The Front

"The Front" is the 19th episode of The Simpsons ' fourth season. The title references the Front, the Woody Allen movie of the same name.

Synopsis

Bart and Lisa watch a terrible episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show and decide they can write a better one themselves. Inspired by the sight of Homer accidentally cutting Marge's hair with hedge shears, they write "Little Barbershop of Horrors", but the episode is rejected by Roger Meyers, President of Itchy & Scratchy International. They resubmit the manuscript under the name of Abraham Simpson. As a result, Grampa is given a job as staff writer.

Later, at a ceremony called the "Annual Cartoon Awards", Grampa is recognised for outstanding writing in a cartoon series. After watching the clip shown to introduce the award – apparently the first time he has seen the show – Grampa is appalled, and directs his acceptance speech as an assault against the cartoon and against the audience attending the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Homer and Marge are invited to their "Class of 1974" High School reunion, prompting Homer to admit that he never graduated because he failed a science class. At the reunion, Homer receives numerous awards (almost all of them of a dubious or negative nature), including Most Improved Odor, but when Principal Dondelinger reveals that Homer never graduated these awards are revoked. Homer takes an evening class in Remedial Science 1A (the class he failed) in determination to win them back.

The episode ends with an apparently unrelated segment entitled The Adventures of Ned Flanders, with its own memorable theme tune: "Hens love roosters, geese love ganders, everyone else loves Ned Flanders".