7.2/1019 votes#1 - Behind the Laughter
Season 11 Episode 22 - Aired 5/21/2000
A "Behind the Music"-style look at the Simpsons, narrated by VH1's Jim Forbes, shows their rise to stardom--and the "private hell" that followed.
Director: Mark Kirkland
Writer: Tim Long
7.1/1021 votes#2 - Skinner's Sense of Snow
Season 12 Episode 8 - Aired 12/17/2000
A snowstorm traps the students of Springfield Elementary inside, with them overthrowing Principal Skinner when he uses his Army skills to control them. Meanwhile, Homer tries to rescue the children–using Flanders' car.
Director: Lance Kramer
Writer: Tim Long
6.9/1021 votes#3 - Treehouse of Horror X
Season 11 Episode 4 - Aired 10/31/1999
In "I Know What You Diddily-Iddly-Did" the Simpsons fear they have killed Ned Flanders. "Desperately Xeeking Xena" satirizes superheroes of yore with "Stretch Dude" Bart and "Clobber Girl" Lisa. And "Life's A Glitch, Then You Die" depicts the upcoming horror of Y2K.
Director: Pete Michels
Writer: Tim Long
6.7/1021 votes#4 - Simpsons Bible Stories
Season 10 Episode 18 - Aired 4/4/1999
When Reverend Lovejoy subjects the congregation to an extended Bible reading, the Simpsons fall asleep and have dreams based on Bible stories.
Director: Nancy Kruse
Writer: Tim Long
6.7/1020 votes#5 - The Mansion Family
Season 11 Episode 12 - Aired 1/23/2000
Worried about his health, Mr. Burns visits the Mayo Clinic. He lets Homer housesit his mansion, which leads of course to an offshore knife fight and an attack by Chinese pirates.
Director: Michael Polcino
Writer: Tim Long
6.7/1022 votes#6 - Half-Decent Proposal
Season 13 Episode 10 - Aired 2/10/2002
Homer develops a snoring problem, so Marge decides to spend a night with her sisters Patty and Selma. After a night of drinking, Marge sees a news report about her ex-prom date Artie Ziff, who is now very wealthy, and decides to send him an e-mail. Artie is still obsessed with Marge, so he offers the Simpsons $1 million in exchange for Marge spending a weekend with him.
Director: Lauren MacMullan
Writer: Tim Long
6.6/1020 votes#7 - New Kids on the Blecch
Season 12 Episode 14 - Aired 2/25/2001
A music producer selects Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph to be members of the next hit boy band, who record subliminal songs about joining the Navy.
Director: Steven Dean Moore
Writer: Tim Long
6.6/1018 votes#8 - Brake My Wife, Please
Season 14 Episode 20 - Aired 5/11/2003
Homer becomes obsessed with using new gadgets in his car. One day, he becomes distracted and drives off a pier, losing his driver's license. Unable to use a car, Homer starts to learn the joys of walking. Meanwhile, Marge shoulders the burden of Homer's driving duties and becomes stressed out. One day, as Homer sings about the virtues of walking, Marge accidentally runs him over with her car. Later, as Homer recuperates from the accident, he begins to suspect that Marge is trying to hurt him. They fight and go to see a marriage counselor. The counselor advises Homer to perform one completely unselfish gesture to win Marge back. Homer holds a party with all of her friends and a surprised Marge tells Homer that she loves him.
Director: Pete Michels
Writer: Tim Long
6.4/1014 votes#9 - Bull-E
Season 26 Episode 21 - Aired 5/10/2015
After Bart gets bullied at the school dance, Marge convinces the town to pass anti-bullying legislation. Homer then gets arrested and sent to rehab for bullying Ned Flanders, only to subsequently leave rehab as a hero.
Director: Lance Kramer
Writer: Tim Long
6.3/109 votes#10 - Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?
Season 31 Episode 9 - Aired 12/1/2019
Todd blames God for the death of his mother and rejects his faith, so Ned sends him to live with the Simpsons, hoping they can scare him into believing in God again.
Director: Chris Clements
Writer: Tim Long
6.2/1018 votes#11 - Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade
Season 14 Episode 3 - Aired 11/17/2002
The Simpsons buy a satellite television, which Bart spends so much time watching that he does not study for an important achievement test. He scores so low that Principal Skinner demotes him to third grade, while Lisa does so well that she is moved up to third grade. The two are placed in the same class and become rivals. During a trip to Capital City, they get separated from their class and are forced to help each other in order to find their classmates.
Director: Steven Dean Moore
Writer: Tim Long
6.2/1019 votes#12 - Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words
Season 20 Episode 6 - Aired 11/16/2008
Lisa learns she is good at crossword puzzles and enters a city-wide contest. Homer discovers he has a flair for letting loved ones down so he opens Sweet Conclusions Break-Up Service, but lands himself in trouble with his daughter when he places a bet against her in the competition.
Director: Nancy Kruse
Writer: Tim Long
6.2/1019 votes#13 - MoneyBART
Season 22 Episode 3 - Aired 10/10/2010
Lisa starts coaching Bart's Little League team; Marge and Bart spend the day at an amusement park, where former MLB manager Mike Scioscia gives Bart advice.
Director: Nancy Kruse
Writer: Tim Long
6.2/1016 votes#14 - Married to the Blob
Season 25 Episode 10 - Aired 1/12/2014
When Comic Book Guy meets a woman writing an autobiographical manga, he seeks Homer's advice on dating.
Director: Chris Clements
Writer: Tim Long
6.2/1023 votes#15 - Springfield Splendor
Season 29 Episode 2 - Aired 10/8/2017
Marge and Lisa turn Lisa’s sad experience into a successful graphic novel-turned-Broadway show, but they struggle with creative differences and ego.
Director: Mike B. Anderson
Writer: Tim Long
6.1/1013 votes#16 - You Kent Always Say What You Want
Season 18 Episode 22 - Aired 5/20/2007
Newsman Kent Brockman is fired for swearing on the air when Homer dumps coffee in his lap, but Lisa gets Brockman back in the game with her Webcam.
Director: Matthew Nastuk
Writer: Tim Long
6.1/1017 votes#17 - The Devil Wears Nada
Season 21 Episode 5 - Aired 11/15/2009
Marge and a group called the "Charity Chicks" pose for a calendar in hopes of raising money for charity, but Marge becomes the talk of the town thanks to her racy poses. Meanwhile, Carl is chosen as the newest supervisor at the nuclear power plant, and hires Homer to be his personal assistant.
Director: Nancy Kruse
Writer: Tim Long
6.1/1014 votes#18 - Moonshine River
Season 24 Episode 1 - Aired 9/30/2012
Bart will be visited by many of his past girlfriends.
Director: Bob Anderson
Writer: Tim Long
6.1/1018 votes#19 - Love Is a Many-Splintered Thing
Season 24 Episode 12 - Aired 2/10/2013
Bart's dream girl, Mary Spuckler, comes to town, but his failure to pay her enough attention is having a negative impact on their relationship. Meanwhile, Homer once again runs afoul of Marge and lands in the doghouse.
Director: Michael Polcino
Writer: Tim Long
6.1/1016 votes#20 - Haw-Haw Land
Season 29 Episode 10 - Aired 1/7/2018
When the Simpsons go to a STEM conference, Lisa falls for a crooning jazz pianist named Brendan. Meanwhile, Bart discovers that he has an affinity for chemistry
Director: Bob Anderson
Writer: Tim Long
6.0/1019 votes#21 - Saddlesore Galactica
Season 11 Episode 13 - Aired 2/6/2000
Homer and Bart befriend a diving horse at a county fair. They turn it into a racehorse with an attitude, whose success runs them afoul of mysterious, tree-dwelling jockeys.
Director: Lance Kramer
Writer: Tim Long
6.0/1014 votes#22 - Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts
Season 23 Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/2011
When superintendent Chalmers is fired for taking Bart and his friends on an unauthorized field trip, the boys hold the school hostage until he is reinstated.
Director: Steven Dean Moore
Writer: Tim Long
6.0/1014 votes#23 - The Kid Is All Right
Season 25 Episode 6 - Aired 11/24/2013
Lisa discovers her new best friend is a Republican who is opposing her in the class election.
Director: Mark Kirkland
Writer: Tim Long
6.0/105 votes#24 - Desperately Seeking Lisa
Season 36 Episode 3 - Aired 10/20/2024
Lisa has a blazing misadventure in the dark world of Capital City's downtown art scene.
Director: Matthew Nastuk
Writer: Tim Long
5.9/1015 votes#25 - Elementary School Musical
Season 22 Episode 1 - Aired 9/26/2010
Marge sends Lisa to a performing arts camp, where counselors and fellow campers inspire her to embrace her creative side; upon returning to Springfield, Lisa grows restless with her boring suburban lifestyle.
Director: Mark Kirkland
Writer: Tim Long
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Tim Long Ratings Summary
"Behind the Laughter" is the best rated episode written by Tim Long. It scored 7.2/10 based on 19 votes. It was directed by Mark Kirkland. It aired on 5/21/2000 and is rated 0.1 points higher than their second-best episode, "Skinner's Sense of Snow".