Ancient Egyptian religion encompasses the beliefs and rituals of Ancient Egypt. It was followed in Egypt for over three thousand years until the establishment of Coptic Christianity and Islam.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Gods
* 2 Death
* 3 The monotheistic period
* 4 Temples
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 Further reading
* 8 External links
[edit] Gods
Further information: List of Egyptian gods
Egyptian goddess Isis, tomb painting, ca. 1360 BC.
Egyptian goddess Isis, tomb painting, ca. 1360 BC.
A stele depicting two triads of gods
A stele depicting two triads of gods
Early beliefs can be split into 5 distinct localized groups:
* the Ennead of Heliopolis, where the chief god was Atum or Atum-Ra
* the Ogdoad of Hermopolis, where the chief god was Thoth
* the Chnum-Satet-Anuket triad of Elephantine, where the chief god was Chnum
* the Amun-Mut-Chons triad of Thebes, where the chief god was Amun
* the Ptah-Sekhmet-Nefertem triad of Memphis, unusual in that the gods were unconnected before the triad was formalized, where the chief god was Ptah.
Throughout the vast and complex history of Egypt, the dominant beliefs of the ancient Egyptians merged and developed as leaders of different groups gained power. This process continued even after the end of the ancient Egyptian civilization as we know it today. As an example, during the New Kingdom Ra and Amun became Amun-Ra. This "merging" into a single god is typically referred to as syncretism. Syncretism should be distinguished from mere groupings, also referred to as "families" such as Amun, Mut and Khonsu, where no "merging" takes place. Over time, deities took part in multiple syncretic relationships, for instance, the combination of Ra and Horus into Ra-Herakty. However, even when taking part in such a syncretic relationship, the original deities did not become completely "absorbed" into the combined deity, although the individuality of the one was often greatly weakened. Also, these syncretic relationships sometimes involved more than just two deities, for instance, Ptah, Seker and Osiris, becoming Ptah-Seker-Osiris. The goddesses followed a similar pattern. Also important to keep in mind is that sometimes the attributes of one deity got closely associated with another, without any "formal" syncretism taking place. For instance, the loose association of Hathor with Isis. Khnum was the god with the ram's head.
An interesting aspect of ancient Egyptian religion is that deities sometimes played different conflicting roles. As an example, the lioness Sekhmet being sent out by Ra to devour the humans for having rebelled against him, but later on becoming a fierce protectress of the kingdom, life in general and the sick. Even more complex is the roles of Set. Judging the mythology of Set from a modern perspective, especially the mythology surrounding Set's relationship with Osiris, it is easy to cast Set as the arch villain and source of evil. This is wrong, however, as Set was earlier playing the role of destroyer of Apep, in the service of Ra on his barge, and thus serving to uphold Ma'at (Truth, Justice and Harmony).
The Egyptians believed that in the beginning, the universe was filled with the dark waters of chaos. The first god, Re-Atum, appeared from the water as the land of Egypt appears every year out of the flood waters of the Nile. Re-Atum spat and out of the spittle came out the gods Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture). The world was created when Shu and Tefnut gave birth to two children: Nut (sky) and Geb (the Earth). Humans were created when Shu and Tefnut went wandering in the dark wastes and got lost. Re-Atum sent his eye to find them. On reuniting, his tears of joy turned into people.
Geb and Nut copulated, and upon Shu's learning of his children's fornication, he separated the two, effectively becoming the air between the sky and ground. He also decreed that the pregnant Nut should not give birth any day of the year. Nut pleaded with Thoth, who on her behalf gambled with the moon-god Yah and won five more days to be added onto the then 360-day year. Nut had one child on each of these days: Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus-the-Elder.
Osiris, by different accounts, was either the son of Re-Atum or Geb, and king of Egypt. His brother Set represented evil in the universe. He murdered Osiris and himself became the king. After killing Osiris, Set tore his body into pieces, but Isis rescued most of the pieces for burial beneath the temple. Set made himself king but was challenged by Osiris's son - Horus. Set lost and was sent to the desert. He became the God of terrible storms. Osiris was mummified by Anubis and became God of the dead. Horus became the King and from him descended the Pharaohs.
Another version is when Set made a chest that only Osiris could fit into. He then invited Osiris to a feast. Set made a bet that no one could fit into the chest. Osiris was the last one to step into the chest, but before he did Set asked if he could hold Osiris's crown. Osiris agreed and stepped into the chest. As he lay down, Set slammed the lid shut and put the crown on his head. He then set the chest afloat on the Nile. Isis did not know of her husband's death until the wind told her. She then placed her son in a safe place and cast a spell so no one could find him. When she searched for her husband, a child told her a chest had washed up on the bank and a tree had grown up. The tree was so straight the king had used it for the central pillar. Isis went and asked for her husband's body and it was given to her. The god of the underworld told her that Osiris would be a king, but only in the underworld.
Another interesting note to be made is that the ancient Greeks believed that their gods and goddesses were the origins of the Egyptian deities. According to ancient Greek Mythology, during the period of time when the titan Typhon was free to roam the earth, all of the Greek gods except for Hermes and Zeus fled from Greece and to Egypt. While in Egypt many of the gods took on the shape or form of animals as a means to hide themselves from the wrath of Typhon. Thus the Egyptian deities were born.
[edit] Death
Egypt had a highly developed view of the afterlife with elaborate rituals for preparing the body and soul for a peaceful life after death. Beliefs about the soul and afterlife focused heavily on preservation of the body. This was because they believed that the vitality or double, the ka, was still associated with the body after death and it was necessary for the ka to be reunited with the ba, the spirit or soul to form the akh. This meant that embalming and mummification were practised, in order to preserve the individual's identity in the afterlife. Originally the dead were buried in reed caskets in the searing hot sand, which caused the remains to dry quickly, preventing decomposition, and were subsequently buried. Later, they started constructing wooden tombs, and the extensive process of mummification was developed by the Egyptians around the 4th Dynasty. All soft tissues were removed, and the cavities washed and packed with natron, then the exterior body was buried in natron as well. Since it was a stoneable offense to harm the body of the Pharaoh, even after death, the person who made the cut in the abdomen with a rock knife was ceremonially chased away and had rocks thrown at him.
After coming out of the natron, the bodies were coated inside and out with resin to preserve them, then wrapped with linen bandages, embedded with religious amulets and talismans. In the case of royalty, this was usually then placed inside a series of nested coffins, the outermost of which was a stone sarcophagus. The intestines, lungs, liver and the stomach were preserved separately and stored in canopic jars protected by the Four sons of Horus. Other creatures were also mummified, sometimes thought to be pets of Egyptian families, but more frequently or more likely they were the representations of the gods. The ibis, crocodile, cats, Nile perch and baboon can be found in perfect mummified forms. They left the heart in place because it was thought to be the home of the soul.
The Book of the Dead was a series of almost two hundred spells represented as sectional texts, songs and pictures written on papyrus, individually customized for the deceased, which were buried along with the dead in order to ease their passage into the underworld. In some tombs, the Book of the Dead has also been found painted on the walls, although the practice of painting on the tomb walls appears to predate the formalization of the Book of the Dead as a bound text. One of the best examples of the Book of the Dead is The Papyrus of Ani, created around 1240 BC, which, in addition to the texts themselves, also contains many pictures of Ani and his wife on their journey through the land of the dead. After a person dies their soul is led into a hall of judgment in Duat by Anubis (god of mummification) and the deceased's heart, which was the record of the morality of the owner, is weighed against a single feather representing Ma'at (the concept of truth, and order). If the outcome is favorable, the deceased is taken to Osiris, god of the afterlife, in Aaru, but the demon Ammit (Eater of Hearts) – part crocodile, part lion, and part hippopotamus – destroys those hearts whom the verdict is against, leaving the owner to remain in Duat. [1]. A heart that weighed less than the feather was considered a pure heart, not weighed down by the guilt or sins of one's actions in life, resulting in a favorable verdict; a heart heavy with guilt and sin from one's life weighed more than the feather, and so the heart would be eaten by Ammit. An individual without a heart in the afterlife in essence, did not exist as Egyptians believed the heart to be the center of reason and emotion as opposed to the brain which was removed and discarded during mummification. Many times a person would be buried with "surrogate" hearts to replace their own for the weighing of the heart ceremony.
[edit] The monotheistic period
Pharaoh Akhenaten and his family praying to Aten.
Pharaoh Akhenaten and his family praying to Aten.
A short interval of monotheism (Atenism) occurred under the reign of Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), focused on the Egyptian sun deity Aten. The Aten is typically shown as a sun disk with rays coming out of all sides. Akhenaten built a new capital at Amarna with temples for The Aten. This was a symbolic act as Akhenaten wanted a place of worship for The Aten that was not tainted by the visage of other gods. The religious change survived only until the death of Akhenaten, and the old religion was quickly restored during the reign of Tutankhamun, Akhenaten's son by his wife Kiya. Interestingly, Tutankhamun and several other post-restoration Pharaohs were erased from the history, because they were reguarded as heretics.
According to John Tuthill, a professor at the University of Guam, Akhenaten's reasons for his religious reform were political. By the time of Akhenaten's reign, the god Amun had risen to such a high status that the priests of Amun had become even more wealthy and powerful than the pharaohs. However, it may be that Akhenaten was influenced by his family members, particularly his wife or mother (Dunham, 1963, p. 4; Mertz, 1966, p. 269). There was a certain trend in Akhenaten's family towards sun-worship. Towards the end of the reign of Akhenaten's father, Amenhotep III, the Aten was depicted increasingly often. Some historians have suggested that the same religious revolution would have happened even if Akhenaten had never become pharaoh at all. However, considering the violent reaction that followed shortly after Akhenaten's untimely death, this seems improbable. The reasons for Akhenaten's revolution still remain a mystery. After the death of Akhenaten, his son, the famous Tutankhamun reinstated the polytheistic (pantheon) religion that was in place before the time of The Aten.
After the fall of the Amarna dynasty, the original Egyptian pantheon survived more or less as the dominant faith, until the establishment of Coptic Christianity and later Islam, even though the Egyptians continued to have relations with the other monotheistic cultures (e.g. Hebrews). Egyptian mythology put up surprisingly little resistance to the spread of Christianity, sometimes explained by claiming that Jesus was originally a syncretism based predominantly on Horus, with Isis and her worship becoming Mary and veneration (see Jesus as myth).
[edit] Temples
Many temples are still standing today. Others are in ruins from wear and tear, while others have been lost entirely. Pharaoh Ramses II was a particularly prolific builder of temples.
Some known temples include:
* Abu Simbel – Complex of two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of the Nile.
* Abydos (Great Temple of Abydos) – Adoration of the early kings, whose cemetery, to which it forms a great funerary chapel, lies behind it.
* Ain el-Muftella (Bahariya Oasis) – Could have served as the city center of El Qasr. It was probably built around the 26th Dynasty.
* Karnak – Once part of the ancient capital of Egypt, Thebes.
* Bani Hasan al Shurruq – Located in Middle Egypt near to Al-Minya and survived the reconstruction of the New Kingdom.
* Edfu – Ptolemaic temple that is located between Aswan and Luxor.
* Temple of Kom Ombo – Controlled the trade routes from Nubia to the Nile Valley.
* Luxor – Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, it was the centre of the Opet Festival.
* Medinet Habu (Memorial Temple of Ramesses III)– Temple and a complex of temples dating from the New Kingdom.
* Temple of Hatshepsut – Mortuary temple complex at Deir el-Bahri with a colonnaded structure of perfect harmony, built nearly one thousand years before the Parthenon.
* Philae – Island of Philae with Temple of Aset which was constructed in the 30th Dynasty.
* Ramesseum (Memorial Temple of Ramesses II) – The main building, dedicated to the funerary cult, comprised two stone pylons (gateways, some 60 m wide), one after the other, each leading into a courtyard. Beyond the second courtyard, at the centre of the complex, was a covered 48-column hypostyle hall, surrounding the inner sanctuary.
* Dendera Temple complex – Several temples but the all overshadowing building in the complex is the main temple, the Hathor temple.
16 юли, 2007
PLOVDIV
Plovdiv (Bulgarian: Пловдив) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, with a population of 341,873([1]). It is the administrative centre of Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria, as well as the largest and most important city of the historical region of Upper (or Northern) Thrace, famous for its ancient and diverse culture and millennial history.
Plovdiv
Official seal of Plovdiv
Seal
Position of Plovdiv in Bulgaria
Position of Plovdiv in Bulgaria
Coordinates: 42°9′N 24°45′E / 42.15, 24.75
Country Bulgaria
Province Plovdiv
Government
- Mayor Ivan Chomakov
Area
- City 101 km² (39 sq mi)
- Land 101 km² (39 sq mi)
- Water 0 km² (0 sq mi)
Elevation 164 m (538 ft)
Population (31.12.2005)
- City 341,873
- Density 3,352/km² (8,681.6/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Geography and name
* 2 Climate
* 3 History
* 4 Culture
o 4.1 Museums and protected sites
o 4.2 Churches, mosques and temples
o 4.3 Theatre
o 4.4 Music
o 4.5 Literature
* 5 City government
* 6 Economy
* 7 Shopping
* 8 Transport
* 9 Sights
* 10 Sports
* 11 Notable citizens
* 12 Twinning
* 13 Universities
* 14 Trivia
* 15 See also
* 16 External links
* 17 References
[edit] Geography and name
A view over Plovdiv
A view over Plovdiv
Plovdiv is located on the banks of the Maritsa river in the central part of Upper Thrace. The surrounding countryside is sparsely populated and bare, yet the city itself is particularly striking, since it, like Rome, is nestled in between seven hills. Tourists, however, are likely to count only six of those, as one of hills was virtually destroyed at the beginning of the 1900s, and there is only a small outcrop of rock left to show where it once stood.
During its long history, Plovdiv was inhabited by many peoples who gave it different names: in Thracian: Eumolpias, Pulpudeva; Greek: Φιλιππούπολη, Φιλιππούπολις / Philippoupoli, Philippoupolis; Turkish: Filibe. In the Middle Ages the Bulgarians called the city Пълдин or Плъвдив. The city was usually known as Philippopolis in English until the early 20th century.
[edit] Climate
Summers are often extremely hot and dry, whilst winters are generally mild, but can sometimes be extremely cold. The wettest month is June with an average precipitation of 65mm, whilst the driest is August with an average of 27mm. The average July daytime temperature is 36c, whilst the January daytime average is 5c. The hottest temperature ever recorded is 46.7c and the coldest is -31.5c.
[edit] History
Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is a contemporary of Troy and Mycenae, and older than Rome, Athens, Carthage or Constantinople. Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery[2] and other objects of everyday life from as early as the Neolithic Age, showing that in the end of the 7th millennium B.C there already was an established settlement there. According to Ammianus Marcellinus, Plovdiv's written post-Bronze Age history lists it as a Thracian fortified settlement named Eumolpias. In 342 BC, it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, who renamed it "Φιλιππόπολις", Philippopolis or "the city of Philip" in his own honour. Later, it again became independent under the Thracians, until its incorporation into the Roman Empire, where it was called Trimontium (City of Three Hills) and served as metropolis (capital) of the province of Thrace. Thrimontium was an important crossroad for the Roman Empire and was called "The largest and most beautiful of all cities" by Lucian. In those times, the Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the Balkans, passed through the city.[1] The Roman times were a glorious period of growth and cultural excellence. The ancient ruins tell a story of a vibrant, growing city with numerous public buildings, shrines, baths, and theatres. Many of those are still preserved and can be seen by the curious tourist wishing to experience the charm of ancient Rome up close.
Bulgarian National Revival house in Plovdiv's old town part
Bulgarian National Revival house in Plovdiv's old town part
The Slavs had fully settled in the area by the middle of the 6th century, but the region only became a province in Bulgaria in or about 815. It remained in Bulgarian hands until conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 970 or 971. Byzantine rule was succeeded by that of the Latin Empire in 1204, and there were two short interregnum periods as the city was twice occupied by Kaloyan of Bulgaria before his death in 1207. Under Latin rule, Plovdiv was the capital of the Duchy of Philippopolis governed by Renier de Trit, and later on by Gerard de Strem. Bulgarian rule was reestablished during the reign of Ivan Asen II between 1225 and 1229. In 1263 Plovdiv was conquered by the restored Byzantine Empire and remained in Byzantine hands until it was re-conquered by George Terter II of Bulgaria in 1322. Byzantine rule was restored once again in 1323, but in 1344 the city was surrendered to Bulgaria by the regency for John V Palaiologos as the price for Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria's support in the Byzantine civil war. When Bulgaria was defeated by the Ottoman Empire in 1369, Plovdiv survived as one of the major cultural centers for Bulgarian culture and tradition. The name Plovdiv first appeared around that time and is derived from the city's Thracian name Pulpudeva (assumed to be a translation of Philippopolis, from Pulpu = Philippou and deva = city), which was rendered by the Slavs first as Pəldin (Пълдин) or Pləvdin.
Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Plovdiv (then known as Filibe) was a focal point for the Bulgarian national movement in the Eastern Rumelia province of the Empire. The city was liberated from the Ottomans during the Battle of Plovdiv in 1878 and, after the Congress of Berlin separated the autonomous region of Eastern Rumelia from Bulgaria, Plovdiv became its capital. At the time, it had a population of about 33,500, of which 45% were Bulgarians, 25% Greeks, 21% Turks, 6% Jews and 3% Armenians, a situation that changed rapidly in the following decades. A few years later, in 1885, Eastern Rumelia was absorbed into modern Bulgaria as part of the Bulgarian unification project.
During the period of communist governance that followed the end of World War II, Plovdiv became the birthplace of Bulgaria's movement for democratic reform, which by 1989 had garnered enough support to enter government.
Plovdiv has hosted specialized exhibitions of the World's Fair three times, in 1981, 1985, and 1991.
[edit] Culture
Plovdiv's main street, Knyaz Alexander I
Plovdiv's main street, Knyaz Alexander I
[edit] Museums and protected sites
Plovdiv has more than 200 known archaeological sites, 30 of which are of national importance. Some of the most famous sites include the Roman theatre (early 2nd century AD) and Stadium (late 2nd century AD), the magnificent colored mosaics of the villas, the ones of the episcopal temple, the Nebet Tepe archaeological complex and the noted samples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, such as the Balabanov House, the Kuyumdzhiev House, the Lamartine House, and the houses of Georgiadi, Nedkovich, and Hindian.
Also of note is that there are more than 30,000 cultural artifacts, kept in the five Plovdiv museums: the Archaeological Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Historical Museum, the Natural Museum and the City Art Gallery. The Panagyurishte Golden Treasure from the end of the 6th century BCE consists of six uniquely decorated golden utensils, together weighing more than 6,000 kg.
The Old Town of Plovdiv is a historic preservation site known for its unique Bulgarian Renaissance architectural style. The Old Town covers the area of the three central hills (Трихълмие, Trihalmie) —Nebet Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe and Taxim Tepe. Almost every house in the Old Town is characteristically impressive in its exterior and interior decoration.
The Bulgarian Museum of Aviation is located on the western edge of Plovdiv International Airport.
[edit] Churches, mosques and temples
There are a number of 19th century churches, most of which follow the distinctive Eastern Orthodox construction style. Those are the Saint Constantine and Saint Helena, the Saint Marina, the Saint Nedelya, the Saint Petka and the Holy Mother of God Churches. There are also the Roman Catholic Cathedrals in Plovdiv, the largest of them being St Ludovic. There are several more modern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other Protestant churches, as well as older style Apostolic churches. Two mosques remain in Plovdiv from the time of the Ottoman rule. There is also one synagogue.
[edit] Theatre
The existing infrastructure of the city adds to the development of cultural activities. The Plovdiv Drama Theatre is an inheritor of the first professional theatre group in Bulgaria founded in 1881. The Plovdiv Puppet Theatre, founded in 1948, remains one of the leading institutions in this genre. Established in 1953, Plovdiv Opera achieves serious professional acknowledgments not only in Bulgaria, but also in Germany, Denmark, Spain and Italy.
[edit] Music
Another post of the culture of Plovdiv is the Philharmonic, founded in 1945. Works of the classic and of the modern symphony are included in its repertory. Soloists such as Dmitri Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yuri Boukov and Mincho Minchev worked with the Plovdiv Philharmonic. The orchestra toured in almost all of the European countries. Known for its originality and professionalism is the Trakiya Folklore Ensemble. Founded in 1974, it has performed thousands of concerts in Bulgaria and more than 40 countries of the world. The Trakiya Traditional Choir was nominated for a Grammy Award.
[edit] Literature
The city's traditions as a literary centre are preserved by the first public library in Bulgaria, the Ivan Vazov National Library, by the 19 chitalishta (cultural centres) and by numerous booksellers and publishers. Today the Ivan Vazov National Library is the second largest national library institution, owning rare Bulgarian and European publications. The modern publishing houses add their significant contribution to the book market in the country and represent Bulgarian literature abroad. Plovdiv is also home of the famous Katerina Stavreva.
[edit] City government
The territory of Plovdiv Municipality is subdivided into six district administrations, their respective mayors being appointed following approval by the Municipal Council. The Mayor of the Municipality of Plovdiv Ivan Chomakov [3], together with the six district mayors represent the local executive authorities. The Municipal Council which consists of 51 municipal counselors, represents the legislative power and is elected according to the proportional system by parties’ lists.[2]
The executive government of the Municipality of Plovdiv consists of a mayor who is elected by majority representation, five deputy mayors and one administrative secretary. All the deputy mayors and the secretary control their respective administrative structured units. The district administrations are, as follows:
* Central District
* Eastern District
* Western District
* Northern District
* Southern District
* District of Trakia
[edit] Economy
A street in the historic old town
A street in the historic old town
Plovdiv is the centre of the important Thracian agricultural region, and food processing is among the most important industries. The city also produces machinery, textiles, and chemicals. After the fall of Communism in 1989 and the collapse of Bulgaria's planned economy, a number of industrial complexes were closed. Industry has been expanding again since the late 1990s, with numerous modern manufacturing plants built in the city or in its outskirts. In this period, some €500,000,000 has been invested in plant construction. Some of the biggest new plants are the Liebherr refrigerator plant with 1,850 employees and a capacity of 450,000 items per year, the Socotab tobacco processing plant (2,000 employees), a bicycle plant (500 workers, capacity 500,000 units), a biodiesel plant, the Bulsaphil textile plant (790 workers), and several electronics and high-tech plants producing CD players and other electronic equipment.
The Plovdiv International Fair, held annually since 1892, is the largest and oldest fair in the country and all of southeastern Europe, gathering companies from all over the world in an exhibition area of 95,000 m².
[edit] Shopping
Several huge hypermarkets have been built in recent years: Metro, Kaufland, Sany, Praktiker, Billa, Mr. Bricolage and others. Many more are planned or under construction, including two large malls. The main shopping area is the central street with its numerous shops, cafes and restaurants. There are several shopping malls and trade centres.
[edit] Transport
Two key highways run into or near Plovdiv, the Sofia-Edirne-Istanbul and the Sofia-Stara Zagora-Burgas routes. A major tourist center, Plovdiv lies at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains, and most people wishing to explore the mountains choose it as their trip's starting point. There are three train stations and three bus terminals.
Plovdiv has an extensive and well-developed public transport system, including buses and trolleys. Some of the lines reach several villages in the vicinity of the city. The regular bus and trolley fare is 60 Stotinki (0.60 BGN) per ride, while the cab car-pools fare is 70 stotinki (0.70 BGN). Cab car-pooling is faster, but less comfortable, as the cabs stop to load/unload at any location. Plovdiv is a major road and railway hub in southern Bulgaria: the Trakiya motorway is only 5 km to the north, while first-class roads lead to Sofia, Karlovo, Asenovgrad, Stara Zagora and Haskovo. There are railways to Sofia, Panagyurishte, Karlovo, Stara Zagora, and Asenovgrad.
The Plovdiv International Airport is located near the suburb village of Krumovo, southeast of the city. There are plans for its modernisation and expansion. It currently takes charter flights from several European countries.
[edit] Sights
The Roman Stadium
The Roman Stadium
The Roman Theatre
The Roman Theatre
* The Old Town
* Eirene mosaic
* Ancient synagogue
* St. Constantine and Helena Church
* Sahat Tepe hill and clock tower
* Nebet Tepe hill complex
* Dzhumaya Mosque
* Imaret Mosque
* Old Turkish Bath (now an art gallery)
* Virgin Mary Church
* St Petka Church
* St Marina Church
* St Ludovic Roman Catholic Cathedral
* Gothic Evangelist Church
* Tsar Simeon's Garden and The Singing Fountains
* The main street
* Plovdiv International Fair
* The Rowing Canal (sports and recreation park)
[edit] Sports
Plovdiv Sports Complex in autumn
Plovdiv Sports Complex in autumn
Football is the most popular sport in the city. Plovdiv is famous for its football teams. Botev Plovdiv was founded in 1912, and is named after one of the most ardent Bulgarian poets and revolutionaries, Hristo Botev. The city has another popular football club, Lokomotiv, founded in 1936. They played in the UEFA Cup 2005-06, being eliminated in the first round by Bolton Wanderers. Both teams are a regular fixture in the top Bulgarian league, and are famous for their productive youth academies. The rivalry between them is considered to be even more fierce than the one between Levski and CSKA of Sofia. There are also two other football clubs in the city – Maritsa FC and Spartak Plovdiv.
The "Plovdiv Sports Complex" is unique and is the biggest in Eastern Europe. It consists of the Plovdiv Stadium with several additional football terrains, tennis courts, pools, rowing base with 3km long channel, restaurants, cafés situated in a spacious park in the western part of the city just south of the Maritza river. There are also numerous benches and playgrounds for the children. It is popular among the Plovdivers and the guests of the city for jogging, walk or relaxation.
[edit] Notable citizens
* Boris Christoff, basso
* Nikolay Buhalov, Olympic canoeing champion
* Tanya Gramatikova, Photographic artist
* Stefka Kostadinova, world record holder in the women's high jump
* Petar Detev, prehistorian, prof. of archaeology
* Maria Petrova, three times World Champion in rhythmic gymnast
* Milen Dobrev, weightlifter
* Filibeli Hafız Ahmed Pasha, Ottoman Grand Vizier
* George Ganchev, fencer, actor, writer, politician
* Jordan Jovtchev, gymnast
* Georgi Karaslavov, writer
* Asen Kisimov, actor
* Svetlana Krivencheva, tennis player
* Alphonse de Lamartine, French writer
* Milcho Leviev, musician and composer
* Tzvetana Maneva, actress
* Ognyana Petkova, Olympic canoeing bronze medal
* Tsvetana Pironkova, tennis player
* Hristo Stoichkov, football player
* Petar Stoyanov, ex-president of Bulgaria
* Nayden Todorov, conductor
* Anjel Vagenstein, writer
[edit] Twinning
Old Plovdiv
Old Plovdiv
Plovdiv is twinned with the following cities:
* Flag of Czech Republic Brno, Czech Republic
* Flag of Turkey Bursa, Turkey
* Flag of United States Columbia, South Carolina, USA
* Flag of South Korea Daegu, South Korea
* Flag of Armenia Gyumri, Armenia
* Flag of Saudi Arabia Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
* Flag of Turkey Istanbul, Turkey
* Flag of Slovakia Košice, Slovakia
* Flag of Republic of Macedonia Kumanovo, Republic of Macedonia
* Flag of Georgia (country) Kutaisi, Georgia
* Flag of Germany Leipzig, Germany
* Flag of Serbia Leskovac, Serbia
* Flag of People's Republic of China Luoyang, People's Republic of China
* Flag of Republic of Macedonia Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia
* Flag of Japan Okayama, Japan
* Flag of Jordan Petra, Jordan
* Flag of Poland Poznań, Poland
* Flag of Italy Rome, Italy, for its seven hills
* Flag of Russia Saint Petersburg, Russia
* Flag of Greece Thessaloniki, Greece
* Flag of Venezuela Valencia, Venezuela
[edit] Universities
* "Paisiy Hilendarski" Plovdiv University (Пловдивски Университет "Паисий Хилендарски")
* English Academy Plovdiv
* University of Agriculture — Plovdiv
* Technical University of Sofia — Plovdiv Branch
* Medical University
* European College of Economics and Management
Plovdiv
Official seal of Plovdiv
Seal
Position of Plovdiv in Bulgaria
Position of Plovdiv in Bulgaria
Coordinates: 42°9′N 24°45′E / 42.15, 24.75
Country Bulgaria
Province Plovdiv
Government
- Mayor Ivan Chomakov
Area
- City 101 km² (39 sq mi)
- Land 101 km² (39 sq mi)
- Water 0 km² (0 sq mi)
Elevation 164 m (538 ft)
Population (31.12.2005)
- City 341,873
- Density 3,352/km² (8,681.6/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Geography and name
* 2 Climate
* 3 History
* 4 Culture
o 4.1 Museums and protected sites
o 4.2 Churches, mosques and temples
o 4.3 Theatre
o 4.4 Music
o 4.5 Literature
* 5 City government
* 6 Economy
* 7 Shopping
* 8 Transport
* 9 Sights
* 10 Sports
* 11 Notable citizens
* 12 Twinning
* 13 Universities
* 14 Trivia
* 15 See also
* 16 External links
* 17 References
[edit] Geography and name
A view over Plovdiv
A view over Plovdiv
Plovdiv is located on the banks of the Maritsa river in the central part of Upper Thrace. The surrounding countryside is sparsely populated and bare, yet the city itself is particularly striking, since it, like Rome, is nestled in between seven hills. Tourists, however, are likely to count only six of those, as one of hills was virtually destroyed at the beginning of the 1900s, and there is only a small outcrop of rock left to show where it once stood.
During its long history, Plovdiv was inhabited by many peoples who gave it different names: in Thracian: Eumolpias, Pulpudeva; Greek: Φιλιππούπολη, Φιλιππούπολις / Philippoupoli, Philippoupolis; Turkish: Filibe. In the Middle Ages the Bulgarians called the city Пълдин or Плъвдив. The city was usually known as Philippopolis in English until the early 20th century.
[edit] Climate
Summers are often extremely hot and dry, whilst winters are generally mild, but can sometimes be extremely cold. The wettest month is June with an average precipitation of 65mm, whilst the driest is August with an average of 27mm. The average July daytime temperature is 36c, whilst the January daytime average is 5c. The hottest temperature ever recorded is 46.7c and the coldest is -31.5c.
[edit] History
Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is a contemporary of Troy and Mycenae, and older than Rome, Athens, Carthage or Constantinople. Archaeologists have discovered fine pottery[2] and other objects of everyday life from as early as the Neolithic Age, showing that in the end of the 7th millennium B.C there already was an established settlement there. According to Ammianus Marcellinus, Plovdiv's written post-Bronze Age history lists it as a Thracian fortified settlement named Eumolpias. In 342 BC, it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, who renamed it "Φιλιππόπολις", Philippopolis or "the city of Philip" in his own honour. Later, it again became independent under the Thracians, until its incorporation into the Roman Empire, where it was called Trimontium (City of Three Hills) and served as metropolis (capital) of the province of Thrace. Thrimontium was an important crossroad for the Roman Empire and was called "The largest and most beautiful of all cities" by Lucian. In those times, the Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the Balkans, passed through the city.[1] The Roman times were a glorious period of growth and cultural excellence. The ancient ruins tell a story of a vibrant, growing city with numerous public buildings, shrines, baths, and theatres. Many of those are still preserved and can be seen by the curious tourist wishing to experience the charm of ancient Rome up close.
Bulgarian National Revival house in Plovdiv's old town part
Bulgarian National Revival house in Plovdiv's old town part
The Slavs had fully settled in the area by the middle of the 6th century, but the region only became a province in Bulgaria in or about 815. It remained in Bulgarian hands until conquered by the Byzantine Empire in 970 or 971. Byzantine rule was succeeded by that of the Latin Empire in 1204, and there were two short interregnum periods as the city was twice occupied by Kaloyan of Bulgaria before his death in 1207. Under Latin rule, Plovdiv was the capital of the Duchy of Philippopolis governed by Renier de Trit, and later on by Gerard de Strem. Bulgarian rule was reestablished during the reign of Ivan Asen II between 1225 and 1229. In 1263 Plovdiv was conquered by the restored Byzantine Empire and remained in Byzantine hands until it was re-conquered by George Terter II of Bulgaria in 1322. Byzantine rule was restored once again in 1323, but in 1344 the city was surrendered to Bulgaria by the regency for John V Palaiologos as the price for Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria's support in the Byzantine civil war. When Bulgaria was defeated by the Ottoman Empire in 1369, Plovdiv survived as one of the major cultural centers for Bulgarian culture and tradition. The name Plovdiv first appeared around that time and is derived from the city's Thracian name Pulpudeva (assumed to be a translation of Philippopolis, from Pulpu = Philippou and deva = city), which was rendered by the Slavs first as Pəldin (Пълдин) or Pləvdin.
Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Plovdiv (then known as Filibe) was a focal point for the Bulgarian national movement in the Eastern Rumelia province of the Empire. The city was liberated from the Ottomans during the Battle of Plovdiv in 1878 and, after the Congress of Berlin separated the autonomous region of Eastern Rumelia from Bulgaria, Plovdiv became its capital. At the time, it had a population of about 33,500, of which 45% were Bulgarians, 25% Greeks, 21% Turks, 6% Jews and 3% Armenians, a situation that changed rapidly in the following decades. A few years later, in 1885, Eastern Rumelia was absorbed into modern Bulgaria as part of the Bulgarian unification project.
During the period of communist governance that followed the end of World War II, Plovdiv became the birthplace of Bulgaria's movement for democratic reform, which by 1989 had garnered enough support to enter government.
Plovdiv has hosted specialized exhibitions of the World's Fair three times, in 1981, 1985, and 1991.
[edit] Culture
Plovdiv's main street, Knyaz Alexander I
Plovdiv's main street, Knyaz Alexander I
[edit] Museums and protected sites
Plovdiv has more than 200 known archaeological sites, 30 of which are of national importance. Some of the most famous sites include the Roman theatre (early 2nd century AD) and Stadium (late 2nd century AD), the magnificent colored mosaics of the villas, the ones of the episcopal temple, the Nebet Tepe archaeological complex and the noted samples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, such as the Balabanov House, the Kuyumdzhiev House, the Lamartine House, and the houses of Georgiadi, Nedkovich, and Hindian.
Also of note is that there are more than 30,000 cultural artifacts, kept in the five Plovdiv museums: the Archaeological Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Historical Museum, the Natural Museum and the City Art Gallery. The Panagyurishte Golden Treasure from the end of the 6th century BCE consists of six uniquely decorated golden utensils, together weighing more than 6,000 kg.
The Old Town of Plovdiv is a historic preservation site known for its unique Bulgarian Renaissance architectural style. The Old Town covers the area of the three central hills (Трихълмие, Trihalmie) —Nebet Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe and Taxim Tepe. Almost every house in the Old Town is characteristically impressive in its exterior and interior decoration.
The Bulgarian Museum of Aviation is located on the western edge of Plovdiv International Airport.
[edit] Churches, mosques and temples
There are a number of 19th century churches, most of which follow the distinctive Eastern Orthodox construction style. Those are the Saint Constantine and Saint Helena, the Saint Marina, the Saint Nedelya, the Saint Petka and the Holy Mother of God Churches. There are also the Roman Catholic Cathedrals in Plovdiv, the largest of them being St Ludovic. There are several more modern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other Protestant churches, as well as older style Apostolic churches. Two mosques remain in Plovdiv from the time of the Ottoman rule. There is also one synagogue.
[edit] Theatre
The existing infrastructure of the city adds to the development of cultural activities. The Plovdiv Drama Theatre is an inheritor of the first professional theatre group in Bulgaria founded in 1881. The Plovdiv Puppet Theatre, founded in 1948, remains one of the leading institutions in this genre. Established in 1953, Plovdiv Opera achieves serious professional acknowledgments not only in Bulgaria, but also in Germany, Denmark, Spain and Italy.
[edit] Music
Another post of the culture of Plovdiv is the Philharmonic, founded in 1945. Works of the classic and of the modern symphony are included in its repertory. Soloists such as Dmitri Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yuri Boukov and Mincho Minchev worked with the Plovdiv Philharmonic. The orchestra toured in almost all of the European countries. Known for its originality and professionalism is the Trakiya Folklore Ensemble. Founded in 1974, it has performed thousands of concerts in Bulgaria and more than 40 countries of the world. The Trakiya Traditional Choir was nominated for a Grammy Award.
[edit] Literature
The city's traditions as a literary centre are preserved by the first public library in Bulgaria, the Ivan Vazov National Library, by the 19 chitalishta (cultural centres) and by numerous booksellers and publishers. Today the Ivan Vazov National Library is the second largest national library institution, owning rare Bulgarian and European publications. The modern publishing houses add their significant contribution to the book market in the country and represent Bulgarian literature abroad. Plovdiv is also home of the famous Katerina Stavreva.
[edit] City government
The territory of Plovdiv Municipality is subdivided into six district administrations, their respective mayors being appointed following approval by the Municipal Council. The Mayor of the Municipality of Plovdiv Ivan Chomakov [3], together with the six district mayors represent the local executive authorities. The Municipal Council which consists of 51 municipal counselors, represents the legislative power and is elected according to the proportional system by parties’ lists.[2]
The executive government of the Municipality of Plovdiv consists of a mayor who is elected by majority representation, five deputy mayors and one administrative secretary. All the deputy mayors and the secretary control their respective administrative structured units. The district administrations are, as follows:
* Central District
* Eastern District
* Western District
* Northern District
* Southern District
* District of Trakia
[edit] Economy
A street in the historic old town
A street in the historic old town
Plovdiv is the centre of the important Thracian agricultural region, and food processing is among the most important industries. The city also produces machinery, textiles, and chemicals. After the fall of Communism in 1989 and the collapse of Bulgaria's planned economy, a number of industrial complexes were closed. Industry has been expanding again since the late 1990s, with numerous modern manufacturing plants built in the city or in its outskirts. In this period, some €500,000,000 has been invested in plant construction. Some of the biggest new plants are the Liebherr refrigerator plant with 1,850 employees and a capacity of 450,000 items per year, the Socotab tobacco processing plant (2,000 employees), a bicycle plant (500 workers, capacity 500,000 units), a biodiesel plant, the Bulsaphil textile plant (790 workers), and several electronics and high-tech plants producing CD players and other electronic equipment.
The Plovdiv International Fair, held annually since 1892, is the largest and oldest fair in the country and all of southeastern Europe, gathering companies from all over the world in an exhibition area of 95,000 m².
[edit] Shopping
Several huge hypermarkets have been built in recent years: Metro, Kaufland, Sany, Praktiker, Billa, Mr. Bricolage and others. Many more are planned or under construction, including two large malls. The main shopping area is the central street with its numerous shops, cafes and restaurants. There are several shopping malls and trade centres.
[edit] Transport
Two key highways run into or near Plovdiv, the Sofia-Edirne-Istanbul and the Sofia-Stara Zagora-Burgas routes. A major tourist center, Plovdiv lies at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains, and most people wishing to explore the mountains choose it as their trip's starting point. There are three train stations and three bus terminals.
Plovdiv has an extensive and well-developed public transport system, including buses and trolleys. Some of the lines reach several villages in the vicinity of the city. The regular bus and trolley fare is 60 Stotinki (0.60 BGN) per ride, while the cab car-pools fare is 70 stotinki (0.70 BGN). Cab car-pooling is faster, but less comfortable, as the cabs stop to load/unload at any location. Plovdiv is a major road and railway hub in southern Bulgaria: the Trakiya motorway is only 5 km to the north, while first-class roads lead to Sofia, Karlovo, Asenovgrad, Stara Zagora and Haskovo. There are railways to Sofia, Panagyurishte, Karlovo, Stara Zagora, and Asenovgrad.
The Plovdiv International Airport is located near the suburb village of Krumovo, southeast of the city. There are plans for its modernisation and expansion. It currently takes charter flights from several European countries.
[edit] Sights
The Roman Stadium
The Roman Stadium
The Roman Theatre
The Roman Theatre
* The Old Town
* Eirene mosaic
* Ancient synagogue
* St. Constantine and Helena Church
* Sahat Tepe hill and clock tower
* Nebet Tepe hill complex
* Dzhumaya Mosque
* Imaret Mosque
* Old Turkish Bath (now an art gallery)
* Virgin Mary Church
* St Petka Church
* St Marina Church
* St Ludovic Roman Catholic Cathedral
* Gothic Evangelist Church
* Tsar Simeon's Garden and The Singing Fountains
* The main street
* Plovdiv International Fair
* The Rowing Canal (sports and recreation park)
[edit] Sports
Plovdiv Sports Complex in autumn
Plovdiv Sports Complex in autumn
Football is the most popular sport in the city. Plovdiv is famous for its football teams. Botev Plovdiv was founded in 1912, and is named after one of the most ardent Bulgarian poets and revolutionaries, Hristo Botev. The city has another popular football club, Lokomotiv, founded in 1936. They played in the UEFA Cup 2005-06, being eliminated in the first round by Bolton Wanderers. Both teams are a regular fixture in the top Bulgarian league, and are famous for their productive youth academies. The rivalry between them is considered to be even more fierce than the one between Levski and CSKA of Sofia. There are also two other football clubs in the city – Maritsa FC and Spartak Plovdiv.
The "Plovdiv Sports Complex" is unique and is the biggest in Eastern Europe. It consists of the Plovdiv Stadium with several additional football terrains, tennis courts, pools, rowing base with 3km long channel, restaurants, cafés situated in a spacious park in the western part of the city just south of the Maritza river. There are also numerous benches and playgrounds for the children. It is popular among the Plovdivers and the guests of the city for jogging, walk or relaxation.
[edit] Notable citizens
* Boris Christoff, basso
* Nikolay Buhalov, Olympic canoeing champion
* Tanya Gramatikova, Photographic artist
* Stefka Kostadinova, world record holder in the women's high jump
* Petar Detev, prehistorian, prof. of archaeology
* Maria Petrova, three times World Champion in rhythmic gymnast
* Milen Dobrev, weightlifter
* Filibeli Hafız Ahmed Pasha, Ottoman Grand Vizier
* George Ganchev, fencer, actor, writer, politician
* Jordan Jovtchev, gymnast
* Georgi Karaslavov, writer
* Asen Kisimov, actor
* Svetlana Krivencheva, tennis player
* Alphonse de Lamartine, French writer
* Milcho Leviev, musician and composer
* Tzvetana Maneva, actress
* Ognyana Petkova, Olympic canoeing bronze medal
* Tsvetana Pironkova, tennis player
* Hristo Stoichkov, football player
* Petar Stoyanov, ex-president of Bulgaria
* Nayden Todorov, conductor
* Anjel Vagenstein, writer
[edit] Twinning
Old Plovdiv
Old Plovdiv
Plovdiv is twinned with the following cities:
* Flag of Czech Republic Brno, Czech Republic
* Flag of Turkey Bursa, Turkey
* Flag of United States Columbia, South Carolina, USA
* Flag of South Korea Daegu, South Korea
* Flag of Armenia Gyumri, Armenia
* Flag of Saudi Arabia Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
* Flag of Turkey Istanbul, Turkey
* Flag of Slovakia Košice, Slovakia
* Flag of Republic of Macedonia Kumanovo, Republic of Macedonia
* Flag of Georgia (country) Kutaisi, Georgia
* Flag of Germany Leipzig, Germany
* Flag of Serbia Leskovac, Serbia
* Flag of People's Republic of China Luoyang, People's Republic of China
* Flag of Republic of Macedonia Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia
* Flag of Japan Okayama, Japan
* Flag of Jordan Petra, Jordan
* Flag of Poland Poznań, Poland
* Flag of Italy Rome, Italy, for its seven hills
* Flag of Russia Saint Petersburg, Russia
* Flag of Greece Thessaloniki, Greece
* Flag of Venezuela Valencia, Venezuela
[edit] Universities
* "Paisiy Hilendarski" Plovdiv University (Пловдивски Университет "Паисий Хилендарски")
* English Academy Plovdiv
* University of Agriculture — Plovdiv
* Technical University of Sofia — Plovdiv Branch
* Medical University
* European College of Economics and Management
KARLOVO
Karlovo (Bulgarian: Карлово) is a town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Emil Kabaivanov of the UDF.GRBulgaria Karlovo lies at 42°38′N, 24°48′E, 386 m above sea level.
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa, but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Municipality
* 2 Notable natives
* 3 References
* 4 External links
[edit] Municipality
Karlovo is the seat of Karlovo municipaluty (part of Plovdiv Province), which includes the following 27 places (towns in bold):
* Banya
* Beguntsi
* Bogdan
* Dabene
* Domlyan
* Gorni Domlyan
* Hristo Danovo
* Iganovo
* Kalofer
* Karavelovo
* Karlovo
* Karnare
* Kliment
* Klisura
* Kurtovo
* Marino Pole
* Moskovets
* Mrachenik
* Pevtsite
* Prolom
* Rozino
* Slatina
* Sokolitsa
* Stoletovo
* Vasil Levski
* Vedrare
* Voynyagovo
[edit] Notable natives
* Botyo Petkov (1815–1869), teacher and father of Hristo Botev
* Evlogi Georgiev (1819–1897), merchant, banker and undertaker
* Ivan Bogorov (c. 1820–1892), encyclopedist
* Vasil Levski (1837–1873), revolutionary and national hero of Bulgaria
* Hristo Prodanov (1943–1984), first Bulgarian to climb Mount Everest
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa, but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Municipality
* 2 Notable natives
* 3 References
* 4 External links
[edit] Municipality
Karlovo is the seat of Karlovo municipaluty (part of Plovdiv Province), which includes the following 27 places (towns in bold):
* Banya
* Beguntsi
* Bogdan
* Dabene
* Domlyan
* Gorni Domlyan
* Hristo Danovo
* Iganovo
* Kalofer
* Karavelovo
* Karlovo
* Karnare
* Kliment
* Klisura
* Kurtovo
* Marino Pole
* Moskovets
* Mrachenik
* Pevtsite
* Prolom
* Rozino
* Slatina
* Sokolitsa
* Stoletovo
* Vasil Levski
* Vedrare
* Voynyagovo
[edit] Notable natives
* Botyo Petkov (1815–1869), teacher and father of Hristo Botev
* Evlogi Georgiev (1819–1897), merchant, banker and undertaker
* Ivan Bogorov (c. 1820–1892), encyclopedist
* Vasil Levski (1837–1873), revolutionary and national hero of Bulgaria
* Hristo Prodanov (1943–1984), first Bulgarian to climb Mount Everest
SHREK 3
Shrek the Third is a computer animated comedy film of the Shrek series. It is the third film in the series, following Shrek and Shrek 2. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures, and was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007 (June 22 in Spain, June 15 in Brazil, June 13 in France and June 29 in the UK and Ireland).
It was produced with the working title of Shrek 3. Like the first two Shrek films, the movie is significantly based on fairy tale (specifically Grimm's Fairy Tales) themes. According to Dreamworks, the film will be released on DVD on September 13, 2007.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Plot
* 2 Cast
* 3 Production
* 4 Reception
* 5 Rating
* 6 Sequels
* 7 Merchandise
* 8 Cultural references
* 9 Foreign Versions
* 10 See also
* 11 References
* 12 External links
[edit] Plot
The film begins with Prince Charming performing in a poorly done dinner theatre show. After being heckled by the audience and returning to his "dressing room" (a small table with a cracked mirror in a back alley behind the dinner-theater) Charming complains that he hasn't gotten his "happily ever after" and that just isn't fair. Meanwhile, King Harold has fallen ill and his ogre son-in-law Shrek has been summoned to take his place for a few days. Although Shrek reluctantly agrees, he has difficulties looking or acting the part of being the new King. He tells his wife Fiona how much he's looking forward to going back to their swamps, just the two of them. Fiona hints that she will have children, but Shrek completely misses the hint and responds that children are not his kind of thing. Despite what he learns about his friend's children, he knows that his close friend Donkey knows best.
However, King Harold is on his deathbed. He tells Shrek that he and Fiona that they are next in line to be king and queen. Shrek declines, knowing that there has to be someone else for the job. With his final three breaths, he tells Shrek that there is one other heir who can become the new King of Far Far Away: his nephew, Arthur Pendragon. The entire kingdom mourns for their king's death, but Prince Charming sees this as an opportunity to usurp the throne. Shrek sets out to find 'Artie', along with Donkey and Puss in Boots. As they're sailing off, Fiona runs to the dock and announces to Shrek that she's pregnant. Surprised but shocked, Shrek begins to have nightmares about his future children. Thinking that Shrek is worried about what having children would mean for his life, Donkey tries to reassure him that fatherhood was a great thing for him. Shrek explains that he is more worried about not being a good father. Shrek, Puss and Donkey arrive at Worcestershire Academy, where they met up with Fiona's long-lost cousin, Arthur and they eventually discover that Arthur, who is an academy student, is a loser picked on by other students at his school. Arthur joins with the three friends and is feeling good about his new role until Donkey and Puss scare him with responsibilities. Arthur gets into an argument with Shrek and they fight over the ship. They end up crashing on an island where they meet Arthur's retired wizard teacher, Merlin. In order to help Shrek and Arthur reconcile, he makes them look into a thick cloud of smoke to reveal their thoughts. Shrek sees a baby carriage, but lies and says that he sees a "rainbow pony". Merlin is convinced and moves on to Arthur, who sees a bird and its father. The father bird abandons the chick, leaving him frightened and confused. The chick tries to follow but falls to the ground.
After Merlin retreats to his hut, Shrek takes this opportunity to show Arthur that they're not so different after all. Just as Arthur had a father who abandoned him, Shrek had a father who was pretty bad as well. In fact, he tried to eat him. Shrek counsels Arthur that just because someone "calls you a monster, or a loser, it doesn't mean you are one". For years Shrek had been feared by people, believing he was horrible and terrifying, and for years, he believed he was a monster like his father. Gradually, he learnt to see himself for who he is. Arthur begins to identify with Shrek and the two become friends.
Meanwhile, Prince Charming has gone to the Poison Apple Bar where he convinces all fairy tale villains, Captain Hook, the Wicked Queen, a Cyclops, Rumpelstiltskin, Mable the Ugly Stepsister, Headless Horseman, Little Red Riding Hood, Stromboli, and assorted witches, black knights, evil dwarves, and evil magical trees to join him in a fight for their "happily ever after". The villains feel their side of the story has never been told and now is the time to do it. Fiona is at the castle, at a baby shower with her mother, Queen Lillian and princess friends, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. She is also with Doris the Ugly Stepsister, and Donkey's wife, Dragon. Suddenly, Prince Charming and the other villains arrive to invade the kingdom. Fiona and her friends escape just in time, but the rest of the kingdom is thrown into chaos and the villains take control of Far Far Away.
The Three Little Pigs, Big Bad Wolf, the Gingerbread Man, and Pinocchio are confronted by Charming, Captain Hook, a Cyclops, and one of the evil magical trees. Prince Charming demands to know where Shrek is. Gingy sees his life pass before his eyes while Pinocchio is able to circumvent the fact that his nose would grow if he lied by telling several lawyer-esque half truths, but one of the Three Little Pigs breaks down and accidentally tells that Shrek is looking for the new heir. Charming decides to send some of his men to hunt down Shrek for a final showdown. Shrek, Puss, Donkey and Arthur wake up to find themselves surrounded by the villains sent by Charming. Working as a team, the group manages to fight the villains away, but it doesn't bring them any closer to Far Far Away. Arthur decides to ask Merlin, and he whips out some acting skills to convince the old wizard. Merlin prepares to put a spell on them and warns them that although the spell should work, there may be some minor side effects. Before he gets a chance to fully explain, the four friends are zapped into Far Far Away. The side effects cause Puss and Donkey to switch bodies since they accidentally held hands to stay together. Fiona navigates the underground tunnels of the palace with her friends and as they met with Charming, Rapunzel betrays them to become the new queen of Far Far Away and Charming's wife. The remaining girls are imprisoned and, after meeting with Puss and Donkey, Queen Lillian uses her head to bust down two stone walls, leading to their escape from the prison and the girls become independent.
Shrek arrives at the city to find everything in complete disarray. A trapped Pinocchio gives Shrek some information on what has happened since he left. Charming is bent on revenge against Shrek for 'stealing' his "happily ever after" and plans to kill Shrek in a play later that night. Shrek sneaks into Charming's dressing room, but Charming's men arrive shortly and quickly capture everyone. In an effort to save Arthur, Shrek tells Arthur that he wasn't the next in line for the throne, he was just some weirdo who Shrek wanted to take his place as King of Far Far Away. After hearing Shrek insult Artie that way, Charming believes Shrek really just used the boy and lets him go. An angry yet disappointed Arthur escapes being killed by the prince. Charming's play culminates when Shrek is led onto the stage. Shrek then humors the audience by ridiculing Charming's singing and acting. Just as Charming is about to kill Shrek, Fiona and her friends leap onto the stage to confront the villains.
Arthur has been convinced by Donkey and Puss in Boots to return after they explained what Shrek's true intentions were, and he manages to convince the rest of the villains that they don't need to do this. He tells them about the speech that Shrek gave them, and the fairy tale villains decide that they don't need to be villains anymore. Unfortunately, Charming doesn't feel the same way, or want to give up his "happily ever after". Charming then attempts to kill Artie with his sword, but Shrek protects him and pretends to be stabbed with the sword. Then Charming finds out, and becomes angry that he didn't get his "happily ever after," and Shrek says he'd better keep looking for his, because Shrek wasn't going to give up his own. Shrek throws him to the side of a prop tower, and Dragon knocks the tower down, crushing Charming and presumably killing him. The crown he was wearing then slides across stage, and Shrek offers it to Arthur, who accepts and then holds it out to the crowd in acceptance. Meanwhile, the Gingerbread Man has slid onto the stage and shows Rapunzel's hair, revealing it to be a wig. The bald Rapunzel flees in humiliation.
Donkey and Puss in Boots get a chance to ask Merlin, who just appeared, to help them and switched them back to normal, but leaves their tails temporarily mismatched (that is, until the next scene). The film concludes a few months later, with Shrek and Fiona back in their swamp, now parents to ogre triplets and Shrek begins to feel like a good father.
[edit] Cast
* Mike Myers as Shrek
* Eddie Murphy as Donkey
* Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona
* Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots
* Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian
* John Cleese as King Harold
* Rupert Everett as Prince Charming
* Eric Idle as Merlin
* Justin Timberlake as Arthur Pendragon
* Conrad Vernon as Gingerbread Man / Rumpelstiltskin / Headless Horseman
* Cody Cameron as Pinocchio / Three Pigs / Ogre Baby / Bohort
* Larry King as Doris, the ugly stepsister
* Amy Poehler as Snow White
* Megan Hilty as The Singing voice of Snow White
* Maya Rudolph as Rapunzel
* Amy Sedaris as Cinderella
* Aron Warner as Big Bad Wolf
* Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty/Actress
* Regis Philbin as Mabel the Ugly Stepsister
* Ian McShane as Captain Hook
* Susan Blakeslee as Wicked Queen
* Mark Valley as Cyclops
* John Krasinski as Sir Lancelot
* Andrew Birch as Evil Tree #1
* Christopher Knights as Three Blind Mice / Heckler / Evil Tree #2 / Guard #2
* Chris Miller as Stromboli / Announcer / Mascot / Singing Villain
* Tom Kane as Guard #1
* Seth Rogen as Ship Captain
* Kari Wahlgren as Old Lady
[edit] Production
Early Promotional movie poster for Shrek the Third.
Early Promotional movie poster for Shrek the Third.
Image:Shrek the Third logo in Russian.png
Russian logo for the movie
With Viacom's acquisition of DreamWorks SKG, Shrek the Third is the first Mike Myers film to be released by Paramount Pictures (which itself was bought by Viacom in 1994) since 1993's Wayne's World 2. On the 2004 show, Father of the Pride, Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) was featured, solely to promote that Shrek 3 although he stated that it was to be released in 2006 rather than 2007.
Five actors from NBC's Saturday Night Live appear in the movie. Two actors, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, were current cast members at the time of the film's release; the remaining three are Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cheri Oteri. Two members of the Monty Python troupe, John Cleese and Eric Idle, provide voices in the film. Cleese has reprised his role as King Harold, while Idle provides the voice for the new character Merlin.
[edit] Reception
Shrek the Third opened in U.S. theatres in 4,122 cinemas on May 18, 2007. The film grossed a total of US$121,629,270 in its first weekend, the best opening weekend ever for an animated film, and third best overall.
The film received generally lukewarm reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it received a 41% rating,[1] Critical reaction was more negative than that for the first two films in the series. David Ansen wrote that his problem with the film was that, "its slightly snarky wit is aimed almost entirely at parents... this one never touched my heart or got under my skin. It's a movie at war with itself: a kiddie movie that doesn't really want to be one."[2] The film yielded some positive reviews from writers such as A. O. Scott from The New York Times who believed that the movie "seems at once more energetic and more relaxed [than its predecessors], less desperate to prove its cleverness and therefore to some extent, smarter." The Times newspaper also rated it 2 out of 5.
As of July 8, Shrek the Third had grossed $316,740,255 in the United States and $325,526,983 in other countries, bringing its worldwide total to $642,267,238.[3]
[edit] Rating
This film was rated PG by the MPAA for some crude humor.
[edit] Sequels
Peter Zaslav said in an interview that the Christmas special Shrek the Halls will pick up from where Shrek the Third left off.[4] The film will also be followed by another sequel, Shrek Ever After, which will be released in theatres in 2010.[5] In an interview with Antonio Banderas, a spin-off film entitled Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer was confirmed. The spin-off will take place between Shrek the Third and Shrek Ever After.[6] A Shrek 5 is also planned.[citation needed]
[edit] Merchandise
Many toys, games, books, clothes and other products have made their way to stores. For the first time, a Princess Fiona doll has been released, featured a Ogre face mask, and "Kung Fu" Leg action. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White Dolls will also become available. A video game based on the film has been released for the Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, PC, and Nintendo DS.
[edit] Cultural references
This article contains a trivia section.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into the main text and removing inappropriate items.
This article has been tagged since July 2007.
For songs played in the film, see Shrek the Third: The Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Continuing a tradition set by the first two films, Shrek the Third contains several references to popular culture, history, fairy tales, and legend:
* During the scene where Prince Charming goes to his dressing room in the alley, a picture of the fairy godmother can be seen with the title of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'".
* During the first scene with Prince Charming throw-up from graffiti artist "Cope2" can be seen in the back ground on a wall.
* Before the scene of King Harold's funeral the rainy and foggy day is a resemblence to the jailed scene from Disney's animated version of Robin Hood.
* In an early scene when Donkey wakes Shrek and Fiona, he sings the song "Good Morning" from the musical "Singin' in the Rain".
* During one of the earlier scenes in the Land of Far Far Away, a shop called "Versarchery" (written in the signature Versace typeface) is shown, next door to the "Abercrombie and Witch" (Fitch).
* During the final battle, after taking the body of Puss in Boots, Donkey uses his (Puss') sword to carve a "D" into Pinocchio. Similarly, Puss carved a "P" into a tree in his first appearance in Shrek 2. Both of these are a parody of the character Zorro, which was played, among other actors over the years, by Antonio Banderas (the same actor who voices Puss in Boots).
* After smashing the second wall, the dazed Queen can be heard humming "A Spoonful of Sugar". Julie Andrews, who plays the queen, sang the same song in Mary Poppins. After Fiona asks if she's okay, the Queen hums "My Favorite Things" the song Julie sang in "The Sound of Music".
* The animal call that Snow White uses against the Talking Trees is actually the war cry from Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" (The cry and music are slightly modified due to licensing reasons), but the beginning is actually a spoof of With a Smile and Song from the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Disney movie.
* When Snow White rips the sleeve of her dress, she has a tattoo that says Dopey on it that is referring to the seven dwarfs in the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Disney movie
* In the beginning of the film, in Prince Charming's dinner theater, coconuts are used for horse's hoof beats. This same technique was used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which also starred John Cleese and Eric Idle. Idle claims to be considering suing the producers of Shrek for the unauthorised use of this gag, while the producers claim they were honoring Idle and Cleese by putting the part in.[7]
* Merlin, Lancelot, King Arthur (Artie), and Guinevere (Gwen) are all characters from Arthurian lore. Artie is not the knight in shining armor most would expect, but a so-called loser being beat up by jousting jock Lancelot. This character may be based on what most Tudor historians think was Arthur, Prince of Wales' character.
* The incantations used by Merlin are similar to that of the Disney production "Sword in the Stone"
* When Donkey, Puss in Boots, and Shrek are outside the gates of the High School Artie, Lancelot, and Gwen attend it says: 'Worcestershire'. Donkey misspronounces it, and then after Shrek explains the correct pronunciation, Donkey makes a joke out of it by comparing it to Worcestershire sauce. Though it escaped some, Prince Arthur Tudor has a "Prince Arthur's Chantry" dedicated to him in Worcester Cathedral.
* Before Shrek and Artie have a heart to heart, Merlin plays the opening music to "That's What Friends Are For".
* After Gingy's life flashes before his eyes, he sings "On the Good Ship Lollipop".
* Also, during that scene, there is a short montage in reference to The Six Million Dollar Man, in reference to Gingy losing his legs at the hands of Lord Farquaad and having them re-attached later.
* In the same montage there is a scene of Gingy leaping huge distances in a wheat field, a reference to the first Superman movie.
* When Charming is in his dressing room, you can see the phantom of the opera's mask and costume.
* At King Harold's funeral the theme song for the James Bond movie Live and Let Die is sung - John Cleese (who voiced Harold) played the second Q in the James Bond film series. The song, originally performed by Paul McCartney's group Wings, is sung by a Frog Chorus.
* The Arthur and Merlin pair is related to The Sword in the Stone Disney movie.
* When the villains are vandalizing Far Far Away, one of them changes the "Bootery" store to "Hooters." Subsequently, many cheering men enter.
* The "Just Say Nay" Program at the high school is a reference to the anti-drug campaign "Just Say No".
* At Worcestershire a setting of a farm says "Widow Tweed's Farm" which is from The Fox and the Hound Disney movie.
* In the scene where Shrek is on the ship dreaming about being a dad, the stroller that rolls into his room is from the movie "Rosemary's Baby".
* At King Harold's funeral when Queen Lillian pushes the box away it says "Ye Olde Foot Locker".
* Before Arthur is dragged out of the assembly by Shrek, he mentions that he will build a city on rock and roll. This is a reference to Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City".
* In the scene where Shrek and Arthur are having a conversation by the fire outside Merlin's house, the stars to the right of Shrek's ear form the Southern Cross, a reference to Shrek 1 and 2 director, Andrew Adamson, who is a New Zealander.[citation needed]
* When Charming is about to kill Shrek during the play, Camille Saint-Säens's Danse Macabre is being played in the background. Viewers in the UK would relate part of this piece to the theme of the BBC hit show Jonathan Creek.
* In the final confrontation scene between Shrek's comrades and Prince Charming during the performance, there is a short refrain that borrows from Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (a song that was brought back to the charts thanks to Mike Myers' Wayne's World).
* In an earlier scene during the same village performance, a song played during the pirate characters' appearance on the stage while rowing a ship sounds similar to the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
* When Puss in Boots and Shrek talk about fatherhood on the ship leaving Far Far Away (middle of the film), there is a short refrain from Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" sung by Donkey.
* Just before the final show, there are trees dressed like characters of A Chorus Line, while you hear "One" in the background.
* When Shrek enters the high school, two characters can be seen falling out of a carriage, with whispers of smoke pouring out behind them. This is a parody of Fast Times at Ridgemont High in which Sean Penn's character falls out of his car after smoking pot.
* During the Far Far Away invasion, Australian band Wolfmother's song "The Joker & the Thief" was played briefly.
* At Worcestershire, the Cheerleaders start their chant with "Ok, let's go!" An allusion to Bring it On
* When the ladies escape from their prison with Fiona leading them through the sewers, there is a brief overhead shot of the characters running over a narrow bridge. The composition of the shot is a direct reference to the Fellowship running from the Balrog in Moria in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
* During the prison scene, as Donkey and Puss are explaining their predicament, Donkey (in Puss) says "And it was a lot of "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", a reference to the Disney Cinderella.
* During the scene where the Princesses are preparing for battle, the background music resembles the soundtrack from the movie "Kill Bill"
* Just before leaving for Far, Far Away, Artie turns to the popular girl and says, "Gwen, I've always loved you." This is a reference to Guenivere, Arthur's queen.
* When the ladies are on their quest to retrieve Shrek, the ugly step sister sticks her leg out at a guard. This is a reference to the Graduate when Mrs Robinson does this to Ben to be seduced.
* When the princesses are locked in the tower, Cinderella can be seen neurotically scrubbing the floor whilst talking to herself. She can be seen in the now reflective floor as coversing with herself like Gollum in the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
* When Snow White starts singing after they had escaped from the jail cell they had been locked in, animals come out, two of those animals happen to be from Bambi, Bambi and Thumper.
* In all three Shrek movies, Shrek repeats this line, "Better out than in I always say". In Shrek 1 when they were walking through the forest after breakfast, in Shrek 2 when they were having dinner with the parents, and in Shrek the Third, when the baby happens to burp.
* One of the seven dwarves painting the set of Prince Charming's show is asleep; an allusion to Sleepy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film).
[edit] Foreign Versions
* In Germany the leading roles are dubbed by stars like Sascha Hehn (as Shrek), Esther Schweins (as Fiona), Marie-Luise Marjan (as Queen Lillian) and Benno Fürmann (as Puss in Boots).
* In France, Alain Chabat voices Shrek. The French version has been highly criticized by the Quebec Action Democratique party leader Mario Dumont, because it uses Parisian slang and accents that are incomprehensible to most Quebecers including Dumont and his children (whom he took to see the movie). This has led him to issue a bill (affecting the Province of Quebec) stating that all movies must be shown either in Quebec French or not at all in French.
* In the Latin American Spanish dubbed version, as in the first two movies, Shrek was voiced by Alfonso Obregon, Fiona by Dulce Guerrero, Puss in Boots by Antonio Banderas (who also played him in English), Donkey by Eugenio Derbez and Artie by Enzo Fortuny.
* In Portugal, the lead characters are voiced by José Jorge Duarte (Shrek), Cláudia Cadima (Fiona), Rui Paulo (Donkey) and Paulo Oom (Puss in Boots). Other characters voiced by well-known Portuguese celebrities are Mabel the Ugly Stepsister (Manuel Luís Goucha) and Sleeping Beauty (Patrícia Bull). Paulo Oom doubles as a falsetto Gingerbread Man.
* In Spain, the Shrek and Donkey are voiced by comedians Cruz y Raya, while Antonio Banderas himself re-dubbed Puss in Boots. The Ugly Stepsister is dubbed by the former soccer player and notorious pundit Michael Robinson.
* In Japan, the leading roles are dubbed by comedian Masatoshi Hamada (Shrek), seiyū Kōichi Yamadera (Donkey), actress Norika Fujiwara (Fiona) and actor/comedian Naoto Takenaka (Puss in Boots). Other many characters are acted by professional voice actors (seiyūs), Prince Charming by Unshou Ishizuka, Queen Lillian by Toshiko Sawada and King Harold by Takeshi Aono, one of the most respected voice actors in Japan at that time. Artie Pendragon is dubbed by Keita Tachibana, a pop idol just like Justin Timberlake.
* In Poland Shrek is dubbed by very well-known actor Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Donkey by legendary comedian Jerzy Stuhr
K 3
It was produced with the working title of Shrek 3. Like the first two Shrek films, the movie is significantly based on fairy tale (specifically Grimm's Fairy Tales) themes. According to Dreamworks, the film will be released on DVD on September 13, 2007.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Plot
* 2 Cast
* 3 Production
* 4 Reception
* 5 Rating
* 6 Sequels
* 7 Merchandise
* 8 Cultural references
* 9 Foreign Versions
* 10 See also
* 11 References
* 12 External links
[edit] Plot
The film begins with Prince Charming performing in a poorly done dinner theatre show. After being heckled by the audience and returning to his "dressing room" (a small table with a cracked mirror in a back alley behind the dinner-theater) Charming complains that he hasn't gotten his "happily ever after" and that just isn't fair. Meanwhile, King Harold has fallen ill and his ogre son-in-law Shrek has been summoned to take his place for a few days. Although Shrek reluctantly agrees, he has difficulties looking or acting the part of being the new King. He tells his wife Fiona how much he's looking forward to going back to their swamps, just the two of them. Fiona hints that she will have children, but Shrek completely misses the hint and responds that children are not his kind of thing. Despite what he learns about his friend's children, he knows that his close friend Donkey knows best.
However, King Harold is on his deathbed. He tells Shrek that he and Fiona that they are next in line to be king and queen. Shrek declines, knowing that there has to be someone else for the job. With his final three breaths, he tells Shrek that there is one other heir who can become the new King of Far Far Away: his nephew, Arthur Pendragon. The entire kingdom mourns for their king's death, but Prince Charming sees this as an opportunity to usurp the throne. Shrek sets out to find 'Artie', along with Donkey and Puss in Boots. As they're sailing off, Fiona runs to the dock and announces to Shrek that she's pregnant. Surprised but shocked, Shrek begins to have nightmares about his future children. Thinking that Shrek is worried about what having children would mean for his life, Donkey tries to reassure him that fatherhood was a great thing for him. Shrek explains that he is more worried about not being a good father. Shrek, Puss and Donkey arrive at Worcestershire Academy, where they met up with Fiona's long-lost cousin, Arthur and they eventually discover that Arthur, who is an academy student, is a loser picked on by other students at his school. Arthur joins with the three friends and is feeling good about his new role until Donkey and Puss scare him with responsibilities. Arthur gets into an argument with Shrek and they fight over the ship. They end up crashing on an island where they meet Arthur's retired wizard teacher, Merlin. In order to help Shrek and Arthur reconcile, he makes them look into a thick cloud of smoke to reveal their thoughts. Shrek sees a baby carriage, but lies and says that he sees a "rainbow pony". Merlin is convinced and moves on to Arthur, who sees a bird and its father. The father bird abandons the chick, leaving him frightened and confused. The chick tries to follow but falls to the ground.
After Merlin retreats to his hut, Shrek takes this opportunity to show Arthur that they're not so different after all. Just as Arthur had a father who abandoned him, Shrek had a father who was pretty bad as well. In fact, he tried to eat him. Shrek counsels Arthur that just because someone "calls you a monster, or a loser, it doesn't mean you are one". For years Shrek had been feared by people, believing he was horrible and terrifying, and for years, he believed he was a monster like his father. Gradually, he learnt to see himself for who he is. Arthur begins to identify with Shrek and the two become friends.
Meanwhile, Prince Charming has gone to the Poison Apple Bar where he convinces all fairy tale villains, Captain Hook, the Wicked Queen, a Cyclops, Rumpelstiltskin, Mable the Ugly Stepsister, Headless Horseman, Little Red Riding Hood, Stromboli, and assorted witches, black knights, evil dwarves, and evil magical trees to join him in a fight for their "happily ever after". The villains feel their side of the story has never been told and now is the time to do it. Fiona is at the castle, at a baby shower with her mother, Queen Lillian and princess friends, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. She is also with Doris the Ugly Stepsister, and Donkey's wife, Dragon. Suddenly, Prince Charming and the other villains arrive to invade the kingdom. Fiona and her friends escape just in time, but the rest of the kingdom is thrown into chaos and the villains take control of Far Far Away.
The Three Little Pigs, Big Bad Wolf, the Gingerbread Man, and Pinocchio are confronted by Charming, Captain Hook, a Cyclops, and one of the evil magical trees. Prince Charming demands to know where Shrek is. Gingy sees his life pass before his eyes while Pinocchio is able to circumvent the fact that his nose would grow if he lied by telling several lawyer-esque half truths, but one of the Three Little Pigs breaks down and accidentally tells that Shrek is looking for the new heir. Charming decides to send some of his men to hunt down Shrek for a final showdown. Shrek, Puss, Donkey and Arthur wake up to find themselves surrounded by the villains sent by Charming. Working as a team, the group manages to fight the villains away, but it doesn't bring them any closer to Far Far Away. Arthur decides to ask Merlin, and he whips out some acting skills to convince the old wizard. Merlin prepares to put a spell on them and warns them that although the spell should work, there may be some minor side effects. Before he gets a chance to fully explain, the four friends are zapped into Far Far Away. The side effects cause Puss and Donkey to switch bodies since they accidentally held hands to stay together. Fiona navigates the underground tunnels of the palace with her friends and as they met with Charming, Rapunzel betrays them to become the new queen of Far Far Away and Charming's wife. The remaining girls are imprisoned and, after meeting with Puss and Donkey, Queen Lillian uses her head to bust down two stone walls, leading to their escape from the prison and the girls become independent.
Shrek arrives at the city to find everything in complete disarray. A trapped Pinocchio gives Shrek some information on what has happened since he left. Charming is bent on revenge against Shrek for 'stealing' his "happily ever after" and plans to kill Shrek in a play later that night. Shrek sneaks into Charming's dressing room, but Charming's men arrive shortly and quickly capture everyone. In an effort to save Arthur, Shrek tells Arthur that he wasn't the next in line for the throne, he was just some weirdo who Shrek wanted to take his place as King of Far Far Away. After hearing Shrek insult Artie that way, Charming believes Shrek really just used the boy and lets him go. An angry yet disappointed Arthur escapes being killed by the prince. Charming's play culminates when Shrek is led onto the stage. Shrek then humors the audience by ridiculing Charming's singing and acting. Just as Charming is about to kill Shrek, Fiona and her friends leap onto the stage to confront the villains.
Arthur has been convinced by Donkey and Puss in Boots to return after they explained what Shrek's true intentions were, and he manages to convince the rest of the villains that they don't need to do this. He tells them about the speech that Shrek gave them, and the fairy tale villains decide that they don't need to be villains anymore. Unfortunately, Charming doesn't feel the same way, or want to give up his "happily ever after". Charming then attempts to kill Artie with his sword, but Shrek protects him and pretends to be stabbed with the sword. Then Charming finds out, and becomes angry that he didn't get his "happily ever after," and Shrek says he'd better keep looking for his, because Shrek wasn't going to give up his own. Shrek throws him to the side of a prop tower, and Dragon knocks the tower down, crushing Charming and presumably killing him. The crown he was wearing then slides across stage, and Shrek offers it to Arthur, who accepts and then holds it out to the crowd in acceptance. Meanwhile, the Gingerbread Man has slid onto the stage and shows Rapunzel's hair, revealing it to be a wig. The bald Rapunzel flees in humiliation.
Donkey and Puss in Boots get a chance to ask Merlin, who just appeared, to help them and switched them back to normal, but leaves their tails temporarily mismatched (that is, until the next scene). The film concludes a few months later, with Shrek and Fiona back in their swamp, now parents to ogre triplets and Shrek begins to feel like a good father.
[edit] Cast
* Mike Myers as Shrek
* Eddie Murphy as Donkey
* Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona
* Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots
* Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian
* John Cleese as King Harold
* Rupert Everett as Prince Charming
* Eric Idle as Merlin
* Justin Timberlake as Arthur Pendragon
* Conrad Vernon as Gingerbread Man / Rumpelstiltskin / Headless Horseman
* Cody Cameron as Pinocchio / Three Pigs / Ogre Baby / Bohort
* Larry King as Doris, the ugly stepsister
* Amy Poehler as Snow White
* Megan Hilty as The Singing voice of Snow White
* Maya Rudolph as Rapunzel
* Amy Sedaris as Cinderella
* Aron Warner as Big Bad Wolf
* Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty/Actress
* Regis Philbin as Mabel the Ugly Stepsister
* Ian McShane as Captain Hook
* Susan Blakeslee as Wicked Queen
* Mark Valley as Cyclops
* John Krasinski as Sir Lancelot
* Andrew Birch as Evil Tree #1
* Christopher Knights as Three Blind Mice / Heckler / Evil Tree #2 / Guard #2
* Chris Miller as Stromboli / Announcer / Mascot / Singing Villain
* Tom Kane as Guard #1
* Seth Rogen as Ship Captain
* Kari Wahlgren as Old Lady
[edit] Production
Early Promotional movie poster for Shrek the Third.
Early Promotional movie poster for Shrek the Third.
Image:Shrek the Third logo in Russian.png
Russian logo for the movie
With Viacom's acquisition of DreamWorks SKG, Shrek the Third is the first Mike Myers film to be released by Paramount Pictures (which itself was bought by Viacom in 1994) since 1993's Wayne's World 2. On the 2004 show, Father of the Pride, Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) was featured, solely to promote that Shrek 3 although he stated that it was to be released in 2006 rather than 2007.
Five actors from NBC's Saturday Night Live appear in the movie. Two actors, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph, were current cast members at the time of the film's release; the remaining three are Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cheri Oteri. Two members of the Monty Python troupe, John Cleese and Eric Idle, provide voices in the film. Cleese has reprised his role as King Harold, while Idle provides the voice for the new character Merlin.
[edit] Reception
Shrek the Third opened in U.S. theatres in 4,122 cinemas on May 18, 2007. The film grossed a total of US$121,629,270 in its first weekend, the best opening weekend ever for an animated film, and third best overall.
The film received generally lukewarm reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it received a 41% rating,[1] Critical reaction was more negative than that for the first two films in the series. David Ansen wrote that his problem with the film was that, "its slightly snarky wit is aimed almost entirely at parents... this one never touched my heart or got under my skin. It's a movie at war with itself: a kiddie movie that doesn't really want to be one."[2] The film yielded some positive reviews from writers such as A. O. Scott from The New York Times who believed that the movie "seems at once more energetic and more relaxed [than its predecessors], less desperate to prove its cleverness and therefore to some extent, smarter." The Times newspaper also rated it 2 out of 5.
As of July 8, Shrek the Third had grossed $316,740,255 in the United States and $325,526,983 in other countries, bringing its worldwide total to $642,267,238.[3]
[edit] Rating
This film was rated PG by the MPAA for some crude humor.
[edit] Sequels
Peter Zaslav said in an interview that the Christmas special Shrek the Halls will pick up from where Shrek the Third left off.[4] The film will also be followed by another sequel, Shrek Ever After, which will be released in theatres in 2010.[5] In an interview with Antonio Banderas, a spin-off film entitled Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer was confirmed. The spin-off will take place between Shrek the Third and Shrek Ever After.[6] A Shrek 5 is also planned.[citation needed]
[edit] Merchandise
Many toys, games, books, clothes and other products have made their way to stores. For the first time, a Princess Fiona doll has been released, featured a Ogre face mask, and "Kung Fu" Leg action. Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Snow White Dolls will also become available. A video game based on the film has been released for the Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, PC, and Nintendo DS.
[edit] Cultural references
This article contains a trivia section.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into the main text and removing inappropriate items.
This article has been tagged since July 2007.
For songs played in the film, see Shrek the Third: The Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Continuing a tradition set by the first two films, Shrek the Third contains several references to popular culture, history, fairy tales, and legend:
* During the scene where Prince Charming goes to his dressing room in the alley, a picture of the fairy godmother can be seen with the title of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'".
* During the first scene with Prince Charming throw-up from graffiti artist "Cope2" can be seen in the back ground on a wall.
* Before the scene of King Harold's funeral the rainy and foggy day is a resemblence to the jailed scene from Disney's animated version of Robin Hood.
* In an early scene when Donkey wakes Shrek and Fiona, he sings the song "Good Morning" from the musical "Singin' in the Rain".
* During one of the earlier scenes in the Land of Far Far Away, a shop called "Versarchery" (written in the signature Versace typeface) is shown, next door to the "Abercrombie and Witch" (Fitch).
* During the final battle, after taking the body of Puss in Boots, Donkey uses his (Puss') sword to carve a "D" into Pinocchio. Similarly, Puss carved a "P" into a tree in his first appearance in Shrek 2. Both of these are a parody of the character Zorro, which was played, among other actors over the years, by Antonio Banderas (the same actor who voices Puss in Boots).
* After smashing the second wall, the dazed Queen can be heard humming "A Spoonful of Sugar". Julie Andrews, who plays the queen, sang the same song in Mary Poppins. After Fiona asks if she's okay, the Queen hums "My Favorite Things" the song Julie sang in "The Sound of Music".
* The animal call that Snow White uses against the Talking Trees is actually the war cry from Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" (The cry and music are slightly modified due to licensing reasons), but the beginning is actually a spoof of With a Smile and Song from the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Disney movie.
* When Snow White rips the sleeve of her dress, she has a tattoo that says Dopey on it that is referring to the seven dwarfs in the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Disney movie
* In the beginning of the film, in Prince Charming's dinner theater, coconuts are used for horse's hoof beats. This same technique was used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which also starred John Cleese and Eric Idle. Idle claims to be considering suing the producers of Shrek for the unauthorised use of this gag, while the producers claim they were honoring Idle and Cleese by putting the part in.[7]
* Merlin, Lancelot, King Arthur (Artie), and Guinevere (Gwen) are all characters from Arthurian lore. Artie is not the knight in shining armor most would expect, but a so-called loser being beat up by jousting jock Lancelot. This character may be based on what most Tudor historians think was Arthur, Prince of Wales' character.
* The incantations used by Merlin are similar to that of the Disney production "Sword in the Stone"
* When Donkey, Puss in Boots, and Shrek are outside the gates of the High School Artie, Lancelot, and Gwen attend it says: 'Worcestershire'. Donkey misspronounces it, and then after Shrek explains the correct pronunciation, Donkey makes a joke out of it by comparing it to Worcestershire sauce. Though it escaped some, Prince Arthur Tudor has a "Prince Arthur's Chantry" dedicated to him in Worcester Cathedral.
* Before Shrek and Artie have a heart to heart, Merlin plays the opening music to "That's What Friends Are For".
* After Gingy's life flashes before his eyes, he sings "On the Good Ship Lollipop".
* Also, during that scene, there is a short montage in reference to The Six Million Dollar Man, in reference to Gingy losing his legs at the hands of Lord Farquaad and having them re-attached later.
* In the same montage there is a scene of Gingy leaping huge distances in a wheat field, a reference to the first Superman movie.
* When Charming is in his dressing room, you can see the phantom of the opera's mask and costume.
* At King Harold's funeral the theme song for the James Bond movie Live and Let Die is sung - John Cleese (who voiced Harold) played the second Q in the James Bond film series. The song, originally performed by Paul McCartney's group Wings, is sung by a Frog Chorus.
* The Arthur and Merlin pair is related to The Sword in the Stone Disney movie.
* When the villains are vandalizing Far Far Away, one of them changes the "Bootery" store to "Hooters." Subsequently, many cheering men enter.
* The "Just Say Nay" Program at the high school is a reference to the anti-drug campaign "Just Say No".
* At Worcestershire a setting of a farm says "Widow Tweed's Farm" which is from The Fox and the Hound Disney movie.
* In the scene where Shrek is on the ship dreaming about being a dad, the stroller that rolls into his room is from the movie "Rosemary's Baby".
* At King Harold's funeral when Queen Lillian pushes the box away it says "Ye Olde Foot Locker".
* Before Arthur is dragged out of the assembly by Shrek, he mentions that he will build a city on rock and roll. This is a reference to Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City".
* In the scene where Shrek and Arthur are having a conversation by the fire outside Merlin's house, the stars to the right of Shrek's ear form the Southern Cross, a reference to Shrek 1 and 2 director, Andrew Adamson, who is a New Zealander.[citation needed]
* When Charming is about to kill Shrek during the play, Camille Saint-Säens's Danse Macabre is being played in the background. Viewers in the UK would relate part of this piece to the theme of the BBC hit show Jonathan Creek.
* In the final confrontation scene between Shrek's comrades and Prince Charming during the performance, there is a short refrain that borrows from Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (a song that was brought back to the charts thanks to Mike Myers' Wayne's World).
* In an earlier scene during the same village performance, a song played during the pirate characters' appearance on the stage while rowing a ship sounds similar to the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
* When Puss in Boots and Shrek talk about fatherhood on the ship leaving Far Far Away (middle of the film), there is a short refrain from Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" sung by Donkey.
* Just before the final show, there are trees dressed like characters of A Chorus Line, while you hear "One" in the background.
* When Shrek enters the high school, two characters can be seen falling out of a carriage, with whispers of smoke pouring out behind them. This is a parody of Fast Times at Ridgemont High in which Sean Penn's character falls out of his car after smoking pot.
* During the Far Far Away invasion, Australian band Wolfmother's song "The Joker & the Thief" was played briefly.
* At Worcestershire, the Cheerleaders start their chant with "Ok, let's go!" An allusion to Bring it On
* When the ladies escape from their prison with Fiona leading them through the sewers, there is a brief overhead shot of the characters running over a narrow bridge. The composition of the shot is a direct reference to the Fellowship running from the Balrog in Moria in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
* During the prison scene, as Donkey and Puss are explaining their predicament, Donkey (in Puss) says "And it was a lot of "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", a reference to the Disney Cinderella.
* During the scene where the Princesses are preparing for battle, the background music resembles the soundtrack from the movie "Kill Bill"
* Just before leaving for Far, Far Away, Artie turns to the popular girl and says, "Gwen, I've always loved you." This is a reference to Guenivere, Arthur's queen.
* When the ladies are on their quest to retrieve Shrek, the ugly step sister sticks her leg out at a guard. This is a reference to the Graduate when Mrs Robinson does this to Ben to be seduced.
* When the princesses are locked in the tower, Cinderella can be seen neurotically scrubbing the floor whilst talking to herself. She can be seen in the now reflective floor as coversing with herself like Gollum in the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
* When Snow White starts singing after they had escaped from the jail cell they had been locked in, animals come out, two of those animals happen to be from Bambi, Bambi and Thumper.
* In all three Shrek movies, Shrek repeats this line, "Better out than in I always say". In Shrek 1 when they were walking through the forest after breakfast, in Shrek 2 when they were having dinner with the parents, and in Shrek the Third, when the baby happens to burp.
* One of the seven dwarves painting the set of Prince Charming's show is asleep; an allusion to Sleepy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film).
[edit] Foreign Versions
* In Germany the leading roles are dubbed by stars like Sascha Hehn (as Shrek), Esther Schweins (as Fiona), Marie-Luise Marjan (as Queen Lillian) and Benno Fürmann (as Puss in Boots).
* In France, Alain Chabat voices Shrek. The French version has been highly criticized by the Quebec Action Democratique party leader Mario Dumont, because it uses Parisian slang and accents that are incomprehensible to most Quebecers including Dumont and his children (whom he took to see the movie). This has led him to issue a bill (affecting the Province of Quebec) stating that all movies must be shown either in Quebec French or not at all in French.
* In the Latin American Spanish dubbed version, as in the first two movies, Shrek was voiced by Alfonso Obregon, Fiona by Dulce Guerrero, Puss in Boots by Antonio Banderas (who also played him in English), Donkey by Eugenio Derbez and Artie by Enzo Fortuny.
* In Portugal, the lead characters are voiced by José Jorge Duarte (Shrek), Cláudia Cadima (Fiona), Rui Paulo (Donkey) and Paulo Oom (Puss in Boots). Other characters voiced by well-known Portuguese celebrities are Mabel the Ugly Stepsister (Manuel Luís Goucha) and Sleeping Beauty (Patrícia Bull). Paulo Oom doubles as a falsetto Gingerbread Man.
* In Spain, the Shrek and Donkey are voiced by comedians Cruz y Raya, while Antonio Banderas himself re-dubbed Puss in Boots. The Ugly Stepsister is dubbed by the former soccer player and notorious pundit Michael Robinson.
* In Japan, the leading roles are dubbed by comedian Masatoshi Hamada (Shrek), seiyū Kōichi Yamadera (Donkey), actress Norika Fujiwara (Fiona) and actor/comedian Naoto Takenaka (Puss in Boots). Other many characters are acted by professional voice actors (seiyūs), Prince Charming by Unshou Ishizuka, Queen Lillian by Toshiko Sawada and King Harold by Takeshi Aono, one of the most respected voice actors in Japan at that time. Artie Pendragon is dubbed by Keita Tachibana, a pop idol just like Justin Timberlake.
* In Poland Shrek is dubbed by very well-known actor Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Donkey by legendary comedian Jerzy Stuhr
K 3
ALL ABOUT GRIFFINS
Malcolm in the Middle is a seven-time Emmy-winning,[1] one-time Grammy-winning[1] and seven-time Golden Globe-nominated[1] American sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series first aired on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons.
The show starred Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third-oldest of four, later five, children in the family, parented by Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). The oldest child, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was shipped off to military school, leaving the three boys: Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm, and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) living at home, Malcolm being the third oldest of the five (hence the title of the show). The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm and the rigors of being an adolescent genius and his eccentric, although eerily normal, life; later seasons additionally began to explore the other members of the family and their friends in more depth.
The series was different from many others in that Malcolm broke the fourth wall and talked directly to the viewer; it was shot using a single camera; and it used neither a laugh track nor a live studio audience. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of video. Another unique aspect is that the cold open of every episode is unrelated to the main story, except, episodes which were a part 2 have a cold opener which is a summary of part 1, as is the case with most series.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Characters
o 1.1 Main characters
o 1.2 Recurring characters
* 2 Guest stars
* 3 Episode list
* 4 Mysterious Surname
* 5 Production
o 5.1 Broadcasters
o 5.2 Opening titles
o 5.3 Setting
o 5.4 Music
o 5.5 DVD release
* 6 Reception
o 6.1 Ratings
o 6.2 Notable Awards
* 7 References
* 8 External links
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.
Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.
From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.
From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.
Originally there were only four children (although Malcolm's oldest brother attended a military school away from home, so he was still the middle child left at home). The fifth child, a new baby, was introduced in the show's fourth season but his sex was not mentioned until Season 5. The boys are, from eldest to youngest: Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. On the last episode Lois discovered she was, once again, pregnant with a sixth child. Bryan Cranston (Hal), Justin Berfield (Reese) and Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) are the only actors to appear in every episode.
* Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.
* Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek.
* Hal, played by Bryan Cranston.
* Reese, played by Justin Berfield.
* Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan.
* Francis, played by Christopher Masterson.
* Jamie, played by Various Actors
In real life, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is 2 months and 20 days older than Justin Berfield (Reese)
[edit] Recurring characters
* Stevie Kenarban, played by Craig Lamar Traylor. Malcolm's best friend. Stevie first met Malcolm in the pilot and were in the same accelerated class through middle school and most of high school. Stevie is a wheelchair user, has severe asthma, and only one lung, causing him to have difficulty speaking. Stevie has a sarcastic side and has also outsmarted Malcolm and Reese on numerous occasions.
* Abraham "Abe" Kenarban, played by Gary Anthony Williams. Abe is the devoted father and husband to Stevie and Kitty. Abe enjoys spending time with Hal by playing poker with him and his other friends, Trey, Brian, Malik and Steve.
* Kitty Kenarban, played by Merrin Dungey. Stevie's mother and Abe's wife. Kitty is generally soft spoken and doesn't normally punish her son due to his disability. Kitty disappeared from the series after the third season premier and it is revealed that she became a pornstar and deserted her family. She returned in season six, however hoping to reform herself.
* Caroline Miller, played Catherine Lloyd Burns, Malcom's teacher who is in most of the first seasons episodes and in the second season appears in two episodes. She disappears from the series after giving birth in the school parking lot. She was very passionate about her job, and had Malcolm's best interests at heart. However, she would often misunderstand Malcolm's intentions or situations, getting her into trouble.
* Commandant Edwin Spangler, played by Daniel von Bargen. The strict and hard nosed military veteran in charge of the cadets at Marlin Academy. For the first two seasons and beginning of season three, Francis was Spangler's most rebellious student and often clashed with him on many occasions. Halfway through the third season, Francis' desertion from the academy caused Spangler's life to go downhill as Francis stood out as his only failure. Spangler gets dismissed from the academy and tracks Francis to Alaska and attempts to kill him at first. Francis eventually finds Spangler a new job at a retirement home and Spangler is able to boss around the senior citizens.
* Cadet Eric Hanson, played by Eric Nenninger. Francis' fellow cadet at the academy and best friend for the first three seasons. Eric was Francis' reluctant sidekick and normally suffered the consequences of the antics caused by Francis. At the start of season three, Eric emancipates himself and goes work in an Alaskan lodge. Francis follows soon after but both of them learn that their job isn't as great as they hoped. Eventually, the lodge closes down and they must leave. Francis and Piama leave happily but Eric is left behind to hitchhike on the highway. His fate is unknown.
* Craig Feldspar, played by David Anthony Higgins, is the neurotic, though well-intentioned, co-worker of Lois at the Lucky Aide. He appears quite frequently in the show, especially during later seasons, as his character became more entwined with Lois and her family. After entrusting his house and cat to Dewey's care while he was away, and the resulting fire that destroyed it, he lived with Malcolm's family for a short time until the boys schemed to get him out (and cover their own tracks).
* Cynthia, played by Tania Raymonde, is a new Krelboyne girl who joins Malcolm's class in the episode "Krelboyne Girl".
* Lavernia, played by Brenda Wehle. Francis' cruel and heartless boss at the Alaskan lodge. Lavernia rules over her workers with an iron fist and usually charges her employees instead of paying them. Eventually she closes down the lodge and fires her workers when a mining company buys out the land.
* Lionel Herkabe, played by Chris Eigeman, Malcolm's teacher, is divorced and in debt. Is a genuis like Malcolm and manipulates Malcolm for his own purposes.
* Victor and Ida, played by Robert Loggia and Cloris Leachman respectively, are Lois' dysfunctional parents, introduced in the episode "The Grandparents". Ida is depicted as greedy, manipulative, racist, and quick to take offense, the only good deed she has ever done is saving Dewey from being ran over by a truck thus losing one of her legs. Not much is said about Victor, except that he left his home at a young age and that he was in "the war". Ida often refers to a hard life growing up in "The Old Country" and going through "a camp". While they speak with Slavic accents and appear to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe, their exact nationality is never specified, and may be intended to be fictional. However one episode, which centers on a fictitious "St. Grotus Day" feast, appears to take place in a Croatian community center, with a Croatian flag and a poster of Zagreb Cathedral on the wall. Victor apparently had another, second, family, which he kept secret from Lois and Susan,[2] while later he ran off and married a Canadian woman.
* Piama Tananahaakna, played by Emy Coligado, is Francis' wife.
* Otto Mannkusser, played by Kenneth Mars. Francis' German boss and sidekick for the fourth and fifth seasons. Otto is incharge of The Grotto, a dude ranch. Otto is married to Gretchen and has an estranged son. Otto is gullible and a bit of a pushover as he normally hires too many employees and gives them extra vacation days. However, after Francis works on the ranch for a little over two years, Otto fires him when the ATM that Francis was depositing his funds into wasn't really an ATM. In German, his last name means literally "man kisser,"(The Mannkussers are Danes in the German version).
* Gretchen Mannkusser, played by Meagen Fay. Gretchen is the wife of Otto and the co-runner of the Grotto. She is a kind and caring woman. It was explained by Otto to Francis that his marriage to her was by disevence. Gretchen was actually the girfriend of his best friend, although Otto loved her as well. When they were going to elope, Otto's friend asked him to have her meet him a rendevous point, but he lied about the actual location and said he would meet her at the train station in Berlin. When his friend didn't show up, Otto came and comforted her and they married. They had a son named Rutca.
* Jessica, played by Hayden Panettiere.
[edit] Guest stars
Guest stars on the show have included Andy Richter, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Warburton, Stephen Root, Jason Alexander, Laurie Metcalf, Kathryn Joosten, Amy Bruckner, Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Hallee Hirsh, Lauren Storm, Dakota Fanning, Ashlee Simpson, Tom Green, Christina Ricci, Danielle Panabaker, Susan Sarandon, Heidi Klum, Julie Hagerty, Mandy Musgrave, Kurtwood Smith and Bradley Whitford (Jane Kaczmarek's real life husband).
[edit] Episode list
Main article: List of Malcolm in the Middle episodes
[edit] Mysterious Surname
During the first season, the writers decided to keep the family's last name a mystery. However, it had already been revealed on the show. In the pilot episode, Francis speaks to his mother on the phone and his name tag says "Wilkerson". There was also a joke in the original pilot script that was cut -- Malcolm, walking to school, is confronted by a kid who says "Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm. I was talking to my parents last night - I was listening to them talk, and what's your last name?" "Wilkerson, why?" Malcolm replied. "Oh. Who are the Pariahs?" said the kid. Also in the company picnic episode, Hal also refers to them as 'the Wilkersons'.[3] In the series finale ("Graduation") Francis' employee badge falls out of his pocket and the camera close-up reveals his last name as 'Nolastname'.
The show starred Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third-oldest of four, later five, children in the family, parented by Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). The oldest child, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was shipped off to military school, leaving the three boys: Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm, and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) living at home, Malcolm being the third oldest of the five (hence the title of the show). The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm and the rigors of being an adolescent genius and his eccentric, although eerily normal, life; later seasons additionally began to explore the other members of the family and their friends in more depth.
The series was different from many others in that Malcolm broke the fourth wall and talked directly to the viewer; it was shot using a single camera; and it used neither a laugh track nor a live studio audience. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of video. Another unique aspect is that the cold open of every episode is unrelated to the main story, except, episodes which were a part 2 have a cold opener which is a summary of part 1, as is the case with most series.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Characters
o 1.1 Main characters
o 1.2 Recurring characters
* 2 Guest stars
* 3 Episode list
* 4 Mysterious Surname
* 5 Production
o 5.1 Broadcasters
o 5.2 Opening titles
o 5.3 Setting
o 5.4 Music
o 5.5 DVD release
* 6 Reception
o 6.1 Ratings
o 6.2 Notable Awards
* 7 References
* 8 External links
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.
Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.
From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.
From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.
Originally there were only four children (although Malcolm's oldest brother attended a military school away from home, so he was still the middle child left at home). The fifth child, a new baby, was introduced in the show's fourth season but his sex was not mentioned until Season 5. The boys are, from eldest to youngest: Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. On the last episode Lois discovered she was, once again, pregnant with a sixth child. Bryan Cranston (Hal), Justin Berfield (Reese) and Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) are the only actors to appear in every episode.
* Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.
* Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek.
* Hal, played by Bryan Cranston.
* Reese, played by Justin Berfield.
* Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan.
* Francis, played by Christopher Masterson.
* Jamie, played by Various Actors
In real life, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is 2 months and 20 days older than Justin Berfield (Reese)
[edit] Recurring characters
* Stevie Kenarban, played by Craig Lamar Traylor. Malcolm's best friend. Stevie first met Malcolm in the pilot and were in the same accelerated class through middle school and most of high school. Stevie is a wheelchair user, has severe asthma, and only one lung, causing him to have difficulty speaking. Stevie has a sarcastic side and has also outsmarted Malcolm and Reese on numerous occasions.
* Abraham "Abe" Kenarban, played by Gary Anthony Williams. Abe is the devoted father and husband to Stevie and Kitty. Abe enjoys spending time with Hal by playing poker with him and his other friends, Trey, Brian, Malik and Steve.
* Kitty Kenarban, played by Merrin Dungey. Stevie's mother and Abe's wife. Kitty is generally soft spoken and doesn't normally punish her son due to his disability. Kitty disappeared from the series after the third season premier and it is revealed that she became a pornstar and deserted her family. She returned in season six, however hoping to reform herself.
* Caroline Miller, played Catherine Lloyd Burns, Malcom's teacher who is in most of the first seasons episodes and in the second season appears in two episodes. She disappears from the series after giving birth in the school parking lot. She was very passionate about her job, and had Malcolm's best interests at heart. However, she would often misunderstand Malcolm's intentions or situations, getting her into trouble.
* Commandant Edwin Spangler, played by Daniel von Bargen. The strict and hard nosed military veteran in charge of the cadets at Marlin Academy. For the first two seasons and beginning of season three, Francis was Spangler's most rebellious student and often clashed with him on many occasions. Halfway through the third season, Francis' desertion from the academy caused Spangler's life to go downhill as Francis stood out as his only failure. Spangler gets dismissed from the academy and tracks Francis to Alaska and attempts to kill him at first. Francis eventually finds Spangler a new job at a retirement home and Spangler is able to boss around the senior citizens.
* Cadet Eric Hanson, played by Eric Nenninger. Francis' fellow cadet at the academy and best friend for the first three seasons. Eric was Francis' reluctant sidekick and normally suffered the consequences of the antics caused by Francis. At the start of season three, Eric emancipates himself and goes work in an Alaskan lodge. Francis follows soon after but both of them learn that their job isn't as great as they hoped. Eventually, the lodge closes down and they must leave. Francis and Piama leave happily but Eric is left behind to hitchhike on the highway. His fate is unknown.
* Craig Feldspar, played by David Anthony Higgins, is the neurotic, though well-intentioned, co-worker of Lois at the Lucky Aide. He appears quite frequently in the show, especially during later seasons, as his character became more entwined with Lois and her family. After entrusting his house and cat to Dewey's care while he was away, and the resulting fire that destroyed it, he lived with Malcolm's family for a short time until the boys schemed to get him out (and cover their own tracks).
* Cynthia, played by Tania Raymonde, is a new Krelboyne girl who joins Malcolm's class in the episode "Krelboyne Girl".
* Lavernia, played by Brenda Wehle. Francis' cruel and heartless boss at the Alaskan lodge. Lavernia rules over her workers with an iron fist and usually charges her employees instead of paying them. Eventually she closes down the lodge and fires her workers when a mining company buys out the land.
* Lionel Herkabe, played by Chris Eigeman, Malcolm's teacher, is divorced and in debt. Is a genuis like Malcolm and manipulates Malcolm for his own purposes.
* Victor and Ida, played by Robert Loggia and Cloris Leachman respectively, are Lois' dysfunctional parents, introduced in the episode "The Grandparents". Ida is depicted as greedy, manipulative, racist, and quick to take offense, the only good deed she has ever done is saving Dewey from being ran over by a truck thus losing one of her legs. Not much is said about Victor, except that he left his home at a young age and that he was in "the war". Ida often refers to a hard life growing up in "The Old Country" and going through "a camp". While they speak with Slavic accents and appear to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe, their exact nationality is never specified, and may be intended to be fictional. However one episode, which centers on a fictitious "St. Grotus Day" feast, appears to take place in a Croatian community center, with a Croatian flag and a poster of Zagreb Cathedral on the wall. Victor apparently had another, second, family, which he kept secret from Lois and Susan,[2] while later he ran off and married a Canadian woman.
* Piama Tananahaakna, played by Emy Coligado, is Francis' wife.
* Otto Mannkusser, played by Kenneth Mars. Francis' German boss and sidekick for the fourth and fifth seasons. Otto is incharge of The Grotto, a dude ranch. Otto is married to Gretchen and has an estranged son. Otto is gullible and a bit of a pushover as he normally hires too many employees and gives them extra vacation days. However, after Francis works on the ranch for a little over two years, Otto fires him when the ATM that Francis was depositing his funds into wasn't really an ATM. In German, his last name means literally "man kisser,"(The Mannkussers are Danes in the German version).
* Gretchen Mannkusser, played by Meagen Fay. Gretchen is the wife of Otto and the co-runner of the Grotto. She is a kind and caring woman. It was explained by Otto to Francis that his marriage to her was by disevence. Gretchen was actually the girfriend of his best friend, although Otto loved her as well. When they were going to elope, Otto's friend asked him to have her meet him a rendevous point, but he lied about the actual location and said he would meet her at the train station in Berlin. When his friend didn't show up, Otto came and comforted her and they married. They had a son named Rutca.
* Jessica, played by Hayden Panettiere.
[edit] Guest stars
Guest stars on the show have included Andy Richter, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Warburton, Stephen Root, Jason Alexander, Laurie Metcalf, Kathryn Joosten, Amy Bruckner, Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Hallee Hirsh, Lauren Storm, Dakota Fanning, Ashlee Simpson, Tom Green, Christina Ricci, Danielle Panabaker, Susan Sarandon, Heidi Klum, Julie Hagerty, Mandy Musgrave, Kurtwood Smith and Bradley Whitford (Jane Kaczmarek's real life husband).
[edit] Episode list
Main article: List of Malcolm in the Middle episodes
[edit] Mysterious Surname
During the first season, the writers decided to keep the family's last name a mystery. However, it had already been revealed on the show. In the pilot episode, Francis speaks to his mother on the phone and his name tag says "Wilkerson". There was also a joke in the original pilot script that was cut -- Malcolm, walking to school, is confronted by a kid who says "Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm. I was talking to my parents last night - I was listening to them talk, and what's your last name?" "Wilkerson, why?" Malcolm replied. "Oh. Who are the Pariahs?" said the kid. Also in the company picnic episode, Hal also refers to them as 'the Wilkersons'.[3] In the series finale ("Graduation") Francis' employee badge falls out of his pocket and the camera close-up reveals his last name as 'Nolastname'.
Molcolm in the middle
Malcolm in the Middle is a seven-time Emmy-winning,[1] one-time Grammy-winning[1] and seven-time Golden Globe-nominated[1] American sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series first aired on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons.
The show starred Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third-oldest of four, later five, children in the family, parented by Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). The oldest child, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was shipped off to military school, leaving the three boys: Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm, and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) living at home, Malcolm being the third oldest of the five (hence the title of the show). The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm and the rigors of being an adolescent genius and his eccentric, although eerily normal, life; later seasons additionally began to explore the other members of the family and their friends in more depth.
The series was different from many others in that Malcolm broke the fourth wall and talked directly to the viewer; it was shot using a single camera; and it used neither a laugh track nor a live studio audience. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of video. Another unique aspect is that the cold open of every episode is unrelated to the main story, except, episodes which were a part 2 have a cold opener which is a summary of part 1, as is the case with most series.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Characters
o 1.1 Main characters
o 1.2 Recurring characters
* 2 Guest stars
* 3 Episode list
* 4 Mysterious Surname
* 5 Production
o 5.1 Broadcasters
o 5.2 Opening titles
o 5.3 Setting
o 5.4 Music
o 5.5 DVD release
* 6 Reception
o 6.1 Ratings
o 6.2 Notable Awards
* 7 References
* 8 External links
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.
Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.
From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.
From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.
Originally there were only four children (although Malcolm's oldest brother attended a military school away from home, so he was still the middle child left at home). The fifth child, a new baby, was introduced in the show's fourth season but his sex was not mentioned until Season 5. The boys are, from eldest to youngest: Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. On the last episode Lois discovered she was, once again, pregnant with a sixth child. Bryan Cranston (Hal), Justin Berfield (Reese) and Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) are the only actors to appear in every episode.
* Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.
* Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek.
* Hal, played by Bryan Cranston.
* Reese, played by Justin Berfield.
* Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan.
* Francis, played by Christopher Masterson.
* Jamie, played by Various Actors
In real life, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is 2 months and 20 days older than Justin Berfield (Reese)
[edit] Recurring characters
* Stevie Kenarban, played by Craig Lamar Traylor. Malcolm's best friend. Stevie first met Malcolm in the pilot and were in the same accelerated class through middle school and most of high school. Stevie is a wheelchair user, has severe asthma, and only one lung, causing him to have difficulty speaking. Stevie has a sarcastic side and has also outsmarted Malcolm and Reese on numerous occasions.
* Abraham "Abe" Kenarban, played by Gary Anthony Williams. Abe is the devoted father and husband to Stevie and Kitty. Abe enjoys spending time with Hal by playing poker with him and his other friends, Trey, Brian, Malik and Steve.
* Kitty Kenarban, played by Merrin Dungey. Stevie's mother and Abe's wife. Kitty is generally soft spoken and doesn't normally punish her son due to his disability. Kitty disappeared from the series after the third season premier and it is revealed that she became a pornstar and deserted her family. She returned in season six, however hoping to reform herself.
* Caroline Miller, played Catherine Lloyd Burns, Malcom's teacher who is in most of the first seasons episodes and in the second season appears in two episodes. She disappears from the series after giving birth in the school parking lot. She was very passionate about her job, and had Malcolm's best interests at heart. However, she would often misunderstand Malcolm's intentions or situations, getting her into trouble.
* Commandant Edwin Spangler, played by Daniel von Bargen. The strict and hard nosed military veteran in charge of the cadets at Marlin Academy. For the first two seasons and beginning of season three, Francis was Spangler's most rebellious student and often clashed with him on many occasions. Halfway through the third season, Francis' desertion from the academy caused Spangler's life to go downhill as Francis stood out as his only failure. Spangler gets dismissed from the academy and tracks Francis to Alaska and attempts to kill him at first. Francis eventually finds Spangler a new job at a retirement home and Spangler is able to boss around the senior citizens.
* Cadet Eric Hanson, played by Eric Nenninger. Francis' fellow cadet at the academy and best friend for the first three seasons. Eric was Francis' reluctant sidekick and normally suffered the consequences of the antics caused by Francis. At the start of season three, Eric emancipates himself and goes work in an Alaskan lodge. Francis follows soon after but both of them learn that their job isn't as great as they hoped. Eventually, the lodge closes down and they must leave. Francis and Piama leave happily but Eric is left behind to hitchhike on the highway. His fate is unknown.
* Craig Feldspar, played by David Anthony Higgins, is the neurotic, though well-intentioned, co-worker of Lois at the Lucky Aide. He appears quite frequently in the show, especially during later seasons, as his character became more entwined with Lois and her family. After entrusting his house and cat to Dewey's care while he was away, and the resulting fire that destroyed it, he lived with Malcolm's family for a short time until the boys schemed to get him out (and cover their own tracks).
* Cynthia, played by Tania Raymonde, is a new Krelboyne girl who joins Malcolm's class in the episode "Krelboyne Girl".
* Lavernia, played by Brenda Wehle. Francis' cruel and heartless boss at the Alaskan lodge. Lavernia rules over her workers with an iron fist and usually charges her employees instead of paying them. Eventually she closes down the lodge and fires her workers when a mining company buys out the land.
* Lionel Herkabe, played by Chris Eigeman, Malcolm's teacher, is divorced and in debt. Is a genuis like Malcolm and manipulates Malcolm for his own purposes.
* Victor and Ida, played by Robert Loggia and Cloris Leachman respectively, are Lois' dysfunctional parents, introduced in the episode "The Grandparents". Ida is depicted as greedy, manipulative, racist, and quick to take offense, the only good deed she has ever done is saving Dewey from being ran over by a truck thus losing one of her legs. Not much is said about Victor, except that he left his home at a young age and that he was in "the war". Ida often refers to a hard life growing up in "The Old Country" and going through "a camp". While they speak with Slavic accents and appear to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe, their exact nationality is never specified, and may be intended to be fictional. However one episode, which centers on a fictitious "St. Grotus Day" feast, appears to take place in a Croatian community center, with a Croatian flag and a poster of Zagreb Cathedral on the wall. Victor apparently had another, second, family, which he kept secret from Lois and Susan,[2] while later he ran off and married a Canadian woman.
* Piama Tananahaakna, played by Emy Coligado, is Francis' wife.
* Otto Mannkusser, played by Kenneth Mars. Francis' German boss and sidekick for the fourth and fifth seasons. Otto is incharge of The Grotto, a dude ranch. Otto is married to Gretchen and has an estranged son. Otto is gullible and a bit of a pushover as he normally hires too many employees and gives them extra vacation days. However, after Francis works on the ranch for a little over two years, Otto fires him when the ATM that Francis was depositing his funds into wasn't really an ATM. In German, his last name means literally "man kisser,"(The Mannkussers are Danes in the German version).
* Gretchen Mannkusser, played by Meagen Fay. Gretchen is the wife of Otto and the co-runner of the Grotto. She is a kind and caring woman. It was explained by Otto to Francis that his marriage to her was by disevence. Gretchen was actually the girfriend of his best friend, although Otto loved her as well. When they were going to elope, Otto's friend asked him to have her meet him a rendevous point, but he lied about the actual location and said he would meet her at the train station in Berlin. When his friend didn't show up, Otto came and comforted her and they married. They had a son named Rutca.
* Jessica, played by Hayden Panettiere.
[edit] Guest stars
Guest stars on the show have included Andy Richter, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Warburton, Stephen Root, Jason Alexander, Laurie Metcalf, Kathryn Joosten, Amy Bruckner, Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Hallee Hirsh, Lauren Storm, Dakota Fanning, Ashlee Simpson, Tom Green, Christina Ricci, Danielle Panabaker, Susan Sarandon, Heidi Klum, Julie Hagerty, Mandy Musgrave, Kurtwood Smith and Bradley Whitford (Jane Kaczmarek's real life husband).
[edit] Episode list
Main article: List of Malcolm in the Middle episodes
[edit] Mysterious Surname
During the first season, the writers decided to keep the family's last name a mystery. However, it had already been revealed on the show. In the pilot episode, Francis speaks to his mother on the phone and his name tag says "Wilkerson". There was also a joke in the original pilot script that was cut -- Malcolm, walking to school, is confronted by a kid who says "Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm. I was talking to my parents last night - I was listening to them talk, and what's your last name?" "Wilkerson, why?" Malcolm replied. "Oh. Who are the Pariahs?" said the kid. Also in the company picnic episode, Hal also refers to them as 'the Wilkersons'.[3] In the series finale ("Graduation") Francis' employee badge falls out of his pocket and the camera close-up reveals his last name as 'Nolastname'.
The show starred Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third-oldest of four, later five, children in the family, parented by Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). The oldest child, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was shipped off to military school, leaving the three boys: Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm, and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) living at home, Malcolm being the third oldest of the five (hence the title of the show). The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm and the rigors of being an adolescent genius and his eccentric, although eerily normal, life; later seasons additionally began to explore the other members of the family and their friends in more depth.
The series was different from many others in that Malcolm broke the fourth wall and talked directly to the viewer; it was shot using a single camera; and it used neither a laugh track nor a live studio audience. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of video. Another unique aspect is that the cold open of every episode is unrelated to the main story, except, episodes which were a part 2 have a cold opener which is a summary of part 1, as is the case with most series.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Characters
o 1.1 Main characters
o 1.2 Recurring characters
* 2 Guest stars
* 3 Episode list
* 4 Mysterious Surname
* 5 Production
o 5.1 Broadcasters
o 5.2 Opening titles
o 5.3 Setting
o 5.4 Music
o 5.5 DVD release
* 6 Reception
o 6.1 Ratings
o 6.2 Notable Awards
* 7 References
* 8 External links
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.
Malcolm in the Middle's family. From left to right: Francis, Lois, Jamie (infant in Lois's arms), Malcolm, Dewey, Hal, and Reese.
From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.
From the sixth season episode "Stilts", with Malcolm taking on the role of Uncle Sam at the Lucky Aide.
Originally there were only four children (although Malcolm's oldest brother attended a military school away from home, so he was still the middle child left at home). The fifth child, a new baby, was introduced in the show's fourth season but his sex was not mentioned until Season 5. The boys are, from eldest to youngest: Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. On the last episode Lois discovered she was, once again, pregnant with a sixth child. Bryan Cranston (Hal), Justin Berfield (Reese) and Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) are the only actors to appear in every episode.
* Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.
* Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek.
* Hal, played by Bryan Cranston.
* Reese, played by Justin Berfield.
* Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan.
* Francis, played by Christopher Masterson.
* Jamie, played by Various Actors
In real life, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is 2 months and 20 days older than Justin Berfield (Reese)
[edit] Recurring characters
* Stevie Kenarban, played by Craig Lamar Traylor. Malcolm's best friend. Stevie first met Malcolm in the pilot and were in the same accelerated class through middle school and most of high school. Stevie is a wheelchair user, has severe asthma, and only one lung, causing him to have difficulty speaking. Stevie has a sarcastic side and has also outsmarted Malcolm and Reese on numerous occasions.
* Abraham "Abe" Kenarban, played by Gary Anthony Williams. Abe is the devoted father and husband to Stevie and Kitty. Abe enjoys spending time with Hal by playing poker with him and his other friends, Trey, Brian, Malik and Steve.
* Kitty Kenarban, played by Merrin Dungey. Stevie's mother and Abe's wife. Kitty is generally soft spoken and doesn't normally punish her son due to his disability. Kitty disappeared from the series after the third season premier and it is revealed that she became a pornstar and deserted her family. She returned in season six, however hoping to reform herself.
* Caroline Miller, played Catherine Lloyd Burns, Malcom's teacher who is in most of the first seasons episodes and in the second season appears in two episodes. She disappears from the series after giving birth in the school parking lot. She was very passionate about her job, and had Malcolm's best interests at heart. However, she would often misunderstand Malcolm's intentions or situations, getting her into trouble.
* Commandant Edwin Spangler, played by Daniel von Bargen. The strict and hard nosed military veteran in charge of the cadets at Marlin Academy. For the first two seasons and beginning of season three, Francis was Spangler's most rebellious student and often clashed with him on many occasions. Halfway through the third season, Francis' desertion from the academy caused Spangler's life to go downhill as Francis stood out as his only failure. Spangler gets dismissed from the academy and tracks Francis to Alaska and attempts to kill him at first. Francis eventually finds Spangler a new job at a retirement home and Spangler is able to boss around the senior citizens.
* Cadet Eric Hanson, played by Eric Nenninger. Francis' fellow cadet at the academy and best friend for the first three seasons. Eric was Francis' reluctant sidekick and normally suffered the consequences of the antics caused by Francis. At the start of season three, Eric emancipates himself and goes work in an Alaskan lodge. Francis follows soon after but both of them learn that their job isn't as great as they hoped. Eventually, the lodge closes down and they must leave. Francis and Piama leave happily but Eric is left behind to hitchhike on the highway. His fate is unknown.
* Craig Feldspar, played by David Anthony Higgins, is the neurotic, though well-intentioned, co-worker of Lois at the Lucky Aide. He appears quite frequently in the show, especially during later seasons, as his character became more entwined with Lois and her family. After entrusting his house and cat to Dewey's care while he was away, and the resulting fire that destroyed it, he lived with Malcolm's family for a short time until the boys schemed to get him out (and cover their own tracks).
* Cynthia, played by Tania Raymonde, is a new Krelboyne girl who joins Malcolm's class in the episode "Krelboyne Girl".
* Lavernia, played by Brenda Wehle. Francis' cruel and heartless boss at the Alaskan lodge. Lavernia rules over her workers with an iron fist and usually charges her employees instead of paying them. Eventually she closes down the lodge and fires her workers when a mining company buys out the land.
* Lionel Herkabe, played by Chris Eigeman, Malcolm's teacher, is divorced and in debt. Is a genuis like Malcolm and manipulates Malcolm for his own purposes.
* Victor and Ida, played by Robert Loggia and Cloris Leachman respectively, are Lois' dysfunctional parents, introduced in the episode "The Grandparents". Ida is depicted as greedy, manipulative, racist, and quick to take offense, the only good deed she has ever done is saving Dewey from being ran over by a truck thus losing one of her legs. Not much is said about Victor, except that he left his home at a young age and that he was in "the war". Ida often refers to a hard life growing up in "The Old Country" and going through "a camp". While they speak with Slavic accents and appear to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe, their exact nationality is never specified, and may be intended to be fictional. However one episode, which centers on a fictitious "St. Grotus Day" feast, appears to take place in a Croatian community center, with a Croatian flag and a poster of Zagreb Cathedral on the wall. Victor apparently had another, second, family, which he kept secret from Lois and Susan,[2] while later he ran off and married a Canadian woman.
* Piama Tananahaakna, played by Emy Coligado, is Francis' wife.
* Otto Mannkusser, played by Kenneth Mars. Francis' German boss and sidekick for the fourth and fifth seasons. Otto is incharge of The Grotto, a dude ranch. Otto is married to Gretchen and has an estranged son. Otto is gullible and a bit of a pushover as he normally hires too many employees and gives them extra vacation days. However, after Francis works on the ranch for a little over two years, Otto fires him when the ATM that Francis was depositing his funds into wasn't really an ATM. In German, his last name means literally "man kisser,"(The Mannkussers are Danes in the German version).
* Gretchen Mannkusser, played by Meagen Fay. Gretchen is the wife of Otto and the co-runner of the Grotto. She is a kind and caring woman. It was explained by Otto to Francis that his marriage to her was by disevence. Gretchen was actually the girfriend of his best friend, although Otto loved her as well. When they were going to elope, Otto's friend asked him to have her meet him a rendevous point, but he lied about the actual location and said he would meet her at the train station in Berlin. When his friend didn't show up, Otto came and comforted her and they married. They had a son named Rutca.
* Jessica, played by Hayden Panettiere.
[edit] Guest stars
Guest stars on the show have included Andy Richter, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Warburton, Stephen Root, Jason Alexander, Laurie Metcalf, Kathryn Joosten, Amy Bruckner, Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Hallee Hirsh, Lauren Storm, Dakota Fanning, Ashlee Simpson, Tom Green, Christina Ricci, Danielle Panabaker, Susan Sarandon, Heidi Klum, Julie Hagerty, Mandy Musgrave, Kurtwood Smith and Bradley Whitford (Jane Kaczmarek's real life husband).
[edit] Episode list
Main article: List of Malcolm in the Middle episodes
[edit] Mysterious Surname
During the first season, the writers decided to keep the family's last name a mystery. However, it had already been revealed on the show. In the pilot episode, Francis speaks to his mother on the phone and his name tag says "Wilkerson". There was also a joke in the original pilot script that was cut -- Malcolm, walking to school, is confronted by a kid who says "Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm. I was talking to my parents last night - I was listening to them talk, and what's your last name?" "Wilkerson, why?" Malcolm replied. "Oh. Who are the Pariahs?" said the kid. Also in the company picnic episode, Hal also refers to them as 'the Wilkersons'.[3] In the series finale ("Graduation") Francis' employee badge falls out of his pocket and the camera close-up reveals his last name as 'Nolastname'.
THE SIMPSONS
The Simpsons is an animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a satirical parody of the "Middle American" lifestyle epitomized by its title family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield, and lampoons many aspects of the human condition, as well as American culture, society as a whole, and television itself.
The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening sketched an outline version of a dysfunctional family, and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name.[1] The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[2] After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show.
The Simpsons was an early hit for Fox, and won several major awards. Time magazine's December 31, 1999 issue named it the 20th century's best television series,[3] and on January 14, 2000 it was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Simpsons is currently the longest-running American sitcom,[4] and the longest-running American animated program.[5] Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!" has been adopted into the English lexicon, while The Simpsons has been cited as an influence on many adult-oriented animated sitcoms.[6]
Since its debut on December 17, 1989, the show has aired 400 episodes over 18 seasons. As of March 20, 2006, it was renewed for a 19th season due to be aired in 2007–2008, premiering on September 23, 2007.[7][8] The 18th season finale, aired on May 20, is the 400th episode and 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons franchise. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie, is currently being produced, set for a worldwide release on July 27, 2007.[9]
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Origins
* 2 Production
o 2.1 Executive producers
o 2.2 Voice actors
o 2.3 Writing
o 2.4 Animation
* 3 Characters
* 4 Setting
* 5 Themes
* 6 Hallmarks
o 6.1 Opening sequence
o 6.2 Halloween episodes
o 6.3 Humor
* 7 Influences on culture
o 7.1 Influences on language
o 7.2 Influence on television
* 8 Critical reactions and achievements
o 8.1 Awards
o 8.2 Run length achievements
o 8.3 Criticism of declining quality
* 9 Merchandise
o 9.1 DVDs
o 9.2 Video games
* 10 Film
* 11 References
* 12 Further reading
* 13 External links
Origins
Main article: The Simpsons shorts
Groening conceived of the idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Brooks had asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts, which Groening initially intended to present as his Life in Hell series. However, when Groening realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life's work, he chose another approach[1] and formulated his version of a dysfunctional family. He named the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name.[1]
The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.
The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.
The Simpson family first appeared as shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[2] Groening submitted only basic sketches to the animators and wrongly assumed that the figures would be cleaned-up in production. However, the animators merely re-traced his drawings, which led to the crude appearance of the initial short episodes.[1]
In 1989, a team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The team included what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. Jim Brooks negotiated a provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content.[10] Groening said his goal in creating the show was to offer the audience an alternative to what he called "the mainstream trash" that they were watching.[11] The first full-length episode was "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" in place of the intended first show, "Some Enchanted Evening", due to problems with the animation quality in the latter program.
The Simpsons was the Fox network's first TV series to rank among a season's top 30 highest-rated shows.[12] Its success prompted Fox to reschedule the series to compete with The Cosby Show, a move that hurt the ratings of The Simpsons.[13] Ullman later filed a lawsuit, claiming that her show was the source of the series' success. The suit said she should receive a share of the profits of The Simpsons - a claim rejected by the courts.[14]
The show was controversial from its beginning. The rebellious lead character at the time, Bart, frequently received no punishment for his misbehavior, which led some parents and conservatives to characterize him as a poor role model for children. At the time, former President George H. W. Bush said , "We're going to strengthen the American family to make them more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons."[15] Several U.S. public schools even banned The Simpsons merchandise and t-shirts, such as one featuring Bart and the caption "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')".[15] Despite the ban, The Simpsons merchandise sold well and generated US$2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales.[15]
Production
List of show runners throughout the series' run:
* Season 1–2: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, & Sam Simon
* Season 3–4: Al Jean & Mike Reiss
* Season 5–6: David Mirkin
* Season 7–8: Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
* Season 9–12: Mike Scully
* Season 13–present: Al Jean
Executive producers
Groening, Brooks, and Simon have served as executive producers during the show's entire history and also function as creative consultants. A more involved position on the show is the show runner, who acts as head writer and manages the show's production for an entire season.[16] Credited as executive producers in the episodes' credits, runners often remain for multiple seasons. From season five onwards, the show runner receives first billing on the closing credit run.
Voice actors
Main articles: List of cast members of The Simpsons, List of guest stars on The Simpsons, and Foreign language voice cast of The Simpsons
With one exception, episode credits list only the voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wanted to keep their identities secret during the early seasons and, therefore, closed most of the recording sessions while refusing to publish photos of the recording artists.[17] However, the network eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode "Old Money," because the producers said the voice actors should receive credit for their work.[18] In 2003, the cast appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio, doing live performances of their characters' voices.
Six cast members voice The Simpsons. Dan Castellaneta performs Homer Simpson, Abraham Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and other adult, male characters.[19] Julie Kavner speaks the voices of Marge Simpson, Patty and Selma[19] and occasionally plays other episodic characters. She sometimes refuses to perform Marge's voice in public to maintain Marge's mystique. Nancy Cartwright performs the voice of Bart Simpson and other children.[19] Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters.[19] Two male actors do not voice members of the title family but play a majority of the male townspeople. Hank Azaria voices recurring characters such as Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Apu[19] whereas Harry Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders and Dr. Hibbert.[19] With the exception of Harry Shearer, every main cast member has won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.
In addition to the main cast, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell and Russi Taylor voice supporting characters.[19] From 1999 to 2002, Maggie Roswell's characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven. Karl Wiedergott has appeared in minor roles, and voices ex-president Bill Clinton on occasion. Repeat "special guest" cast members include Albert Brooks, the late Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Jane Kaczmarek, Jan Hooks, Joe Mantegna, Maurice LaMarche and Kelsey Grammer. Celebrity guest stars often play stylised versions of themselves, especially in the later seasons.
The main cast has been involved in much-publicized pay disputes with Fox on more than one occasion. In 1998, they threatened to strike, forcing 20th Century Fox to increase their salary from $30,000 per episode to $125,000. The series creator Groening supported the actors in their action.[20] As the show's revenue continued to rise through syndication and DVD sales, the main cast stopped appearing for script readings in April 2004. The work stoppage occurred after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with Fox, in which the cast asked for an increase in their pay to $360,000 per episode, or $8 million over a 22-episode season. On May 2, 2004, the actors reached an agreement with Fox.[21]
Writing
Main article: List of writers of The Simpsons
The Simpsons's writing team consists of 16 writers[22] who propose episode ideas at the beginning of each December.[22] The main writer of each episode writes the first draft. Group rewriting sessions develop final scripts by adding or removing jokes, inserting scenes, and calling for re-readings of lines by the show’s vocal performers.[23] The leader of these sessions is George Meyer, who has developed the show since season one. Long-time writer Jon Vitti once explained that, even though he will receive the script credit for an episode, Meyer usually invents the best lines.[23] Each episode takes six months to produce[24]so the show rarely comments on current events. However, episodes occasionally mention planned events, such as the Olympics or the Super Bowl.
Credited with 60 episodes, John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons staff. Conan O’Brien also wrote four scripts before becoming the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. English comedian Ricky Gervais is the only celebrity to have guest written an episode,[25] although there have been other guest writers, such as Spike Feresten, a Seinfeld writer famous for "The Soup Nazi" episode.
Animation
International animation studios involved:
AKOM
* Exclusively produced the first two seasons of the series.
* Produced various episodes throughout the run of the series.
Anivision
* Produced animation for episodes from seasons 3–10.
Rough Draft Studios
* Produced animation for episodes from season four onwards.
U.S. Animation, Inc.
* Jointly produced "Radioactive Man" with Anivision.
* Produced "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"
Toonzone Entertainment
* Produced "The Fat and the Furriest" and "She Used to Be My Girl".
Numerous U.S. and international studios have animated The Simpsons. Throughout the run of animated short episodes on The Tracey Ullman Show, the animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo.[26] Later, due to an increased workload, Fox subcontracted production to international studios, usually located in South Korea.[26] The U.S. studio draws character and background layouts; whereas tweening, coloring, and filming occurs at international studios.
For the first three seasons, Klasky Csupo animated The Simpsons in the United States. In season four, Gracie Films switched domestic production to Film Roman,[27] who continue to animate the show as of December 2006.
After season 13, production switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint.[28] The first episodes to experiment with digital coloring were "Radioactive Man" and "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" in 1995. Animators used digital ink and paint during season twelve's episode "Tennis the Menace". However, Gracie Films delayed using 'digital ink and paint' for two more seasons. The already completed "Tennis the Menace" was broadcast as made.
Characters
The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.
The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.
Main articles: List of characters from The Simpsons and Simpson family
The Simpsons are a typical family who live in a fictional "Middle American" town of Springfield.[29] Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant - a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three children. The eldest, Bart, is a ten-year-old troublemaker. His sister, eight-year-old Lisa, is precociously intelligent. She takes part in left-wing activist causes and plays the saxophone. The youngest, Maggie, is still a baby who never speaks, but carries a pacifier in her mouth. The family owns a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball II. Both pets have had starring roles in several episodes. Despite the passing of yearly milestones such as holidays or birthdays, the Simpsons do not physically age.
The show includes an array of quirky characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, and local celebrities. The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokesters or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. However, a number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to Matt Groening, the show adopted the concept of a large supporting cast from the comedy show SCTV.[13]
Setting
Main article: Springfield (The Simpsons)
The Simpsons takes place in the fictional American town of Springfield, without any geographical coordinates or references to U.S. states that might identify what part of the country it represents. Nevertheless, fans have tried to determine the town's location by taking the town's characteristics, surrounding geography, and nearby landmarks as clues. As a response, the show has become intentionally deceptive in regard to Springfield's location. Commentators have suggested, and then ruled out, nearly every U.S. state and region as the basis for Springfield.[30] Only once, in season 11, did an episode "Behind the Laughter", describe the Simpsons as a "Northern Kentucky family". However, there are many counterexamples to contradict this statement, so it acts merely as a teaser for increasingly curious fans. Groening has said that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon, the city where he grew up.[31] The name "Springfield" is a common one in America and appears in over half of the states.[32] Springfield's geography, and that of its surroundings, contain coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, tall mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires.[33]
Themes
Main article: List of The Simpsons episodes
See also: Politics in The Simpsons, Religion in The Simpsons, and Education in The Simpsons
The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy or "sitcom" as its premise. The series centers around a family and their life in a typical American town.[29] However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons's scope is larger than that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having Homer work in a nuclear power plant, the show can comment on the state of the environment.[34] Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School, the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. The town features a vast array of media channels--from kids' television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry.[35]
Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias.[36] Al Jean admitted in an interview that "We [The show] are of liberal bent."[37] The writers' evince an appreciation for progressive ideals, but the show makes jokes from across the political spectrum.[38] The show portrays government and big business as taking advantage of the little guy.[37] Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an unflattering or negative light. In the land of The Simpsons, politicians are corrupt, ministers such as Reverend Lovejoy are indifferent to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent.[39] Religion also figures as a recurring theme. In times of crisis, the family often turns to God, and the show has dealt with most of the major religions.[40]
The plots of many episodes focus on one particular character or on the relationship between two characters. Common story lines have involved the following: Homer getting a new job or attempting a get-rich-quick scheme; Marge trying to escape the monotony of keeping house by finding employment or taking up a hobby; Bart causing a large problem and attempting to fix it, cover it up, or ignore it entirely; and Lisa embracing or advocating the merits of a particular cause or group. Some episodes have focused on the problems of secondary or tertiary characters, which a member of the Simpson family usually helps solve.
Hallmarks
Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short).
Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short).
Opening sequence
Main article: The Simpsons opening sequence
See also: Chalkboard gag, Sax solo gag, and couch gag
The Simpsons opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable hallmarks. Many episodes open with the camera zooming through the show's title towards the town of Springfield. Then follows the members of the family on their way home. Upon entering their house, they settle down on their couch to watch television. The series' distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a retro style piece. This piece, which took two days to create, has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career.[41]
One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that there are several segments that are changed from episode to episode. Bart writes something different on the blackboard. Lisa sometimes plays a different solo on her saxophone and something different happens when the family enters the living room to sit on the couch. This last segment is often the only one of the three gags to survive the process of shortening the opening for some syndicated episodes and for later episodes which needed extra time. This concept of rotating elements has been subsequently used both by Groening in Futurama, and by others, such as a newspaper headline in American Dad.
Halloween episodes
Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.
Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.
Main article: The Simpsons Halloween episodes
The special Halloween episode has become an annual tradition. "Treehouse of Horror" (1990) established the pattern of three separate, self-contained stories in each Halloween episode. These pieces usually involve the family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting and often parody or pay homage to a famous piece of work in those genres.[42] They always take place outside the normal continuity of the show. Although the Treehouse series is meant to be seen on Halloween, in recent years, new installments have premiered after Halloween. This is due to Fox's current contract with Major League Baseball's World Series.
Humor
Main article: Recurring jokes in The Simpsons
The show uses catchphrases, and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one each.[43] Notable expressions include Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!", Mr. Burns' "Excellent..." and Nelson Muntz's "Ha-ha!". Some of Bart's catchphrases, such as "¡Ay, caramba!," "Don't have a cow, man!" and "Eat my shorts!" appeared on t-shirts in the show's early days.[44] However, Bart rarely used the latter two phrases until after they became popular through the merchandising. The use of many of these catchphrases has declined in recent seasons, and one episode mocked catchphrase-based humor in "Bart Gets Famous" where Bart achieves fame on the Krusty kids' show for saying "I didn't do it."[45]
The show's humor also turns on cultural references that cover a wide spectrum of society so that viewers from all generations can enjoy the show.[46] Such references, for example, come from movies, TV, music, literature, science, and history.[46]
Whenever possible, the animators also put jokes or sight gags into the show's background via humorous or incongruous bits of text in signs, newspapers, and elsewhere.[47] The audience may often not notice the visual jokes in a single viewing. Some are so fleeting that they become apparent only by pausing a video recording of the show.[47]
Influences on culture
Influences on language
Main article: Culturally significant neologisms from The Simpsons
A number of neologisms that originated on The Simpsons have entered the popular vernacular.[48] The most famous is Homer's annoyed grunt: "D'oh!." So ubiquitous is the catchphrase that it is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary,[49] but without the apostrophe. The first listed usage comes not from The Simpsons, but from a 1945 BBC radio script in which the writers spelled the word "dooh." Dan Castellaneta says he borrowed the phrase from James Finlayson, an actor in early Laurel and Hardy comedies, who pronounced it in a more elongated and whining tone.[50] The director of The Simpsons told Castellaneta to shorten the noise so that it became the well known exclamation in the TV series.[50]
Other Simpsons expressions that have entered popular use include "excellent" (drawn out as a sinister "eeeexcelllent…" in the style of Charles Montgomery Burns), Homer's triumphant "Woohoo!" and Nelson Muntz's mocking "HA-ha!" Groundskeeper Willie's description of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" was used by conservative National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg, in 2003, after France's opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq, and quickly spread to other journalists.[51]
Influence on television
The Simpsons was the first animated program in prime time since the Flintstones in the 1960s. During most of the 1980s, pundits considered animated shows as appropriate only for kids, and animating a show was too expensive to achieve a quality suitable for prime-time television. The Simpsons changed this perception.[26] The use of Korean animation studios doing in-betweening, coloring, and filming made the episodes cheaper. The success of The Simpsons and the lower production cost prompted television networks to take chances on other animated series.[26] This development led to a 1990s boom in new, animated prime-time shows, such as South Park, Family Guy, King of the Hill, Futurama and The Critic.[26] South Park later paid homage to The Simpsons with the episode "Simpsons Already Did It." (The Simpsons returned the favor with a scene at the beginning of "Bart of War.")
The Simpsons also influenced live-action shows and inspired Malcolm in the Middle, which debuted January 9, 2000 in the time slot after The Simpsons.[6][52] Malcolm in the Middle features the use of sight gags and does not use a laugh track like most sitcoms. Ricky Gervais has called The Simpsons a major influence on his British comedy The Office, which also dispenses with a laugh track.[53]
Critical reactions and achievements
The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Awards
Main article: List of awards won by The Simpsons
The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 23 Emmy Awards, 22 Annie Awards and a Peabody. On January 14, 2000 the Simpsons won a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In a 1998 issue celebrating the 20th century's greatest achievements in arts and entertainment, Time magazine named The Simpsons the century's best television series.[3] In that same issue, Time named Bart Simpson to the Time 100, the publication's list of the century's 100 most influential people.[54] Bart was the only fictional character on the list. In 2002, The Simpsons ranked #8 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[55] In 2000, Entertainment Weekly magazine TV critic Ken Tucker named The Simpsons the greatest television show of the 1990s. Furthermore, viewers of the UK television channel Channel 4 have voted "The Simpsons" at the top of two polls: 2001's 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows, and 2005's 100 Greatest Cartoons, with Homer Simpson voted into first place in 2001's 100 Greatest TV Characters.
Run length achievements
On February 9, 1997, The Simpsons surpassed The Flintstones with the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" as the longest-running, prime-time, animated series in America. In 2004 The Simpsons replaced The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952 to 1966) as the longest-running animated or live action sitcom, in the United States.[4] In October 2004, Scooby-Doo briefly overtook The Simpsons as the American animated show with the highest number of episodes.[56] However, network executives in April 2005 again cancelled Scooby-Doo, which finished with 371 episodes, and The Simpsons reclaimed the title with 378 episodes at the end of their seventeenth season.[5] In May 2007 The Simpsons reached their 400th episode at the end of the eighteenth season. While The Simpsons has the record for the number of episodes by an American animated show, some foreign animated series have surpassed The Simpsons. For example, the Japanese anime series Doraemon has over 600 episodes to its credit.[57]
The year 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the Simpsons franchise, which began as skits on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. With its 19th year (2007-2008), the series will be only one season behind Gunsmoke's US primetime, scripted television record of 20 produced seasons.[4] However, Gunsmoke's episode count of 635 episodes far surpasses The Simpsons, which would not reach that mark until its 29th season, under normal programming schedules.
Criticism of declining quality
For many years, critics' reviews of new Simpsons episodes praised the show for its wit, realism, and intelligence.[11][58] However, in the mid-90s, the tone and emphasis of the show began to change. Some critics started calling the show tired.[59] By 2000, some long-term fans had become disillusioned with the show and pointed to its shift from character-driven plots to what they perceived as an overemphasis on zany antics.[60][61]
In 2003, to celebrate the show's 300th episode "Barting Over", USA Today published a pair of Simpsons related articles: a top-10 episodes list chosen by the webmaster of The Simpsons Archive fansite,[62] and a top-15 list by The Simpsons' own writers.[63] The most recent episode listed on the fan list was 1997's "Homer's Phobia"; the Simpsons' writers most recent choice was 2000's "Behind the Laughter." In 2004, Harry Shearer criticized what he perceived as the show's declining quality: "I rate the last three seasons as among the worst, so season four looks very good to me now."[64]
Despite this criticism, The Simpsons has managed to maintain a large viewership and attract new fans. However, the first season had an average of 13.4 million viewers in the U.S.,[12] compared to the 17th season, which ended with an average of 9.2 million viewers.[65] In an April 2006 interview, Matt Groening said, "I honestly don't see any end in sight. I think it's possible that the show will become too financially cumbersome...but right now, the show is creatively, I think, as good or better than it's ever been. The animation is incredibly detailed and imaginative, and the stories do things that we haven't done before. So creatively there's no reason to quit."[66]
Merchandise
Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition
Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition
Main article: List of The Simpsons publications
See also: List of songs featured in The Simpsons, The Simpsons discography
The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion dollar merchandizing industry.[15] The title family and supporting characters appear on everything from t-shirts to posters. On April 24, 2007 it was officially announced that a The Simpsons Ride will be implemented into the Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. It is scheduled for a Spring 2008 opening.[67] The Simpsons has inspired special editions of well-known board games, including Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly, Operation, and The Game of Life, as well as the trivia games What Would Homer Do? and Simpsons Jeopardy!.[68] Several card games such as trump cards and The Simpsons Trading Card Game have also been released.
A sampling of Simpsons comic books.
A sampling of Simpsons comic books.
Numerous Simpson-related publications have been released over the years. So far, nine comic book series have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993.[69] The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comics are also reprinted in the United Kingdom, under the same titles, with various stories from the other Bongo series reprinted in the main Simpsons comic. The comics have also been collected in book form; many other Simpsons books such as episode guides have also been published.
Music is featured in The Simpsons, with characters breaking into song during the course of the series. Collections of original music featured in the TV series have been released on the albums Songs in the Key of Springfield and Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons. Several songs have been recorded with the purpose of a single or album release and have not been featured on the show. The best known single is "Do the Bartman", which was co-written by Michael Jackson[70] and became an international success. In the United Kingdom, "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released as a follow up to "Do The Bartman". The albums The Simpsons Sing the Blues and The Yellow Album contained cover versions of songs, as well as some originals.
In a promotion for the The Simpsons Movie, twelve 7-Eleven stores were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts and sold various The Simpsons related products such as "Buzz Cola", "Krusty-O" cereal, "Pink Movie" doughnuts with sprinkles and "Squishees".[71]
A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.
A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.
DVDs
Main articles: The Simpsons DVDs and The Simpsons DVD boxsets
Many episodes of the show have been released on DVD and VHS over the years. When the first season DVD was released in 2001, it quickly became the best-selling television DVD in history, although it would later be overtaken by the first season of Chappelle's Show.[72] In particular, seasons 1-9 have been released on DVD in America (Region 1), with more seasons expected to be released in the future, Europe (Region 2) and Australia/New Zealand/Latin America (Region 4). Seasons 1-7 have also been released in Japan (Region 2).
Video games
Main article: The Simpsons video games
The video game industry was quick to adapt the characters and world of Springfield into games. Some of the early notable games includes Konami's arcade game The Simpsons (1991) and Acclaim Entertainment's The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991). More modern games include The Simpsons Road Rage (2001), The Simpsons Hit & Run (2003) and The Simpsons Game (2007). Two Simpsons pinball machines have been produced; one after the first season, and the other still available.
Film
Official movie poster
Official movie poster
Main article: The Simpsons Movie
There had been talk of a possible feature-length Simpsons film ever since the early seasons of the series. James L. Brooks originally thought that the story of the episode "Kamp Krusty" was suitable for a film, but encountered difficulties in trying to expand the script to feature-length.[73] For a long time, various difficulties such as lack of a suitable story and an already fully engaged crew of writers delayed the project.[66]
20th Century Fox, Gracie Films, and Film Roman have now produced an animated Simpsons film for release on July 27, 2007.[9] The film has been directed by long-time Simpsons producer David Silverman and written by a team of Simpsons writers that includes Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, George Meyer, Mike Reiss, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, David Mirkin, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, and Ian Maxtone-Graham.[9] Production of the film occurred alongside continued writing of the series despite long-time claims by those involved in the show that a film would enter production only after the series had concluded.
USA Today announced July 10, 2007 that Springfield, Vermont would host the premiere of the new movie as it was the official home of the Simpson family based on votes received at their web site [USAToday.com] Fourteen Springfields throughout the United States submitted a video to show their enthusiasms for the Simpsons. In descending order of votes they were Vermont, Illinois, Oregon, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey, Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, Louisiana, and Florida. [1]
The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening sketched an outline version of a dysfunctional family, and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name.[1] The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[2] After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show.
The Simpsons was an early hit for Fox, and won several major awards. Time magazine's December 31, 1999 issue named it the 20th century's best television series,[3] and on January 14, 2000 it was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Simpsons is currently the longest-running American sitcom,[4] and the longest-running American animated program.[5] Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!" has been adopted into the English lexicon, while The Simpsons has been cited as an influence on many adult-oriented animated sitcoms.[6]
Since its debut on December 17, 1989, the show has aired 400 episodes over 18 seasons. As of March 20, 2006, it was renewed for a 19th season due to be aired in 2007–2008, premiering on September 23, 2007.[7][8] The 18th season finale, aired on May 20, is the 400th episode and 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons franchise. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie, is currently being produced, set for a worldwide release on July 27, 2007.[9]
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Origins
* 2 Production
o 2.1 Executive producers
o 2.2 Voice actors
o 2.3 Writing
o 2.4 Animation
* 3 Characters
* 4 Setting
* 5 Themes
* 6 Hallmarks
o 6.1 Opening sequence
o 6.2 Halloween episodes
o 6.3 Humor
* 7 Influences on culture
o 7.1 Influences on language
o 7.2 Influence on television
* 8 Critical reactions and achievements
o 8.1 Awards
o 8.2 Run length achievements
o 8.3 Criticism of declining quality
* 9 Merchandise
o 9.1 DVDs
o 9.2 Video games
* 10 Film
* 11 References
* 12 Further reading
* 13 External links
Origins
Main article: The Simpsons shorts
Groening conceived of the idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Brooks had asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts, which Groening initially intended to present as his Life in Hell series. However, when Groening realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life's work, he chose another approach[1] and formulated his version of a dysfunctional family. He named the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name.[1]
The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.
The Simpson family as they first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show.
The Simpson family first appeared as shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987.[2] Groening submitted only basic sketches to the animators and wrongly assumed that the figures would be cleaned-up in production. However, the animators merely re-traced his drawings, which led to the crude appearance of the initial short episodes.[1]
In 1989, a team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The team included what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. Jim Brooks negotiated a provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content.[10] Groening said his goal in creating the show was to offer the audience an alternative to what he called "the mainstream trash" that they were watching.[11] The first full-length episode was "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" in place of the intended first show, "Some Enchanted Evening", due to problems with the animation quality in the latter program.
The Simpsons was the Fox network's first TV series to rank among a season's top 30 highest-rated shows.[12] Its success prompted Fox to reschedule the series to compete with The Cosby Show, a move that hurt the ratings of The Simpsons.[13] Ullman later filed a lawsuit, claiming that her show was the source of the series' success. The suit said she should receive a share of the profits of The Simpsons - a claim rejected by the courts.[14]
The show was controversial from its beginning. The rebellious lead character at the time, Bart, frequently received no punishment for his misbehavior, which led some parents and conservatives to characterize him as a poor role model for children. At the time, former President George H. W. Bush said , "We're going to strengthen the American family to make them more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons."[15] Several U.S. public schools even banned The Simpsons merchandise and t-shirts, such as one featuring Bart and the caption "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')".[15] Despite the ban, The Simpsons merchandise sold well and generated US$2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales.[15]
Production
List of show runners throughout the series' run:
* Season 1–2: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, & Sam Simon
* Season 3–4: Al Jean & Mike Reiss
* Season 5–6: David Mirkin
* Season 7–8: Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
* Season 9–12: Mike Scully
* Season 13–present: Al Jean
Executive producers
Groening, Brooks, and Simon have served as executive producers during the show's entire history and also function as creative consultants. A more involved position on the show is the show runner, who acts as head writer and manages the show's production for an entire season.[16] Credited as executive producers in the episodes' credits, runners often remain for multiple seasons. From season five onwards, the show runner receives first billing on the closing credit run.
Voice actors
Main articles: List of cast members of The Simpsons, List of guest stars on The Simpsons, and Foreign language voice cast of The Simpsons
With one exception, episode credits list only the voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wanted to keep their identities secret during the early seasons and, therefore, closed most of the recording sessions while refusing to publish photos of the recording artists.[17] However, the network eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode "Old Money," because the producers said the voice actors should receive credit for their work.[18] In 2003, the cast appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio, doing live performances of their characters' voices.
Six cast members voice The Simpsons. Dan Castellaneta performs Homer Simpson, Abraham Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and other adult, male characters.[19] Julie Kavner speaks the voices of Marge Simpson, Patty and Selma[19] and occasionally plays other episodic characters. She sometimes refuses to perform Marge's voice in public to maintain Marge's mystique. Nancy Cartwright performs the voice of Bart Simpson and other children.[19] Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters.[19] Two male actors do not voice members of the title family but play a majority of the male townspeople. Hank Azaria voices recurring characters such as Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Apu[19] whereas Harry Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders and Dr. Hibbert.[19] With the exception of Harry Shearer, every main cast member has won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.
In addition to the main cast, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell and Russi Taylor voice supporting characters.[19] From 1999 to 2002, Maggie Roswell's characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven. Karl Wiedergott has appeared in minor roles, and voices ex-president Bill Clinton on occasion. Repeat "special guest" cast members include Albert Brooks, the late Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Jane Kaczmarek, Jan Hooks, Joe Mantegna, Maurice LaMarche and Kelsey Grammer. Celebrity guest stars often play stylised versions of themselves, especially in the later seasons.
The main cast has been involved in much-publicized pay disputes with Fox on more than one occasion. In 1998, they threatened to strike, forcing 20th Century Fox to increase their salary from $30,000 per episode to $125,000. The series creator Groening supported the actors in their action.[20] As the show's revenue continued to rise through syndication and DVD sales, the main cast stopped appearing for script readings in April 2004. The work stoppage occurred after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with Fox, in which the cast asked for an increase in their pay to $360,000 per episode, or $8 million over a 22-episode season. On May 2, 2004, the actors reached an agreement with Fox.[21]
Writing
Main article: List of writers of The Simpsons
The Simpsons's writing team consists of 16 writers[22] who propose episode ideas at the beginning of each December.[22] The main writer of each episode writes the first draft. Group rewriting sessions develop final scripts by adding or removing jokes, inserting scenes, and calling for re-readings of lines by the show’s vocal performers.[23] The leader of these sessions is George Meyer, who has developed the show since season one. Long-time writer Jon Vitti once explained that, even though he will receive the script credit for an episode, Meyer usually invents the best lines.[23] Each episode takes six months to produce[24]so the show rarely comments on current events. However, episodes occasionally mention planned events, such as the Olympics or the Super Bowl.
Credited with 60 episodes, John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons staff. Conan O’Brien also wrote four scripts before becoming the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. English comedian Ricky Gervais is the only celebrity to have guest written an episode,[25] although there have been other guest writers, such as Spike Feresten, a Seinfeld writer famous for "The Soup Nazi" episode.
Animation
International animation studios involved:
AKOM
* Exclusively produced the first two seasons of the series.
* Produced various episodes throughout the run of the series.
Anivision
* Produced animation for episodes from seasons 3–10.
Rough Draft Studios
* Produced animation for episodes from season four onwards.
U.S. Animation, Inc.
* Jointly produced "Radioactive Man" with Anivision.
* Produced "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular"
Toonzone Entertainment
* Produced "The Fat and the Furriest" and "She Used to Be My Girl".
Numerous U.S. and international studios have animated The Simpsons. Throughout the run of animated short episodes on The Tracey Ullman Show, the animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo.[26] Later, due to an increased workload, Fox subcontracted production to international studios, usually located in South Korea.[26] The U.S. studio draws character and background layouts; whereas tweening, coloring, and filming occurs at international studios.
For the first three seasons, Klasky Csupo animated The Simpsons in the United States. In season four, Gracie Films switched domestic production to Film Roman,[27] who continue to animate the show as of December 2006.
After season 13, production switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint.[28] The first episodes to experiment with digital coloring were "Radioactive Man" and "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" in 1995. Animators used digital ink and paint during season twelve's episode "Tennis the Menace". However, Gracie Films delayed using 'digital ink and paint' for two more seasons. The already completed "Tennis the Menace" was broadcast as made.
Characters
The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.
The Simpsons sports a vast array of secondary and tertiary characters.
Main articles: List of characters from The Simpsons and Simpson family
The Simpsons are a typical family who live in a fictional "Middle American" town of Springfield.[29] Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant - a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three children. The eldest, Bart, is a ten-year-old troublemaker. His sister, eight-year-old Lisa, is precociously intelligent. She takes part in left-wing activist causes and plays the saxophone. The youngest, Maggie, is still a baby who never speaks, but carries a pacifier in her mouth. The family owns a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a cat, Snowball II. Both pets have had starring roles in several episodes. Despite the passing of yearly milestones such as holidays or birthdays, the Simpsons do not physically age.
The show includes an array of quirky characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, and local celebrities. The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokesters or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. However, a number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to Matt Groening, the show adopted the concept of a large supporting cast from the comedy show SCTV.[13]
Setting
Main article: Springfield (The Simpsons)
The Simpsons takes place in the fictional American town of Springfield, without any geographical coordinates or references to U.S. states that might identify what part of the country it represents. Nevertheless, fans have tried to determine the town's location by taking the town's characteristics, surrounding geography, and nearby landmarks as clues. As a response, the show has become intentionally deceptive in regard to Springfield's location. Commentators have suggested, and then ruled out, nearly every U.S. state and region as the basis for Springfield.[30] Only once, in season 11, did an episode "Behind the Laughter", describe the Simpsons as a "Northern Kentucky family". However, there are many counterexamples to contradict this statement, so it acts merely as a teaser for increasingly curious fans. Groening has said that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon, the city where he grew up.[31] The name "Springfield" is a common one in America and appears in over half of the states.[32] Springfield's geography, and that of its surroundings, contain coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, tall mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires.[33]
Themes
Main article: List of The Simpsons episodes
See also: Politics in The Simpsons, Religion in The Simpsons, and Education in The Simpsons
The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy or "sitcom" as its premise. The series centers around a family and their life in a typical American town.[29] However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons's scope is larger than that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having Homer work in a nuclear power plant, the show can comment on the state of the environment.[34] Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School, the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. The town features a vast array of media channels--from kids' television programming to local news, which enables the producers to make jokes about themselves and the entertainment industry.[35]
Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias.[36] Al Jean admitted in an interview that "We [The show] are of liberal bent."[37] The writers' evince an appreciation for progressive ideals, but the show makes jokes from across the political spectrum.[38] The show portrays government and big business as taking advantage of the little guy.[37] Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an unflattering or negative light. In the land of The Simpsons, politicians are corrupt, ministers such as Reverend Lovejoy are indifferent to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent.[39] Religion also figures as a recurring theme. In times of crisis, the family often turns to God, and the show has dealt with most of the major religions.[40]
The plots of many episodes focus on one particular character or on the relationship between two characters. Common story lines have involved the following: Homer getting a new job or attempting a get-rich-quick scheme; Marge trying to escape the monotony of keeping house by finding employment or taking up a hobby; Bart causing a large problem and attempting to fix it, cover it up, or ignore it entirely; and Lisa embracing or advocating the merits of a particular cause or group. Some episodes have focused on the problems of secondary or tertiary characters, which a member of the Simpson family usually helps solve.
Hallmarks
Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short).
Shot from an overblown, extended couch gag (often used when an episode is running short).
Opening sequence
Main article: The Simpsons opening sequence
See also: Chalkboard gag, Sax solo gag, and couch gag
The Simpsons opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable hallmarks. Many episodes open with the camera zooming through the show's title towards the town of Springfield. Then follows the members of the family on their way home. Upon entering their house, they settle down on their couch to watch television. The series' distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a retro style piece. This piece, which took two days to create, has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career.[41]
One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that there are several segments that are changed from episode to episode. Bart writes something different on the blackboard. Lisa sometimes plays a different solo on her saxophone and something different happens when the family enters the living room to sit on the couch. This last segment is often the only one of the three gags to survive the process of shortening the opening for some syndicated episodes and for later episodes which needed extra time. This concept of rotating elements has been subsequently used both by Groening in Futurama, and by others, such as a newspaper headline in American Dad.
Halloween episodes
Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.
Bart introducing a segment of "Treehouse of Horror IV" in the manner of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.
Main article: The Simpsons Halloween episodes
The special Halloween episode has become an annual tradition. "Treehouse of Horror" (1990) established the pattern of three separate, self-contained stories in each Halloween episode. These pieces usually involve the family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting and often parody or pay homage to a famous piece of work in those genres.[42] They always take place outside the normal continuity of the show. Although the Treehouse series is meant to be seen on Halloween, in recent years, new installments have premiered after Halloween. This is due to Fox's current contract with Major League Baseball's World Series.
Humor
Main article: Recurring jokes in The Simpsons
The show uses catchphrases, and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one each.[43] Notable expressions include Homer's annoyed grunt "D'oh!", Mr. Burns' "Excellent..." and Nelson Muntz's "Ha-ha!". Some of Bart's catchphrases, such as "¡Ay, caramba!," "Don't have a cow, man!" and "Eat my shorts!" appeared on t-shirts in the show's early days.[44] However, Bart rarely used the latter two phrases until after they became popular through the merchandising. The use of many of these catchphrases has declined in recent seasons, and one episode mocked catchphrase-based humor in "Bart Gets Famous" where Bart achieves fame on the Krusty kids' show for saying "I didn't do it."[45]
The show's humor also turns on cultural references that cover a wide spectrum of society so that viewers from all generations can enjoy the show.[46] Such references, for example, come from movies, TV, music, literature, science, and history.[46]
Whenever possible, the animators also put jokes or sight gags into the show's background via humorous or incongruous bits of text in signs, newspapers, and elsewhere.[47] The audience may often not notice the visual jokes in a single viewing. Some are so fleeting that they become apparent only by pausing a video recording of the show.[47]
Influences on culture
Influences on language
Main article: Culturally significant neologisms from The Simpsons
A number of neologisms that originated on The Simpsons have entered the popular vernacular.[48] The most famous is Homer's annoyed grunt: "D'oh!." So ubiquitous is the catchphrase that it is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary,[49] but without the apostrophe. The first listed usage comes not from The Simpsons, but from a 1945 BBC radio script in which the writers spelled the word "dooh." Dan Castellaneta says he borrowed the phrase from James Finlayson, an actor in early Laurel and Hardy comedies, who pronounced it in a more elongated and whining tone.[50] The director of The Simpsons told Castellaneta to shorten the noise so that it became the well known exclamation in the TV series.[50]
Other Simpsons expressions that have entered popular use include "excellent" (drawn out as a sinister "eeeexcelllent…" in the style of Charles Montgomery Burns), Homer's triumphant "Woohoo!" and Nelson Muntz's mocking "HA-ha!" Groundskeeper Willie's description of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" was used by conservative National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg, in 2003, after France's opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq, and quickly spread to other journalists.[51]
Influence on television
The Simpsons was the first animated program in prime time since the Flintstones in the 1960s. During most of the 1980s, pundits considered animated shows as appropriate only for kids, and animating a show was too expensive to achieve a quality suitable for prime-time television. The Simpsons changed this perception.[26] The use of Korean animation studios doing in-betweening, coloring, and filming made the episodes cheaper. The success of The Simpsons and the lower production cost prompted television networks to take chances on other animated series.[26] This development led to a 1990s boom in new, animated prime-time shows, such as South Park, Family Guy, King of the Hill, Futurama and The Critic.[26] South Park later paid homage to The Simpsons with the episode "Simpsons Already Did It." (The Simpsons returned the favor with a scene at the beginning of "Bart of War.")
The Simpsons also influenced live-action shows and inspired Malcolm in the Middle, which debuted January 9, 2000 in the time slot after The Simpsons.[6][52] Malcolm in the Middle features the use of sight gags and does not use a laugh track like most sitcoms. Ricky Gervais has called The Simpsons a major influence on his British comedy The Office, which also dispenses with a laugh track.[53]
Critical reactions and achievements
The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Simpsons have been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Awards
Main article: List of awards won by The Simpsons
The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 23 Emmy Awards, 22 Annie Awards and a Peabody. On January 14, 2000 the Simpsons won a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In a 1998 issue celebrating the 20th century's greatest achievements in arts and entertainment, Time magazine named The Simpsons the century's best television series.[3] In that same issue, Time named Bart Simpson to the Time 100, the publication's list of the century's 100 most influential people.[54] Bart was the only fictional character on the list. In 2002, The Simpsons ranked #8 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[55] In 2000, Entertainment Weekly magazine TV critic Ken Tucker named The Simpsons the greatest television show of the 1990s. Furthermore, viewers of the UK television channel Channel 4 have voted "The Simpsons" at the top of two polls: 2001's 100 Greatest Kids' TV shows, and 2005's 100 Greatest Cartoons, with Homer Simpson voted into first place in 2001's 100 Greatest TV Characters.
Run length achievements
On February 9, 1997, The Simpsons surpassed The Flintstones with the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" as the longest-running, prime-time, animated series in America. In 2004 The Simpsons replaced The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952 to 1966) as the longest-running animated or live action sitcom, in the United States.[4] In October 2004, Scooby-Doo briefly overtook The Simpsons as the American animated show with the highest number of episodes.[56] However, network executives in April 2005 again cancelled Scooby-Doo, which finished with 371 episodes, and The Simpsons reclaimed the title with 378 episodes at the end of their seventeenth season.[5] In May 2007 The Simpsons reached their 400th episode at the end of the eighteenth season. While The Simpsons has the record for the number of episodes by an American animated show, some foreign animated series have surpassed The Simpsons. For example, the Japanese anime series Doraemon has over 600 episodes to its credit.[57]
The year 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the Simpsons franchise, which began as skits on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. With its 19th year (2007-2008), the series will be only one season behind Gunsmoke's US primetime, scripted television record of 20 produced seasons.[4] However, Gunsmoke's episode count of 635 episodes far surpasses The Simpsons, which would not reach that mark until its 29th season, under normal programming schedules.
Criticism of declining quality
For many years, critics' reviews of new Simpsons episodes praised the show for its wit, realism, and intelligence.[11][58] However, in the mid-90s, the tone and emphasis of the show began to change. Some critics started calling the show tired.[59] By 2000, some long-term fans had become disillusioned with the show and pointed to its shift from character-driven plots to what they perceived as an overemphasis on zany antics.[60][61]
In 2003, to celebrate the show's 300th episode "Barting Over", USA Today published a pair of Simpsons related articles: a top-10 episodes list chosen by the webmaster of The Simpsons Archive fansite,[62] and a top-15 list by The Simpsons' own writers.[63] The most recent episode listed on the fan list was 1997's "Homer's Phobia"; the Simpsons' writers most recent choice was 2000's "Behind the Laughter." In 2004, Harry Shearer criticized what he perceived as the show's declining quality: "I rate the last three seasons as among the worst, so season four looks very good to me now."[64]
Despite this criticism, The Simpsons has managed to maintain a large viewership and attract new fans. However, the first season had an average of 13.4 million viewers in the U.S.,[12] compared to the 17th season, which ended with an average of 9.2 million viewers.[65] In an April 2006 interview, Matt Groening said, "I honestly don't see any end in sight. I think it's possible that the show will become too financially cumbersome...but right now, the show is creatively, I think, as good or better than it's ever been. The animation is incredibly detailed and imaginative, and the stories do things that we haven't done before. So creatively there's no reason to quit."[66]
Merchandise
Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition
Monopoly: The Simpsons Edition
Main article: List of The Simpsons publications
See also: List of songs featured in The Simpsons, The Simpsons discography
The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion dollar merchandizing industry.[15] The title family and supporting characters appear on everything from t-shirts to posters. On April 24, 2007 it was officially announced that a The Simpsons Ride will be implemented into the Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. It is scheduled for a Spring 2008 opening.[67] The Simpsons has inspired special editions of well-known board games, including Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly, Operation, and The Game of Life, as well as the trivia games What Would Homer Do? and Simpsons Jeopardy!.[68] Several card games such as trump cards and The Simpsons Trading Card Game have also been released.
A sampling of Simpsons comic books.
A sampling of Simpsons comic books.
Numerous Simpson-related publications have been released over the years. So far, nine comic book series have been published by Bongo Comics since 1993.[69] The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comics are also reprinted in the United Kingdom, under the same titles, with various stories from the other Bongo series reprinted in the main Simpsons comic. The comics have also been collected in book form; many other Simpsons books such as episode guides have also been published.
Music is featured in The Simpsons, with characters breaking into song during the course of the series. Collections of original music featured in the TV series have been released on the albums Songs in the Key of Springfield and Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons. Several songs have been recorded with the purpose of a single or album release and have not been featured on the show. The best known single is "Do the Bartman", which was co-written by Michael Jackson[70] and became an international success. In the United Kingdom, "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released as a follow up to "Do The Bartman". The albums The Simpsons Sing the Blues and The Yellow Album contained cover versions of songs, as well as some originals.
In a promotion for the The Simpsons Movie, twelve 7-Eleven stores were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts and sold various The Simpsons related products such as "Buzz Cola", "Krusty-O" cereal, "Pink Movie" doughnuts with sprinkles and "Squishees".[71]
A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.
A Seattle 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie.
DVDs
Main articles: The Simpsons DVDs and The Simpsons DVD boxsets
Many episodes of the show have been released on DVD and VHS over the years. When the first season DVD was released in 2001, it quickly became the best-selling television DVD in history, although it would later be overtaken by the first season of Chappelle's Show.[72] In particular, seasons 1-9 have been released on DVD in America (Region 1), with more seasons expected to be released in the future, Europe (Region 2) and Australia/New Zealand/Latin America (Region 4). Seasons 1-7 have also been released in Japan (Region 2).
Video games
Main article: The Simpsons video games
The video game industry was quick to adapt the characters and world of Springfield into games. Some of the early notable games includes Konami's arcade game The Simpsons (1991) and Acclaim Entertainment's The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991). More modern games include The Simpsons Road Rage (2001), The Simpsons Hit & Run (2003) and The Simpsons Game (2007). Two Simpsons pinball machines have been produced; one after the first season, and the other still available.
Film
Official movie poster
Official movie poster
Main article: The Simpsons Movie
There had been talk of a possible feature-length Simpsons film ever since the early seasons of the series. James L. Brooks originally thought that the story of the episode "Kamp Krusty" was suitable for a film, but encountered difficulties in trying to expand the script to feature-length.[73] For a long time, various difficulties such as lack of a suitable story and an already fully engaged crew of writers delayed the project.[66]
20th Century Fox, Gracie Films, and Film Roman have now produced an animated Simpsons film for release on July 27, 2007.[9] The film has been directed by long-time Simpsons producer David Silverman and written by a team of Simpsons writers that includes Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, George Meyer, Mike Reiss, John Swartzwelder, Jon Vitti, David Mirkin, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, and Ian Maxtone-Graham.[9] Production of the film occurred alongside continued writing of the series despite long-time claims by those involved in the show that a film would enter production only after the series had concluded.
USA Today announced July 10, 2007 that Springfield, Vermont would host the premiere of the new movie as it was the official home of the Simpson family based on votes received at their web site [USAToday.com] Fourteen Springfields throughout the United States submitted a video to show their enthusiasms for the Simpsons. In descending order of votes they were Vermont, Illinois, Oregon, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey, Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, Louisiana, and Florida. [1]
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