"Pranks and Greens" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | 447 |
Directed by | Chuck Sheetz |
Written by | Jeff Westbrook |
Showrunner(s) | Al Jean |
Production code | LABF18 |
Original air date | November 22, 2009 |
Chalkboard gag | "Halloween does not kick Thanksgiving's ass" |
Couch gag | The family (dressed as Christmas carolers) sings a parody of the last verse of The Twelve Days of Christmas, featuring many ancillary characters. |
Guest appearance(s) | |
Jonah Hill as Andy Hamilton |
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Season 21 episodes
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Seasons | |
Jonah Hill as Andy Hamilton
"Pranks and Greens" is the sixth episode of the twenty first season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 22, 2009. In this episode, Bart tracks down an immature, college-aged man named Andy Hamilton who was once hailed Springfield Elementary's best prankster and encourages him to do something with his life.
The episode was written by Jeff Westbrook and directed by Chuck Sheetz. It was watched by approximately 7.03 million viewers during its original airing.
After Bart is apprehended for playing pranks on the teachers of Springfield Elementary, Principal Skinner reveals to Bart he is not the greatest prankster to ever walk the halls of the school. Bart is shocked by this revelation and sets out to discover the identity of this prankster. After sifting through countless back issues of the school paper, he discovers that there is a two-week gap in its publication dating back 10 years, and that there is a substantial change in Principal Skinner's demeanor and appearance before and after the gap.
Groundskeeper Willie tells Bart that he was once the school swim instructor, and that Principal Skinner was once fun-loving and laid-back until an incident dubbed "Night of the Wigglers". Here, a prankster locked Skinner in a pool full of earthworms for an entire weekend. Monday was teacher development day, so he was not rescued until Tuesday morning. This experience changed Skinner's personality for the worse. Willie then tells Bart that the prankster was named Andy Hamilton, and not to let Skinner know where he learned the name, or he will kill whoever told him.
Meanwhile, Marge is harshly criticized by other Springfield mothers (mainly by Manjula) for serving unhealthy snacks at their "Midday Mommies" meeting. She burns the family's junk food, to Homer's horror (he tries to put the fire out with whipped cream, but he only makes it worse due to it being a flammable petroleum by-product). The family purchases organic food, which is very expensive and has a short shelf life (much to Homer's chagrin), at a local market.