Team Homer
"Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer starts a bowling team with Moe, Apu, and Otto. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining, but the team fears he will cost them the league championship. In the subplot, Bart's "Down with homework" T-shirt incites a school riot, so Principal Skinner implements a uniform dress code.
| "Team Homer" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 12 |
| Directed by | Mark Kirkland |
| Written by | Mike Scully |
| Production code | 3F10 |
| Original air date | January 7, 1996 |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I am not certified to remove asbestos" |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons run to and sit on the couch as normal and the camera zooms in on a nearby mousehole, where a family of mice resembling the Simpsons scurries to and sits on its couch. |
| Commentary | Matt Groening David Mirkin Mike Scully Mark Kirkland |
The episode was written by Mike Scully and directed by Mark Kirkland. Scully came up with the idea for it when he went bowling one day. The episode features cultural references to Mad magazine and the film Caddyshack.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 9.4, and was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.