"Radio Bart" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons' third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 1992. In the episode, Bart receives a microphone that transmits sound to nearby AM radios. To play a prank on the citizens of Springfield, Bart places a radio deep inside a well and uses the microphone to trick the town into thinking a little boy is stuck in it. He enjoys the prank until he realizes his name is on the radio. Whilst trying to retrieve it, Bart gets trapped in the well. Still smarting from his prank, the town leaves him down there. Eventually Homer decides to rescue Bart by himself.
The episode was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Carlos Baeza. Musician Sting guest starred in the episode as himself, though the producers originally approached Bruce Springsteen to appear. The episode features cultural references to charity singles such as "We Are the World". Since airing, "Radio Bart" has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 14.1 and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired. It was nominated for an Emmy Award, but lost to A Claymation Easter.
Read more about Radio Bart: Plot, Production, Cultural References, Reception
Famous quotes containing the word radio:
“England has the most sordid literary scene I’ve ever seen. They all meet in the same pub. This guy’s writing a foreword for this person. They all have to give radio programs, they have to do all this just in order to scrape by. They’re all scratching each other’s backs.”
—William Burroughs (b. 1914)