Editing Radio Bart

{{Tab}}{{EpisodePrevNext|I Married Marge|Lisa the Greek}}
{{episode
|image=Singcelebs.jpg
|Episode Number=48
|productionCode=8F11
|originalAirdate=January 9, 1992
|blackboardText=I will not carve gods
|couchGag=The family bounces up and down on the couch
|specialGuestVoices=[[Sting]] as himself 
|Written By=[[Jon Vitti]]
|Directed By=[[Carlos Baeza]]
}}

'''Radio Bart''' is the thirteenth episode of [[Season 3]]. It first aired on January 9, 1992. The episode was written by [[Jon Vitti]] and directed by [[Carlos Baeza]]. [[Sting]] guest voices, appearing as himself. It's [[Bart]]'s tenth birthday, and one of his presents is a radio microphone, which he promptly uses to play practical jokes on everyone. Things spin out of control, however, when Bart pranks [[Groundskeeper Willie]] by making him think a little boy named [[Timmy O'Toole]] has fallen down a local well, and the whole town ends up getting involved.
==Plot==
[[Homer Simpson|Homer]] doesn't know what to get [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] for his birthday. He sees an ad on TV for the "Superstar Celebrity Microphone," which can be used to send voices over the radio. Homer jumps on the idea and orders one for Bart's birthday. However, Bart is less than enthralled by it, and is more taken with the label-maker that [[Patty]] and [[Selma]] got him.

[[File:Superstarcelebmic.jpg|thumb|left|226px|The Superstar Celebrity Microphone]]Homer tries to show Bart how great the microphone is, but Bart isn't convinced, largely due to Homer's demonstrations producing massive amounts of feedback over the radio. However, Marge also tries it out (keeping her voice down), and Bart is sold and decides to have a little 'fun' of his own with the microphone. After trying it out on a few unsuspecting victims (he manages to make [[Rod]] and [[Todd Flanders]] believe that God is talking to them through the radio), Bart lowers a radio down into an old, abandoned well and calls for help over the radio, pretending to be a boy who has fallen into the well. [[Groundskeeper Willie]] falls for the prank and tells the whole town what he heard. Then a number of townspeople gather around the well, and Bart explains that he is an orphan named [[Timmy O'Toole]]. Due to the size of the well, none of the city's Police Force can fit inside it to go rescue Timmy, and they can't simply pull him out with a rope because (as "Timmy" explains) his foot is caught under a rock.

A number of townsfolk attempt to come up with solutions to free the boy. A carnival is held near the well to benefit Timmy O'Toole, and [[Krusty the Clown]] decides to work with musician [[Sting]] to create a song called "[[We're Sending Our Love Down the Well]]," also as a benefit for Timmy. On TV, [[Channel 6 News]] provides frequent updates about Timmy, and an ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|Itchy &amp; Scratchy]]'' episode ("[[Cat Splat Fever]]") is dedicated to him.

However, Bart's ruse is broken when [[Lisa]] sees him wrestling the microphone away from [[Santa's Little Helper]]. The dog's growls through the microphone make the townspeople believe that something is wrong with Timmy, and the local news immediately reports on his "possibly feral condition." Lisa confronts Bart, warning him that his prank is going to end up backfiring. Bart scoffs at this, until he remembers that he used his label-maker to put a "Property of Bart Simpson" label on the radio in the well.

Later that evening, Bart returns to the well to retrieve the radio, and attempts to climb down into the well using a rope. When Officers [[Lou]] and [[Eddie]] see the rope, they untie it, sending Bart plummeting down into the well, where his foot ends up trapped under a rock -- much like the story he made up to fool everyone. Bart calls for help, and explains to Lou and Eddie about his prank. The two officers then decide to leave Bart in the well.

The next day, Marge asks what the Police are doing to help Bart. [[Chief Wiggum]] says that because Bart tricked the public, there is very little public support to help him. [[Mayor Quimby]] considers helping Bart, but in the wake of negative public opinion, he renounces his support and proclaims "Let him stay down there!", which draws cheers from his brainwashed constituents.

Later that evening, Marge and Homer return and drop a sweater down for Bart to wear. As Bart ponders his situation, and considers that he'll be trapped down in the well for the rest of his life, Homer is suddenly inspired to dig a tunnel to get Bart out. Before long, a number of other citizens (including Sting) have joined in the effort. After several days, they manage to reach Bart. Homer assures Bart that they'll make sure that no one else will ever fall down the well.

The final shot shows Groundskeeper Willie posting a small sign nearby that says "Caution: Well" (instead of the more sensible option of just boarding up the well). As Willie finishes pounding the signpost into the ground, he says, "That should do it!"

== Production Notes ==
*The episode's plot is inspired by the media frenzy around [[wikipedia:Jessica_McClure|“Baby Jessica” McClure]] in 1987. Jessica, age 18 months, fell down a well in Midland, Texas and was rescued in a highly publicized incident.

*When this episode was being made, the producers approached [[wikipedia:Bruce_Springsteen|Bruce Springsteen]] to appear. He rejected doing the episode, and got [[Sting]] to appear in his place.

*According to the DVD Commentary, the producers originally wanted [[Homer]] to sing "[[wikipedia:The_Wreck_of_the_Edmund_Fitzgerald|The Wreck of the ''Edmund Fitzgerald'']]" by [[wikipedia:Gordon_Lightfoot|Gordon Lightfoot]] rather than "[[wikipedia:Convoy_(song)|Convoy]]." [[Jon Vitti]] said the reason "''Fitzgerald''" was not used was because Lightfoot had made it so that in order to clear using the song on TV, they would have had to get okays from the families of all 29 victims who died on the ship.

*In one scene, Bart uses his radio to make Homer believe aliens are invading the Earth. This prompts Homer to brandish a shotgun in panic. According to the commentary, Homer's original reaction was to mix Kool-Aid and rat poison, ostensibly to spare his family the horror of alien invasion. This was deemed too dark and was changed.

== Reception ==
In the DVD commentary for the episode, the staff expresses their disbelief that this episode lost the Emmy for animated program to ''Claymation Easter''. Al Jean said they thought this episode or [[wikipedia:Ren &amp; Stimpy|Ren &amp; Stimpy]] would win and were absolutely floored when neither did. [[David Silverman]] said he believes [[The Simpsons]] and ''Ren &amp; Stimpy'' split the vote, allowing ''Claymation Easter'' to grab the Emmy. [[wikipedia:The Daily Telegraph|The Daily Telegraph]] characterized the episode as one of "The 10 Best Simpsons TV Episodes."{{Krusty the Clown Show}}

{{Season 3}}
[[es:Radio Bart]]
[[pt:Bart radialista]]
[[Category:Season 3]]
[[Category:Episodes]]