Bart the Murderer
"Bart the Murderer" is the third episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 10, 1991. In the episode, Bart stumbles upon a Mafia club after having bad luck at school. The owner of the bar, mobster Fat Tony, hires Bart as a bartender. When Principal Skinner goes missing after punishing him at school, Bart is put on trial for his murder.
"Bart the Murderer" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 3 |
Directed by | Rich Moore |
Written by | John Swartzwelder |
Production code | 8F03 |
Original air date | October 10, 1991 |
Guest appearances | |
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Episode features | |
Chalkboard gag | (first) "High explosives and school don't mix"/(second) "I will not bribe Principal Skinner" (during the episode) |
Couch gag | The family forms a human pyramid with Maggie on top. |
Commentary | Matt Groening James L. Brooks Al Jean Nancy Cartwright Rich Moore |
The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Rich Moore. This episode marks the first appearances of recurring characters Fat Tony (Joe Mantegna) and his henchmen, Legs and Louie. The episode features cultural references to songs such as "Witchcraft" and "One Fine Day", the American television series MacGyver and the movies The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and Goodfellas.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 13.4 and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.