{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Good article}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox Simpsons episode | image = | caption = | season = 7 | episode = 10 | director = [[David Silverman (animator)|David Sliverman]] (credited as "Pound Foolish") | writer = [[Jon Vitti]] (credited as "[[Penny Wise]]") | production = 3F31 | airdate = {{Start date|1995|12|03}} | guests = * [[Phil Hartman]] as [[Troy McClure]] and [[Lionel Hutz]] * [[Buzz Aldrin]] as himself * [[Glenn Close]] as [[Mona Simpson (The Simpsons)|Mona Simpson]] * Liz Georges as [[Maggie Simpson]] {{small|(uncredited)}} | blackboard = "I will only do this once a year" | couch_gag = A montage of a select few previously aired couch gags, culminating into the circus extravaganza couch gag from "[[Lisa's First Word]]". | commentary = * [[Matt Groening]] * Bill Oakley * Josh Weinstein * Jon Vitti * [[George Meyer]] | prev = [[Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming]] | next = [[Marge Be Not Proud]] }} "'''The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular'''" is the tenth episode of the [[The Simpsons season 7|seventh season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It originally aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] in the United States on December 3, 1995. As the title suggests, it is the 138th episode and the third [[clip show]] episode of ''The Simpsons'', after "[[So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show]]" and "[[Another Simpsons Clip Show]]".
While the "138th Episode Spectacular" compiles sequences from episodes throughout the entire series like the previous two, it also shows clips from the original [[The Simpsons shorts|Simpsons shorts]] from ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' and other previously unaired material. Like the [[Treehouse of Horror|Halloween specials]], the episode is considered [[Canon (fiction)|non-canon]] and falls outside of the show's regular continuity.<ref name="Groening1">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2002 |title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
The "138th Episode Spectacular" was written by [[Jon Vitti]] and directed by [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]], and is a parody of the common practice among live-action series to produce clip shows.
It has received positive reviews, and was one of the most watched episodes of the seventh season, with a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 9.5.
==Synopsis== [[Troy McClure]] hosts the episode, which highlights individual scenes and sequences from throughout the series and offers never-before-seen [[outtake]]s. McClure starts the episode by showing a brief presentation of how ''The Simpsons'' series was conceived by [[Matt Groening]], [[James L. Brooks]], and [[Sam Simon]], with incorrect renderings of each person (such as portraying Groening as a one-eyed [[National Rifle Association|NRA]] supporter who shoots at the camera upon being revealed). He goes on to present some clips of the [[The Simpsons shorts|original shorts]] that aired on ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]''. McClure then responds to questions from fictional [[fan mail]] by showing clips that contain the answers. At times, he deliberately does not answer the fan question, asks misleading questions to the audience, or provides trivia that is untrue.
Throughout the episode, McClure presents [[deleted scene]]s from several episodes and reveals that [[alternate ending]]s to part two of "[[Who Shot Mr. Burns?]]" were created to prevent the staff on ''The Simpsons'' from spoiling the mystery. Troy McClure ends the episode by showing a montage of ''The Simpsons'' characters naked, set to the [[KC and the Sunshine Band]] song "[[(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty]]".
==Production== [[File:David Silverman in 2007-cropped.JPG|thumb|170px|left|The episode was directed by [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]], who used the [[pseudonym]] "Pound Foolish". |alt=A man with a cowboy hat on his back.]] As the title suggests, "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" is the 138th episode of ''The Simpsons'', although it is the 155th episode when placed in [[production order]]. It is the third ''The Simpsons'' clip show, after "[[So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show]]" and "[[Another Simpsons Clip Show]]". It was written by [[Jon Vitti]], who used the [[pseudonym]] "Penny Wise" in the [[closing credits]] because he did not want to be credited for writing a clip show. The episode was directed by [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]], who also did not want to be credited, and used the [[pseudonym]] "Pound Foolish" in the [[closing credits]].<ref name="Groening">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
During the early years of the show, Fox network officials forced the staff of ''The Simpsons'' to produce clip shows in order to save money.<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Another Simpsons Clip Show" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Originally, the producers were ordered to produce four clip shows per season in order to meet episode limits imposed by the network. Fox network officials reasoned that clip shows could be produced at half the cost of a normal episode, but [[broadcast syndication|syndication]] rights could be sold at full price.<ref name="Groening2">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The staff, however, felt such a large number of clip shows would alienate fans of the series.<ref name="Groening3">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Another Simpsons Clip Show" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
Former [[showrunner]] [[Bill Oakley]] thought the episode was one of the better clip shows of ''The Simpsons'', because it had more original and interesting material than the others. Oakley enjoyed showing deleted scenes from previous episodes and the Simpsons shorts, and particularly enjoyed the montage of [[couch gags]] at the beginning of the episode. The staff tried to entertain themselves while producing the clip show, and Oakley said by having the only actor be [[Phil Hartman]] as Troy McClure, it was "guaranteed to be fun". Hartman's lines in this episode were recorded during the sessions for "[[A Fish Called Selma]]", which also aired during Season 7.<ref name="Oakley">{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
A lot of the humor in the episode comes from the show's staff mocking themselves and their own work.<ref name="Oakley"/> Troy McClure is shown put off after watching "[[Good Night (The Simpsons short)|Good Night]]", the very first [[The Simpsons shorts|short]] produced for ''The Simpsons'', and falls asleep while deleted scenes from various episodes are being played. At one point, supposed early designs of [[Grampa Simpson]] and [[Krusty the Clown]] are shown, which were a "satirical jab at the primitiveness of the [actual] early drawings". Animator [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] got defensive over the joke, explaining that the crude drawings were due to a lack of time for proper animation during that era.<ref name="Oakley"/><ref name="Silverman">{{cite video |people=Silverman, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The fan mail segment showed letters supposedly sent in by distinguished professors and diplomats; Oakley said the joke was that no one of their pedigrees would actually watch the series, let alone write to the staff.<ref name="Oakley"/>
The show's producers are also depicted as animated characters in this episode. Creator [[Matt Groening]] is shown as a "[[Radical right (United States)|radical right-wing]]" [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] and [[Gun politics in the United States|active gun user]] who supports the [[National Rifle Association]], which is a deliberate subversion of the political stance most of the staff actually have. Despite having already left the show by the time this episode was made, a portrait of former producer [[Sam Simon]] was drawn by Simon himself after he did not like the original joke for him, which was a "No Photo Available" disclaimer.<ref name="Oakley"/><ref name="Vitti">{{cite video |people=Vitti, Jon |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
[[File:SmithersDream.png|200px|right|thumb|Smithers dreams about Mr. Burns in "[[Marge Gets a Job]]". The censors had issues with the "[[Erection|lump in his bed]]", which was his knee.<ref name="Weinstein"/>]] One of the clips shown in the episode comes from the [[The Simpsons season 4|season four]] episode "[[Marge Gets a Job]]", in which [[Waylon Smithers|Smithers]] has a dream that he is sleeping and [[Mr. Burns]] flies through a window into his room. The sequence shows Burns flying towards a happy-looking Smithers. The original clip went on for a few seconds longer, but had to be trimmed down in order to remove portions that showed "Mr. Burns land[ing] in a particular position on Smithers' anatomy".<ref name="Oakley"/> There were also issues with "the lump in his bed", which the animators said they had drawn as his [[knee]], but the censors had mistakenly believed was an [[erection]].<ref name="Weinstein">{{cite video |people=Weinstein, Josh |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
A deleted scene from the [[The Simpsons season 5|season five]] episode "[[Burns' Heir]]" is also shown, in which a robotic [[Richard Simmons]] dances outside Burns's mansion to the 1976 song "[[(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty]]". It was cut from "Burns' Heir" because the writers did not think it was funny, nor did it do well with a [[Test screening|test audience]], although Oakley thought the animation was terrific. To the production staff's surprise, the scene would make the audience "erupt with laughter" when screened at animation conventions and college presentations, so they decided to insert it in this episode.<ref name="Oakley"/>
The montage of nude scenes over the ending credits includes the original animation of Homer and Marge snuggling from "[[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]]", which was reanimated in that episode after Fox censors thought it was too explicit.<ref name="Groening"/>
Due to the amount of interest in the ending of the "[[Who Shot Mr. Burns?]]" episode, [[David Mirkin]] wrote several "terrible endings" and recorded several alternate endings with [[Harry Shearer]] serving as the only voice actor.<ref name="Mirkin1">{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2005 |title=Commentary for the episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns (Part One)". The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Mirkin's original intention was to fool the production staff and also leak the endings to various media outlets; much to his surprise, Mirkin failed to successfully fool the staff.<ref name="Mirkin1"/> Several endings were animated that showed various characters, such as [[Barney Gumble|Barney]], [[Moe Szyslak|Moe]], and [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon|Apu]], shooting Mr. Burns, and were presented as part of this episode.<ref name="Mirkin2">{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2005 |title=Commentary for the episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns (Part Two)". The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
This is the second episode of the series to utilize [[digital ink and paint]], after "[[Radioactive Man (The Simpsons episode)|Radioactive Man]]" earlier in the season. The technique is employed for the Troy McClure segments.
The series wouldn't experiment with digital animation again until season 12's "[[Tennis the Menace]]", before switching to digital animation in season 14 ("[[Treehouse of Horror XIII]]" as a test run, and then permanently switching with "[[The Great Louse Detective]]").
===Referenced clips=== During the [[opening credits]] the episode is advertised as having "twenty-three percent new footage", while the rest are clips taken from previous episodes. The five shorts used in this episode are "[[Good Night (The Simpsons short)|Good Night]]" and "Bathtime", which were featured in their entirety, and portions of "The Perfect Crime", "Space Patrol", and "World War III".{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997 |p=191}} Some parts of the episode contain montages of only a few seconds-long clips, such as those referring to Homer's increased stupidity ("[[Blood Feud (The Simpsons)|Blood Feud]]", "[[Flaming Moe's]]", "[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]", "[[Deep Space Homer]]", and "[[Treehouse of Horror V]]"),<ref name=ott85>Ott, p. 85</ref> or those suggesting Smithers' homosexuality ("[[Rosebud (The Simpsons)|Rosebud]]", "[[Dog of Death]]", "[[Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy]]", and "[[Marge Gets a Job]]").<ref name=ott86>Ott, p. 86</ref> {|class="wikitable" border="1" |- !Episode name (in order of appearance) !Season !Clip description |- |"[[Good Night (The Simpsons)|Good Night]]" || [[The Simpsons shorts|shorts]] || Homer and Marge tuck the kids into bed. |- |"The Perfect Crime" || shorts || Maggie reveals the thief of Marge's cookies, Bart. |- |"Space Patrol" || shorts || Bart, Lisa, and Maggie play Space Patrol. |- |"World War III" || shorts || Saying that it is [[World War III]], Homer tests how long it takes his family to get into the [[Fallout shelter|bomb shelter]]. |- |"Bathtime" || shorts || Homer tries to force Bart to take a bath. |- |[[Montage (filmmaking)|Montage sequence]] || 2–6 || Homer gets more and more stupid each season. |- |Montage sequence || 3–5|| [[Waylon Smithers]] fantasizes about [[Montgomery Burns|Mr. Burns]]. |- |Montage sequence || 4, 5 & 7 || Various deleted scenes from previous episodes. |- |"[[Who Shot Mr. Burns?]] (Part II)" || 7 || Unaired alternate ending in which Waylon Smithers is revealed to have shot Mr. Burns. |- |Montage sequence<ref>The referenced clips are from the episodes "[[Mr. Plow]]", "[[Bart of Darkness]]", "[[Rosebud (The Simpsons)|Rosebud]]", {{"-}}[['Round Springfield]]", "[[Bart's Girlfriend]]", "[[Homie the Clown]]", "[[Bart vs. Australia]]", "[[Homer Badman]]", "[[Lisa's First Word]]", "[[Brush with Greatness]]", "[[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]]", "[[And Maggie Makes Three]]", "[[Treehouse of Horror III]]", "[[Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song]]", "[[Homer the Great]]", "[[Like Father, Like Clown]]", "[[I Love Lisa]]", "[[The Call of the Simpsons]]", and "[[Colonel Homer]]".</ref>|| 1–6 || "Hardcore nudity" in ''The Simpsons''. |}
==Cultural references== The entire setup of [[Troy McClure]] presenting the episode is a parody of the practice by live-action series to produce clip shows in general, by celebrating a completely arbitrary milestone and by making exaggerated use of the conventions of traditional highlights shows, such as a grand introduction and relentlessly showbizzy host.<ref name="Knox">{{cite journal |last=Knox |first=Simone |title=Reading the Ungraspable Double-Codedness of "The Simpsons" |journal=Journal of Popular Film and Television |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=72–81 |publisher=[[Heldref Publications]] |date=Summer 2006 |doi=10.3200/JPFT.34.2.73-81 |s2cid=192104303 |issn=0195-6051}}</ref><ref name=ott79/>
[[File:Matt_Groening_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg|thumb|''The Simpsons'' creator [[Matt Groening]] is portrayed as a bald Southern conservative.]] The episode makes references to several films and television shows. ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' is referred to as "the nation's showcase for psychiatrist jokes and musical comedy numbers", while the outtakes right before the commercial breaks parodies television series such as ''[[Roseanne]]'' and ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'' (which regularly aired similar outtakes).<ref name=ott83>Ott, p. 83</ref> The deleted scene from "[[$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)]]" in which Homer plays blackjack with [[James Bond]] parodies the 1967 film ''[[Casino Royale (1967 film)|Casino Royale]]''.<ref>Ott, pp. 87–88</ref> The deleted scene from "Burns' Heir" in which the robotic [[Richard Simmons]] is shot through the head and repairs itself parodies the [[liquid metal]] [[T-1000]] in the 1991 film ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''. The episode satirizes the Fox network in particular, as the two specials mentioned in the beginning, ''Alien Nose Job'' and ''Five Fabulous Weeks Of 'The Chevy Chase Show''', are references to two actual programs that have aired on the network: ''[[The Chevy Chase Show]]'' (1993) and ''[[Alien Autopsy (1995 film)#Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction|Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction]]'' (1995).<ref name=ott79>Ott, p. 79</ref> Several famous musical themes are used or parodied in the clips, such as when Homer sings the [[Meet the Flintstones|theme song]] from ''[[The Flintstones]]'', and [[Johann Strauss II]]'s ''[[The Blue Danube|Blue Danube]]'' is heard in the background of one scene.<ref name=ott85/> The show's producers are depicted as animated characters in the introduction: Groening is a bald [[Southern United States|Southern]] patriot who wields a gun wearing an eye patch, a reference to the promotional poster of the 1970 film ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]]'', and his own comic strip ''[[Life in Hell]]'';<ref name=Knox/> Brooks is seen as [[Rich Uncle Pennybags]], the tycoon from [[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]]; and Simon's appearance resembles [[Howard Hughes]].<ref name=ott82>Ott, p. 82</ref> One of Smithers' fantasies is a parody of [[Marilyn Monroe]]'s famous [[Happy Birthday, Mr. President|happy birthday song]] to President [[John F. Kennedy]], while another one is an allusion to [[Peter Pan (character)|Peter Pan]] flying through the window.<ref name=ott86/> The book that Krusty tries to sell is a reference to [[Madonna]]'s book entitled ''[[Sex (book)|Sex]]''.<ref>Ott, p. 87</ref> "NRA4EVER", the message that appears on a [[cash register]] during the opening sequence reference in a trivia question, is a reference to the [[National Rifle Association]].<ref name=ott82/>
==Reception== The episode ranked among the ten most heavily viewed episodes of the seventh season.{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=3}} After its initial airing, the episode received a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]] of 9.5, and a Nielsen rank of 48.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prime-Time Ratings |date=December 6, 1995 |newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]] |pages=F02}}</ref>
The episode has become study material for sociology courses at [[University of California, Berkeley]], where it is used to "examine issues of the production and reception of cultural objects, in this case, a satirical cartoon show", and to figure out what it is "trying to tell audiences about aspects primarily of American society, and, to a lesser extent, about other societies". Some questions asked in the courses include: "What aspects of [[Society of the United States|American society]] are being addressed in the episode? What aspects of them are used to make the points? How is the satire conveyed: through language? Drawing? Music? Is the behavior of each character consistent with his/her character as developed over the years? Can we identify elements of the historical/political context that the writers are satirizing? What is the difference between satire and parody?"<ref>{{cite web |first=Thomas B.|last=Gold|url=http://sociology.berkeley.edu/documents/undergrads/syllabi/Soc190_1.pdf |publisher=[[University of California Berkeley]] |title=The Simpsons Global Mirror |date=2008 |access-date=July 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407081710/http://sociology.berkeley.edu/documents/undergrads/syllabi/Soc190_1.pdf |archive-date=April 7, 2009}}</ref> Considered a spoof of television clip shows, the episode is seen drawing attention to prevailing televisual conventions and reminds viewers that ''The Simpsons'' itself participates actively in that same cultural legacy.<ref name=ott78>Ott, p. 78</ref>
The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', [[Gary Russell]] and [[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]],<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://doctorwho.org.nz/archive/tsv51/garyrussell.html|title=Gary Russell: From Peladon to Placebos|author=Preddle, Jon|date=June 1997|magazine=Time Space Visualiser|issue=51|access-date=20 August 2020|publisher=The New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club|quote=I've just done my first non-fiction book, Oh No It's A Completely Unofficial Simpsons Guide for Virgin, co-authored with Gareth Roberts which has, to be frank, been more of a nightmare than it needed to be [the book was published as I Can't Believe It's An Unofficial Simpsons Guide, with Gary and Gareth writing under the pseudonyms Warren Martyn & Adrian Wood].}}</ref> thought that "the out-takes [were] up to standard" and said that the episode contains "a number of great self-referential moments".<ref>Martyn (2006)</ref>
Simone Knox praised its visual style in her article ''Reading the Ungraspable Double-Codedness of "The Simpsons"''.<ref name=Knox/> Knox referred to it as not simply a clip show, but a clip show "that looks at the series with a sense of hyper-self-consciousness about its own textuality".<ref name=Knox/>
The episode itself has been described by some critics as a kind of self-imposed benchmark of the show itself, with writer Bill Keveney commenting, "the show picks its own benchmarks, as it did in 1995".<ref name=ott78/>
''DVD Movie Guide''{{'}}s Colin Jacobson said even though the episode is a clip show, it "gussies up the concept with some interesting elements, and keeps repetitive material to a minimum. Instead, it offers much then-unseen footage as well as old snippets from ''The Tracey Ullman Show''. It still feels like a cheap way to crank out a new episode, but it's one of the better clip shows you'll see."<ref name=dvdmovieguide>{{cite web|first=Colin|last=Jacobson |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonseven.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season (1995) |website=[[DVD Movie Guide]] |date=January 5, 2006|access-date=December 1, 2008 }}</ref>
Jennifer Malkowski of ''[[DVD Verdict]]'' gave the episode a B+ grade and commented, "apart from the creative material, what really makes this [episode] shine is the hilarious hosting by Troy McClure."<ref>{{cite web|first=Jennifer|last=Malkowski |url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason7.php |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season |website=[[DVD Verdict]] |date=January 16, 2006 |access-date=December 1, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204055914/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason7.php |archive-date=December 4, 2008 }}</ref>
Dave Foster of ''DVD Times'' criticized the episode: "Despite some interesting concepts such as a bored Troy McClure presenting to much amusement and the presence of deleted scenes and Tracey Ullman shorts amongst the clips, this is an episode that tries hard to find a hook but never quite manages, assuring it'll never make it into regular rotation on this viewer's watch."<ref>{{cite web |first=Dave|last=Foster |url=http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=60554 |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season |website=DVD Times |date=February 25, 2006|access-date=December 1, 2008 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=[[The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family|The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family]] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}}} *{{cite book |last1=Martyn |first1=Warren |author-link1=Gary Russell |last2 = Wood |first2=Adrian |author-link2=Gareth Roberts (writer) |title=I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide |publisher=Virgin Books |year=2000 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page10.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040409145447/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page10.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 9, 2004 |isbn=0-7535-0495-2 |no-pp=true |page=Section: "138th Episode Spectacular }} *{{cite book |last=Ott |title=The Small Screen: How Television Equips Us to Live in the Information Age |first=Brian L. |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-4051-6154-1 |pages=78–98 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a2-OopaOLMQC&q=nation%27s+showcase+for+psychiatrist+jokes+and+musical+comedy+numbers&pg=PA83}} *{{cite book |last=Turner |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Turner (author) |title=[[Planet Simpson|Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation]] |others=Foreword by [[Douglas Coupland]]. |edition=1st |year=2004 |location=Toronto |publisher=[[Random House Canada]] |oclc=55682258 |isbn=978-0-679-31318-2}} {{refend}}
==External links== {{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_7#The_Simpsons_138th_Episode_Spectacular|"The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"}} {{Portal|The Simpsons}} *{{snpp capsule|3F31}} *{{IMDb episode|0701261}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|7}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular, The}} [[Category:The Simpsons season 7 episodes]] [[Category:1995 American television episodes]] [[Category:Clip shows]] [[Category:Television episodes written by Jon Vitti]] [[Category:Television episodes directed by David Silverman (animator)]]