| "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 11 Episode 14 |
| Directed by | Jim Reardon |
| Written by | Ian Maxtone-Graham |
| Production code | BABF10 |
| Original air date | February 13, 2000 |
| Guest appearance | |
| Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan | |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "My suspension was not 'mutual'" |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons come in on bumper cars. Homer is then pinned to the wall and slammed repeatedly. |
| Commentary | Mike Scully George Meyer Ian Maxtone-Graham Matt Selman Jim Reardon Mark Kirkland |
"Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" is the fourteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American television series The Simpsons, and marks the final regular appearance of the character Maude Flanders. The episode aired on Fox on February 13, 2000. In the episode, she is killed in an accident while watching an auto race, devastating Ned Flanders and prompting Homer to find a new woman for his grieving friend. After a series of unsuccessful dates, Ned begins to question his faith in God. However, his faith is restored after hearing the female lead singer of a Christian rock band, played by guest star Shawn Colvin, sing in church. The episode's title is a parody of the song title "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
The episode was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Jim Reardon. Maude was voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven after regular voice actor Maggie Roswell had left the show over a pay dispute, and the producers decided to kill off the character and make Ned Flanders a single-father to open up for new storylines. The episode was viewed in 10.8 million households during its original broadcast, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.
A commercial for "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" that aired before the episode was broadcast was criticized by many viewers because it showed that the episode was parodying a 1999 incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina that left three spectators dead. Then-Fox affiliate WCCB in Charlotte, North Carolina refused to show the commercial, but after viewing the episode they came to the conclusion that it was not making fun of the incident.
Reviews of "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" from television critics have been mixed.