| The Simpsons Season 17 | |||
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| Country of origin | United States | ||
| No. of episodes | 22 | ||
| Broadcast | |||
| Original channel | Fox | ||
| Original run | September 11, 2005 – May 21, 2006 |
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| Season chronology | |||
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| List of The Simpsons episodes | |||
The Simpsons' seventeenth season originally aired between September 2005 and May 2006, beginning on Sunday, September 11, 2005. It broke Fox's tradition of pushing its shows' season premieres back to November to accommodate the Major League Baseball games airing on the network during September and October of each year.[1]
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Al Jean remained show runner, with this being his fifth year in the position since he started it in season 13. David Silverman was the supervising director of animation. New writers included Patric Verrone (previously a writer for The Critic, Futurama, and current president of the Writers Guild of America, Western Division), Daniel Chun, and Stephane Gillis.
Seven hold-over episodes from the season 16 (GABF) production line aired as part of this season. One of these episodes, "The Girl Who Knew Too Little", was intended to air as the season 16 finale on May 15, 2005, but after "The Father, The Son, and The Holy Guest Star", an episode satirizing the Catholic Church, was postponed due to Pope John Paul II's death, it was moved into this season.[2]
"The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, the first Simpsons episode to win since season 14's "Three Gays of the Condo" and the ninth time in the history of the show.[3] Kelsey Grammer received the Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for "The Italian Bob".[4]
The show ranked 56th in the seasonal ratings tied with Invasion, America's Funniest Home Videos, and The Amazing Race with a viewership 9.2 million viewers and an 18-49 Nielsen Rating of 4.4/11.[5]
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate | Prod. code |
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| 357–01 | "Bonfire of the Manatees" | Mark Kirkland | Dan Greaney | September 11, 2005 | GABF18 |
| After Homer gets into trouble over his football gambling debts, he allows the Springfield Mafia to shoot a "snuggle film" in the house without Marge's permission. When she and the kids return home from a trip to "Santa's Village" and find production still going on, a furious Marge leaves for the beach--and encounters a marine biologist named Caleb Thorn who has dedicated his life to saving manatees.[6] Guest star: Alec Baldwin |
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| 358–02 | "The Girl Who Slept Too Little" | Raymond S. Persi | John Frink | September 18, 2005 | GABF16 |
| After the family successfully protests against a stamp museum being built next to their house, a cemetery is built near the Simpson house instead, making the normally unflappable Lisa realize that someone as smart as her can be afraid of something.[7] | |||||
| 359–03 | "Milhouse of Sand and Fog" | Steven Dean Moore | Patric M. Verrone | September 25, 2005 | GABF19 |
| Homer tries to capitalize on a "pox party" after Maggie is infected with chicken pox, but ends up catching it himself. Meanwhile, Milhouse's parents reunite after years of being divorced, but Milhouse and Bart try to break them up again after Milhouse's parents do not pay attention to him.[8] | |||||
| 360–04 | "Treehouse of Horror XVI" | David Silverman (as "Godzilla vs. Silverman") | Marc Wilmore (as "Marc Will Killmore") | November 6, 2005 | GABF17 |
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B.I.: Bartificial Intelligence – Bart falls into a coma after trying to jump into the swimming pool at Patty and Selma's apartment complex. With Bart incapacitated, the Simpsons buy a robot son, who proves to be a better son than Bart ever was, leaving the real Bart to befriend a group of traveling robots. Survival of the Fattest – Mr. Burns hunts down Homer and a small collection of male ancillary characters as part of a new reality show called "The World Series of Manslaughter." I've Grown a Costume on Your Face – After she loses a Halloween costume contest, a witch turns the townspeople into their Halloween costumes, and Lisa (who is now Albert Einstein) finds out that Maggie (who is dressed as a witch) is the key to revert the spell.[9]Guest stars: Terry Bradshaw and Dennis Rodman |
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| 361–05 | "Marge's Son Poisoning" | Mike B. Anderson | Daniel Chun | November 13, 2005 | GABF20 |
| Marge buys a tandem bicycle and after she fails to ride it on her own, Bart offers to ride with her. He soon finds himself increasingly spending time with his mother, until school bullies accuse him of being a "mama's boy". Meanwhile, Moe pushes Homer into the world of professional arm wrestling after seeing Homer doing 5,000 reps on his right arm.[10] | |||||
| 362–06 | "See Homer Run" | Nancy Kruse | Stephanie Gillis | November 20, 2005 | GABF21 |
| In order to win back Lisa's love after shunning her Father's Day gift to him, Homer takes a job as a costumed mascot known as "The Safety Salamander", who wins public acclaim for saving drivers from a car accident. Meanwhile, Springfield holds a recall election to get Mayor Quimby out of office.[11] | |||||
| 363–07 | "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas" | Matthew Nastuk | Joel H. Cohen | November 27, 2005 | GABF22 |
| Marge joins a woman's group after Homer humiliates her at a fancy party, but Marge discovers that her new friends are thieves planning a heist. Meanwhile, Lisa searches for a tutor to help her speak Italian--and finds one in Milhouse.[12] Guest star: Lily Tomlin |
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| 364–08 | "The Italian Bob" | Mark Kirkland | John Frink | December 11, 2005 | HABF02 |
| After Mr. Burns is teased about his car, he sends Homer and the family off to Italy to pick up his new fancy sports car. While on their Italian adventure, the Simpsons end up stranded in a small Italian village where a rehabilitated Sideshow Bob reigns as mayor with a wife and son.[13] Guest stars: Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Kelsey Grammer |
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| 365–09 | "Simpsons Christmas Stories" | Steven Dean Moore | Don Payne | December 18, 2005 | HABF01 |
| In this trilogy Christmas episode, Homer tells his rendition of Jesus's birth in "The First (Annoyed Grunt)-El", Grampa tells a Yuletide war story in "I Saw Grampa Cussing Santa Claus", and Springfield musically prepares for Christmas in "The Nutcracker...Sweet".[14] | |||||
| 366–10 | "Homer's Paternity Coot" | Mike B. Anderson | Joel H. Cohen | January 8, 2006 | HABF03 |
| A chain of events leads to the discovery of a frozen mailman, who has a letter from 60 years ago addressed to Homer's mother, revealing that the man who wrote the letter may be Homer's real father.[15] Guest stars: Michael York, William H. Macy and Joe Frazier |
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| 367–11 | "We're on the Road to D'ohwhere" | Nancy Kruse | Kevin Curran | January 29, 2006 | HABF04 |
| After Bart steals a key from Principal Skinner's office and gets himself into hot water (literally, by fooling around with the school's steam system), Principal Skinner sentences Bart to a "behavior modification camp"--and Homer must give up his Vegas vacation with his bar buddies in order to take Bart there since Bart has been put on the airport's "No Fly" List. Meanwhile, Marge and Lisa have a yard sale--and discover that their biggest-selling product are the many expired medications they've accumulated over the years.[16] | |||||
| 368–12 | "My Fair Laddy" | Bob Anderson | Michael Price | February 26, 2006 | HABF05 |
| Lisa attempts to transform Groundskeeper Willie into a proper gentleman after Groundskeeper Willie's shack collapses and, like many other secondary and one-time characters over the years, is forced to live with The Simpsons. Meanwhile, Homer becomes a human billboard to save the company that makes his famous blue pants.[17] | |||||
| 369–13 | "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" | Raymond S. Persi | Ian Maxtone-Graham | March 12, 2006 | HABF06 |
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While cave exploring with his family, Homer causes the cave to crumble and finds himself stuck upside down in the ceiling. Marge and Bart search for help while Lisa passes the time by telling Homer a story, which turns into a chain of narrated tales that, bit by bit, explain why The Simpsons are spending the day at Carl's Dad Caverns.[18] |
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| 370–14 | "Bart Has Two Mommies" | Michael Marcantel | Dana Gould | March 19, 2006 | HABF07 |
| Ned Flanders wins a new computer and offers it to Marge, as he has no use for it. In return, Marge babysits the Flanders children. With Marge spending so much time at The Flanders', Homer must look after Bart and Lisa. Homer takes the kids to an animal retirement home, but the trip goes awry when Toot-Toot the monkey pulls Bart into her cage and holds him hostage.[19] Guest stars: Susan Sarandon, Antonio Fargas, Dave Thomas and Randy Johnson |
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| 371–15 | "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife" | Matthew Nastuk | Ricky Gervais (who also guest stars) | March 26, 2006 | HABF08 |
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Homer's obsession with Lenny's new plasma TV prompts Marge to enter the family in a sweepstakes, and they win a trip to the Fox Studio Lot. Against Marge's wishes, Homer signs them up for a "Trading Spouses"/"Wife Swap"-style reality show and is forced to take in a controlling wife, while Marge moves in with a beaten-down husband, Charlie, and his perfect son.[20] |
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| 372–16 | "Million Dollar Abie" | Steven Dean Moore | Tim Long | April 2, 2006 | HABF09 |
| After costing Springfield their chance at getting a major football team, Grampa contemplates suicide and goes to a doctor specializing in euthanasia. However, when the police arrests the doctor and Grampa realizes he's not dead, he starts a new life as a bullfighter for the newly converted stadium.[21] | |||||
| 373–17 | "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore" | Mark Kirkland | Deb Lacusta and Dan Castellaneta | April 9, 2006 | HABF10 |
| Patty and Selma abduct Richard Dean Anderson (the actor best known for playing MacGyver) during the Springfield Stargate SG-1 convention. Meanwhile, Mr. Burns outsources his nuclear plant to India and chooses Homer to be the new boss.[22] Guest star: Richard Dean Anderson |
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| 374–18 | "The Wettest Stories Ever Told" | Mike B. Anderson | Jeff Westbrook | April 23, 2006 | HABF11 |
| When the Simpsons' plans for a nice family outing at the Frying Dutchman turn into a dining disaster, the family (and show writers) try to salvage the night by telling three tales of disasters at sea.[23] | |||||
| 375–19 | "Girls Just Want to Have Sums" | Nancy Kruse | Matt Selman | April 30, 2006 | HABF12 |
| Principal Skinner is replaced by a women's education expert after making a sexist statement about women’s math skills during a musical (which was written by a former female Springfield Elementary school student who was a math whiz), who segregates the school by gender. At first, Lisa loves the arrangement, but when she discovers that the girls' classes are more about self-esteem boosting than actual learning, Lisa disguises herself as a boy and attends the boys' classes.[24] Guest star: Frances McDormand |
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| 376–20 | "Regarding Margie" | Michael Polcino | Marc Wilmore | May 7, 2006 | HABF13 |
| Marge goes nuts trying to clean the kitchen in time for a best house contest, but when she inhales the fumes of one too many cleaning solvents, she passes out and bangs her head on a stool. When Marge comes to at the hospital, she is stricken with amnesia, which does not last when she immediately remembers everyone in the family through their quirks--except for Homer. With Marge's memory of Homer erased, Patty and Selma help their sister find a new man.[25] Guest stars: Sal Bando and Gene Tenace |
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| 377–21 | "The Monkey Suit" | Raymond S. Persi | J. Stewart Burns | May 14, 2006 | HABF14 |
| Reverend Lovejoy is appointed to spread the word of creationism in Springfield after Flanders complains about a new museum display about evolution, leading creationism to be taught in schools -- and Lisa to fight back with secret classes about Charles Darwin and his theories of evolution.[26] Guest stars: Melanie Griffith and Larry Hagman |
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| 378–22 | "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play" | Bob Anderson | Joel H. Cohen | May 21, 2006 | HABF16 |
| A first baseman for the Springfield Isotopes calls upon Homer and Marge to help him with his marriage to a stripper/pop singer named Tabitha Vixx, who upstages him with a racy musical number during one of his games.[27] Guest stars: Mandy Moore and Stacy Keach |
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