Homer's Barbershop Quartet

"Homer's Barbershop Quartet"
The Simpsons episode
Promotional artwork for "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", featuring David Crosby
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 1
Directed by	Mark Kirkland
Written by	Jeff Martin
Production code	9F21
Original air date	September 30, 1993 (1993-09-30)
Guest appearances
George Harrison as himself David Crosby as himself The Dapper Dans as some of the singing voices of the Be Sharps.
Episode features
Chalkboard gag	"I will never win an Emmy"[1]
Couch gag	The family rush into the room, crash into each other, and shatter like glass. Then, on take 2, the family morph into one disfigured creature. Finally, on take 3, the family run into each other and explode.[2]
Commentary	Matt Groening Mike Reiss Al Jean Jeff Martin Hank Azaria Jon Lovitz Mark Kirkland
Episode chronology
← Previous "Krusty Gets Kancelled" Next → "Cape Feare"
The Simpsons season 5
List of episodes

"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 30, 1993. It features the Be Sharps, a barbershop quartet founded by Homer Simpson. The band's story roughly parallels that of the Beatles. George Harrison and David Crosby guest star as themselves, and the Dapper Dans partly provide the singing voices of the Be Sharps.

The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Mark Kirkland. It begins with the Simpson family attending a swap meet. There, Bart Simpson and his sister Lisa notice a picture of their father, Homer, on the cover of an old LP album. Homer explains to his family that he, Principal Skinner, Barney Gumble, and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon recorded a barbershop quartet album in 1985, which catapulted them to national fame. He tells his family the story of how the band formed, became famous and successful, and eventually disbanded.

In its original American broadcast, "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" finished 30th in ratings, with a Nielsen rating of 12.7. Both critics and viewers praised the episode.