Oh Little Town of Springfield? It's Christmas - 'Simpsons' Style!

The Simpsons is one of those shows that I don't watch regularly, but when I do catch it, I laugh hysterically! It never seems to show any signs of aging or losing its spark, and that's saying a lot for a show that is now in its 17th season! Maybe it's the fact that the characters never age (oh, the wonders of animation!) or the fact that the jokes never get old (how many times can Homer make a complete idiot of himself, and yet, we still laugh?), but something or a combination of somethings keeps this show just as fresh and refreshing as the day it premiered. One of the things that The Simpsons does better than anyone is the holidays, and last night's combination of three stories was no exception. Homer's recollection of the first Christmas was classic! Having himself as Joseph, Marge as Mary, and the best part of all, Bart as baby Jesus had me cracking up. One of the best parts was when one of the "three wise men" explained his gift and said that he was totally regifting because no one needs mirth! Moe as the Inn Keeper was perfect as well. I loved the scene in the manger after Jesus (aka Bart) was born and the king and his men were coming for the baby Jesus. One of the visitors yelled out, "manger danger!" It was just so classic Simpsons. Homer's (as Joseph) "Jesus, Mary and Joseph" comment was awesome as well. I loved how Homer's story also included the invention of the Christmas tree. I think this story was my favorite of the three.

The second story had Grandpa recounting the time he accidentally shot Santa out of the sky, and then Santa stiffed him. Back when he was a fighter pilot in WWII, he and another soldier (Burns) got shot down over the South Pacific. During the same battle, Grandpa's brother was also shot down and (Grandpa thought) killed. Grandpa and Burns found their way to a deserted island where "days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months back into days" according to Grandpa. Until one day, Burns shot down Santa's sleigh. Neither realized it was Santa at first, but once they did, they both worked to get his sleigh back in working order. Burns pulled a fast one at the last minute and stole Santa's sleigh and all of his toys. Once Homer recaptured the sleigh, the toys and Burns, Santa thanked him and promised to come back for him, but never did. Now, Grandpa wanted revenge and he was lying-in-wait for Santa's arrival. When the two met face-to-face, Santa told him that his brother didn't die in the war and was living in the South Pacific, so Santa took Grandpa there to see him. All was forgiven. And the reason why Santa never went back for Grandpa? He forgot and when he remembered, was too embarrassed then about all the time that had passed to go back.

The third and final story was a montage set to the Nutcracker suite. It showed the residents of Springfield rushing around preparing for Christmas with plenty of that holiday spirit - not the merry kind, but rather the "get out of my way because I'm in a hurry" kind. It showed Moe participating in his yearly holiday tradition of failed suicide attempts, including a string of popcorn that broke, a gun that fired only a Merry Christmas flag and a bunch of cars that only hit each other instead of him. The montage also showed Homer trying to find a gift for Marge on Christmas Eve. Of course, he struck out, but it didn't matter because Marge was prepared. She got him a gift, but it was a gift for him to give her since she knew he'd forget and panic. Overall, a funny look at the holidays with that Simpsons flare that keeps us talking about a show in its 17th season like it were in its first.

About Last Night... CBS won the first hour of the night with Cold Case, followed by Fox comedies The Simpsons and The War at Home and the ABC movie Once Upon a Mattress. At 9, program was delayed 20 minutes due to a presidential address, but CBS' s movie The Christmas Blessing landed the top spot followed by Desperate Housewives (r), and Fox comedies Family Guy and American Dad. The final hour of the night went to CBS's movie, followed by Grey's Anatomy (r) on ABC and the conclusion of American Dad on Fox. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - NBC premieres its week-long Deal or No Deal tonight. In the game show, contestants try their luck at winning 1 million dollars. Over on Fox, the Bluth brothers band together to teach George Sr. a lesson on Arrested Development. Just a reminder, you can catch reruns of UPN's Everybody Hates Chris Monday through Thursday of this week. Tonight, it's a rebroadcast of the Christmas episode from last week.

@9 p.m. - The Radio Music Awards air on NBC with performances by Elton John, Destiny's Child, Tim McGraw, Avril Lavigne and more.

@10 p.m. - CBS's CSI: Miami borrows a page from fellow Bruckheimer crime show Cold Case's playbook tonight as the CSIs investigate a cold rape case after new technology reveals the true rapist (I know what you're thinking, didn't we already read this description last week? The Futon Critic showed this episode as airing last week, but it will air TONIGHT. Sorry for the confusion).




King of Queens - Doug and Carrie get roped into volunteering at their church for the holidays. 8 p.m. CBS

How I Met Your Mother - Ted treats his friends to the "best New Years ever" by renting a Limo and taking them to all the best parties. 8:30 p.m. CBS

Two and a Half Men - Alan dates a Martha Stewart-like woman who takes over the home for the holidays. 9 p.m. CBS

Out of Practice - Oliver, Regina, and Ben throw a New Years' party, but end up going after the same girl. 9:30 p.m. CBS




QUICK CUTS

*It's TV on DVD Monday! Still looking for a last minute holiday gift? Well, here's a few DVDs to stuff your stockings and trim your trees: Battlestar Galactica (season 2), The Amazing Race (season 7), ER (season 4), and Party of Five (season 2) will all hit shelves tomorrow. For more on these releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.

*Fox's Reunion will no longer air on a television near you. The canceled show was scheduled to air its last episode February 2nd, but Fox decided to cease airing the remaining episodes, effective immediately. This means that the December 15th episode (1994) was the show's last. The ratings-troubled show failed to find an audience in its overcrowded Thursday night slot prompting Fox to cancel it last month without a satisfactory conclusion to the season-long murder mystery.

*It's the news that fans of smaller shows such as Veronica Mars have been waiting for - Nielsen Media Research is adding digital video recorders (DVRs) to their ratings system. This means that the system used for determining which shows are hits and which are flops will also take into account recordings on DVRs such as TiVos. The company uses 9,000 television homes to estimate how many people watch every program on television, but it doesn't take recordings into consideration. A fact that many fans of "cult shows" such as Mars have long reviled. Shows like Mars are up against other popular shows, creating a conflict and resulting in only one show getting the viewer points because it was watched live instead of as a recording later. Under the new system, both shows will get the viewer points. Nielsen will implement the new system starting next week, but it is not expected to be fully representative of the 7 percent of U.S. television homes with DVRs until the summer.

*And finally, as you have probably heard by now, The West Wing actor John Spencer passed away on Friday. Spencer played presidential aid turned vice president candidate Leo McGarity on the popular NBC show. Spencer was 58 years old, and died suddenly from a heart attack. The actor made a name for himself on the hit drama L.A. Law, where he played quirky New York attorney Tommy Mullaney. But it was his work on The West Wing that earned him an Emmy. As for the popular political drama, writers are meeting this week to discuss how to deal with the actor's sudden death. One complication for the team, in a flash-forward episode earlier this season, Spencer's Leo McGarity was seen three years in the future. Spencer will be sorely missed by his colleagues. West Wing executive producer John Wells issued the following statement:

"John was a wonderful actor, a pleasure to work with and a true gentleman, but most importantly, a generous and gracious friend. He will be missed by everyone who ever had the great fortune to know him."

For more on the life and work of John Spencer, visit The Futon Critic.


That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on Cold Case! Plus, all the latest television news!