The eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons aired on Fox between September 26, 1999, and May 21, 2000. It started with "Beyond Blunderdome" and ended with "Behind the Laughter". With Mike Scully as the showrunner for the eleventh season,Groening, p. 12. it has twenty-two episodes, including four hold-over episodes from the season 10 production line. Season 11 was released on DVD in Region 1 (North America), on October 7, 2008, with both a standard box and Krusty-molded plastic cover.
The season coincided with The Simpsons family being awarded their star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, the season receiving itself an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, an Annie Award, and a British Comedy Award. It also saw the departure of voice actress Maggie Roswell. The Simpsons ranked 41st in the season ratings with an average U.S. viewership of 8.8 million viewers, making it the second highest rated show on Fox after Malcolm in the Middle. It got an 18-49 Nielsen Rating of 8.2/13.
Production Towards the end of the production of season 10, voice actress Maggie Roswell, who voiced Helen Lovejoy, Maude Flanders and Miss Hoover, among others, left the show because of a contract dispute She returned to the show in season 14. As a result of Roswell's leaving, Marcia Mitzman Gaven was brought to voice many of her characters, but it was decided to kill off Maude Flanders in the episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" to open new storylines for that episode. Gaven started voicing Roswell's characters in hold-over season 10 episode "Brother's Little Helper".
Writers credited with episodes in the 11th season include Al Jean, Dan Greaney, Donick Cary, Tim Long, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Carolyn Omine, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder and George Meyer. Animation directors included Bob Anderson, Mike B. Anderson, Mark Kirkland, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Lauren MacMullan, Pete Michels, Steven Dean Moore, Matthew Nastuk, Michael Polcino and Jim Reardon.
Voice cast & characters
After the departure of Maggie Roswell, it was decided to kill-off Maude Flanders in order to open new storylines. In the episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily", Maude was killed off The character was voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven at that time.
Main cast Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Mayor Quimby, Groundskeeper Willie, Grampa Simpson, Sideshow Mel, Kodos, Arnie Pye, Hans Moleman, Itchy, Benjamin, Barney Gumble, Gil Gunderson, Santa's Little Helper, Squeaky Voiced Teen, Blue-Haired Lawyer and various others Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, Selma Bouvier and various others Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, Nelson Muntz, Maggie Simpson, Kearney Zzyzwicz and various others Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson Hank Azaria as Comic Book Guy, Professor Frink, Dr. Nick, Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Apu, Carl Carlson, Lou, Luigi Risotto, Captain McCallister, Akira Kurosawa, Snake, Cletus Spuckler, Bumblebee Man, Happy Little Elves, Disco Stu, Doug, Kirk Van Houten, Pyro, State Comptroller Atkins, Duffman and various others Harry Shearer as Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Rainier Wolfcastle, Principal Skinner, Lenny Leonard, Dr. Hibbert, Waylon Smithers, Otto Mann, Reverend Lovejoy, Kang, Maggie Simpson, Kent Brockman, Scratchy, Gary, Dewey Largo and various others
Recurring Marcia Mitzman Gaven as Maude Flanders and various others Pamela Hayden as Milhouse Van Houten, Rod Flanders, Jimbo Jones, Terri and various others Tress MacNeille as Agnes Skinner, Dolph Shapiro, Lindsey Naegle, Brandine Spuckler, Bernice Hibbert and various others (this was the first season to have MacNeille performing voices in every episode) Maggie Roswell as Maude Flanders and various others (last season to feature Roswell until season 14) Russi Taylor as Sherri and Terri, Martin Prince and various others Karl Wiedergott as additional characters
Guest stars Marcia Wallace as Edna Krabappel (15 episodes) Jan Hooks as Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon (2 episodes) Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony (2 episodes) Mel Gibson as himself ("Beyond Blunderdome") Jack Burns as Edward Christian ("Beyond Blunderdome") Mark McGwire as himself ("Brother's Little Helper") Ed Asner as the newspaper editor ("Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?") Tom Arnold as himself ("Treehouse of Horror X") Dick Clark as himself ("Treehouse of Horror X") Lucy Lawless as herself ("Treehouse of Horror X") Frank Welker as Werewolf Ned Flanders ("Treehouse of Horror X") The B-52's sing "Glove Slap" ("E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)") Penn & Teller as themselves ("Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder") Ron Howard as himself ("Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder") Pat O'Brien as himself ("Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder") Nancy O'Dell as herself ("Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder") Garry Marshall as Larry Kidkill ("Eight Misbehavin'") Butch Patrick as himself ("Eight Misbehavin'") John Goodman as Meathook ("Take My Wife, Sleaze") Henry Winkler as Ramrod ("Take My Wife, Sleaze") Jay North as himself ("Take My Wife, Sleaze") NRBQ as themselves ("Take My Wife, Sleaze") Tim Robbins as Jim Hope ("Grift of the Magi") Clarence Clemons as the Narrator ("Grift of the Magi") Gary Coleman as himself ("Grift of the Magi") Elwood Edwards as Virtual Doctor ("Little Big Mom") Don Cheadle as Brother Faith ("Faith Off") Britney Spears as herself ("The Mansion Family") Randy Bachman as himself ("Saddlesore Galactica") Trevor Denman as himself ("Saddlesore Galactica") C.F. Turner as himself ("Saddlesore Galactica") Jim Cummings as Duncan ("Saddlesore Galactica") Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan ("Alone Again, Natura-Diddily") Betty White as herself ("Missionary: Impossible") Diedrich Bader as the sheriff ("Kill the Alligator and Run") Robert Evans as himself ("Kill the Alligator and Run") Charlie Rose as himself ("Kill the Alligator and Run") Kid Rock as himself ("Kill the Alligator and Run") Joe C. as himself ("Kill the Alligator and Run") Frank Welker as Puma ("Last Tap Dance in Springfield") Parker Posey as Becky ("It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge") Marc Wilmore as Psychologist ("It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge") Willie Nelson as himself ("Behind the Laughter") Jim Forbes as the narrator ("Behind the Laughter")
Release Reception
By 2000, with the eleventh season's airing, some long-term fans had become disillusioned with the show and pointed to its shift from character-driven plots to what they perceived as an overemphasis on zany antics and gags. An op-ed in Slate by Chris Suellentrop argued that The Simpsons changed from a realistic show about family life into a typical cartoon when Mike Scully was the showrunner: "under Scully's tenure, The Simpsons became, well, a cartoon. Episodes that once would have ended with Homer and Marge bicycling into the sunset now end with Homer blowing a tranquilizer dart into Marge's neck. The show's still funny, but it hasn't been touching in years." John Ortved wrote in his book The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History that "Scully's episodes excel when compared to what The Simpsons airs nowadays, but he was the man at the helm when the ship turned towards the iceberg." The Simpsons under Scully has been negatively labeled as a "gag-heavy, Homer-centric incarnation" by Jon Bonné of MSNBC, and many fans have bemoaned the transformation in Homer's character during the era, from dumb yet well-meaning to "a boorish, self-aggrandizing oaf", dubbing him "Jerkass Homer".
Some eleventh-season episodes, such as "Saddlesore Galactica",Long, Tim. (2008). Audio commentary for "Saddlesore Galactica", in The Simpsons: The Complete Eleventh Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. and "Kill the Alligator and Run"Scully, Mike. (2008). Audio commentary for "Kill the Alligator and Run", in The Simpsons: The Complete Eleventh Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. were considered among the series' worst by some fans and critics. One of the most controversial moments in the show among fans and critics was the kill-off of Maude Flanders in "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily", which was met with strong criticism but was decided by the show's producers to open new storylines for the series.Close-up of the episode in a February 2000 issue of TV Guide.
In his review of The Simpsons: The Complete Eleventh Season, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide wrote "While I agree with fans that Season 11 of The Simpsons doesn’t fly as high as most prior years, I think it’s better than many believe." He conceded the season "comes with a few moderate clunkers and mediocrities," but said it "still manages to entertain most of the time." DVD Talk's Ian Jane said season eleven "isn't the strongest season in the series' history," but "it's still a very good one and the episodes themselves hold up surprisingly well." Nancy Basile of About.com noted the season's polarizing fan reception and gimmick episodes such as "Saddlesore Galactica" and "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily", but offered praise for other episodes like "Behind the Laughter" and "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?". In 2003, the show's writing staff voted "Behind the Laughter" in their list of Top 15 Simpsons episode, becoming the then-most recent episode on the list.
Awards
Aside from winning several awards in 2000, The Simpsons family themselves were awarded on January 14, 2000, their own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard. The 11th season itself gathered an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, as well as an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Primetime or Late Night Animated Television Program, and a British Comedy Award for Best International Comedy TV Show. Alf Clausen also received a 2000 Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Television Production for his work on the episode "Behind the Laughter". In the same year, "Treehouse of Horror X" won the CINE Golden Eagle Award.
In 2000, music editor Bob Beecher was nominated for the Golden Reel Award for "Treehouse of Horror X". At the Prism Awards, "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses" received a commendation in the Comedy Series Episode category in 2001 for its frank depiction of alcoholism and drug rehabilitation. The show was also nominated for a Blimp Award in the Favorite Cartoon category at the 2000 Kids' Choice Awards, as well as for the Teen Choice Award in the category Choice TV Show — Comedy.
Episodes
DVD release
The DVD boxset for Season 11 was released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in the United States and Canada on October 7, 2008, eight years after it had completed broadcast on television, in the UK on October 6, 2008, and in Australia on November 5, 2008. The special features include deleted scenes, storyboards/animatics, and commentaries.
The set was released in two different packagings: a standard rectangular cardboard box featuring Krusty the Clown on the cover, and a "limited edition" plastic packaging molded to look like Krusty's head. This is first time that a character-themed packaging doesn't feature a main character from The Simpsons family. Unlike the previous seasons, the Collector's Edition packaging is a removable molded face attached to a cardboard sleeve, as opposed to a fully plastic clamshell. Both versions have changed from a digipak style of disc tray in previous seasons, to an accordion-style series of cardboard sleeves into which the discs slide. Following the release of the set, there were a number of complaints regarding the style of packaging as the cardboard packaging may scratch the discs; David Lambert of TVShowsOnDVD.com described the set as "functionally defective."
The Complete Eleventh Season Set detailsSpecial features 22 episodes 4-disc set 1.33:1 aspect ratio AUDIO English 5.1 Dolby Digital Spanish 2.0 Dolby Surround French 2.0 Dolby Surround SUBTITLES English SDH Spanish Optional commentaries for all 22 episodes Introduction from Matt Groening Deleted Scenes Beyond Blunderdome