Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
- Episode aired Dec 17, 1989
- TV-PG
- 30m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
8.8K
YOUR RATING
Homer is forced to become a department store Santa when Marge spends the family's Christmas savings on removing Bart's tattoo.Homer is forced to become a department store Santa when Marge spends the family's Christmas savings on removing Bart's tattoo.Homer is forced to become a department store Santa when Marge spends the family's Christmas savings on removing Bart's tattoo.
Dan Castellaneta
- Homer Simpson
- (voice)
- …
Julie Kavner
- Marge Simpson
- (voice)
- …
Nancy Cartwright
- Bart Simpson
- (voice)
- …
Yeardley Smith
- Lisa Simpson
- (voice)
Hank Azaria
- Moe Szyslak
- (voice)
- …
Jo Ann Harris
- Girl
- (voice)
Pamela Hayden
- Santa Claus Girl
- (voice)
- …
Christopher Collins
- Mr. Burns
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDVD commentary revealed that the creators got letters of praise for heightening the awareness of the abandonment of racing dogs even though they didn't know it was a real problem when they created the episode.
- GoofsMarge clearly states that Snowball II was bought, while in Lisa's Substitute (1991) from season two, it's stated that Snowball II was a kitten the original Snowball had.
- Crazy creditsCopyright date given as 1990, despite a 1989 air date.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Simpsons: The Way of the Dog (2020)
Featured review
A leaner but not meaner Simpsons
The most interesting thing for any contemporary Simpsons fans to notice in this first episode is how much everything has changed over the years.
The early Simpsons shows were created on a much smaller budget, necessitating a smaller, less experienced, and in some ways, less skilled team. As a result, the animation style here is much rougher. There are far fewer people doing voices. The voice work isn't nearly as smooth as it would become. The personalities of the characters hadn't settled into norms. There aren't as many layers of jokes zipping frantically by.
The feel, overall, isn't that removed from, say, a Beavis and Butthead episode. Not that that's a bad thing. I happen to love Beavis and Butthead, too. It's just a much rougher style than we've come to expect from The Simpsons.
Aside from all of that, though, this is a charming Christmas episode, almost a Simpsons version of A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). Like that famous work, an elementary school pageant is featured prominently, there are problems procuring a Christmas tree, and the "true meaning of Christmas", aside from commercialism, is explored, although here it is done so unwillingly, and there are no religious-tinged speeches to accompany the proceedings--The Simpsons is known for its irreverence, after all. But at its heart, while humorously introducing us to the main characters, this really is a sweet Christmas story and worth watching for that purpose, which is what I plan to save future viewings for.
The early Simpsons shows were created on a much smaller budget, necessitating a smaller, less experienced, and in some ways, less skilled team. As a result, the animation style here is much rougher. There are far fewer people doing voices. The voice work isn't nearly as smooth as it would become. The personalities of the characters hadn't settled into norms. There aren't as many layers of jokes zipping frantically by.
The feel, overall, isn't that removed from, say, a Beavis and Butthead episode. Not that that's a bad thing. I happen to love Beavis and Butthead, too. It's just a much rougher style than we've come to expect from The Simpsons.
Aside from all of that, though, this is a charming Christmas episode, almost a Simpsons version of A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). Like that famous work, an elementary school pageant is featured prominently, there are problems procuring a Christmas tree, and the "true meaning of Christmas", aside from commercialism, is explored, although here it is done so unwillingly, and there are no religious-tinged speeches to accompany the proceedings--The Simpsons is known for its irreverence, after all. But at its heart, while humorously introducing us to the main characters, this really is a sweet Christmas story and worth watching for that purpose, which is what I plan to save future viewings for.
helpful•271
- BrandtSponseller
- Jul 23, 2006
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