How Munched Is That Birdie in the Window? (28 Nov. 2010)

Bart adopts a carrier pigeon, but Santa's Little Helper eats it.

Director:

Michael Polcino

Writers:

Matt Groening (creator), James L. Brooks (developer),

Stars:

Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Dan Castellaneta	...	Homer Simpson / Grampa / Itchy (voice)
Julie Kavner	...	Marge Simpson (voice)
Nancy Cartwright	...	Bart Simpson / Todd Flanders / Nelson Muntz / Database (voice)
Yeardley Smith	...	Lisa Simpson (voice)
Hank Azaria	...	Superintendent Chalmers / Carl / Moe Szyslak (voice)
Harry Shearer	...	Ned Flanders / Principal Seymour Skinner / Mr. Burns / Lenny / Scratchy (voice)
Danica Patrick	...	Herself (voice)
Marcia Wallace	...	Edna Krabappel (voice)
Rachel Weisz	...	Dr. Thurmond (voice)
Gregg Berger	...	(voice)
Pamela Hayden	...	Milhouse Van Houten / Rod Flanders (voice)
Tress MacNeille	...	Mrs. Muntz (voice)
Russi Taylor	...	Martin Prince (voice)

Storyline

When a pigeon flies through the Simpsons' home and suffers a broken wing, Bart makes it his duty to care for the bird - whom he names Ray - and nurse it back to health. When Ray is ready to fly, Homer decides to enter him in a bird race when Danica Patrick appears to him in a dream. Things don't go according to plan, however, when Santa's Little Helper swallows Ray. Worried that Bart needs some help getting over the loss, Marge and Homer take him to a therapy session with Dr. Thurston, who advises that the only cure for Bart's blues is to give away the family dog. But when the Simpsons visit the pup's new home, a shock causes them to rethink their decision

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Plot Keywords:

pigeon | 2d animation | carrier pigeon | ostrich | ostrich farm | 

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Family

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 2010 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gracie Films, 20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Itchy & Scratchy in Dogday Hellody of 1933" is a spoof of The Broadway Melody. The Itchy & Scratchy version features Edward G. Robinson from Little Caesar (anachronistically firing an M16, which wasn't developed until the 1960s); Will Rogers (with lasso, paraphrasing his famous saying, "I never met a man I didn't like"); 'W.C. Fields' ("A little hair of the dog that bit me", referring to the practice of drinking alcohol as a treatment for hangover); Harpo Marx; and Bing Crosby.

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Goofs

In the WWII movie trailer, the Stars and Stripes changes from 48 stars (correct) to 50 stars (post 1959 pattern).

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Quotes

Marge Simpson: A doctor who treats kids and pets?
Dr. Thurmond: Hey, in this economy I'll even remove tattoos.
Homer Simpson: Can you remove my tramp stamp? I got the idea from watching a show where people regret these.

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Connections

Spoofs King Kong (1933)

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Soundtracks

"The Typewriter"
(uncredited)
Composed by Leroy Anderson

User Reviews

This episode just was SO wrong

What a terrible episode.

Having been a huge fan of this show since its start in 1989/90 I was actually looking forward to seeing this. Being a bird lover, I felt it would be a good story. Boy was I wrong.

Bad enough they had the dog eat the bird but having Bart strangling the Ostrich was just overkill.

Show just doesn't have it anymore and they have lost a long time fan in me. They could have made the storyline happier, but nope, the script writers are cruel and heartless.

Sorry Simpsons, it was good but it ain't anymore