| "Simpsons Tall Tales" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 12 Episode 21 |
| Directed by | Bob Anderson |
| Written by | Paul Bunyan: John Frink Don Payne Connie Appleseed: Bob Bendetson Tom and Huck: Matt Selman |
| Production code | CABF17 |
| Original air date | May 20, 2001 |
| Guest appearance | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I should not be twenty-one by now" |
| Couch gag | The living room is a subway station and the Simpsons enter an arriving train. |
| Commentary | Mike Scully Ian Maxtone-Graham John Frink Don Payne Matt Selman Tom Gammill Max Pross Bob Anderson Joel H. Cohen |
"Simpsons Tall Tales" is the twenty-first and final episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 20, 2001. In the episode, Homer refuses to pay a five dollar airport tax to fly to Delaware, which forces the family to ride in a livestock car of a train instead. There they meet a singing hobo who tells three tall tales which include Homer as Paul Bunyan, Lisa as Connie Appleseed (a female version of Johnny Appleseed) and Bart and Nelson as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn respectively.
"Simpsons Tall Tales" was directed by Bob Anderson and written by John Frink, Don Payne, Bob Bendetson and Matt Selman. The idea for the episode was pitched while the series' staff were coming up with story ideas for the twelfth season. The staff had noticed that viewers responded well to "Simpsons Bible Stories", and decided to write another trilogy episode because of the warm response.
The singing hobo in the episode was voiced by Hank Azaria. He was originally going to be voiced by Jim Carrey, but he dropped out due to his busy schedule.
In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 7.8 million viewers, finishing in 33rd place in the ratings the week it aired. Following its home video release, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.