Review
The Simpsons is packed with references to several movies and TV shows, and for its Treehouse of Horror specials, it has mostly taken inspiration from The Twilight Zone, but one episode from 22 years ago was actually better than the Twilight Zone episode it parodied. The Simpsons continues to be the longest-running American animated series, and at the time of writing, it’s preparing for its 37th season. For decades, The Simpsons has delivered a bunch of memorable jokes, while also shooting shots at many real-life people and events, and parodying various movies and TV shows.
The Simpsons has famously parodied classics like Citizen Kane and The Godfather more than once, as well as movies like Free Willy, Pulp Fiction, Cape Fear, and a lot more. The Simpsons has also found inspiration from other classic TV shows, such as Dallas, Tom and Jerry, MacGyver, and The Flintstones, to name a few. One that has been a consistent source of inspiration for The Simpsons’ Halloween episodes is The Twilight Zone, but one of The Simpsons’ parodies ended up being better than the original episode.
The Simpsons’ “Stop The World, I Want To Goof Off” Is Better Than The Twilight Zone's “A Kind of a Stopwatch”
“A Kind of a Stopwatch” Aired In 1963
One of The Simpsons’ traditions is the Treehouse of Horror specials, which are non-canonical episodes split into segments, each one telling a different story inspired by or parodying other stories. Thanks to The Twilight Zone having many classic episodes, most of them horror and sci-fi oriented, many of them have been parodied in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror specials, but in 2003, one of the segments in the famous Springfield family’s Halloween episode was a lot better than the Twilight Zone episode it was based on: “Stop The World, I Want To Goof Off.”
The original episode s Patrick McNulty (Richard Erdman), an annoying, self-important man.
This is the third segment in «Treehouse of Horror XIV», from The Simpsons season 15, and it parodies The Twilight Zone’s season 5 episode “A Kind of a Stopwatch.” The original episode s Patrick McNulty (Richard Erdman), an annoying, self-important man who was recently fired and who receives a stopwatch from a drunk man at the bar. This watch allows McNulty to stop time as he pleases, but when trying to show the show’s power to others, he comes off as crazy. When trying to rob a bank, McNulty drops and breaks the watch, permanently freezing time.
In The Simpsons, Bart and Milhouse get a stopwatch from an ad and use it to prank the residents of Springfield, but when they are caught, a lynch mob goes after them. Right before they are caught, Bart and Milhouse stop time again, but the watch breaks. It takes Bart and Milhouse 15 years to repair the watch and unfreeze everyone, and at the end of the episode, Lisa realizes she can also alter reality, so she changes it until Bart is a 10-year-old again.
McNulty in the Twilight Zone episode is unlikable, so much so that he’s undeserving of having the power of a stopwatch, and it’s really hard to feel bad about him.
Although The Simpsons is always about laughs, and the Treehouse of Horror specials are no exception, “Stop the World, I Want To Goof Off” is better than “A Kind of a Stopwatch” in large part thanks to its protagonists. McNulty in the Twilight Zone episode is unlikable, so much so that he’s undeserving of having the power of a stopwatch, and it’s really hard to feel bad about him when he ends up in a permanently frozen world, completely alone.
Bart and Milhouse, on the other hand, seize the stopwatch a lot more, and the idea of two kids being completely alone in a world where everyone else is frozen is actually terrifying – luckily, it has a very Simpsons solution that makes it one of the best Treehouse of Horror segments.
Some Of The Best Simpsons Episodes Are Twilight Zone Parodies
The Simpsons Found Gold In The Twilight Zone
Many Twilight Zone episodes have given The Simpsons some of its best stories, and it will surely continue to give it more. Among the best Simpsons episodes that are also parodies of The Twilight Zone are “The Bart Zone”, based on “It’s a Good Life”, in which Bart had mysterious powers; “Clown Without Pity”, based on “Living Doll”, with a Krusty doll coming to life; “Terror at 5 ½ Feet”, based on “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”, where the plane was changed for a school bus; and “The Genesis Tub”, based on “The Little People”, where Lisa accidentally creates life with a school project.
Parodies of different movies and TV shows have become part of the brand of The Simpsons, and with more seasons confirmed to happen, the show will surely continue doing these – what is to be seen, however, is if the upcoming Treehouse of Horror specials take more inspiration from The Twilight Zone or will go for something more modern.
The Simpsons is an animated series set in the fictional town of Springfield, ing the daily lives of the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Premiering in 1989, the show is renowned for its satirical commentary on politics, media, and American culture, featuring numerous celebrity guest appearances.
