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The Simpsons
S19.E4
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

  • Episode aired Oct 14, 2007
  • TV-14
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
Julie Kavner in The Simpsons (1989)
Adult AnimationHand-Drawn AnimationSatireSitcomAnimationComedy

Marge promises to visit a convicted bank robber in prison, but is afraid to follow through. But when the convict escapes from prison, Marge is the first person he pays a visit to.Marge promises to visit a convicted bank robber in prison, but is afraid to follow through. But when the convict escapes from prison, Marge is the first person he pays a visit to.Marge promises to visit a convicted bank robber in prison, but is afraid to follow through. But when the convict escapes from prison, Marge is the first person he pays a visit to.

  • Directors
    • Mark Kirkland
    • Bob Anderson
  • Writers
    • Matt Groening
    • James L. Brooks
    • Sam Simon
  • Stars
    • Dan Castellaneta
    • Julie Kavner
    • Nancy Cartwright
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    1.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Mark Kirkland
      • Bob Anderson
    • Writers
      • Matt Groening
      • James L. Brooks
      • Sam Simon
    • Stars
      • Dan Castellaneta
      • Julie Kavner
      • Nancy Cartwright
    • 5User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos5

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    Top cast13

    Edit
    Dan Castellaneta
    Dan Castellaneta
    • Homer Simpson
    • (voice)
    • …
    Julie Kavner
    Julie Kavner
    • Marge Simpson
    • (voice)
    Nancy Cartwright
    Nancy Cartwright
    • Bart Simpson
    • (voice)
    • …
    Yeardley Smith
    Yeardley Smith
    • Lisa Simpson
    • (voice)
    Hank Azaria
    Hank Azaria
    • Old Jewish Man
    • (voice)
    • …
    Harry Shearer
    Harry Shearer
    • Seymour Skinner
    • (voice)
    • …
    Steve Buscemi
    Steve Buscemi
    • Dwight
    • (voice)
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    • Gloria
    • (voice)
    Ted Nugent
    Ted Nugent
    • Ted Nugent
    • (voice)
    Pamela Hayden
    Pamela Hayden
    • Jimbo Jones
    • (voice)
    Tress MacNeille
    Tress MacNeille
    • Dolph
    • (voice)
    • …
    Russi Taylor
    Russi Taylor
    • Various
    • (voice)
    Karl Wiedergott
    • Umpire
    • (voice)
    • …
    • Directors
      • Mark Kirkland
      • Bob Anderson
    • Writers
      • Matt Groening
      • James L. Brooks
      • Sam Simon
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews5

    6.71.6K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    1010086cn

    The basis and foundation of those YTPs of The 8-Bit Guy and Techmoan

    This episode of The Simpsons felt like the origin of the plots that take place in YouTube Poops of what goes on between The 8-Bit Guy and Techmoan.

    How I see it, is that in this episode, Marge Simpson was the "crewmate" and Dwight Diddlehopper was the "impostor" in a similar fashion to how The 8-Bit Guy is the "crewmate" and Techmoan is the "impostor" in those YouTube Poops.

    For this reasoning, I'm always going to be appreciative of this episode, in particular how its plot inspired those YouTube Poops of The 8-Bit Guy and Techmoan. I feel as if this episode is too underrated and underappreciated.
    3studioAT

    Good fun

    This is another good episode from the 19th series of the show, in which Marge breaks her promise to her convict, and disaster follows.

    With a nice guest voice turn from Steve Buscemi this was an enjoyable enough episode.
    8killbill500

    Best episode in ages

    This is easily the best episode in a very, very long time. It's not forced, it's not overplayed, it's not unfunny, it's just the opposite of those things. During great scenes, I couldn't help thinking to myself, "Okay, when are they going to ruin this perfectly good scene with loads of potential, with a dumb Homer joke?!" and that joke never came. This is a serious episode, with a really innocent, sweet ending. See, they have the potential to do so much with the show, yet they always waste that potential by trying to appeal to their new target audience: Children.

    I'd give this an '8', but considering how much better this episode is to the rest of this season, and season 18 included, I will up it to a '9' because this episode really impressed me.
    8gianmarcoronconi

    Beautiful

    Who is the cause of his ailment mourns himself, this could be summed up as this episode where a man disturbed by a difficult childhood goes to prison and Marge does not keep her promises until it is too late.

    Best Emmys Moments

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    Related interests

    Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Alex Borstein, and Seth MacFarlane in Family Guy (1999)
    Adult Animation
    Jodi Benson, Jason Marin, and Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Hand-Drawn Animation
    Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    Satire
    Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry in Friends (1994)
    Sitcom
    Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
    Animation
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In this episode Steve Buscemi plays Dwight whose partner bears a striking resemblance to Sal (played by John Cazale in Dog Day Afternoon (1975). In Airheads (1994) Buscemi's character is a spoof of Sal.
    • Goofs
      When Wiggum reads the chapter list for The Negotiator, he mispronounces the character name Niebaum as "nye-baum" instead of "nee-baum".
    • Quotes

      Lou: Chief, it looks like there's a 64G in progress.

      [Chief Wiggum looks confused]

      Lou: Armed robbery with a gun?

      [Chief Wiggum still looks confused; Lou draws a stick figure robber on his pad]

      Lou: Come on, chief. You know this one.

      Chief Wiggum: Oh, a shootie stealie.

    • Connections
      Featured in I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Who Can It Be Now?
      (uncredited)

      Written by Colin Hay

      Performed by Men at Work

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 14, 2007 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • FOX
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • USA
    • Production companies
      • Gracie Films
      • 20th Century Fox Television
      • 20th Century Fox Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 30m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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