Homer Defined

"**Homer Defined**"
"Homer Defined"
The Simpsons episode
	Shadows and back-lighting were used in this scene to increase the tension.
Episode no.	Season 3; Episode 5
Directed by	Mark Kirkland
Written by	Howard Gewirtz
Production code	8F04
Original air date	October 17, 1991
Guest appearances
	Jon Lovitz as Aristotle Amadopolis and Avery Devereaux; Magic Johnson as himself (credited as Earvin Johnson Jr. ); Chick Hearn as himself;
Episode features
Chalkboard gag	"I will not squeak chalk" (Bart squeaks the chalk while writing it)
Couch gag	An alien is sitting on the couch and escapes through a trapdoor as the family rushes in.
Commentary	Matt Groening; Al Jean; Mike Reiss; Dan Castellaneta; Howard Gewirtz; Mark Kirkland
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Bart the Murderer"	Next →; "Like Father, Like Clown"
	The Simpsons season 3
	List of episodes

"Homer Defined" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 17, 1991.^[3] In the episode, Homer accidentally saves the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant from meltdown by arbitrarily choosing the emergency override button using a counting rhyme. Homer is honored as a hero and idolized by his daughter Lisa, but feels unworthy of the praise, knowing his apparent heroism was blind luck. Meanwhile, Bart is downhearted after learning that Milhouse's mother forbids the boys to play together anymore because she thinks he is a bad influence on her son.

The episode was written by freelance writer Howard Gewirtz and directed by Mark Kirkland. Basketball player Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers made a guest appearance in the episode as himself, becoming the first professional athlete to do so on the show. He appears in two sequences, one in which he calls Homer to congratulate him on saving the plant, the second during a game sequence in which Lakers sportscaster Chick Hearn also guest stars.

The episode has received generally positive reviews from critics, particularly Johnson's appearance.

In its original airing on Fox, "Homer Defined" acquired a 12.7 Nielsen rating—the equivalent of being watched in approximately 11.69 million homes—and finished the week ranked 36th.

^ Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..
^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Homer Defined". BBC. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
^ Cite error: The named reference Penner was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1] Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..

[BBC-2] Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Homer Defined". BBC. Retrieved April 12, 2008.

[Penner-3] Cite error: The named reference Penner was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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