The Simpsons
Season 22
Digital purchase image featuring Edna Krabappel
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes22
Release
Original networkFox
Original releaseSeptember 26, 2010 (2010-09-26) –
May 22, 2011 (2011-05-22)
Season chronology
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Season 21
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Season 23
List of episodes

The twenty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons began airing on Fox on September 26, 2010 and ended on May 22, 2011. The Simpsons was renewed for at least two additional seasons during the twentieth season leading up to this season.[1] The cast is currently signed through the 36th season (though the show almost got canceled in its 23rd season due to budget constraints). On November 11, 2010, the series was renewed for a 23rd season by Fox with 22 episodes.[2]

Episodes

See also: List of The Simpsons episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
4651"Elementary School Musical"Mark KirklandTim LongSeptember 26, 2010 (2010-09-26)MABF217.82[3]
Lisa attends a performing arts camp and is inspired to "embrace her creative side" by her counselors and fellow campers. When she returns, Lisa fails to readjust to her mundane life and attempts to recapture her "inner hipster".
Guest Stars: Flight of the Conchords (Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie), Ira Glass, Stephen Hawking, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Amber Riley
4662"Loan-a Lisa"Matthew FaughnanValentina L. GarzaOctober 3, 2010 (2010-10-03)MABF178.63[4]
Lisa helps fund Nelson's bicycle company with money Grandpa Simpson gives her as part of his inheritance, but after Nelson meets Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and is convinced he can be successful by dropping out of school, Lisa tries to show Nelson the importance of an education. Meanwhile, Marge and Homer get addicted to buying expensive items and returning them for bogus reasons.
Guest Stars: Mark Zuckerberg, Muhammad Yunus and Chris Hansen
4673"MoneyBart"Nancy KruseTim LongOctober 10, 2010 (2010-10-10)MABF186.74[5]
Lisa coaches Bart's Little League baseball team to a record winning streak by putting her book smarts in statistics and probability into play. But when Bart questions Lisa's coaching tactics and confronts her for taking the fun out of baseball, Lisa benches him from the championship game.
Guest Stars: Mike Scioscia and Bill James (with a special appearance by Banksy who animated the episode's couch gag)
4684"Treehouse of Horror XXI"Bob AndersonJoel H. CohenNovember 7, 2010 (2010-11-07)MABF168.03[6]
In the 21st Treehouse of Horror episode, Bart and Milhouse get trapped inside a cursed board game in "War and Pieces", Homer and Marge suspect a castaway of being a murderer in "Master and Cadaver", and Lisa falls for a preteen of the night in "Tweenlight".
Guest Stars: Hugh Laurie and Daniel Radcliffe
4695"Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life"Matthew NastukJoel H. CohenNovember 14, 2010 (2010-11-14)MABF208.83[7]
When Lisa finds out that Marge used to be as smart as Lisa before she slacked off, Lisa decides to buckle down (including sacrificing her love of arts and music) and not make the same mistake her mother did. Meanwhile, Bart publicly humiliates Nelson and becomes the school's new bully.
4706"The Fool Monty"Steven Dean MooreMichael PriceNovember 21, 2010 (2010-11-21)NABF016.59[8]
Mr. Burns is branded a social pariah after buying all the vaccinations created for a fictitious illness cooked up by the media, and ends up as The Simpsons' latest houseguest after a suicide attempt.
4717"How Munched Is That Birdie in the Window?"Mike Frank PolcinoKevin CurranNovember 28, 2010 (2010-11-28)NABF029.39[9]
Bart nurses an injured pigeon back to health, but when Santa's Little Helper eats the bird, Bart must decide whether to forgive his dog or give him away once and for all.
Guest Stars: Danica Patrick and Rachel Weisz
4728"The Fight Before Christmas"Bob Anderson & Matthew SchofieldDeb Lacusta & Dan CastellanetaDecember 5, 2010 (2010-12-05)MABF229.54[10]
In this four-part Christmas episode (set up similar to season 17's "Simpsons Christmas Stories"), Bart gets even with Santa Claus, Lisa dreams of an Inglourious Basterds-style Christmas, Marge receives a night time visit from the most powerful force in the universe who teaches her the true meaning of Christmas, and The Simpsons appear as puppets with pop singer Katy Perry.
Guest Stars: Martha Stewart and Katy Perry
4739"Donnie Fatso"Ralph SosaChris CluessDecember 12, 2010 (2010-12-12)MABF197.19[11]
An FBI agent and Homer (who's trying to work off his criminal charge for bribery) infiltrate Fat Tony's mob, and meet Fat Tony's cousin, Fit Tony.
Guest Stars: Jon Hamm and Joe Mantegna.
47410"Moms I'd Like to Forget"Chris ClementsBrian KelleyJanuary 9, 2011 (2011-01-09)NABF0312.55[12]
After Bart discovers a boy with a similar scar on his arm, Marge reveals that she was a part of a group called "The Cool Moms," who used to set up playdates with their children and the two decide to reunite with their old friends.
47511"Flaming Moe"Chuck SheetzMatt SelmanJanuary 16, 2011 (2011-01-16)NABF046.38[13]
Moe Szyslak and Waylon Smithers turn Moe's tavern into an ultra-trendy gay bar after Smithers is rejected from Mr. Burns's will and Moe's business is (once again) in a slump. Meanwhile, Principal Skinner tries to date the substitute music teacher and sets her daughter up with Bart.
Guest Stars: Alyson Hannigan, Kristen Wiig and Scott Thompson.
47612"Homer the Father"Mark KirklandJoel H. CohenJanuary 23, 2011 (2011-01-23)NABF056.48[14]
Homer tries to be a better father by using a 1980s sitcom as his guide, but things go wrong when Homer advises Bart to earn his own money for a dirtbike and Bart does just that -- by selling nuclear secrets to the Chinese government.
Guest Stars: Michael Paul Chan, James Lipton, Garry Marshall, and David Mamet.
47713"The Blue and the Gray"Bob AndersonRob LaZebnikFebruary 13, 2011 (2011-02-13)NABF065.49[15]
Moe hires Homer to be his wingman so he can score a date, but Homer ends up being the babe magnet. Meanwhile, Marge is shocked to find that her hairdresser has been dyeing her hair blue all these years and decides to go gray for a new, mature look.
47814"Angry Dad: The Movie"Matthew NastukJohn FrinkFebruary 20, 2011 (2011-02-20)NABF076.24[16]
Bart and Homer revisit their web series "Angry Dad" (from season 13's "I Am Furious Yellow") and turn it into an animated short that quickly gains an Oscar nomination, but Bart does not want Homer to get all the glory, so he sends his father away when the Simpsons go (back) to Hollywood.
Guest Stars: Ricky Gervais, Halle Berry, Russell Brand, Nick Park and J. B. Smoove with Arnis Hasi.
47915"The Scorpion's Tale"Matthew SchofieldBilly Kimball & Ian Maxtone-GrahamMarch 6, 2011 (2011-03-06)NABF086.13[17]
Lisa discovers a rare desert plant that turns aggressive animals docile, while a pharmaceutical company wants to buy it off her to create a new drug.
Guest Stars: Werner Herzog and Kevin Michael Richardson
48016"A Midsummer's Nice Dream"Steven Dean MooreDeb Lacusta & Dan CastellanetaMarch 13, 2011 (2011-03-13)NABF095.42[18]
1970s stoner comedians Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin decide to break up after each of them get a new comedy partner -- Homer pairs up with Cheech to become "Cheech and Chunk" while Principal Skinner joins Chong to become "Teach and Chong." Meanwhile, Marge stages an intervention for The Crazy Cat Lady after noticing that she's hoarding animals -- which turns Marge into a hoarder herself.
Guest Stars: Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin
48117"Love Is a Many Strangled Thing"Mike Frank PolcinoBill OdenkirkMarch 27, 2011 (2011-03-27)NABF106.05[19]

Homer is sent to parenting therapy after tickling Bart until he wets his pants during a football game, but when the therapist is shocked to hear that Homer regularly physically abuses Bart, he puts Homer through shock treatment by having Kareem Abdul-Jabbar strangle him to make Homer feel as weak and helpless as Bart.
Guest Stars: Paul Rudd, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Note: This episode was dedicated to Elizabeth Taylor who voiced Maggie In "Lisa's First Word".
48218"The Great Simpsina"Chris ClementsMatt WarburtonApril 10, 2011 (2011-04-10)NABF115.06[20]
Lisa becomes friends with an old, widower magician, who gives her insight in performing one of Houdini's greatest tricks.
Guest Stars: Martin Landau, Jack McBrayer, Ricky Jay, Penn & Teller and David Copperfield.
48319"The Real Housewives of Fat Tony"Lance KramerDick BlasucciMay 1, 2011 (2011-05-01)NABF125.84[21]
Fat Tony and Selma get married, prompting Marge to worry about her sister's safety. Meanwhile, Lisa uses Bart to find truffles.
Guest Star: Joe Mantegna.
48420"Homer Scissorhands"Mark KirklandPeter Gaffney & Steve VikstenMay 8, 2011 (2011-05-08)NABF135.52[22]
After Lisa breaks Milhouse's heart yet again, he hooks up with a fifth-grader named Taffy, only to force Lisa to face up to how she really feels about him. Meanwhile, Homer becomes a hairdresser after fixing Patty's hair, but finds that dealing with gossipy, female clients all day is tedious and depressing.
Guest Star: Kristen Schaal as Taffy.
48521"500 Keys"Bob AndersonJohn FrinkMay 15, 2011 (2011-05-15)NABF145.99[23]
While trying to get Maggie out of Homer's locked car, the family discovers that they have been hoarding keys for years, setting up three interconnected adventures: Homer finds a key that operates The Duff Blimp, Marge finds a key that operates an antique toy that makes farting noises, and Lisa finds a key that leads her to a secret classroom in Springfield Elementary.
48622"The Ned-Liest Catch"Chuck SheetzJeff WestbrookMay 22, 2011 (2011-05-22)NABF155.30[24]
Ned Flanders begins dating Mrs. Krabappel after saving her from a prank gone bad -- until Flanders realizes that Mrs. Krabappel has left a trail of tears behind her from the men she dated before (including Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer).
Guest Stars: Ken Burns and Joey Kramer

Reception

Ratings

This season ranked 68th among overall viewers and thirtieth among viewers between the ages of 18 and 49.[25][26] The season averaged 7.28 million viewers in the overall viewership with an average of 3.3 rating/9% share in the demographic meaning that the season was watched by an average of 3.3% of households and 9% average of all televisions were tuned to the season when it was broadcast.[25][26]

Reviews

The A.V. Club reviewer Rowan Kaiser rated the season with a B, tying for the second highest rated season of "Animation Domination" with the seventh season of American Dad! and beating the ninth season of Family Guy, which received a C+. It was defeated by the inaugural season of Bob's Burgers, which received a B+.[27]

References

  1. ^ "Fox Primetime". Fox Flash. Archived from the original on January 30, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  2. ^ Hudson, Jill (November 11, 2010). "STILL ANIMATED AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! FOX RENEWS "THE SIMPSONS" FOR INCREDIBLE 23RD SEASON". Foxflash. Archived from the original on November 22, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  3. ^ Gorman, Bill (September 28, 2010). "Sunday Finals: Amazing Race Premieres Up; Undercover Boss A Bit Less Bossy vs. Football". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 15, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  4. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 5, 2010). "Sunday Finals: The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, Amazing Race, Desperate Housewives Rise; Undercover Boss A Bit Less Bossy vs. Football". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 9, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  5. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 12, 2010). "Sunday Finals: Housewives Adjusted Up; Brothers & Sisters Adjusted Down; Plus Final CBS Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Gorman, Bill (November 9, 2010). "Sunday Finals: 'Desperate Housewives' Adjusted Up; 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Cleveland Show' Down, Plus Final CBS, NBC Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 14, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Gorman, Bill (November 16, 2010). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Family Guy,' 'Amazing Race' Adjusted Up; 'CSI: Miami,' 'American Dad,' '60 Minutes' Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 18, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Seidman, Robert (November 23, 2010). "Sunday Final Ratings Including Amazing Race, Undercover Boss, and CSI: Miami". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  9. ^ Gorman, Bill (November 30, 2010). "Sunday Final Ratings: Amazing Race Adjusted Up; 60 Minutes Down; Plus Chargers/Colts". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  10. ^ Gorman, Bill (December 7, 2010). "Sunday Final Ratings: Desperate Housewives, 60 Minutes, Amazing Race Adjusted Up; Brothers & Sisters Down; Plus Steelers/Ravens". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  11. ^ Seidman, Robert (December 14, 2010). "Sunday Final Ratings: Desperate Housewives, Adjusted Up; The Simpsons, Down; Plus 'Amazing Race,' 'Undercover Boss,' and 'CSI: Miami'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  12. ^ Seidman, Robert (January 11, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Cleveland' Adjusted Up; 'Brothers & Sisters' Down; No Change for 'The Cape' or 'Bob's Burgers'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 14, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  13. ^ Gorman, Bill (January 19, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Bob's Burgers' Adjusted Down; Plus 'Golden Globes,' 'Undercover Boss,' 'CSI:Miami' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Seidman, Robert. "Sunday Final Ratings: 'American Dad' Adjusted Up; 'The Simpsons,' 'Cleveland Show' Adjusted Down". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  15. ^ Gorman, Bill (February 15, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Desperate Housewives,' 'America's Funniest Home Videos,' 'Dateline' Adjusted Up; 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Simpsons' Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  16. ^ Seidman, Robert (February 23, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Amazing Race' Adjusted Up; 'The Simpsons' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  17. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 8, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Secret Millionare,' 'Celebrity Apprentice' Adjusted up ; 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Bob's Burgers,' 'Cleveland Show' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  18. ^ Bill, Gorman. "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Secret Millionaire,' 'Amazing Race,' 'Undercover Boss,' 'Celebrity Apprentice' Adjusted Up; 'Cleveland Show' Adjusted Down". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  19. ^ Gorman, Bill (March 29, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: Finals For '60 Minutes,' 'Amazing Race,' 'Undercover Boss,' 'CSI:Miami,' But No Other Adjustments". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 2, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  20. ^ Gorman, Bill (April 12, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Celebrity Apprentice,' 'Secret Millionaire' Adjusted Up; Plus Unscrambled CBS Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 15, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  21. ^ Seidman, Robert (May 3, 2011). "Unscrambled Sunday Ratings: 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'CSI: Miami' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  22. ^ Gorman, Bill (May 10, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Amazing Race,' 'American Dad,' 'Family Guy' Adjusted Up; 'Brothers & Sisters' Adjusted Down". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  23. ^ Calabria, Rosario T. (May 23, 2011). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Sunday, May 22, 2011". Your Entertainment Now. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  24. ^ Gorman, Bill (May 24, 2011). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Billboard Music Awards,' 'Celebrity Apprentice,' 'Funniest Videos,' 'Family Guy,' 'American Dad,' '60 Minutes' Adjusted Up". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Gorman, Bill (May 26, 2011). "2010-11 Season Broadcast Primetime Show 18-49 Ratings Averages — Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  26. ^ a b Gorman, Bill (May 26, 2011). "2010-11 Season Broadcast Primetime Show Viewership Averages — Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  27. ^ Kaiser, Rowan (May 23, 2011). ""Gorillas In The Mist"/"The Ned-liest Catch"/"Torpedo"/"Episode VI: It's A Trap" | Fox animation | TV Club | TV". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
Bibliography

External links

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