Miracle on Evergreen Terrace

"Miracle on Evergreen Terrace"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.	188
Directed by	Bob Anderson
Written by	Ron Hauge
Showrunner(s)	Mike Scully
Production code	5F07
Original air date	December 21, 1997
Chalkboard gag	"Rudolph's red nose is not alcohol-related"
Couch gag	Somebody shakes up a snow globe, which contains the Simpsons sitting on a couch.
Commentary	Matt Groening Mike Scully George Meyer Ron Hauge Nancy Cartwright Yeardley Smith Bob Anderson
Guest appearance(s)
Alex Trebek as himself
Season 9 episodes September 21, 1997 – May 17, 1998 "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" "The Principal and the Pauper" "Lisa's Sax" "Treehouse of Horror VIII" "The Cartridge Family" "Bart Star" "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons" "Lisa the Skeptic" "Realty Bites" "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" "All Singing, All Dancing" "Bart Carny" "The Joy of Sect" "Das Bus" "The Last Temptation of Krust" "Dumbbell Indemnity" "Lisa the Simpson" "This Little Wiggy" "Simpson Tide" "The Trouble with Trillions" "Girly Edition" "Trash of the Titans" "King of the Hill" "Lost Our Lisa" "Natural Born Kissers"
Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Alex Trebek as himself

"Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 21, 1997. Bart accidentally ruins Christmas for the Simpson family by burning down the tree and all their presents.

It was written by Ron Hauge, directed by Bob Anderson, and guest starred Alex Trebek as himself. Hauge was inspired to write the episode after learning of an orphanage that had been ripped off. The episode was selected, among other Christmas themed episodes of the series, on an 2005 Christmas special boxed set on DVD. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide criticized the episode as a rehash of older themes, but it was also described as one of The Simpsons’ more memorable episodes in an review of the 2005 DVD boxed set release.

Homer and Marge go Christmas shopping at the Try-N-Save, where frenzied shoppers are quickly snatching the holiday season's most popular toys. Homer, posing as a store cashier, buys toys that customers were attempting to buy from him.

At bedtime on Christmas Eve, the family makes last-minute preparations at home, Marge tells everyone that no one can open presents until 7 AM and confiscates all of the alarm clocks. However, Bart drinks 12 glasses of water to wake up early and secretly unwraps his gifts, one of which is a remote-controlled fire truck. Bart plays with it until it sprays water on an overloaded electrical socket, causing a fire that engulfs and melts the plastic Christmas tree and all of the presents beneath it. Bart hides the evidence outside beneath the snow in the front yard.

When the family comes downstairs and discover the tree and presents gone, Bart makes up a story about how he caught a burglary in progress and the suspect making off with the tree and all of the family's presents. The police investigate and Kent Brockman does a human interest story on what he believes is the Simpsons' yuletide misfortune.

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Wikipedia