa was born, Bart took an instant disliking to her due to the fact that he was no longer the center of attention.

Homerheart 70 - 11 "Homer's Triple Bypass" December 17, 1992 David Silverman Gary Apple & Michael Carrington 9F09

The effects of years of unhealthy eating combined with work-related stress finally catch up to Homer, and he has a heart attack. He needs a triple bypass, but the family can't afford the $40,000 that Dr. Hibbert says it will cost. The family instead seek help from cut-rate doctor Nick Riviera, who says he'll do the operation for $129.95.

Springfield Monorail 71 - 12 "Marge vs. the Monorail" January 14, 1993 Rich Moore

Conan O'Brien

9F10

Mr. Burns is fined three million dollars for illegally dumping nuclear waste, and a town meeting is held to decide how to spend the money. The people are about to adopt Marge's idea to repair Main Street, when a smooth-talking stranger named Lyle Lanley shows up and convinces them to buy a monorail, even though the town has no need for one.

Sel 72 - 13 "Selma's Choice" January 21, 1993 Carlos Baeza David M. Stern 9F11

Marge's, Patty's, and Selma's Aunt Gladys passes away, and in her video will, Gladys admonishes Patty and Selma to raise families rather than die alone as she did. Selma takes the advice to heart, investigating and discarding several possibilities for having a child.

Han 73 - 14 "Brother from the Same Planet" February 4, 1993 Jeff Lynch Jon Vitti 9F12

Fed up with Homer's neglect, Bart signs up with "Bigger Brothers," a mentor program, and is matched with a hip, cool, and caring young man named Tom. Homer finds out, and for revenge he joins Bigger Brothers as a mentor and is matched with an orphan boy named Pepe.

I Love Lisa Promo 74 - 15 "I Love Lisa" February 11, 1993 Wes Archer Frank Mula 9F13

When Ralph doesn't get any cards for Valentine's Day, Lisa feels sorry for him and gives him a card to cheer him up. Ralph misinterprets the gesture and falls in love with Lisa, relentlessly pursuing her to the point of getting the two of them cast as George and Martha Washington in the Presidents' Day Pageant.

Duf 75 - 16 "Duffless" February 18, 1993 Jim Reardon David M. Stern 9F14

Homer is arrested for drunk driving, his license is revoked and he is ordered to attend traffic school and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Marge persuades Homer to give up beer for a month, and the experience of living without beer gives him a whole new outlook on life. Meanwhile, Bart destroys Lisa's science fair project so she replaces it with a project that compares the intelligence of Bart and a hamster.

Ax 76 - 17 "Last Exit to Springfield" March 11, 1993 Mark Kirkland Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky 9F15

Springfield Nuclear Power Plant announces its intention to cancel the dental plan, and the Simpsons have just learned that Lisa needs braces. Homer realizes that he needs the plan to pay for Lisa's braces, and almost before he knows it, he finds himself leading the power plant employees' union in a strike to win back the dental plan.

Clip 77 - 18 "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" April 1, 1993 Carlos Baeza Jon Vitti 9F17

For an April Fool's Day prank on Homer, Bart shakes a can of Duff Beer in a paint shaker, then leaves the beer in the refrigerator for Homer to find. When Homer opens the beer, the resulting explosion blows the roof off the house and puts Homer into a coma. During his coma, the family reminisce by way of clips from previous episodes.

Fr 78 - 19 "The Front" April 15, 1993 Rich Moore Adam I. Lapidus 9F16

Disappointed with the quality of Itchy & Scratchy episodes, Bart and Lisa write one of their own and submit it to Roger Meyers, CEO of the cartoon's studio. Meyers immediately rejects the script because Bart and Lisa are kids, so they re-submit it under Grampa's name, which leads to him getting a new job as an Itchy & Scratchy writer. Meanwhile, Homer and Marge attend their high school reunion and learn that Homer never officially graduated.

Aa 79 - 20 "Whacking Day" April 29, 1993 Jeff Lynch John Swartzwelder 9F18

It's time for Whacking Day, a Springfield holiday where snakes are driven to the town square and beaten to death, a tradition dating back to town founder Jebediah Springfield. Lisa speaks out against the violence, but no one listens. Bart, who has become a serious student since being expelled from Springfield Elementary, decides to help her save the snakes.

Ab 80 - 21 "Marge in Chains" May 6, 1993 Jim Reardon Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein 9F20

Marge accidentally takes an item from the Kwik-E-Mart without paying, and is sentenced to thirty days in prison for shoplifting. Her absence is felt at home, as the house turns into a total mess.

Krusty Gets Kancelled 81 - 22 "Krusty Gets Kancelled" May 13, 1993 David Silverman John Swartzwelder 9F19

A new children's TV program, featuring a ventriloquist's dummy named Gabbo and airing opposite the Krusty the Clown show, is an instant success. Krusty's show, meanwhile, declines in ratings and popularity and is soon cancelled. Bart and Lisa then attempt to help Krusty retrieve his fame with a celebrity filled, prime time special.

Introductions[]

Characters introduced[]

Locations introduced[]

Vehicles introuced[]

DVD Release[]

Season 4 was released on DVD in its entirety as The Complete Fourth Season Boxset on June 15, 2004 in Region 1, August 2, 2004 in Region 2 and August 25, 2004 in Region 4 by 20th Century Fox. While primarily containing the original 22 episodes, the boxset also consists on bonus features such as storyboards.

The Complete Fourth Season Boxset
Set Details Special Feature
  • 22 episodes
  • 4-disc set
  • 1.33:1 aspect ratio
  • Languages:
    • English (Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles)
    • Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0, with subtitles)
    • French (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Release Dates
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4

June 15, 2004

August 2, 2004 August 25, 2004

Production[]

This is the remain association of Klasky Csupo with The Simpsons as it produced the Ullman shorts and Seasons 1-5. However, two holdover episodes from Season 3, "Kamp Krusty" and "A Streetcar Named Marge", were aired in the succeeding season, i.e., Season 4, with Season 3's production code, 8Fxx. Production then shifted to Film Roman, which produced episodes starting in Season 4. Film Roman's first Simpsons episode was "Homer the Heretic," as indicated by the first use of the production code 9Fxx.

Trivia[]

  • This season coincidentally ended exactly 3 years after Season 1 had ended.
  • This season's production code is 9Fxx.
  • This season is the very 1st time that Film Roman had helped with animation and cooperated in produing the show & episodes, and they replaced another animation animation company under the name of Klasky Csupo, who had helped with the show's animation during the 1st 3 seasons. For the next 24 years, they would go on and continue animating the show all the way up until Season 28 in late-2016, when, starting with Dad Behavior, they would finally be replaced by 20th Television Animation on Sunday, November 20th, 2016. 20th Television Animation still produces the animation to this day right now.
  • This is the 1st season to produce & air a clipshow episode, which is a trend that went on until the thirteenth season years later. These episodes were produced and made because the FOX company (What the show airs on, by the way) wanted a way for the Simpsons crew to save money and animation. For this season's case, that clipshow episode that went on TV during this season is So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show, which aired exactly on the April Fool's Day holiday in 1993.
  • This is the last season for Al Jean & Mike Reiss to run the show as showrunners before they departured from those roles to produce a new show called The Critic. After so, a new showrunner, named David Mirkin, will be hired to replace them in Season 5. However, Al Jean can become the showrunner again during the 13th season in 2001, 8 years later.
  • This is the final season to feature all of the original Season 1 writers from 1989. They would move on after this season's production is done and Season 5 would bring in lots of new writers surpassing them. The last episode produced before the original writers left the show was the holdover episode Cape Feare, which aired as part of the following season on Thursday, October 7, 1993 on the FOX program.

Awards[]

This was the first time the producers did not submit episodes for the "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) award. By 1993, animated TV series were allowed to be nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, whereas previously the series could only be nominated for animated awards. "A Streetcar Named Marge" and "Mr. Plow" were submitted by producers, but neither had a nomination as voters deemed it unsuitable to have animation nominated alongside live action TV series. Nonetheless, the season was nominated for 6 awards and won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance" by Dan Castellaneta in "Mr. Plow"; an Annie Award for "Best Animated Television Program"; a Genesis Award for "Best Television Prime Time Animated Series" for "Whacking Day"; and a Saturn Award for "Best Television Series."

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