Alone Again, Natura-Diddily
| "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
Maude Flanders topples to her death. Ned watches on in the background.
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| Episode no. | 240 |
| Directed by | Jim Reardon |
| Written by | Ian Maxtone-Graham |
| Showrunner(s) | Mike Scully |
| Production code | BABF11 |
| Original air date | February 13, 2000 |
| Chalkboard gag | "My suspension was not "mutual"". |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons come in on bumper cars. Homer is then pinned to the wall and slammed repeatedly. |
| Commentary |
Mike Scully George Meyer Ian Maxtone-Graham Matt Selman Jim Reardon Mark Kirkland |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan |
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Season 11 episodes
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| Seasons | |
Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan
"Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" is the fourteenth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons, and marks the final regular appearance of the character Maude Flanders. In the episode, she is killed in an accident while watching a race, devastating Ned Flanders and prompting Homer to find a new woman for his grieving neighbor. After a series of unsuccessful dates, Ned begins to question his faith in God. However, his faith is restored after hearing the female lead singer of a Christian rock band, played by guest star Shawn Colvin, sing in church. The name of the episode is in honor to the song "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
The episode was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Jim Reardon. Maude was voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven while regular voice actor Maggie Roswell had left the show over a pay dispute, but the producers decided to kill off the character to open up for new storylines. Another reason for her death was to increase ratings. The episode was viewed in 10.8 million households during its original broadcast on February 13, 2000, and became the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
A commercial for "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" that aired before the episode was broadcast attracted criticism from many viewers because it appeared the episode would be parodying an incident at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina that left three spectators dead. Then-Fox affiliate WCCB in Charlotte, North Carolina refused to show the commercial, but after viewing the episode they came to the conclusion that it was not making fun of the incident. Reviews of "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" from television critics have been mixed.
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