Lisa's Wedding
Encyclopedia
"Lisa's Wedding" is the 19th episode of The Simpsons
' sixth season
, which originally aired March 19, 1995. The plot focuses around Lisa visiting a carnival fortune teller and learning about her future love. It was written by Greg Daniels
and directed by Jim Reardon
. Mandy Patinkin
guest stars as Hugh Parkfield and Phil Hartman
guest stars as Troy McClure
. The episode won an Emmy Award in 1995 for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program
, becoming the third episode of The Simpsons to win the award.
visiting a renaissance fair
. Homer
eats eight different kinds of meat, and an embarrassed Lisa
wanders off and eventually finds a fortune telling booth. Although Lisa is at first skeptical, the fortune teller gets her attention by telling Lisa the names of everyone in her family. She then uses tarot
cards to predict Lisa's future, and says she will tell Lisa the story of her true love.
The story then shifts to an Eastern University in the year 2010 (at the time the episode aired, 15 years in the future) where a now 23-year-old Lisa meets a British
student named Hugh Parkfield. At first, the two quarrel over a book in the library and their respective academic talents, but the pair eventually fall madly in love. Hugh invites Lisa to come back to his home in England so she can meet his parents. While there, Hugh asks Lisa to marry him; she immediately accepts.
The next day, Lisa calls home to tell Marge
of the news; Marge promises that she will prevent Homer from ruining the wedding. Marge is still a housewife, Bart
(now 25) works as a successful building demolition expert, Maggie
is a teenager who wears a necklace with her pacifier attached and apparently never shuts up (although each time she opens her mouth in the episode, she is interrupted) and Homer still works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in Sector 7G, with Milhouse
as his supervisor. Lisa and Hugh travel to Springfield
, where Lisa is worried that her family will embarrass her. Things get off to a bad start when Bart and Homer accidentally set the British Union Flag
on fire
, which they put out by throwing compost on it.
At dinner, Lisa plans on going for a wedding dress fitting and Homer decides to take Hugh out to Moe's Tavern. While there, Homer presents Hugh with a tacky pair of cuff links (a bride and groom pig) that all Simpsons men have worn on their wedding day, asking him to continue the tradition; Hugh reluctantly agrees to wear them during the wedding. Later that night, Lisa apologizes profusely for her family's behavior; although Hugh says it doesn't bother him, he appears worried. On the day of the wedding, Homer talks with Lisa and she discovers that Hugh did not wear Homer's cuff links. She finds Hugh and asks him to wear them. He agrees, but lets slip that after the wedding he plans for them to return to England and never see her family again. Lisa is outraged at his dismissive attitude, reflecting that she cannot marry him if he cannot understand that she still loves her family despite what they have put her through, and calls off the wedding, running off in anger and sorrow.
Back in the present, the fortune teller says that Hugh went back to England and never saw Lisa again, and that there is nothing Lisa can do to prevent it — although she should "try to look surprised". Lisa questions the fortune teller about her "true love" and the fortune teller reveals that although Lisa will have a true love, she "specializes in foretelling relationships where you get jerked around." Lisa leaves the booth and finds her father, who is excited to tell her about his day at the fair. They walk off, hand in hand, as Lisa listens, happy and content.
, who called David Mirkin
and pitched the idea as traveling to the future and Lisa meeting the perfect guy, who in turn cannot stand her family. Believing that it would be a tough episode to write, Brooks gave the job to Greg Daniels
, who was enthusiastic about it and has said that was a lot easier and more fun to write than expected. The part involving Homer's cuff links was not in the original draft, it was later added because the writers felt that something was needed to represent Hugh's disdain for the Simpson family. The end theme was redone by Alf Clausen
as a "Renaissance
version", including a harp.
Everything in the episode had to be redesigned, which included new sets and all of the characters had to be remodeled for their age. In most cases, the adults were made heavier, had a few lines added to the face and less hair. On Homer, the redesign was minimal, making him a bit heavier, removing one hair and placing an extra line under the eye. Krusty's design is based on Groucho Marx
. The night sky was intentionally made a more reddish color in a subtle joke about how the producers thought the world would be much more polluted in 2010. Nancy Cartwright
's Bart voice was electronically lowered a couple of notches.
This is the first of three future-themed episodes. The second was "Bart to the Future
" in season 11
and "Future-Drama
" in season 16
. While both "Lisa's Wedding" and "Future-Drama" were nominated for an Emmy, Entertainment Weekly
named "Bart to the Future" the worst episode in the history of the series.
", which include The Mask
and "Ace Ventura
VI". According to David Mirkin, this is a joke about how "huge" Carrey's movies were at the time, and how he was not garnering much respect as an actor. The sounds of the car are the same as the ones used in The Jetsons
. Wrist communicators are using same sounds as communicators in Star Trek
. In this episode's version of the future, apparently four of the major American television networks have been bought by ABC
and merged into CN
NB
CBS
. At the same time, Fox
has gradually become a hardcore sex channel. Hugh Parkfield is a parody of English actor Hugh Grant
. The beginning of Lisa and Hugh's romance is similar to the one in Love Story
. Martin Prince's fate is a parody of The Phantom of the Opera
. The song that he plays on the organ is "A Fifth of Beethoven
" by Walter Murphy
, a disco
version of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5
" in C Minor.
of 9.1, equivalent to approximately 8.7 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Beverly Hills, 90210
and Melrose Place.
"Lisa's Wedding" won an Emmy Award
in 1995 for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program
, becoming the third episode of The Simpsons to win in the category. This episode is a favorite of James L. Brooks, who believes that it is one of the best written episodes and ranks near the top of Simpsons episodes. The emotion of "Lisa's Wedding" is often compared with season 2's
"Lisa's Substitute
". The Quindecim, a college newspaper, made their own top 25 list, ranking "Lisa's Wedding" as the greatest episode of The Simpsons. They also criticised Entertainment Weekly
for leaving this episode and "Lisa's Substitute
" off their top 25 list, saying it was the "equivalent of leaving the Sistine Chapel
off a list of Michelangelo
's best work ... Serving well as bookends, these episodes are not only brilliantly funny, they're among the most genuinely touching stories in the show's entire run."
Mandy Patinkin
as Hugh is considered one of the best Simpsons guest spots by Chris Turner in his book Planet Simpson, who says that many of the best Simpsons guest stars have been lesser known celebrities. In a 2008 article, Entertainment Weekly named Patinkin one of the 16 best Simpsons guest stars. The Daily Telegraph
characterized the episode as one of "The 10 Best Simpsons TV Episodes."
On August 1, 2010, the day of Lisa's wedding in the episode, the name "Lisa Simpson" was a trending topic
on Twitter
, a microblogging
website. Most of the Twitter users that "tweeted" her name wished her a happy wedding day.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 6)
The Simpsons sixth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 4, 1994 and May 21, 1995 and consists of 25 episodes. The Simpsons is an animated series about a working class family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
, which originally aired March 19, 1995. The plot focuses around Lisa visiting a carnival fortune teller and learning about her future love. It was written by Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
and directed by Jim Reardon
Jim Reardon
Jim Reardon is an animation director and storyboard consultant, best known for his work on the animated TV series The Simpsons. He has directed over 30 episodes of the series, and was credited as a supervising director for seasons 9 through 15...
. Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
guest stars as Hugh Parkfield and Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
guest stars as Troy McClure
Troy McClure
Troy McClure is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He was voiced by Phil Hartman and first appears in the second season episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". McClure is a washed-up actor, usually shown doing low-level work, such as hosting infomercials...
. The episode won an Emmy Award in 1995 for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series which is judged to have been the best...
, becoming the third episode of The Simpsons to win the award.
Plot
The episode begins with the Simpson familySimpson family
The Simpson family is a family of fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Homer and Marge and their three children Bart, Lisa and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town...
visiting a renaissance fair
Renaissance Fair
A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the United States, open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are...
. Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
eats eight different kinds of meat, and an embarrassed Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
wanders off and eventually finds a fortune telling booth. Although Lisa is at first skeptical, the fortune teller gets her attention by telling Lisa the names of everyone in her family. She then uses tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
cards to predict Lisa's future, and says she will tell Lisa the story of her true love.
The story then shifts to an Eastern University in the year 2010 (at the time the episode aired, 15 years in the future) where a now 23-year-old Lisa meets a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
student named Hugh Parkfield. At first, the two quarrel over a book in the library and their respective academic talents, but the pair eventually fall madly in love. Hugh invites Lisa to come back to his home in England so she can meet his parents. While there, Hugh asks Lisa to marry him; she immediately accepts.
The next day, Lisa calls home to tell Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
of the news; Marge promises that she will prevent Homer from ruining the wedding. Marge is still a housewife, Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
(now 25) works as a successful building demolition expert, Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
is a teenager who wears a necklace with her pacifier attached and apparently never shuts up (although each time she opens her mouth in the episode, she is interrupted) and Homer still works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in Sector 7G, with Milhouse
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
as his supervisor. Lisa and Hugh travel to Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
, where Lisa is worried that her family will embarrass her. Things get off to a bad start when Bart and Homer accidentally set the British Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
on fire
Flag desecration
Flag desecration is a term applied to various acts that intentionally destroy, damage or mutilate a flag in public, most often a national flag. Often, such action is intended to make a political point against a country or its policies...
, which they put out by throwing compost on it.
At dinner, Lisa plans on going for a wedding dress fitting and Homer decides to take Hugh out to Moe's Tavern. While there, Homer presents Hugh with a tacky pair of cuff links (a bride and groom pig) that all Simpsons men have worn on their wedding day, asking him to continue the tradition; Hugh reluctantly agrees to wear them during the wedding. Later that night, Lisa apologizes profusely for her family's behavior; although Hugh says it doesn't bother him, he appears worried. On the day of the wedding, Homer talks with Lisa and she discovers that Hugh did not wear Homer's cuff links. She finds Hugh and asks him to wear them. He agrees, but lets slip that after the wedding he plans for them to return to England and never see her family again. Lisa is outraged at his dismissive attitude, reflecting that she cannot marry him if he cannot understand that she still loves her family despite what they have put her through, and calls off the wedding, running off in anger and sorrow.
Back in the present, the fortune teller says that Hugh went back to England and never saw Lisa again, and that there is nothing Lisa can do to prevent it — although she should "try to look surprised". Lisa questions the fortune teller about her "true love" and the fortune teller reveals that although Lisa will have a true love, she "specializes in foretelling relationships where you get jerked around." Lisa leaves the booth and finds her father, who is excited to tell her about his day at the fair. They walk off, hand in hand, as Lisa listens, happy and content.
Production
The idea for the episode came from James L. BrooksJames L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...
, who called David Mirkin
David Mirkin
David Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he became a stand-up...
and pitched the idea as traveling to the future and Lisa meeting the perfect guy, who in turn cannot stand her family. Believing that it would be a tough episode to write, Brooks gave the job to Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
, who was enthusiastic about it and has said that was a lot easier and more fun to write than expected. The part involving Homer's cuff links was not in the original draft, it was later added because the writers felt that something was needed to represent Hugh's disdain for the Simpson family. The end theme was redone by Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen is an American film and television composer. He is best known for his work scoring many episodes of The Simpsons, of which he has been the sole composer since 1990...
as a "Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
version", including a harp.
Everything in the episode had to be redesigned, which included new sets and all of the characters had to be remodeled for their age. In most cases, the adults were made heavier, had a few lines added to the face and less hair. On Homer, the redesign was minimal, making him a bit heavier, removing one hair and placing an extra line under the eye. Krusty's design is based on Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
. The night sky was intentionally made a more reddish color in a subtle joke about how the producers thought the world would be much more polluted in 2010. Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Campbell Cartwright is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons...
's Bart voice was electronically lowered a couple of notches.
This is the first of three future-themed episodes. The second was "Bart to the Future
Bart to the Future
"Bart to the Future" is the seventeenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 19, 2000. In the episode, after their vacation in the woods is cut short due to a mosquito infestation, the...
" in season 11
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
and "Future-Drama
Future-Drama
"Future-Drama" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons sixteenth season, the 350th episode overall, and originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 17, 2005. In the episode, Bart and Lisa stumble into Professor Frink's basement, and he gives them a look into their future as...
" in season 16
The Simpsons (season 16)
The Simpsons 16th season began on Sunday, November 7, 2004 and contained 21 episodes, beginning with Treehouse of Horror XV. The season contains six hold-over episodes from the season 15 production line....
. While both "Lisa's Wedding" and "Future-Drama" were nominated for an Emmy, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
named "Bart to the Future" the worst episode in the history of the series.
Cultural references
The episode makes mention of "40 classic films starring Jim CarreyJim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
", which include The Mask
The Mask (film)
The Mask is a 1994 American superhero comedy film based on a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. This film was directed by Chuck Russell, and produced by Dark Horse Entertainment and New Line Cinema, and originally released to movie theatres on July 29, 1994 through New Line...
and "Ace Ventura
Ace Ventura
Ace Ventura is a fictional character, created by screenwriters Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac and Steve Oedekerk. Ace was played by Jim Carrey in the films He was voiced by Michael Daingerfield in the animated television series.-Biography:Ace is a...
VI". According to David Mirkin, this is a joke about how "huge" Carrey's movies were at the time, and how he was not garnering much respect as an actor. The sounds of the car are the same as the ones used in The Jetsons
The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a animated American sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987...
. Wrist communicators are using same sounds as communicators in Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
. In this episode's version of the future, apparently four of the major American television networks have been bought by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and merged into CN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
NB
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. At the same time, Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
has gradually become a hardcore sex channel. Hugh Parkfield is a parody of English actor Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
. The beginning of Lisa and Hugh's romance is similar to the one in Love Story
Love Story (1970 film)
Love Story is a 1970 romantic drama film written by Erich Segal and based on his novel Love Story. It was directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well known as a tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute , and was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story...
. Martin Prince's fate is a parody of The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
. The song that he plays on the organ is "A Fifth of Beethoven
A Fifth of Beethoven
"A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. It was adapted by Murphy from the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The record was produced by noted production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. It was one of...
" by Walter Murphy
Walter Murphy
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
, a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
version of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1804–08. This symphony is one of the most popular and best-known compositions in all of classical music, and one of the most often played symphonies. It comprises four movements: an opening sonata, an andante, and a fast...
" in C Minor.
Reception and legacy
In its original broadcast, "Lisa's Wedding" finished 52nd in ratings for the week of March 13-19, 1995, with a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 9.1, equivalent to approximately 8.7 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
and Melrose Place.
"Lisa's Wedding" won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1995 for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series which is judged to have been the best...
, becoming the third episode of The Simpsons to win in the category. This episode is a favorite of James L. Brooks, who believes that it is one of the best written episodes and ranks near the top of Simpsons episodes. The emotion of "Lisa's Wedding" is often compared with season 2's
The Simpsons (season 2)
The Simpsons second season originally aired between October 11, 1990 and May 9, 1991, and contained 22 episodes, beginning with "Bart Gets an F". Another episode, "Blood Feud" aired during the summer after the official season finale. The show runners for the second production season were Matt...
"Lisa's Substitute
Lisa's Substitute
"Lisa's Substitute" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1991. In the episode, Lisa's teacher Miss Hoover takes medical leave due to what she thinks is Lyme disease, so substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom takes over the...
". The Quindecim, a college newspaper, made their own top 25 list, ranking "Lisa's Wedding" as the greatest episode of The Simpsons. They also criticised Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
for leaving this episode and "Lisa's Substitute
Lisa's Substitute
"Lisa's Substitute" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1991. In the episode, Lisa's teacher Miss Hoover takes medical leave due to what she thinks is Lyme disease, so substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom takes over the...
" off their top 25 list, saying it was the "equivalent of leaving the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
off a list of Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
's best work ... Serving well as bookends, these episodes are not only brilliantly funny, they're among the most genuinely touching stories in the show's entire run."
Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
as Hugh is considered one of the best Simpsons guest spots by Chris Turner in his book Planet Simpson, who says that many of the best Simpsons guest stars have been lesser known celebrities. In a 2008 article, Entertainment Weekly named Patinkin one of the 16 best Simpsons guest stars. The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
characterized the episode as one of "The 10 Best Simpsons TV Episodes."
On August 1, 2010, the day of Lisa's wedding in the episode, the name "Lisa Simpson" was a trending topic
Trending topic
A trending topic is a word, phrase or topic that is posted multiple times on the social networking and microblogging service Twitter. Trending topics become popular either through a concerted effort by users or because of an event that prompts people to talk about one specific topic...
on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, a microblogging
Microblogging
Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size...
website. Most of the Twitter users that "tweeted" her name wished her a happy wedding day.
External links
- "Lisa's Wedding" at The Simpsons.com
- "Lisa's Wedding" at BBC.co.uk, including a list of "celebrities who were arrested."