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Tennis the Menace

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
Season 12 Episode
259 "Worst Episode Ever"
260
"Tennis the Menace"
"Day of the Jackanapes" 261
"Tennis the Menace"
Tennis the Menace.jpg
Episode Information
Episode number: 260
Season number: S12 E12
Production code: CABF07
Original airdate: February 11, 2001
Chalkboard gag: "I will not publish the principal's credit report"
Couch gag: The living room floor is frozen over. The Simpsons ice skate to the couch. When Homer sits down, his side falls through the ice.
Guest star(s): Andre Agassi as himself
Pete Sampras as himself
Venus Williams as herself
Serena Williams as herself
Showrunner(s): Mike Scully
Written by: Ian Maxtone-Graham
Directed by: Jen Kamerman
DVD features


"Tennis the Menace" is the twelfth episode of season 12 of The Simpsons and the two-hundred and sixtieth episode overall. It originally aired on February 11, 2001. The episode was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Jen Kamerman. It guest stars Andre Agassi as himself, Pete Sampras as himself, Venus Williams as herself and Serena Williams as herself.

Synopsis[edit]

"Instead of buying a casket for his father, Homer uses the money to build a tennis court instead. Springfield wants to use the court for a tennis tournament, which all of the family members enter. But when teams are divided, the family gets competitive with each other, and they recruit professional tennis players to play in their places."


Plot[edit]

The Springfield Retirement Castle holds a talent show, which the Simpsons attend. Grampa wins the show after signing a bad version of "What's New Pussycat?". His prize is a free autopsy, so the Simpsons go to a funeral salesman. While there, Homer realizes that a certain kind of cemetery monument uses the same amount of cement as a tennis court, and so Homer decides to get the house a tennis court, even though Homer mistook tennis for foxy boxing and, as it is, The Simpsons can hardly afford their own house.

The court is very popular with Montelimar residents, and yet, these residents mock Homer and Marge for losing all the time due to Homer's absent-mindedness. (Lou calls them the "L.A. Clippers of backyard tennis"). Homer tries to please Marge by entering Krusty's celebrity tournament, the "Krusty Kharity Klassic". Homer is a hopeless tennis player, so Marge "dumps" him and enters with Bart as her new partner. Homer is outraged that he was abandoned for a ten year old. He has a nightmare where Bart and Marge are married and he is a wall trophy, after being shot at a guillotine factory. Homer enters the tournament with Lisa as his partner.

The tournament takes place and in the stands are leading tennis pros Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Venus and Serena Williams. At the tournament, Homer dumps Lisa for Venus. In response, Marge replaces Bart with Serena as her partner. Ultimately, Serena and Venus replace Marge and Homer with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, respectively. This forces the family to go back to the bench and resume their normal places in the family; as they enjoy the exhibition of top-class tennis, they agree that it is better to watch things than to do things. Homer offers to buy the family dinner with money he took from Pete Sampras' wallet. Pete Sampras makes him put it back but Homer takes some of it back while he isn't looking.

Production[edit]

The episode was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Jen Kamerman. This is the second episode (after season seven's "Radioactive Man" to be animated with digital ink and paint (which would not be used permanently until season 14's "Treehouse of Horror XIII" and "The Great Louse Detective").

Reception[edit]

The episode received mixed to positive reviews from TV critics.


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Tennis the Menace".
Season 12 Episodes
Treehouse of Horror XI A Tale of Two Springfields Insane Clown Poppy Lisa the Tree Hugger Homer vs. Dignity The Computer Wore Menace Shoes The Great Money Caper Skinner's Sense of Snow HOMЯ Pokey Mom Worst Episode Ever Tennis the Menace Day of the Jackanapes New Kids on the Blecch Hungry, Hungry Homer Bye, Bye, Nerdie Simpson Safari Trilogy of Error I'm Goin' to Praiseland Children of a Lesser Clod Simpsons Tall Tales