Tuesday, April 19, 2005
THE SIMPSONS EPISODES IN MAY
Following are The Simpsons' new episodes in May, with descriptions from Fox:
Sunday, May 1, 8 p.m.
In the milestone 350th episode, "Don't Fear the Roofer," Stephen Hawking, playing himself, and Ray Romano guest-voice. A storm hits Springfield, causing the Simpson roof to leak. Unable to keep a roof over his family's head, a downtrodden Homer seeks companionship at a bar called Knockers. There, he befriends a beer-loving roofer, Ray (guest voice Romano), who agrees to help Homer with the repairs. When Homer's new best friend never shows up, Marge and Dr. Hibbert conclude that he's a figment of Homer's imagination and place Homer in a mental hospital. But Homer and Ray may have the last laugh.
Sunday, May 1, 8:30 p.m.
Bart becomes addicted to junk food when a new vending machine is installed at Springfield Elementary. His steady diet of processed foods leads to a massive weight gain and health issues, so the Simpsons stage an intervention and ship Bart off to "Serenity Ranch - A Forced Starvation Facility," headed up by former food addict Tab Spangler (guest voice Albert Brooks). While Spangler tries to help Bart overcome his obsession, Homer and Marge turn their home into a hostel for German travelers in order to pay for the costly Serenity Ranch.
Sunday, May 8, 8 p.m.
In "A Star is Torn," Lisa agrees to participate in a Krusty-sponsored "Li'l Starmaker" competition, but panics when another contestant (guest voice Fantasia Barrino) performs a better rendition of "Mockingbird." Thankfully, Homer saves the day by hammering out a manipulative tune about Springfield that leads Lisa to victory. With a win under his belt, Homer becomes a star-crazed stage father/manager, ultimately driving Lisa to fire him. A distraught Homer counters by taking another of Lisa's rivals under his wing to groom him for the finals.
Sunday, May 8, 8:30 p.m.
An apocalyptic movie followed by three real-life omens cause a fearful Homer to research the rapture. Believing that he has deduced when the event will happen, he begins warning others as a way to secure his spot in heaven. After a skeptical Kent Brockman reports on Homer's prediction of stars falling from the sky, there's a Krusty Special blimp accident, and Homer attracts a slew of new believers. When the rapture never comes, a discredited Homer discovers an error in his calculations and returns to the Springfield Mesa alone, where he experiences a conversation with God.
Sunday, May 15, 8 p.m.
Jason Bateman guest-voices as himself. Financial trouble inspires Ned to rent his rumpus room to a pair of college-aged women, who end up running a soft-core webcam from the Flanders' home without their knowledge. When Ned becomes the laughingstock of Springfield and moves his family away to a new town, "Humble, PA -- Home of the Humble Figurines," an unruly neighbor moves in next door to the Simpsons, forcing Homer to beg for Flanders' return.
Sunday, May 15, 8 p.m.
The Simpsons protest the construction of a stamp museum next to their home and successfully have it relocated to a cemetery lot, but are dismayed to see the old cemetery moving next door. Lisa soon finds herself suffering fright-induced sleepless nights and runs to her parents' bed. Homer and Marge attempt spending a night in Lisa's room to convince her that it's safe, but are quickly scared away. They turn to a psychiatrist for advice, but Lisa decides to face her fears alone one night in the cemetery, with dramatic results.
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