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{{episode
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{{Quote|If you had a bad teenage mustache, I'd go out with you in a second.|[[Laura Powers]] to [[Bart]]}}
|image=lara.jpg
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{{Episode
|Episode Number=67
+
|name= New Kid on the Block
|productionCode=9F06
+
|image= New Kid on the Block promo 2.png
|originalAirdate=November 12, 1992
+
|number=67
|blackboardText="I will not bring sheep to class"
+
|season=4
|couchGag=The couch falls through the floor when the Simpsons sit on it
+
|snumber=8
|specialGuestVoices=[[Sara Gilbert]] as [[Laura Powers]] and [[Pamela Reed]] as [[Ruth Powers]]
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|prodcode= [[Production season 9F|9F06]]
|Written By=[[Conan O'Brien]]
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|airdate=November 12, [[1992]]
|Directed By=[[Wes Archer]]
+
|blackboard="I will not bring sheep to class"
 +
|couchgag=The couch falls through the floor when the Simpsons sit on it
 +
|guests=[[Sara Gilbert]] as [[Laura Powers]]<br>[[Phil Hartman]] as [[Lionel Hutz]]<br>[[Pamela Reed]] as [[Ruth Powers]]
 +
|showrunner1= Al Jean
 +
|showrunner2= Mike Reiss
 +
|writer=[[Conan O'Brien]]
 +
|director=[[Wes Archer]]
 +
|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
{{Quote|If you had a bad teenage moustache, I'd go out with you in a second.|[[Laura Powers]] to [[Bart]]}}
 
  
"'''New Kid on the Block'''" is the eighth episode of [[Season 4]]. It aired on November 12, 1992. The episode was written by [[Conan O'Brien]] and directed by [[Wes Archer]].
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"'''New Kid on the Block'''" is the eighth episode of [[Season 4|broadcast season 4]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the sixty-seventh episode overall. It originally aired on November 12, [[1992]]. The episode was written by [[Conan O'Brien]] and directed by [[Wes Archer]]. It guest stars [[Sara Gilbert]] as [[Laura Powers]], [[Phil Hartman]] as [[Lionel Hutz]] and [[Pamela Reed]] as [[Ruth Powers]].
  
==Synopsis==
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== Synopsis ==
[[Bart]] falls hard for his new next-door neighbor, young teenager [[Laura Powers]]. But try as he might, Bart can't get Laura to take interest in him romantically and is heartbroken when he finds out that Laura is in love with [[Jimbo Jones]].
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{{Synopsis|[[Bart]] falls for his new next-door neighbor, young teenager [[Laura Powers]]. However, Bart can't get Laura to take interest in him romantically and feels heartbroken when he finds out that Laura is dating school bully [[Jimbo Jones]].}}
  
==Plot==
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== Plot ==
When the other neighbors, [[The Winfields]], decide to move away because of [[Homer]]'s constant embarrassing behaviour, [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] explore the abandoned house and go into the basement. Bart scares Lisa away, but a beautiful girl surprises him, and he knocks himself unconscious. When he wakes up, the girl says her name is [[Laura Powers]], his new neighbour. Meanwhile, Homer watches an advertisement on television about the "Frying Dutchman," an all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant run by [[Captain Horatio McCallister]] and wants to go.
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[[File:Laura in Red Dress (New Kid on the Block).png|thumb|left|Bart and Laura.]]
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While watching the TV show ''[[Hunks]]'', [[Mrs. Winfield]] comes to the door to inform the [[Simpson family|Simpsons]] that she and [[Mr. Winfield|her husband]] are moving out. She asks [[Homer]] to wear pants when walking in front of the window, take in the old jack-o-lanterns from past [[Halloween]]s, and cover his garbage to help them sell their house. Homer refuses to do any of this. Homer then takes some of the items the Winfields are throwing out, including old medication. Homer then sees an advert for [[The Frying Dutchman]], which has an all-you-can-eat buffet, and decides that he and [[Marge]] will go there, even though Marge is allergic to seafood. Meanwhile, [[Gary Price]], a realtor, is trying to sell the Winfields' house, but is unsuccessful due to Homer's behavior.
  
Bart develops a crush on Laura. Meanwhile, Homer and Marge visit [[Ruth Powers]] at the house that she and Laura moved in. Ruth tells them she is divorced. Meanwhile, Laura taunts [[Dolph]] and [[Kearney]], two of the bullies. Laura looks at Bart's palm and predicts that he is going to be rich. She spits in his hand and says, "And there's the swimming pool." Bart says he is never going to wash that hand again.
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[[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] sneak into the basement of the Winfields' house to explore, and Bart makes up a story about their mutated son being kept in the basement. Bart successfully scares Lisa, only to get scared himself by someone else in the basement. This turns out to be [[Laura Powers]], who has just moved into the house with her mother, [[Ruth Powers|Ruth]]. Bart thinks that Laura is beautiful, so he wants to say something to impress her, but only manages to say that he fell on his bottom. The next day, Marge and Bart go to welcome the Powers to the neighborhood. Ruth explains to Marge that she and Laura's father divorced two years ago. Meanwhile, Laura and Bart become friendly with each other, with Laura showing Bart that she knows the various prank techniques that Bart knows. She then gives Bart a palm reading, claiming that he will be rich in the future before spitting into his hand to symbolize the pool he will own. Bart vows to never wash his hand again.
  
Homer can't find a babysitter, so Bart suggests that Laura should babysit them, to which Homer agrees. Bart then takes a bath and dresses up to impress Laura. When she arrives, they share dinner and Bart even accepts a dance with her.
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Bart uses his now gross hand to tease Lisa while Homer tries to find a babysitter for the kids so he and Marge can go to The Frying Dutchman. Bart suggests Laura could babysit them, which she agrees to. In an attempt to impress Laura, Bart takes a bath before donning a jacket and pipe, a la {{Ch|Hugh Hefner}}. Laura and the kids order food from [[Two Guys from Kabul]] before Laura teaches them how to waltz. When it comes to Bart's turn, he imagines him and Laura dancing around a fancy location together before Laura gives him a wedgie. Meanwhile, at The Frying Dutchman, Homer begins clearing out the all-you-can-eat buffet of all the food the restaurant has.
  
Meanwhile, Homer goes to the restaurant with [[Marge]], ignoring the fact that Marge is allergic to fish. Homer orders the all-you-can-eat and literally eats everything, continuing to eat well past closing time and completely taking unfair advantage of the offer. Captain McAllister finally kicks a struggling Homer out after midnight, since even after hours of constant eating he still wasn't full. He goes to trial with his lawyer, [[Lionel Hutz]], claiming false advertising (with help from an entire jury of obese people). Homer and the captain make agreements. Marge is humiliated that he became the entertainment there as a "remorseless eating machine", or "nature's cruelest mistake". After a meeting in the treehouse, Laura tells Bart she's dating [[Jimbo Jones]].
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Eventually, closing time for The Frying Dutchman comes around, and Homer is kicked out, despite not having eaten his fill yet. Back at home, he tells Marge that he plans to take the restaurant to court over the false advertising. The next day, Laura and Bart are hanging out playing ''[[Escape from Death Row]]'' at the [[Kwik-E-Mart]]. [[Apu]] points out that Bart likes Laura, which surprises Bart, as he thought he was hiding it. Homer goes to [[I Can't Believe It's a Law Firm!]] to get [[Lionel Hutz]] to take on his case against The Frying Dutchman. Meanwhile, Bart goes to the [[Retirement Castle]] to talk to [[Grampa]] about Laura. That night, Laura tells Bart to meet her in [[Bart's treehouse|his treehouse]]. Bart goes there, thinking that Laura might confess her feelings to him, but she reveals that she has a new boyfriend. Bart becomes heartbroken, imagining Laura ripping his heart out before throwing it in the trash. She then reveals that her boyfriend is [[Jimbo Jones]], who she is attracted to because he is a rebel. Jimbo pulls up on a bike, and the two of them go off together.
  
While Laura and Jimbo kiss, Bart makes a [[Bart's prank calls|prank call]] to [[Moe's Tavern]], posing as Jimbo. [[Moe]] then comes over and threatens Jimbo with a rusty kitchen knife, causing him to burst into tears, resulting in Laura dumping him. Afterwards, Bart and Laura make another prank phone call to Moe's and end up laughing.
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Homer's court case against The Frying Dutchman comes around, and Lionel Hutz makes the case that Homer did not have all he could eat, while the [[blue-haired lawyer]] makes the case that Homer was eating them out of business. While Homer and Marge are at court, Laura babysits for the Simpsons again. She tells the kids that she wants them in bed before Jimbo arrives. Meanwhile, the [[Sea Captain]] comes up with a solution that satisfies both parties and starts to use Homer's eating as an attraction to the restaurant.
  
 +
When Jimbo arrives at the Simpson house, Bart places [[Bart's prank calls|a prank call]] to [[Moe]], telling him that his name is Jimbo and giving him their address. Moe grabs a knife and goes over to the Simpson house to confront Jimbo. However, when he does, Jimbo breaks down crying. Moe tells Jimbo that he is not going to kill him, only cut him a bit. Moe then feels bad for the bully and leaves without doing anything else. Laura breaks up with Jimbo because he is not the guy she thought he was. Laura tells Bart that if he were old enough to grow a bad teenage mustache, she would have dated him in a second. She then gives Bart a kiss on the cheek before the pair place another prank call to Moe.
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== Production ==
 +
"New Kid on the Block" was the first episode written by [[Conan O'Brien]], who was new to the show.<ref name="Reiss">{{Com|Reiss, Mike|New Kid on the Block|Fourth|(2004).|link=Mike Reiss}}</ref> The episode came about because [[James L. Brooks]] wanted the Simpsons to get new neighbors, a single mother and her daughter. This was left to Conan O'Brien, as he was the new guy on the show.<ref name="Jean">{{Com|Jean, Al|New Kid on the Block|Fourth|(2004).|link=Al Jean}}</ref>
 +
 +
The episode marked the first appearance of the Sea Captain, who was created by O'Brien.<ref name="Silverman">{{Com|Silverman, David|New Kid on the Block|Fourth|(2004).|link=David Silverman}}</ref> Originally, the episode's B-story involved comedian [[Don Rickles]] doing a comedy show that Homer attends. When Rickles insults Homer, Homer hits him, and a fight breaks out between the two, ending up in court. The producers were sure that Rickles would accept, but he rejected the role.<ref name="O'Brien">{{Com|O'Brien, Conan|New Kid on the Block|Fourth|(2004).|link=Conan O'Brien}}</ref> [[Matt Groening]] also said that he was introduced to Don Rickles at a Fox publicity event by [[Rupert Murdoch]], and Rickles started yelling at Groening about the script, accusing the ''Simpsons'' staff of spying on his [[Las Vegas]] show and stealing his jokes.<ref name="Groening">{{Com|Groening, Matt|New Kid on the Block|Fourth|(2004).|link=Matt Groening}}</ref> The producers used old Don Rickles records as inspiration for the jokes, but did not steal any of his jokes directly. Conan O'Brien assumed that Rickles took being portrayed as a bad guy on the show the wrong way, hence the hostility.<ref name="O'Brien"/> Another B-story that was scrapped involved Homer taking a night course as a hairdresser, where he found that he was a natural. This was also scrapped.<ref name="Reiss"/> This idea was later used as the plot of the [[season 22]] episode "[[Homer Scissorhands]]".
 +
 +
[[Hank Azaria]], who voices the Sea Captain, based the voice on actor {{W|Robert Newton}}.<ref name="Reiss"/>
 +
 +
== Reception ==
 +
A [[1998]] list by ''[[TV Guide]]'' ranked "New Kid on the Block" as #11 on their "A Dozen Doozies" list.<ref>[https://www.simpsonsarchive.com/other/articles/dozendoozies.html The Simpsons Archive - "A Dozen Doozies"]</ref>
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In a [[2012]] review by Nathan Rabin of ''{{W|The A.V. Club}}'', Rabin says that "the show keeps shying away from genuine emotion in favor of jokes." He goes on to say that while the jokes are "overwhelmingly funny, [they] detract from the poignancy and the emotional intimacy of the episode." He also says that the episode "doubles as a terrific showcase for the Sea Captain."<ref>[https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-new-kid-on-the-block-1798172942 The A.V. Club - "The Simpsons (Classic): "New Kid On The Block""]</ref>
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As of December [[2025]], "New Kid on the Block" has an 8.2 rating on {{W|IMDb}}.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701189/ IMDb - "New Kid on the Block"]</ref>
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== Gallery ==
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<gallery>
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File:New Kid on the Block promo 1.png
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</gallery>
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== In other languages ==
 +
{{LanguageBox
 +
|de=yes
 +
|deName=Laura, die neue Nachbarin
 +
|deTrans=Laura, the new neighbor
 +
|es=yes
 +
|esName=La chica nueva del barrio
 +
|esTrans=The new girl on the block
 +
|la=yes
 +
|laName=La chica nueva
 +
|laTrans=The new girl
 +
|fr=yes
 +
|frName=La Plus Belle du quartier
 +
|frTrans=The Most Beautiful in the Neighborhood
 +
|qu=yes
 +
|quName=De nouveaux voisins
 +
|quTrans=New neighbors
 +
|it=yes
 +
|itName=La nuova ragazza del quartiere
 +
|itTrans=The new girl on the block
 +
|jp=yes
 +
|jpName=バートの片思い
 +
|jpTrans=Bart's Unrequited Love
 +
}}
 +
 +
== References ==
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{{Reflist}}
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{{Images|ep=yes}}
 
{{Season 4}}
 
{{Season 4}}
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{{Production Season 9F}}
  
[[Category:Episodes]]
 
[[Category:Season 4]]
 
 
[[Category:1992]]
 
[[Category:1992]]
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[[Category:Homer episodes]]
 
[[Category:Bart episodes]]
 
[[Category:Bart episodes]]
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[[Category:Food-themed episodes]]
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[[Category:Legal-themed episodes]]
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[[Category:Romance-themed episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by Conan O'Brien]]
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[[Category:Episodes directed by Wes Archer]]
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[[sv:New Kid on the Block]]

Latest revision as of 18:30, February 27, 2026

Season 4 Episode
066 "Marge Gets a Job"
067
"New Kid on the Block"
"Mr. Plow" 068
"If you had a bad teenage mustache, I'd go out with you in a second."
Laura Powers to Bart


"New Kid on the Block"
New Kid on the Block promo 2.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 67
Season number: S4 E8
Production code: 9F06
Original airdate: November 12, 1992
Chalkboard gag: "I will not bring sheep to class"
Couch gag: The couch falls through the floor when the Simpsons sit on it
Guest star(s): Sara Gilbert as Laura Powers
Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz
Pamela Reed as Ruth Powers
Showrunners: Al Jean
Mike Reiss
Written by: Conan O'Brien
Directed by: Wes Archer
DVD features

"New Kid on the Block" is the eighth episode of broadcast season 4 of The Simpsons and the sixty-seventh episode overall. It originally aired on November 12, 1992. The episode was written by Conan O'Brien and directed by Wes Archer. It guest stars Sara Gilbert as Laura Powers, Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz and Pamela Reed as Ruth Powers.

Synopsis[edit]

Bart falls for his new next-door neighbor, young teenager Laura Powers. However, Bart can't get Laura to take interest in him romantically and feels heartbroken when he finds out that Laura is dating school bully Jimbo Jones.

Plot[edit]

Bart and Laura.

While watching the TV show Hunks, Mrs. Winfield comes to the door to inform the Simpsons that she and her husband are moving out. She asks Homer to wear pants when walking in front of the window, take in the old jack-o-lanterns from past Halloweens, and cover his garbage to help them sell their house. Homer refuses to do any of this. Homer then takes some of the items the Winfields are throwing out, including old medication. Homer then sees an advert for The Frying Dutchman, which has an all-you-can-eat buffet, and decides that he and Marge will go there, even though Marge is allergic to seafood. Meanwhile, Gary Price, a realtor, is trying to sell the Winfields' house, but is unsuccessful due to Homer's behavior.

Bart and Lisa sneak into the basement of the Winfields' house to explore, and Bart makes up a story about their mutated son being kept in the basement. Bart successfully scares Lisa, only to get scared himself by someone else in the basement. This turns out to be Laura Powers, who has just moved into the house with her mother, Ruth. Bart thinks that Laura is beautiful, so he wants to say something to impress her, but only manages to say that he fell on his bottom. The next day, Marge and Bart go to welcome the Powers to the neighborhood. Ruth explains to Marge that she and Laura's father divorced two years ago. Meanwhile, Laura and Bart become friendly with each other, with Laura showing Bart that she knows the various prank techniques that Bart knows. She then gives Bart a palm reading, claiming that he will be rich in the future before spitting into his hand to symbolize the pool he will own. Bart vows to never wash his hand again.

Bart uses his now gross hand to tease Lisa while Homer tries to find a babysitter for the kids so he and Marge can go to The Frying Dutchman. Bart suggests Laura could babysit them, which she agrees to. In an attempt to impress Laura, Bart takes a bath before donning a jacket and pipe, a la Hugh Hefner. Laura and the kids order food from Two Guys from Kabul before Laura teaches them how to waltz. When it comes to Bart's turn, he imagines him and Laura dancing around a fancy location together before Laura gives him a wedgie. Meanwhile, at The Frying Dutchman, Homer begins clearing out the all-you-can-eat buffet of all the food the restaurant has.

Eventually, closing time for The Frying Dutchman comes around, and Homer is kicked out, despite not having eaten his fill yet. Back at home, he tells Marge that he plans to take the restaurant to court over the false advertising. The next day, Laura and Bart are hanging out playing Escape from Death Row at the Kwik-E-Mart. Apu points out that Bart likes Laura, which surprises Bart, as he thought he was hiding it. Homer goes to I Can't Believe It's a Law Firm! to get Lionel Hutz to take on his case against The Frying Dutchman. Meanwhile, Bart goes to the Retirement Castle to talk to Grampa about Laura. That night, Laura tells Bart to meet her in his treehouse. Bart goes there, thinking that Laura might confess her feelings to him, but she reveals that she has a new boyfriend. Bart becomes heartbroken, imagining Laura ripping his heart out before throwing it in the trash. She then reveals that her boyfriend is Jimbo Jones, who she is attracted to because he is a rebel. Jimbo pulls up on a bike, and the two of them go off together.

Homer's court case against The Frying Dutchman comes around, and Lionel Hutz makes the case that Homer did not have all he could eat, while the blue-haired lawyer makes the case that Homer was eating them out of business. While Homer and Marge are at court, Laura babysits for the Simpsons again. She tells the kids that she wants them in bed before Jimbo arrives. Meanwhile, the Sea Captain comes up with a solution that satisfies both parties and starts to use Homer's eating as an attraction to the restaurant.

When Jimbo arrives at the Simpson house, Bart places a prank call to Moe, telling him that his name is Jimbo and giving him their address. Moe grabs a knife and goes over to the Simpson house to confront Jimbo. However, when he does, Jimbo breaks down crying. Moe tells Jimbo that he is not going to kill him, only cut him a bit. Moe then feels bad for the bully and leaves without doing anything else. Laura breaks up with Jimbo because he is not the guy she thought he was. Laura tells Bart that if he were old enough to grow a bad teenage mustache, she would have dated him in a second. She then gives Bart a kiss on the cheek before the pair place another prank call to Moe.

Production[edit]

"New Kid on the Block" was the first episode written by Conan O'Brien, who was new to the show.[1] The episode came about because James L. Brooks wanted the Simpsons to get new neighbors, a single mother and her daughter. This was left to Conan O'Brien, as he was the new guy on the show.[2]

The episode marked the first appearance of the Sea Captain, who was created by O'Brien.[3] Originally, the episode's B-story involved comedian Don Rickles doing a comedy show that Homer attends. When Rickles insults Homer, Homer hits him, and a fight breaks out between the two, ending up in court. The producers were sure that Rickles would accept, but he rejected the role.[4] Matt Groening also said that he was introduced to Don Rickles at a Fox publicity event by Rupert Murdoch, and Rickles started yelling at Groening about the script, accusing the Simpsons staff of spying on his Las Vegas show and stealing his jokes.[5] The producers used old Don Rickles records as inspiration for the jokes, but did not steal any of his jokes directly. Conan O'Brien assumed that Rickles took being portrayed as a bad guy on the show the wrong way, hence the hostility.[4] Another B-story that was scrapped involved Homer taking a night course as a hairdresser, where he found that he was a natural. This was also scrapped.[1] This idea was later used as the plot of the season 22 episode "Homer Scissorhands".

Hank Azaria, who voices the Sea Captain, based the voice on actor Robert Newton.[1]

Reception[edit]

A 1998 list by TV Guide ranked "New Kid on the Block" as #11 on their "A Dozen Doozies" list.[6]

In a 2012 review by Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club, Rabin says that "the show keeps shying away from genuine emotion in favor of jokes." He goes on to say that while the jokes are "overwhelmingly funny, [they] detract from the poignancy and the emotional intimacy of the episode." He also says that the episode "doubles as a terrific showcase for the Sea Captain."[7]

As of December 2025, "New Kid on the Block" has an 8.2 rating on IMDb.[8]

Gallery[edit]

In other languages[edit]

Language Name Translation
Germany.png Deutsch "Laura, die neue Nachbarin" Laura, the new neighbor
Spain flag.png Español "La chica nueva del barrio" The new girl on the block
Hispanic America.gif Español "La chica nueva" The new girl
France.png Français "La Plus Belle du quartier" The Most Beautiful in the Neighborhood
Flag of Quebec.svg.png Français "De nouveaux voisins" New neighbors
Italy Flag.png Italiano "La nuova ragazza del quartiere" The new girl on the block
Flag of Japan.png 日本語 "バートの片思い" Bart's Unrequited Love

References[edit]


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "New Kid on the Block".
Season 4 Episodes
Kamp Krusty A Streetcar Named Marge Homer the Heretic Lisa the Beauty Queen Treehouse of Horror III Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie Marge Gets a Job New Kid on the Block Mr. Plow Lisa's First Word Homer's Triple Bypass Marge vs. the Monorail Selma's Choice Brother from the Same Planet I Love Lisa Duffless Last Exit to Springfield So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show The Front Whacking Day Marge in Chains Krusty Gets Kancelled
Production season 9F Episodes
Homer the Heretic Lisa the Beauty Queen Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie Treehouse of Horror III Marge Gets a Job New Kid on the Block Mr. Plow Lisa's First Word Homer's Triple Bypass Marge vs. the Monorail Selma's Choice Brother from the Same Planet I Love Lisa Duffless Last Exit to Springfield The Front So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show Whacking Day Krusty Gets Kancelled Marge in Chains Homer's Barbershop Quartet Cape Feare