Helter Shelter/References

Cultural references

 * The title is a play on The Beatles song "", a famous song which, it was claimed by prosecutors, was indirectly connected to the murders carried out by and his "family". "Helter Shelter" had earlier been the name of the shelter in the episode "Homer Loves Flanders".
 * There is also an episode of  entitled "Helter Shelter".
 * The scene where the Simpsons are waiting for time to fly by mirrors the opening sequence of . Also, the show's theme music is played during the scene.
 * "Squiggy" being sent to boost their ratings is a reference to a lot of television shows sending in newer characters to save the show from being cancelled (often with disastrous results), such as Cousin Oliver on ', Seven on ', and Smitty ('s character) on 
 * A member of the crew says 'I can't eat any more kangaroo testicles'. This is a reference to 
 * Not for the first time, this episode of The Simpsons contains a reference to the 1990s TV character from the show . When Marge attempts to buy groceries from the Kwik-E-Mart, Apu informs her that he is under instructions from the producers of the reality show to veto her purchases for items that were not available in 1895. As such, he deems the breakfast cereal Urkel-O's "delicious, but forbidden."
 * Marge also attempts to buy a box of Oreo cookies, which Apu refuses to sell her as they were invented in 1886. In reality, however, Oreos were introduced in 1912.
 * When Bart prank-calls Moe with, Moe sends back, "I'm gonna stick my golden spike in your Central and Union Pacific!" Moe is referring to the ceremonial which marked the 1869 completion of the  and connected the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads.
 * Law & Order: Elevator Inspectors Unit is a reference to the TV show  and its various spin-offs.
 * One of the figurines sitting on Comic Book Guy's shelf is a model of the from Futurama.
 * The 1895 Challenge is an obvious reference to .

Trivia

 * This is the last episode to be traditionally inked and painted; for the episodes after it would be animated via digital ink and paint.
 * This is the third time Bill Cosby has been parodied on The Simpsons. There is an extra gag in that the Cosby family are losing ratings on their reality show, so the producers decide on the Simpsons; in the early years,  was a ratings rival with The Simpsons.
 * When the family realizes that they are seeing a hockey game, the are discouraged and disappointed, yet in "Lisa on Ice", the family seems to have an interest in the game.
 * When Kozlov hands Lisa his hockey stick, it says "КОЗЛОВ" - the real spelling of Kozlov.
 * The Russian hockey player seems to be '.
 * Kozlov's hockey stick has a crossed hammer and hockey stick on it, an obvious reference to the symbol of the.

Continuity

 * In this episode Homer is upset that 1895 is too late to and too early to, and in" Today I Am a Clown", he again fantasizes about doing both.
 * Homer's line "Where's that kid with my latte?" was used earlier in "Beyond Blunderdome".

Goofs

 * At one point when Bart is in the video confessional booth, he complains of boredom and says " Comics are not funny! They're gay, I get it!" However Mutt & Jeff was first published in 1907, 12 years after the show's 1895 setting.
 * 's "" plays in one scene, despite the fact that it was released in 1902.