View source for A Tale of Two Springfields

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode
| image      = 
| caption    = 
| season     = 12
| episode    = 2
| director   = Shaun Cashman
| writer     = [[John Swartzwelder]]
| production = BABF20
| airdate    = {{Start date|2000|11|05}}
| guests     = * [[Roger Daltrey]] as himself
* [[John Entwistle]] as himself
* Paul Townshend as his brother [[Pete Townshend]]
* [[Gary Coleman]] as himself
| blackboard = "[[2000 United States presidential election|I will not plant sublimin'''AL''' messa'''GORE'''s]]"
| couch_gag  = [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] reaches the couch first and slips a [[whoopee cushion]] under [[Homer Simpson|Homer]]'s cushion. When the rest of the family runs in, Homer triggers the whoopee cushion's farting sound, causing him to grin sheepishly at a frowning [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] and [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] while Bart laughs uproariously.
| commentary = [[Matt Groening]]<br>[[Mike Scully]]<br>[[George Meyer]]<br>[[Al Jean]]<br>[[Ian Maxtone-Graham]]<br>[[Don Payne (writer)|Don Payne]]<br>[[Matt Selman]]<br>[[Dan Castellaneta]]<br>Shaun Cashman<br>[[Roger Daltrey]]<br>[[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]]
| prev       = [[Treehouse of Horror XI]]
| next       = [[Insane Clown Poppy]]
}}
"'''A Tale of Two Springfields'''" is the second episode of the [[The Simpsons season 12|twelfth season]] of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and the 250th episode of the series overall in both broadcast and production order. It originally aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] in the United States on November 5, 2000. In the episode, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] discovers that [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] has two different area codes and ends up leading a revolt that splits the town in two.

The episode was written by [[John Swartzwelder]] and directed by Shaun Cashman and guest starred [[Roger Daltrey]] and [[John Entwistle]] of [[the Who]]. The episode was inspired by [[Don Payne (writer)|Don Payne]], based on the area where his mother lived, where one side of town would spread rumors about the other side. [[Larry Doyle (writer)|Larry Doyle]] then pitched that the two sides of Springfield would be divided because of a telephone area code. The episode features cultural references to the Who and the [[Norman Rockwell]] painting ''[[Freedom of Speech (painting)|Freedom of Speech]]'', and has received positive reviews from critics.

In November 2004, [[Channel 4]] chose this episode to be the first episode to be broadcast on the channel, having taken the terrestrial rights to air the show from [[BBC Two]].

==Plot==
A [[badger]] takes up residence in [[Santa's Little Helper|Santa's Little Helper's]] doghouse. After several failed attempts to lure it out (including sending in [[Homer Simpson|Homer]], whom the badger attacks), Homer calls animal control. When he is unable to get through, [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] explains that the phone company has introduced a new [[area code]] to [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]. Half of the town keeps the original 636 area code, the other has 939. Homer becomes infuriated when he loses out on winning tickets to see [[the Who]] live in concert to [[Mr. Burns]] in a radio show's give-away. At a town meeting, after being shown a patronising, deflective film produced by the telephone company, Homer rallies an angry mob to protest the change, noting that the upper class side of town got to keep their area code while the poorer half were forced to switch. After failing to detonate a bomb vest he wore to the meeting, Homer then proposes that the town split into two halves, and the mob agrees.

Homer is declared mayor of New Springfield. After Homer pelts [[Mayor Quimby]] with beer cans (whilst the latter was giving a speech calling for conciliation), tensions rise between the two towns. Old Springfield businesses discriminate against customers from New Springfield, and condescend them on the nightly news. [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and Homer shut off the power to Old Springfield. Old Springfield hijacks a beer truck heading for New Springfield and dumps its contents in the river; Homer and New Springfield then cut off their water supply. When the lack of water reveals [[gold]] in the river bed, making Old Springfield even richer and allowing the town to purchase a French water factory, an enraged Homer has a wall built between the two towns. However, a lack of supplies and sanitation drives all of the New Springfield residents over to Old Springfield, leaving the Simpsons alone.

Bitter, Homer attempts to sabotage the Who concert in Old Springfield by convincing them to play in New Springfield instead. When the people of Old Springfield realize this, they confront the Simpsons at the wall. After a brief riot during which flaming garbage is catapulted into New Springfield, the members of the Who hear about the area code problem and suggest that the townspeople get [[speed dial]]. [[Pete Townshend]]'s opening riff from "[[Won't Get Fooled Again]]" crumbles the wall, and the citizens of Springfield reunite and dance to the music as the badger leads an animal invasion of the town.

==Production==
[[File:Keith_Moon_4_-_The_Who_-_1975-2.jpg|thumb|upright|Drummer [[Keith Moon]], who died in 1978, is in the Who's line-up in this episode]]
The episode was pitched by [[John Frink]] and [[Don Payne (writer)|Don Payne]]. The episode was inspired by Don Payne's mother's neighborhood, where one side would spread rumors about the other side. [[Larry Doyle (writer)|Larry Doyle]] then pitched that the sides split apart because of different area codes.<ref name="Do the Bartman">{{cite video | people=Payne, Don|date=2009|title=The Simpsons The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "A Tale of Two Springfields"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> During production the staff did not want one side to be slobs like Homer Simpson and the other snobs like Mr. Burns, but this ended up happening in the final product.<ref name="D'oh">{{cite video | people=Scully, Mike|date=2009|title=The Simpsons The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "A Tale of Two Springfields"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The writers later created a website about what [[badgers]] eat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesimpsons.com/badgers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010223210106/http://thesimpsons.com/badgers/ |title=What Badgers Eat |archive-date=23 February 2001 |work=thesimpsons.com |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The phone from the educational cartoon was voiced by [[Dan Castellaneta]].<ref name="Hey Homer">{{cite video | people=Castellaneta, Dan|date=2009|title=The Simpsons The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "A Tale of Two Springfields"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The Who's singer [[Roger Daltrey]] and bassist [[John Entwistle]] made guest appearances in the episode; however, guitarist [[Pete Townshend]] did not appear because he did not know he was expected to provide his own voice and assumed someone else would, as in ''[[Yellow Submarine (1968 film)|Yellow Submarine]]''.<ref name="D'oh"/> Pete's brother Paul Townshend appeared as an additional guest voice instead. After a number of calls were made by the show's casting director in [[Los Angeles]] to the Who's managers in [[London]], the group agreed to appear on the show. The Who recorded their lines in [[England]], but weighed in on script details. During production the staff decided against including [[Zak Starkey]], who has played drums for the Who since 1996, and chose instead to animate the band's original drummer [[Keith Moon]] as a tribute.<ref name="Seinfeld">{{cite video | people=Daltrey, Roger|date=2009|title=The Simpsons The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "A Tale of Two Springfields"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

===Deleted scenes===
When Roger Daltrey hits Marge with his microphone he improvised and said "Shut the [[fuck]] up, Marge." This was later included in the deleted scenes on ''The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season'' DVD release.<ref>{{cite video |date=2009|title=The Simpsons The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "A Tale of Two Springfields"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> In the TV broadcast version, Daltrey says "Get out of the way, Marge".

==Cultural references==
The episode title is a play on the name of [[Charles Dickens]]' novel, ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]''. When Homer stands up in the press conference it is a reference  to [[Norman Rockwell]]'s painting ''[[Freedom of Speech (painting)|Freedom of Speech]]''.<ref name="NORM!">{{cite video | people=Maxtone-Graham, Ian|date=2009|title=The Simpsons The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "A Tale of Two Springfields"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> When it is suggested that Homer be the mayor of New Springfield, he imagines himself in the opening sequence of ''[[The Rifleman]]'', instead as the Mayor. The scene in which Homer and Marge take a picture is a staff in-joke about "[[Trash of the Titans]]" when the voice director told [[Bono]] to smile.<ref name="D'oh"/> The episode also features several references to [[the Who]], including "[[Magic Bus (song)|Magic Bus]]" and ''[[Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy]]''.<ref name="D'oh"/> Moe's comment "That fat, dumb, and bald guy sure plays a mean hardball" is a reference to a Who song, "[[Pinball Wizard]]". The wall itself is a reference to the [[Berlin Wall]], with "New Springfield" representing East Berlin.

The two telephone [[area codes]] used in the episode are actual area codes in the [[North American Numbering Plan]]. [[Area code 636|636]] is assigned to phone numbers in the western suburbs of [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]],  while [[Telephone numbers in Puerto Rico|939]] is primarily used by mobile phones in [[Puerto Rico]].

==Reception==
Colin Jacobson of the DVD Movie Guide gave the episode a positive review saying "Maybe it’s the low expectations that accompany 21st century Simpsons episodes, but “Tale” works for me. It takes a simple premise and turns in a good number of strong comedic bits. Hey, and a mention of “[[Golden shower (urolagnia)|golden showers]]” keeps the Season 12 perverted sexual practices streak going!", although he criticized the animation of the Who other than Daltrey, saying that "That’s particularly odd in the case of Pete, as he’d gone awfully bald and gray by 2000."<ref>{{cite web|first=Colin|last=Jacobson|date=September 2, 2009|url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasontwelve.shtml|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season (2000)|work=DVD Movie Guide|access-date=November 3, 2024|archive-date=November 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103131030/http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasontwelve.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Jennifer Malkowski of the DVD Verdict said the greatest moment was a tie between "Sacred bond" and "Who huddle."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsons12.php |title=DVD Verdict Review - The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season |work=[[DVD Verdict]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103131117/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsons12.php |archive-date=2011-11-03|access-date=November 3, 2024 }}</ref> Nancy Basile of [[About.com]] gave the episode a 5 writing "Finally! I loved this episode because, flashy guest stars aside, it got back to the heart and soul of the show."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animatedtv.about.com/library/reviews/bltwospringfields.htm|title=Recaps for 'The Simpsons' Season 12|author=Nancy Basile|work=[[About.com]] Entertainment|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723131953/http://animatedtv.about.com/library/reviews/bltwospringfields.htm|archive-date=2010-07-23|access-date=November 3, 2024}}</ref>

In 2007, Simon Crerar of ''[[The Times]]'' listed the Who's performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show.<ref name="Crerar">{{cite news|last=Crerar |first=Simon|title=The 33 funniest Simpsons cameos ever|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2021776.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005132549/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2021776.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 5, 2009|access-date=2010-08-09|newspaper=[[The Times]]|date=2007-07-05}}</ref> There was a backlash from Internet fans who found the scene of Homer nearly getting disemboweled by the badger and showing his internal organs to [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] to be too disgusting for ''The Simpsons'', citing the gore to be more at home in such animated shows as ''[[South Park]]'' and ''[[Family Guy]]''.<ref name="Bongo">{{cite video | people=Meyer, George|date=2009|title=The Simpsons The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "A Tale of Two Springfields"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_12#A_Tale_of_Two_Springfields|"A Tale of Two Springfields"}}
{{Portal|The Simpsons}}
* {{Snpp capsule|BABF20}}
* {{IMDb episode|0701049}}

{{The Simpsons episodes|12}}
{{A Tale of Two Cities}}
{{The Who}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tale Of Two Springfields}}
[[Category:2000 American television episodes]]
[[Category:The Simpsons season 12 episodes]]
[[Category:The Who]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of rock musicians]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of British people]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by John Swartzwelder]]
[[Category:Television episodes about social class]]

[[fi:Simpsonit (12. tuotantokausi)#Kaksi kaupunkia (A Tale of Two Springfields)]]