'The Simpsons' in Philadelphia: Did the 800th episode do the city justice?
Simpsons characters welcome guests at the Fox Studios in Los Angeles, California, on May 7, 2009, before a dedication ceremony for the first day of issue of the Simpsons' stamps by the US Postal Service. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should
PHILADELPHIA - "The Simpsons" just celebrated a major milestone with an unforgettable stop in the "City of Brotherly Love" on Sunday night.
What we know:
The iconic show's 800th episode — "Irrational Treasure" — was set in Philadelphia for the first time in the show's 36-year run, and was filled to the brim with quintessential Philly references.
It all began with a monologue from Homer himself calling Philadelphia, "his kind of town."
Then Marge brings the family dog to Philadelphia to compete in the National Dog Show, before the family is suddenly thrust into a "National Treasure" spoof.
Along the way, Homer visits some must-see Philly sites:
- Pat's, Geno's and Dalessandro’s
- Boathouse Row
- The Rocky statue
- The Betsy Ross House
- The Mutter Museum
He even had encounters with beloved Philly mascots, the Philly Phanatic and Gritty, and stopped for a bathroom break at Wawa, which was filled with jawn!
On top of the sites, some local stars made cameos throughout the episode — Questlove and the Root, Quinta Brunson, and even Kevin Bacon!
The episode was filled with Philly love, but did it leave anything out?
The backstory:
The Simpsons was created by Matt Groening and follows a dysfunctional family featuring Homer, a beer-loving father, Marge, a hardworking homemaker wife, Bart, a 10-year-old underachiever, Lisa, an 8-year-old genius, and Maggie, the pacifier-loving silent infant. The family lives in the fictional town of Springfield.
It began as animated shorts that aired on "The Tracey Ullman Show" in 1987, and debuted on the Fox network on Dec. 17, 1989, with its first episode titled "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire."
In 2007 "The Simpsons Movie" hit theaters nationwide and grossed over $530 million at the box office, according to IMDb.com.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the 800th episode of "The Simpsons," which aired on FOX 29.