The Simpsons (season 26)

The Simpsons (season 26)
Digital download cover
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	September 28, 2014 – May 17, 2015
Season chronology

The twenty-sixth season of the animated television series The Simpsons premiered on Fox in the United States on September 28, 2014 and concluded on May 17, 2015.

In this season, Krusty the Clown retires after his father dies ("Clown in the Dumps"); Homer and Bart attempt to solve some father/son conflicts ("The Wreck of the Relationship"); Marge opens a sandwich franchise ("Super Franchise Me"); the Simpsons meet their former (The Tracey Ullman Show) selves ("Treehouse of Horror XXV"); Mr. Burns finds a girlfriend in Democratic Assemblywoman Maxine Lombard ("Opposites A-Frack"); Bart schemes to bring down his new fourth grade teacher, Mr. Lassen (guest voice Willem Dafoe), who is a terrible bully ("Blazed and Confused"); Homer has a mid-life crisis ("Covercraft"); and the cast of Futurama make an appearance in Springfield in a crossover episode ("Simpsorama").

Additional guest voices for this season include Nick Offerman, David Hyde Pierce, Jeff Ross, and Matthew Sweet.^[1]

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
553	1	"Clown in the Dumps"	Steven Dean Moore	Joel H. Cohen	September 28, 2014	SABF20	8.53[2]
After being offended by a comedy cable channel roast of him, Krusty goes to his father for advice, only to have him die before he can say whether or not he found his son funny, causing Krusty to decide to retire. Meanwhile, fear of losing her own father causes Lisa to try to protect Homer from getting hurt in any way. Guest stars: Kelsey Grammer, Don Hertzfeldt, Maurice LaMarche, Jackie Mason, David Hyde Pierce, Jeff Ross and Sarah Silverman
554	2	"The Wreck of the Relationship"	Chuck Sheetz	Jeff Westbrook	October 5, 2014	SABF17	4.27[3]
Homer is tired of Bart not respecting him, so he attempts to parent Bart, by forcing him to eat broccoli. This goes nowhere, so Marge signs them up for the Relation Ship to solve their problems. Meanwhile, while Homer's away, Marge takes over his Fantasy Football league. On board the Relation Ship, Homer does not enjoy sea life while Bart excels at sailing and becomes mid shipman, much to Homer's dismay. Homer continues to disrespect his son's new ship role until he eventually eats a piece of broccoli. Guest star: Nick Offerman as Captain Bowditch
555	3	"Super Franchise Me"	Mark Kirkland	Bill Odenkirk	October 12, 2014	SABF19	7.33[4]
After her sandwiches become popular at Springfield Elementary, Marge opens a sandwich store. It becomes a huge success, until the same franchise opens another store right across the street.
556	4	"Treehouse of Horror XXV"	Matthew Faughnan	Stephanie Gillis	October 19, 2014	SABF21	7.76[5]
In the twenty-fifth annual Simpsons Halloween special: School is Hell: Bart and Lisa find a desk carved with an Aramaic incantation that sends them to Hell – and Bart fits in at the school there. A Clockwork Yellow: Moe leads a Clockwork Orange-style gang, but one of his droogs (Homer) falls for a woman (Marge) and gives up life as a thug. The Others: The Simpsons are haunted by their former selves from The Tracey Ullman Show – and Homer falls for the younger Marge. Guest star: John Ratzenberger as CGI Homer Simpson
557	5	"Opposites A-Frack"	Matthew Nastuk	Valentina L. Garza	November 2, 2014	SABF22	4.22[6]
When Mr. Burns starts a fracking operation, Lisa brings National Assemblywoman Maxine Lombard to put a stop to it, only to have Burns and Lombard fall in love. Guest star: Jane Fonda as Maxine Lombard and Robert Siegel as himself
558	6	"Simpsorama"	Bob Anderson	J. Stewart Burns	November 9, 2014	SABF16	6.70[7]
In a crossover with Futurama, when a time capsule containing a sandwich with Bart's germs in it, Milhouse's rabbit's foot, and radioactive ooze causes a catastrophe in the future, the Planet Express crew comes to present-day Springfield to stop the Simpsons from creating the mess in the first place. Guest stars: John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Phil LaMarr, Katey Sagal, Lauren Tom, Frank Welker and Billy West
559	7	"Blazed and Confused"	Rob Oliver	Carolyn Omine & William Wright	November 16, 2014	TABF01	6.70[8]
Bart schemes to humiliate his new teacher, Mr. Lassen, who is a terrible bully. Meanwhile, the Simpsons go to "Blazing Guy" for their camping trip. Guest stars: Willem Dafoe as Jack Lassen, Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob and David Silverman as himself
560	8	"Covercraft"	Steven Dean Moore	Matt Selman	November 23, 2014	TABF02	3.45[9]
When Homer has a midlife crisis, he forms a band of Springfield dads. Despite the band's modest early success, Apu ends up being a breakout star and stealing the show. This episode also features the first appearance of Sideshow Mel's family. Guest stars: Will Forte as King Toot and Sammy Hagar as himself
561	9	"I Won't Be Home for Christmas"	Mark Kirkland	Al Jean	December 7, 2014	TABF03	6.52[10]
Marge kicks Homer out of the house after Moe convinces him to stay out all night on Christmas Eve at his bar. Depressed, Homer takes a lonely walk through Springfield instead of being with his family, who go out to find him when Moe confesses it was his fault.
562	10	"The Man Who Came to Be Dinner"	David Silverman	Al Jean & David Mirkin	January 4, 2015	RABF15	10.62[11]
The Simpson family attend a trip to an amusement park named Dizneeland, where they go on a ride called "Rocket to Your Doom" and accidentally end up on Rigel 7, the home planet of Kang and Kodos.
563	11	"Bart's New Friend"	Bob Anderson	Judd Apatow	January 11, 2015	TABF05	4.28[12]
Homer goes to a hypnotist and ends up believing he is ten years old. However, when the hypnotist is arrested, Homer becomes stuck in his new age, so he bonds with Bart and refuses entry back into the responsibilities of adulthood. Guest star: Stacy Keach as Don Bookner
564	12	"The Musk Who Fell to Earth"	Matthew Nastuk	Neil Campbell	January 25, 2015	TABF04	3.29[13]
Elon Musk arrives in Springfield, where he and Homer become fast friends, but Musk soon incurs the wrath of Mr. Burns when his ideas become over-the-top, prompting Homer to try to end their friendship. Guest star: Elon Musk as himself
565	13	"Walking Big & Tall"	Chris Clements	Michael Price	February 8, 2015	TABF06	2.78[14]
Lisa writes a new Springfield anthem after discovering the old one was plagiarized. Guest star: Kevin Michael Richardson as Albert and Pharrell Williams as himself
566	14	"My Fare Lady"	Michael Polcino	Marc Wilmore	February 15, 2015	TABF07	2.67[15]
Marge becomes a chauffeur after she grows tired of chauffeuring her own kids around. Meanwhile, Moe becomes the Nuclear Power Plant's janitor. Guest stars: Christopher Lloyd as Jim Ignatowski and Rich Sommer as Young Man
567	15	"The Princess Guide"	Timothy Bailey	Brian Kelley	March 1, 2015	TABF08	3.93[16]
A Nigerian princess named Kemi comes to Springfield, as her father intends to work out a uranium deal with Mr. Burns, and Homer is chosen to protect her. Moe, having recently lost his money to a Nigerian prince, believes Kemi must be related to the scammer, but soon starts falling for her. Guest stars: Richard Branson as himself, Yaya DaCosta as Princess Kemi, Jon Lovitz as Enrico Irritazio and Kevin Michael Richardson as the Nigerian King
568	16	"Sky Police"	Rob Oliver	Matt Selman	March 8, 2015	TABF09	3.79[17]
Chief Wiggum gets a jet pack, which he uses to fight crime. However, after he crashes it into the church, Marge leads the rest of the Springfield congregation toward gambling in an attempt to rebuild it. Guest star: Nathan Fielder as himself
569	17	"Waiting for Duffman"	Steven Dean Moore	John Frink	March 15, 2015	TABF10	3.59[18]
When Duffman undergoes hip replacement surgery following an injury during a parade and retires, Duff Beer's owner Howard K. Duff VII sets up a reality show presented by Cat Deeley in order to find his replacement. The competition is fierce until only Homer Simpson and one other competitor remained. Guest stars: Cat Deeley as herself, R. Lee Ermey as Col. Leslie Hapablap and Stacy Keach as Howard K. Duff VIII
570	18	"Peeping Mom"	Mark Kirkland	John Frink	April 19, 2015	TABF11	3.23[19]
Returning home with Maggie from errands, Marge discovers that a part of Springfield is now totally destroyed. As Chief Wiggum announces that Bart could be the culprit, Bart says that he was not involved at all in the incident. This prompts Marge to follow him everywhere until he confesses. Meanwhile, Homer meets Flanders's dog named Baz.
571	19	"The Kids Are All Fight"	Bob Anderson	Rob LaZebnik	April 26, 2015	TABF12	3.33[20]
Homer finds an old film strip, which prompts the story of Bart and Lisa's sibling rivalry to be told.
572	20	"Let's Go Fly a Coot"	Chris Clements	Jeff Westbrook	May 3, 2015	TABF13	3.12[21]
Bart begins using an E-cigarette to impress Milhouse's cousin Annika. Meanwhile, the rest of the family learn about Grampa's days in the U.S. Air Force. Guest stars: Glenn Close as Mona Simpson and Carice van Houten as Annika Van Houten
573	21	"Bull-E"	Lance Kramer	Tim Long	May 10, 2015	TABF15	2.77[22]
When Bart is bullied after a school dance, Marge gets the city to adopt a tough anti-bullying law that gets Homer arrested when Rod and Todd claim that he's bullying Ned, but is Ned willing to turn the other cheek this time? Guest stars: Albert Brooks as Dr. Raufbold, Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony and Johnny Mathis as himself
574	22	"Mathlete's Feat"	Michael Polcino	Michael Price	May 17, 2015	TABF16	2.82[23]
When the school goes all-digital and all of the electronics go out, Lisa suggests turning the school into a Waldorf school, where kids "learn by doing"; Groundskeeper Willie is put in charge of the school Mathletes team. Guest star: Justin Roiland as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith

References

1. http://assets.fox.com/shows/upfronts/assets/Simpsons,%20The.pdf
2. Bibel, Sara (September 30, 2014). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon A Time', 'Resurrection' & 'Revenge' Adjusted Up; 'CSI' Adjusted Down". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
3. Bibel, Sara. "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon a Time', 'Resurrection' & 'Revenge' Adjusted Up; 'Madam Secretary' Adjusted Down". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
4. Bibel, Sara (October 14, 2014). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon A Time', 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' & 'Resurrection' Adjusted Up; 'Madam Secretary' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
5. Kondolojy, Amanda (October 21, 2014). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Simpsons' & 'Madam Secretary' Adjusted Up; 'Mulaney' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
6. Kondolojy, Amanda (November 3, 2014). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Good Wife', 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine', 'Once Upon a Time' & '60 Minutes' Adjusted Up + Final Football Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
7. Bibel, Sara (November 11, 2014). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Simpsons', & 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Adjusted up". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
8. "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Simpsons' & 'America's Funniest Home Videos' Adjusted Up + Final Football Numbers". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
9. Bibel, Sara (November 25, 2014). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Madam Secretary', 'The Simpsons', '60 Minutes' & 'America's Funniest Home Videos' Adjusted Down & Final Football Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
10. Bibel, Amanda (December 9, 2014). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The SImpsons' & 'Family Guy' Adjusted Up, '60 Minutes' Adjusted Down & Final Football Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
11. Bibel, Sara (January 8, 2014). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Simpsons', 'Madam Secretary', 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine', 'The Celebrity Apprentice', 'Bob's Burgers' & 'CSI' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
12. Kondolojy, Amanda (January 13, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Good Wife' Adjusted Up + Final Rating for 'The Golden Globes' and NFL". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
13. Kondolojy, Amanda (January 27, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: No Adjustment for 'Galavant', 'Revenge' or 'CSI'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
14. Kondolojy, Amanda (February 10, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: Grammy Awards Adjusted Down; No Adjustment for 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' or 'Bob's Burgers'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
15. Bibel, Sara (February 18, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: No Adjustments for 'Saturday Night Live - 40th Anniversary', 'The Bachelor' or 'CSI' Finale". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
16. "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Last Man on Earth' & 'Dateline' Adjusted Up". TVbytheNumbers. 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
17. "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Last Man on Earth', 'Bob's Burgers', 'Family Guy', 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' & 'Revenge' Adjusted Up". TVbytheNumbers. 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
18. "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Last Man on Earth', 'Secrets & Lies', 'Battle Creek' & '60 Minutes' Adjusted Up". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
19. Kondolojy, Amanda (April 21, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon a Time', 'Secrets & Lies', & 'A.D.: The Bible Continues' Adjusted Up; 'ACM Awards', & 'American Odyssey' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
20. Bibel, Sara (April 28, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Family Guy' Adjusted Up; No Adjustments to 'Once Upon A Time'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
21. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 5, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Family Guy' & 'Secrets and Lies' Adjusted Up'". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
22. Bibel, Sara (May 12, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Once Upon A Time' & 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
23. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 19, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Simpsons' & 'Billboard Music Awards' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 19, 2015.